What Color Sunglass Lenses are Best for Cycling? 2024
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Preparing your gear for a long and thrilling cycling session? Then, let me stop you right there and tell you that you need a solid pair of colored sunglasses to keep your company. While many cyclists miss this detail, the sunglasses you choose can make or break your ride.
Ideally, your colored sunglasses should protect you from sun rays, improve your vision, and reduce your eye fatigue. And while many of them have these features, they aren’t ideal for all weather and light conditions. So what color sunglass lenses are best for cycling?
This is where I come in to help. I’ve prepared a detailed guide on the best sunglass lenses’ colors for cycling to help you choose the perfect pair. So jump in!
Table of Contents
The Best Colors for Your Cycling Sunglass Lenses
In this section, I’ll tell you all about the best colors for your sunglass lenses, why you should consider them, and how they perform in different conditions. So bear with me!
Amber Lenses
Amber sunglasses are ideal for cloudy days and days with weak sunlight. While they don’t block light as efficiently as darker colors, they improve visibility when shifting between sunny and shady areas and keep your eyes comfortable for the ride.
More so, you can use your amber sunglasses for night rides, unlike many colors that are only suitable for the mornings. However, it’ll still be safer if you ride only in well-lit areas.
Gray Lenses
Gray sunglasses work best when used on sunny days, as they block harmful rays efficiently and keep you from squinting to see. This will protect your eyes from fatigue and help you focus on the road better.
However, the color can affect your visibility if you often ride on asphalt terrains with many similar-colored obstacles in your way. This is because the grey tint of the lenses will limit the contrast between the road and the obstacles. As a result, you might hit something without seeing it, especially if you ride through a well-shaded area.
Also, naturally, gray sunglasses aren’t suitable for night rides. All in all, you can use them on sunny roads where shade isn’t expected.
Brown Lenses
Brown lenses make up for the downsides of gray ones, as you can use them in sunlight and shade without worrying about your visibility. In fact, brown sunglasses improve clarity, contrast, and perception of depth on the road. So you’ll be able to see all the obstacles in front of you clearly. They’ll also protect your eyes from harsh sun rays.
That said, you can’t go on a night ride wearing brown sunglasses. They’ll impair your vision because of their dark tint.
Pink Lenses
Pink sunglasses shine among other colors because they don’t cause eye fatigue, they improve contrast significantly, and they improve your visibility.
However, the part where they fall short is their color accuracy. Pink lenses can greatly distort colors, which isn’t dangerous but can be very annoying if you wear them for long hours. You might not even feel the distortion unless you constantly shift from sunny to shady areas.
Generally, pink sunglasses are ideal for cloudy, foggy, and misty days. They can also come in handy if you like to ride your bike at dawn or dusk. They’re not suitable for sunny days, though, because they don’t block harsh rays as efficiently as darker colors.
Blue Lenses
In addition to the cool vibes that blue sunglasses give, they work wonders to improve your color perception and overall vision. They’re ideal for rides where light conditions constantly change as they also define color contours and depth perception and minimize glare.
However, I recommend against using them on extremely sunny days, as they don’t block rays as efficiently as other colors. Also, when it comes to comparison to other colors, blue isn’t a top option.
Clear Lenses
Although not considered a color, clear lenses are the best choice for night rides. They won’t affect your vision or color perception at all, and they’ll protect your eyes from dust and wind.
However, they are of no use if you only ride your bike in the morning, because they aren’t suitable for sunny conditions.
Types of Lenses to Consider
Besides the color of your lenses, you should consider their type before purchasing. Here’s a quick guide to three different lenses suitable for cycling.
Polarized Lenses
What’s unique about polarized lenses is that they can filter light and only allow the entry of rays that are coming in vertically. This means that they’ll keep the annoying glares of the road at bay, and you won’t have to squint while riding.
While polarized lenses don’t protect against the dangers of UV rays more than regular sunglasses, they enhance vision and reduce eye fatigue by a mile.
However, you should know that these lenses will prevent you from seeing oil spills and small holes clearly while on the road, which isn’t ideal for cycling. Only consider them if you ride your bike on safe terrains.
Mirrored Lenses
Mirrored lenses are the best choice for cycling on hot, sunny days. They protect your eyes from UV rays and prevent most sun rays from reaching your eyes, which means more comfort and safety. They also reduce glare and eye strain significantly.
Photochromic Lenses
Photochromic lenses are a revolution in the world of sunglasses. They’re manufactured with advanced technology that lets them change color based on their exposure to UV light. In other words, if you ride in a sunny area, they’ll darken to protect your eyes from the sun. Alternatively, they’ll lighten if you’re driving in dark conditions.
Although photochromic lenses are pricier than other options, they’re of great help to professional cyclists. They’re mostly available in dark tints, like brown and gray.
Conclusion
Choosing the right sunglasses is key to an enjoyable bike ride. Ideally, you should choose it based on the terrains and light conditions you usually ride in.
For instance, if you often ride in the morning amidst green areas, then gray lenses are your go-to lenses.
On the other hand, if you ride in shady conditions a lot and want improved visibility and enhanced contours, you should go with amber or pink lenses. And this is it!
Now, you can enjoy a safe ride with your new colored sunglasses.
