It's about time for a new pair of glasses, and I have heard good and bad things about transition lenses. For those of you who have (or had) transition lenses, what do you think of them?

I have heard they are not very effective while driving, and they also take longer to transition in cold temperatures.

1/10/2010 3:34:00 PM

If you do end up getting them, make sure you get a frame that looks decent as sunglasses. I have seen so many people with frames that look fine with regular lenses but awful as sunglasses.

1/10/2010 3:40:15 PM

I didn't like how long it took them to return to clear after I went into a building. Ended up switching to regular eyeglasses + a pair of prescription sunglasses instead.

1/10/2010 3:41:29 PM

I have always had transition lenses (photobrown with brown frames, photogray with black/silver frames).

They are quite effective. Not as effective as sunglasses, but they get the job done. When out in the sun at noon, other people with non-transition glasses or with no glasses can be seen squinting. I don't have to squint at all, and yet, because they are not as dark as sunglasses, I can still see everything clearly.

As for cold, I do remember that when I was in the US and there was snow on the ground, they used to get darker than they would under the midday sun without snow. I guess sunlight would get reflected from the snow and make them darker. Without snow around, they still get very dark when it is cold. In fact, sometimes they get really dark and the sun is hidden behind clouds in cold weather. I guess it is due to the UV fraction of sunlight.

And if you get designer/fashionable frames (like mine!), they could easily pass off as expensive sunglasses during the day time.

1/10/2010 3:45:11 PM

Pretty much what ^ said.

1/10/2010 3:50:11 PM

keep in mind also that as they age the transitioning will degrade.

1/10/2010 3:58:50 PM

So as long as your frames don't look stupid whilst tinted, it's worth it, eh?

1/10/2010 10:03:11 PM

personally, I think they look make you look like Disco Stu.

1/10/2010 10:07:14 PM

Mine help me to avoid headaches when I'm out in the sun for too long

1/10/2010 10:16:27 PM

I would say not worth it. The problem I had with the Transitions is that they don't darken when you're in the car, and therefore give you no advantage when driving. That alone makes it not worth it. I preferred having the magnetic clip sunglasses that go over your prescription ones.

1/10/2010 10:21:44 PM

Hmm, I never considered the magnetic clip-ons. Makes me think of Dewayne Wayne though

1/10/2010 11:24:24 PM

They look very unattractive when you're sitting in a bright building and they are partially transitioned. I wouldn't recommend them.

1/10/2010 11:26:35 PM

^
i agree. it seems like they are always partially transitioned while inside any building.

1/11/2010 8:36:20 AM

I just carry a pair of prescription sunglasses with me if I know I'll be driving and/or outdoors. It's a bit annoying when you don't have an extra pocket, but it is nice to have sunglasses when you need them, without worrying about something like transitions or the somewhat goofy looking magnetic clips.

1/11/2010 10:13:56 AM

I think transition lenses look terrible, but the idea is sound and they are functional. I hate it when I have on my regular glasses and am driving so I cannot really put on my sunglasses. I am seriously near-sighted and would crash if I did.

1/11/2010 10:21:16 AM

Other than them not changing in the car, I love mine. That is a pretty annoying drawback though.

1/11/2010 10:39:00 AM

Ive been an off and on transitiosn lenses user for a while.

The first 2 pairs i had, (i think 3rd gen) anyway

I dont have much problem with regular lenses (I have dark eyes, and dont seem to squint much) in any case, they were nice, but not amazing.

Time to change back was Annoying, especially if yoru going from inside to outside frequently.

The thing I hated was this

After about a year, they darken and are no longer crystal clear inside, its like they are always very slightly transitioned. I konw all plastics oxydize slowly, but these seemed to do it much faster than the non transitions glasses i have had.

My last pair was non transitions, and i liked them more.

The pair I just got is the new 5th gen, so far they are okay, and my frame isnt a terrible one for sunglasses (abet a bit small, sunglasses should be larger than regular glasses).

they are coming out with a version that will change in a car, don't ask me how.

If it wasn't included free in my insurance i would not have paid for it, for damned sure.

