Purchasing a new pair of stylish sunglasses is easy, most people pick the expensive brands that 'look the best', but have you ever checked EN conformity or considered what lens colour is the most suitable for a pair of holiday sunglasses? Probably not, and that's because the risks associated with leisure are slim. However, when it comes to safety glasses; the environment, lens colour, lens coating and EN conformity are detrimental to the users' safety, comfort and ability to work.  In this blog, we're going to explore the different lens colours available in Pyramex Safety Eyewear and the environments best suited.

What are the most popular lens colours?

Clear Lens Safety Glasses

OK, we know we've started boring, but there's a reason clear safety glasses are our most popular choice. Allowing 92% light transmission, Pyramex clear lenses offer the highest visibility out of all glasses. Blocking out 99.9% of UVA/UVB light, clear lenses are best suitable for general purposes indoors. Browse our Clear Lens Safety Glasses

Grey Lens Safety Glasses

Next up; grey lenses. In comparison to clear lenses offering 92% light transmission, grey lenses come in much lower, at only 23% visible light transmitted. Grey lenses are much more suitable for working outdoors, particularly in bright sunlight, offering protection from excessive glare, along with UVA/UVB protection. Not so suitable for working indoors, as visibility would be hindered in dark environments. Browse our Grey Lens Safety Glasses

I/O Mirror Safety Glasses

Finally, we have I/O lenses (Indoor/Outdoor); as the name suggests, these safety glasses are perfect for users who are frequently moving from indoors to outdoors and vice versa. Allowing 50% light transmission and reducing glare, these lenses offer good visibility in both environments, and also help the eyes adjust to different lighting conditions. Browse our I/O Lens Safety Glasses   While we have provided three options; working indoors, outdoors, or a mix of both, it's important to note that these might not necessarily be the best fit. In one of our blogs, we discuss what to consider when selecting appropriate safety eyewear. As an example, Pyramex also offer an Amber lens. Similarly to clear lenses, Amber lenses are also very popular for indoor use, but help enhance contrast if the environment is poorly lit. Assessing the environment and risks is critical in specifying appropriate PPE, especially safety eyewear.

Pyramex Lens Colour Table

 

	Lens Colour	Visible Light Transmitted 380 - 780nm
	1.4 IR Filter Commonly used for peripheral personnel who are not exposed to direct IR radiation	58%
	3.0 IR Filter commonly used around welding sites or for light brazing or cutting	12%
	5.0 IR Filter commonly used around welding sites or for medium to heavy cutting and medium to heavy gas welding	2%
	Amber commonly used in indoor, low light applications | enhances contrast	89%
	Blue Mirror commonly used in outdoor applications | grey polycarbonate lens with blue mirror coating | reduces glare	23%
	Clear general purposes for indoor applications that require impact protection	92%
	Coffee commonly used in outdoor applications | best for enhancing depth perception	15%
	Forest Grey commonly used in outdoor applications | provides the least amount of colour distortion	10%
	Grey commonly used in outdoor applications | offers protection from excessive glare	23%
	Polarized Grey commonly used in outdoor applications | contains a special filter that blocks intense reflected light, reducing glare and eye fatigue	11%
	Ice Blue Mirror commonly used in outdoor applications | grey polycarbonate lens with a double layer of silver and blue mirror coatings | reduces glare	13%
	Ice Orange Mirror commonly used in outdoor applications | grey polycarbonate lens with a double layer of silver and orange mirror coatings | reduces glare	10%
	I/O Mirror commonly used where it is required to move between indoor applications to outdoor applications | clear polycarbonate lens with light gold mirror coating | reduces glare	50%
	Infinity Blue commonly used in indoor applications where there is an excessive amount of yellow or sodium vapor light | offers a high level of contrast	71%
	Multi-Colour Mirror commonly used in outdoor applications | grey polycarbonate lens with layers of silver and red, blue and green mirror coatings	23%
	Orange offers high contrast and low light image resolution	61%
	Pink commonly used in low light and flat light conditions | enhances definition and contrast	82%
	Sandstone Bronze commonly used in outdoor applications | enhances contrast	23%
	Silver Mirror commonly used in outdoor applications | grey polycarbonate lens with silver mirror coatings | reduces glare	23%
	Sky Red Mirror commonly used in outdoor applications | grey polycarbonate lens with a double layer of silver and red mirror coatings | reduces glare	14%
	Sun Block Bronze commonly used in outdoor applications | blocks the blue light of the spectrum | offers brighter view on cloudy, hazy or foggy days	17%

  Pyramex have also developed innovative anti-fog coatings, H2X and H2MAX, which is available on a wide variety of Pyramex safety glasses and different lens colours. Read our blog on Understanding Pyramex Anti-Fog Coatings to find out more! Browse our range of Safety Glasses here.