""All lenses are not created equal," says CEO and co-founder of Roka. Serengeti's Joe Freitag echoes the sentiment, explaining that "the finest sunglass lenses are made from either borosilicate mineral glass or Trivex." Mineral glass offers the highest optical clarity and scratch resistance, while Trivex provides lightweight comfort with exceptional impact protection. Allie Flake, Smith eyewear category manager, agrees that mineral glass has the best optical clarity and unmatched polarization."
"Polyurethane can take dyes, tints, and photochromic technologies-that is, when lenses automatically darken in the sun-well and still provides optical clarity with impact resistance in a lightweight, durable design. Being cast molded, though, it can be tricky to build a diverse range of lens geometries that remain optically correct. Nylon offers another high-impact lens that is lightweight and has good optical clarity. But it can be tough for the material to accept a wide range of tints or color enhancement technologies."
Lenses vary by material; mineral glass and Trivex offer top optical clarity and scratch resistance or lightweight impact protection respectively. Mineral glass provides unmatched polarization but is heavier and more breakable. Polyurethane accepts dyes, tints, and photochromic treatments and balances optical clarity with impact resistance, though cast molding limits complex geometries. Nylon delivers lightweight, high-impact lenses with good clarity but can resist certain tints and color enhancements. Polycarbonate is widely used for impact protection, with Oakley and Smith manufacturing sport lenses from polycarbonate to prioritize safety. Lens choices trade off clarity, weight, durability, tint compatibility, and geometry constraints.
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