Transition glasses: What are they and how they work?

Wearing glasses can be a pain sometimes. Where you are wiping off your lenses endlessly in humidity, you are often struggling to decide whether to wear normal glasses on a sunny day or switch to sunglasses. However, this problem has been successfully solved by transition lenses that are clear indoors but darken outdoors.

Transition glasses are known for their ability to change colour in response to light and are made from photochromic lenses.

The molecules on the surface of photochromic lenses react to the UV light and thus causes the lenses to change colour. Let’s know about this science in greater detail.

How do transition lenses work?

Every photochromic lens is made up of silver halide and chloride molecules. These molecules change their structure when they come into the contact of UV rays. In fact, all the lenses that change colour in light are made up of photochromic molecules.

The movement of trillions of molecules at the same time makes the lenses appear darker. They are constantly changing the structure to make sure that the right amount of light reaches your eyes.

As a result, these glasses can turn into sunglasses and then turn back normal depending on the exposure to the sun.

However, this transition process used to take almost a minute in the past. But, with technological advancements, these lenses can now change colour within seconds.

The lenses are clear indoors where there is no UV light (window glasses filter most of the UV light) and turn dark when you are out in the sun. This technology has saved many people from constantly switching between eyeglasses and sunglasses.

Most photochromic lenses react to the UV light. The windshields of cars block most of the UV light which is why your transition glasses won’t turn dark inside a car.

How temperature affects photochromic technology?

The molecules on a photochromic lens change structure when exposed to UV light. However, the temperature can also be a deciding factor in determining the reaction time of photochromic molecules.

When the lenses are cold, these molecules will take longer than usual to move and hence transition will take time. But, when the lenses are warm, the molecules will move fast resulting in a faster transition.

For instance, if you are out on a warm sunny day and move under a shade, the photochromic molecules move faster and change colour more quickly. Whereas, if you are out in the sun in a cold climate and return to shade, the molecules will adjust slowly and the lenses will take longer to get clear.

Benefits of transition lenses

Through the years, the photochromic technology continued to evolve and we now have lenses that detect a change in UV light in a fraction of a second. Many people love that they get a single pair of glasses for all their visual needs.

Whatever you think about transition glasses, you cannot deny the following benefits that they offer:

1. Better vision protection

The UV rays are damaging to your central vision and may even put you at risk of eye conditions such as cataract and age-related macular degeneration. Transition eyeglasses help you see clearly in the sun while protecting you from the potentially harmful effects of the UV light.

2. Cost-effective

Transition glasses cut the cost of buying two pairs of glasses for different visual needs. You can simply buy prescription glasses online or from a local optician and fit transition lenses into them. You can now get the best of both worlds.

3. Convenient

In a world without transition lenses, not only did you have to carry around two pairs of eyewear all the time, but you also had to decide which one to use and when. Protecting your eyes from UV rays is important but you would want to be able to see things in the daylight. Transition glasses give you the convenience to block the UV light while giving you a perfectly clear vision.

Blocks blue light

As if blocking the UV light and providing a clear vision was not enough to win our hearts, transition lenses are also very effective against blocking the high-energy blue light. As the use of digital devices has increased, the need to protect our eyes against the blue light has also taken the center stage. Transition lenses give you the added comfort of shielding your eyes from blue light even when you are indoors.

The takeaway

Transitions are going to benefit anyone who doesn’t like the hassle of carrying two pairs of glasses. If you want to get the most out of your glasses, these won’t let you down. Why spend on different pairs when you can enjoy multi-functionality from your transition glasses?