Eye Health Central

A Guide to Tinted Prescription Glasses

Tinted Glasses Explained

Tinted prescription glasses, a blend of vision correction and light filtration, are proving to be very popular for their benefits and their look as well. But what are tinted glasses exactly and why should you buy them?


Tinted Glasses


What Are Tinted Glasses?

Tinted glasses are glasses that have a light filtering tint added to the lenses. They come in a range of colours including green, yellow, brown and grey. Depending on your preferences, the tint can cover the entirety of your lens or just part of it. The tint can also vary in intensity from very light to very dark.

Tinted prescription glasses can correct your vision and also provide you relief from specific light conditions. And they can be tailored to fit your unique prescription.


What Are the Benefits of Tinted Glasses?

Tinted glasses offer quite a lot of benefits beyond their fashion appeal such as:

1. Enhanced Visual Comfort: Tinted glasses can reduce your eye strain by filtering harsh light and improving contrast, which is perfect if you’re reading, working on a computer and performing sports outdoors.

2. Glare Reduction: Certain tints can help reduce glare making it easier for you to see in bright conditions.

3. Improved Performance in Certain Conditions: Yellow or amber tints can enhance your contrast in low-light conditions.

4. Protection from Blue Light: Yellow tints can also help filter out the blue light from your digital screens.

5. Migraine Relief: Some migraine sufferers find relief with certain colours of tinted glasses, which filter out specific light wavelengths that can trigger migraines. Be careful though, while some tints help, such as FL-41, some colours do the opposite and make your migraines worse.

6. UV Protection: Just like sunglasses, tinted glasses can offer you protection from harmful UV rays when the tint includes a UV-protective coating.


How Do I Add a Tint to My Glasses?

Adding a tint to your prescription glasses is straightforward and can be done when you're ordering your glasses either from your optician or online

1. Select Your Frames: Choose a frame style that you like and that fits well.

2. Enter Your Prescription details: Enter your glasses prescription details.

3. Choose the Lens Type: Do you need single vision, bifocals, varifocals etc?

4. Select a Tint: Choose the colour and intensity of the tint.

5. Add Additional Coatings: Consider whether you want to add anti-reflective, scratch-resistant or UV protective coatings.

6. Finalize Your Order: Check you have everything you want, then check out and pay.


Summary

Tinted prescription glasses, with their ability to filter light, reduce glare and even provide relief for migraines offer several benefits not found in traditional clear lenses. Whether you spend a lot of time outdoors, work long hours on digital devices or simply want to mix up your look, tinted glasses could be the perfect addition to your collection. Just remember, when adding a tint to your glasses, it's important to consider your lifestyle and vision needs. 


Author: John Dreyer Optometrist Bsc(Hons), MCOPTOM, DipCLP
Created: 7 Sep 2023, Last modified: 15 Feb 2024