Is there a difference between tinted and progressive sunglass lenses?

Both tinted progressive lenses and progressive sunglass lenses have a consistent amount of light-blocking tint in the lens, unlike the UV-light varying tint of photochromic or Transitions Adaptive lenses. These are mostly for outdoor-specific wear, but offer two additional tint color tones--green and blue--in addition to the sepia or gray shades.

So what sets apart tinted progressive lenses from progressive sunglass lenses? It boils down to the frames; tinted progressive lenses come with a frame like you’d see with standard eyeglasses, whereas progressive sunglass lenses sit in a larger, bolder, traditional sunglass-style frame.

Acclimating to progressive

If you’ve been wearing single-focus prescription lenses until now, donning your first pair of progressive lenses might come with a bit of an adjustment phase. Here are some tips to help ease the process of acclimating to multifocal lenses with as few dizzy spells and bouts of eye ache as possible:

• Use your progressive lenses as often as possible. Even if it they feel uncomfortable at first, resist the urge to return to wearing your old pair of non-progressive glasses. Doing so will prolong your transition and lengthen the amount of time it takes before you stop experiencing discomfort with progressive lenses.
• Every day gives you a fresh start--so wear your progressive lenses right after waking up. As your vision adjusts to being awake and being used, they’ll also adjust to your progressive lenses.
• Try to avoid donning progressive lenses for the first time in the day in the afternoon or evening. That’s because this throws a whole new adjustment curve at your eyes after they’ve already been seeing with different conditions for several hours--it’s akin to running your hands under hot water after being out in the snow for a few hours, not the best experience!

How about the price?

Progressive lenses are unquestionably more intricate than your standard single-distance prescription eyewear. That being said, the one factor that determines their price, more than any other customization, is your prescription strength. That’s right, for better or worse, the strength of your prescription outweighs the cost of special coatings (such as digital screen protection), or even photochromic and Transitions adaptive technologies. Be prepared to pay anything from around $100 to several hundred dollars.

Choosing the perfect frames

Just like for standard eyeglasses, choose frames that complement your facial features, eye and hair colors--and even show a bit of personality! If you’re looking for frames for tinted lenses, of course make sure the tint hue goes with the colors of the frames. With these factors in mind, you still have plenty of options.