Our eyesight plays a fundamental role in how we see the world around us. With our eyes we look, we examine, we understand, we get excited, we love. Its importance must not be underestimated when it comes to sports. For outdoor sports, protecting our eyes from the sun’s harmful UV rays is essential. But we also need to protect our eyes from other external agents.
What does Sports eyewear need to protect against? Sport sunglasses must protect the eye from athmpospheric and environmental conditions like UV Rays, Wind and Rain and from external phisical agents like Bugs, Sea water and Dust.
So, how to choose the right lenses for sport sunglasses? When choosing sports eyewear, first of all it is necessary to distinguish the discipline practiced, based on environmental conditions and distinctive characteristics.
We can divide sports into 3 categories:
- Outdoor Sports: Cycling, golf, running, mountaineering, tennis, climbing, horseback riding, archery, hunting, shooting sports, hiking, etc.
- Winter Sports: Skiing, snowboarding, mountaineering, climbing, mountain biking, etc.
- Water Sports: Fishing, kiteboarding, windsurfing, beach volleyball, sailing, water skiing, wakeboarding, etc.
To carry out each of these categories of disciplines, different vision characteristics are required. For example Lenses for Outdoor Sports need to protect the wearer against a range of lighting and other environmental conditions while ensuring optimal clarity of vision.
Lenses for **Outdoor sports **therefore require the following characteristics:
- VISUAL - ensure perfect eye contact with the wearer’s surroundings.
- SAFETY - in the event of accidental impact with objects or obstacles.
- COMFORT - for the eyes after exposure to bright light or prolonged stress.
- ANTI-FOG - during outdoor sports lenses can be subject to fogging.
- PROTECTION - the right level of protection from UV rays.
- DESIGN - ergonomic and innovative to ensure the highest possible levels of performance.
Lenses for Winter sports are subjected to the most extreme environmental conditions and need to protect against wind, snow and the intense sunlight typical of the mountains. Lenses for Winter Sports therefore require the following characteristics:
- VISUAL - to ensure minimal hindrance to visual performance.
- DURABILITY - need to be strong and shatter resistant.
- ANTI-FOG - snow and cold mean lenses are subject to fogging.
- PROTECTION - UV rays are much more intense at high altitude.
- ANTI-GLARE - snow increases glare by up to 90%.
- DESIGN - padding and personalizations for a perfect fit.
Glasses to be used in Water sports, on the other hand, must have characteristics that allow for an excellent response against wear and dirt:
- DURABILITY - must be strong, lightweight and shatter resistant.
- PHOTOCHROMIC - need to adapt to variable lighting conditions.
- PROTECTION - against UV-A and UV-B, esp. on the beach and out at sea.
- FORM FITTING - frames that ensure a good fit that blocks the wind and stays in place.
- ANTI-ABRASION - need to be treated with a saltwater-resistant coating.
What color should the lenses of the sports glasses be?
Three factors come into play in order to pick the right lens for the application at hand:
- COLOR - color is of great importance in certain sports.
- TREATMENTS - to enhance lens performance or technical characteristics.
- SHAPE - choose a lens or shield in classic or creative shapes. (the mask is more protective because it completely envelops the face)
Color in a lens is very important to our ability to see clearly in various lighting conditions and in order to eliminate glare. In general, we can summarize the characteristics of the colors as follows:
- Brown: high definition and clarity
- Orange: depth and saturation
- Grey: anti-glare
- Green: variable light
- Violet: neutralizes green
- Blue: comfort and anti-glare
- Yellow: increase contrasts
- Pink: clarity
In addition to the color itself, its intensity must also be taken into account, as this determines its category of protection, which ranges from category 0 to category 4.
According to these properties, orange and yellow are recommended for mountain sports, running, sports at sea or on the beach because they offer depth of field and increase contrasts, ideal characteristics in open spaces in poor lighting conditions. Instead gray and brown are perfect on sunny and very bright days.
The blue and green are perfect for water sports in medium-light conditions but also in high mountain winter sports such as skiing, climbing or snowboarding thanks to the anti-glare characteristics and the ability to adapt to variable light conditions. Pink lenses are recommended in low light conditions, in beachvolley or cycling. The violet, thanks to its ability to neutralize greens, is widely used in sports such as golf because it neutralizes greens and offers a better view of the field.
How to choose the right treatment for Sport sunglasses?
Coatings applied to lenses can serve to protect both the eyewear itself and the wearer. We can categorize these treatments as either functional or technical based on purpose of the given coating.
FUNCTIONAL COATINGS
Lenses can be customized for functional purposes based on the needs of the application concerned, including:
- PHOTOCHROMIC - to darken or lighten based on actual lighting conditions.
- POLARIZED - to increase contrast and enhance vision quality.
- MIRRORED - Multilayer coatings reflect light off of the surface of the lens.
The photochromic treatment is recommended in Outdoor Sports, in variable light conditions such as mountains, horse riding or running. In winter, in hockey or mountain biking or on a boat or beach. The polarized treatment is applied instead in all water sports in skiing, cycling or in precision sports such as shooting or hunting thanks to the fact that they improve vision. The mirrored treatment, or Multilayer, is absolutely ideal in all sports performed on very bright and sunny days.
TECHNICAL COATINGS
Technical coatings are therefore applied to lenses to ensure overall visual comfort, including:
- ANTI-REFLECTION - to reduce glare.
- HYDROPHOBIC - repels liquids from the lens.
- OLEOPHOBIC - keeps away dirt and grime.
- ANTI-FOG - prevents lenses from fogging up.
- SEAWATER - protects lenses from sea water.
The anti-glare treatment, also widespread on prescription lenses, is recommended for all types of sports because it improves visual comfort by reducing glare and improving light reflection.
Hydrophobic and oleophobic treatments are also recommended for all sports, both outdoor, water and winter.
Anti-fog, on the other hand, is essential in all winter sports where temperature changes can cause the creation of steam, in cycling and running.
The colors and treatments are just recommended. Each product may be customized and adapted to the needs of the athlete.
Divel Italia designs and produces helmet shields, lenses and masks for Sport.
View the collection here: https://www.divelitalia.it/en/products/sun/sport/sport-optical-mask
All products are subject to minimum order quantities.