1/11/2010 10:49:12 AM

zennioptical.com has very inexpensive prescription glasses, and you can order any of them with tinted lenses to use as sunglasses. I've ordered them (as well as my family and many of my friends) and although they are not designer, the quality is very good. I've had mine for almost a year and they aren't beginning to get stretched out or bent, and I'm hard on my glasses.... and I paid 13 dollars for them. As long as you spend the extra five dollars on the anti-glare coating, they work just as well as expensive glasses.

The catch is that it takes about 3 weeks to get them, but five dollar shipping covers all the glasses in your order, so its worth getting an extra pair or two around.

Check it out! I can't speak higher of them.

1/11/2010 11:52:07 AM

Have had transitions lenses since I was 8. 15 years later, I can still say I love them. They're never absolutely clear, but are slightly yellow indoors. They get dark enough outside that the sunlight is no longer comfortable, but are not as dark as sunglasses. They do not darken while driving, but the new ones out there are apparently capable of that. The main advantage is not having to carry another set of glasses or snap ons in a case in your pocket. If you have enough room in an existing pocket, those would be the best performing option, but it's a convenience not having to do so.

If you would like, I can take pictures of my 10 year old lenses.

1/11/2010 1:46:40 PM

i hate mine and i think the in-between state looks awful. i've had them for 4 years now and even when not tinted and there is absolutely no source of uv rays, they are still a tiny tiny bit yellow. they weren't like this when i first got them. most people don't notice but i do. they transition slow as hell in the cold and slower as they get older. just when going from the car in a parking lot to a store, they get dark enough and take long enough to transition that i have to take them off when i get inside and leave them off for 5 mins or so. it's ridiculous. they didn't used to be this way

they're not effective in the car at all (assuming your car isn't 2384723 years old and doesn't block uv rays). i've had a 2003 4runner and 2006 civic since getting them and they do not change at all. they never get as dark as real sunglasses either.

it's expensive and not worth it at all.

1/11/2010 1:56:57 PM

transition lenses make you look like a fucking nerd

1/11/2010 2:15:47 PM

at least we're gettin' some then

1/11/2010 2:38:24 PM

Mine are ok. Not as good as regular sunglasses (they don't tint down as dark), but they were free with my eye care plan. I find the anti-glare and shade helps with biking in all conditions. Ok during the little driving I do.

1/11/2010 3:01:30 PM

I am going to get a pair of prescription sunglasses when my vision coverage with my new company kicks in. I just hate how long they take to transition when you walk inside.

1/11/2010 3:37:38 PM

As a few people have said, longer you have them, they tend to stay dark permanently. Varies for each pair but something to consider. Esp if you dont break glasses often/dont change lenses often.

1/11/2010 3:46:34 PM

get some contact lenses and wal-mart sunglasses and call it a day

1/11/2010 4:13:05 PM

TLO rollcall

1/11/2010 5:15:17 PM

Some people either

1) are buying shitty ones which take a while to transition
2) and/or are impatient in general
3) and/or have no sense of the measure of time

Mine transition within a matter of 30 seconds (to peak state of dark/undark) in both directions. I mean, really, are people that impatient? So they stay dark let's say for a minute or so once you are inside a building. So f'ing what? People walk around with real sunglasses all the time inside buildings and some of you can't tolerate half the darkness for just a minute?

1/11/2010 6:41:29 PM

1/11/2010 6:48:37 PM

Quote :

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1/11/2010 6:54:23 PM

Quote :

"I would say not worth it. The problem I had with the Transitions is that they don't darken when you're in the car, and therefore give you no advantage when driving. That alone makes it not worth it."

1/11/2010 7:44:29 PM

only dorks wear these

get a pair of contacts and buy some cool sunglasses instead

1/16/2010 12:31:31 AM

I've never found them to be particularly effective in any of my pairs of glasses, but two-to-three years might have made a pretty big difference in transition technology for all I know. The current pair I'm wearing is virtually useless. I can hardly tell any difference in the actual effectiveness of shading, they're must slower to transition than advertised, and they're not particularly good looking. Honestly though, I've never thought it to exactly be "expensive", and it's certainly a lot cheaper than prescription sunglasses--but the majority of the time I'd want to use it in the car, and you can't really expect that from transitions, so it's really a personal choice here.

1/16/2010 1:28:26 AM