How To Make Sunglasses Darker - Ultimate Guide

When you go out shopping for a pair of sunglasses, you can be easily overwhelmed by the wide range of options. You must have a budget in mind, but also looking for a particular style, as you wouldn’t want to pick something out of fashion. Other than that, you strive finding a design that will beautifully complement your facial traits. And you must also pick a lens color that will match your skin tone and hair color.

Sometimes, it’s incredibly difficult to find a pair that reunites all the features you’re looking for. You look at a pair that sits perfectly on your face. But you’re not entirely happy with the color of its lenses. Want something darker, but you’re clueless on whether you can get this option or not. What should you do?

First, ask the sales rep if there’s any option to get darker lenses for a particular model of sunglasses. Something like Flack or Fire Iridium is probably what you’re aiming for. In some instances, shops do offer customization options and you may be able to take advantage of something similar.

Second, consider going from the sunglasses shop to an optometric shop. Whether you didn’t have any luck with the first option or you already bought the sunglasses and you’re now trying to upgrade them, try this. It’s a typical practice for optometric shops to apply dyes for darkening lenses, especially for polycarbonate models. Try something local or check the online option provided by AbbeyColor.com.

Can you make any lens darker?

As you probably suspect, adding dye or tint is not a practice for every type of lens. Usually, the more expensive your sunglasses are, the less likely it is that they support such changes. That’s because the lenses are already equipped with special repellants for oil, dust, or dirt protection, or they may even be polarized and with UV protection.

If you already wear special lenses, chances are that adding an extra layer of paint or tint on it will block some of the advantages you were already getting from them.

Do you really need to make the lenses darker?

Sometimes, you may just think you need darker lenses, when that’s not the case. For instance, did you know that the color of a lens is best analyzed outdoor than in the shop? You’ll be wearing your sunglasses outside, so, it only makes sense to see their lens color right outside, in the sun.

Also, the larger the distance between your eyes and the lens, the more visible your eyes will be through the lenses. To block some of that transparency, try to see if you can make your glasses sit closer to your face.

If none of these helps, you can just buy a second pair of sunglasses, with darker lenses. You’ll use the new pair when the weather is too sunny, and your old pair throughout the rest of the time.