I’ve noticed an uptick in inquiries about sports eyewear. Perhaps the recent Olympics have sparked interest, but it’s been rewarding to help clients enhance their visual performance while they engage in their favourite sports and hobbies. While we can certainly correct vision, our focus is on enhancing it!
So, what do we mean by "enhance," and how can we achieve it? This connects to a previous newsletter where I highlighted the importance of tints—an often overlooked aspect that I strongly advocate for most spectacle wearers. These tints can enhance contrast, making it easier to distinguish between objects against varying backgrounds, filter out specific wavelengths of light for different lighting conditions, and reduce glare. As trained opticians, we understand the vital role your eyes play in sports—an often taken-for-granted organ that plays a vital part of your performance!
We always recommend that eyewear users consider contact lenses for sports. They offer unparalleled peripheral vision. Some clients love them, while others are hesitant about inserting them. That’s perfectly fine! However, even contact lens wearers should have a backup pair of glasses for days when they might experience irritation or infection. Whether you require prescription eyewear or are wearing contacts, sports glasses can significantly enhance your visual performance with the right enhancement tint.
It’s surprising how many people aren’t aware of this. Just like our campaign for children’s eye health, we professionals shouldn’t assume you have the same level of knowledge we do. So here’s my tailored advice for your sports and hobbies:
Cycling: Amber and rose lens tints enhance visual acuity, making them ideal for cycling, particularly in low-light conditions. Their colour contrast is particularly beneficial when navigating roads. Consider using amber, brown, pink or ruby photochromic lenses that adapt to changing sunlight. Additionally, an anti-glare or driving coating can improve visibility in low light, while also including a hydrophobic coating ensures that rainwater forms droplets that easily roll off the lenses, preventing smearing.
Golf: Brown, dark amber, copper, or cinnamon lenses offer sharp contrast on the fairway and greens, helping you track the ball in the air. For changing light conditions, we recommend brown, amber, or jade/bottle green photochromic lenses. An anti-glare coating will reduce glare, and a hydrophobic layer will ensure that water droplets bead up and roll off the lenses if the weather takes a turn.
Running: Brown lenses enhance contrast in most conditions, while yellow lenses are ideal for night running, improving visibility in low light. We also recommend brown, amber, ruby, or pink photochromic options for varying light conditions. Additionally, consider adding an anti-fog coating to prevent the lenses from steaming up during intense exertion.
Tennis: For tennis, brown, copper, rose copper, and amber lenses are perfect for low-light situations. They enhance colour separation, particularly for bright tennis balls. Brown lenses are versatile for various lighting conditions, while yellow lenses excel in low-light settings, filtering out some blue light. (This is also advised on driving lenses)
Shooting: Amber, rose, and yellow lenses enhance contrast, making them suitable for shooting sports such as clay pigeon and targets.
Skiing/Snowboarding: Vermilion and gold lenses are ideal for snow sports, enhancing contrast in flat light. We also recommend mirror finishes to reflect blinding light from snow.
Watersports: Grey lenses offer excellent all-around vision on the water, enhancing depth perception and colour rendering. Polarised lenses are particularly effective at reducing glare from reflections on the water's surface, while polarised photochromic lenses adapt to changing light conditions while also cutting out glare. An anti-glare coating further enhances performance, as its hydrophobic properties allow water droplets to easily roll off the lenses.
When it comes to frames, a slightly wrapped design provides a more panoramic view, but this is dependent on your prescription and whether you wear varifocals. Lightweight, durable frames are essential. For ball sports or shooting, toughened or high-index lenses offer superior impact resistance. For swimming or diving, we provide prescription goggles and masks, as contact lenses are not advisable due to the risk of infection.
Many sports enthusiasts invest heavily in their hobbies—golf clubs, sportswear, lessons, club memberships etc. While wearing everyday glasses for sports may be manageable, they can suffer under the strain of physical activity. I’ve seen frames discolour from perspiration, break from impact, and even clients develop serious eye infections from wearing contact lenses in water. My advice is simple: if you’re serious about your sports and hobbies, invest in appropriate eyewear to enhance your visual performance.
My team and I delight in helping you piece together a pair of glasses dedicated for specific tasks. It may sound silly, but bring in a tennis ball or golf ball for example. Let us show you the difference through our tinted lenses, and don’t forget, we have in-store offers to help you with this!
If you have any further questions please reach out to myself or my team.
