Coatings, Tints, and Add-ons

Optical Lens Lab gives you the ability to order coatings, tints, and lens polishing as à la carte options to customize the perfect lenses for your lifestyle.

Skip to the section you want to read:
5-Way Protective Coating
Polarized or Tinted Sunglasses
Mirror Coat Sunglasses
Lens Edge Polishing Add-on

Standard and Super 5-Way Protective Coating

Our Standard and Double-thickness Super 5-Way Protective Coatings offer the same features as one another, and are listed below. Both are offered with an industry-leading warranty — one year for Standard and two years for Double-thickness Super.

Standard and Super Coatings Include

• Reduces Glare (anti-reflective)
• Scratch Resistant
• Smudge Resistant (oleophobic)
• Water Repellant (hydrophobic)
• Dust Repellant

Coating Lens Sides — Sunglasses Choices

If you choose the optional 5-Way Protective Coating, it’s automatically adhered to both sides of your lenses when you order everyday lenses or blue light blocking lenses. With sunglasses, however, you can choose to coat just the back (the side closer to your eyes) of your tinted, mirrored, or polarized lenses with either thickness coating.

Our 5-Way Protective Coating allows as much light as possible to come in through a lens. Coating just the back of lenses allows tints, mirrors, and polarized to do their jobs from the front while reducing harmful rays and reflections on the back from light that enters the sides of your frames, including reflections of your own eyes!

Polarized or Tinted Sunglasses

You can order sunglasses from Optical Lens Lab with either polarized or tinted lenses. Tints come in a wide array of solid or gradient colors, while mirrored coatings are available in three popular colors.

Polarized Sunglasses

Polarized sunglasses are an ideal option to block glare from light reflecting off flat surfaces. On the water, you’ll be able to see below the surface — great when fishing and boating. On the road, reflections are minimized, allowing you to drive more safely. For general outdoor use you’ll enjoy comfort and improved visibility as compared with non-polarized sunglasses.

Polarized sunglasses do not protect you from UV rays. However, many lenses do offer 100% inherent UV protection. Learn which lenses to order for UV protection.

Tinted Sunglasses

The benefits of tinted sunglasses vary by the color. Choose the look that you like:

• solid tint, with an even tint across the lenses
• gradient tint, with more color at the top of the lenses

Sunglasses tints themselves don’t offer UV protection. Certain lenses, however, do offer 100% inherent UV protection. Learn which lenses to order for UV protection.

Red and Pink
Red and pink tints help improve visibility by decreasing blue light entering through lenses. They also enhance details and improve depth of field, which is helpful in sports such as skiing.

Green
Green is an appropriate choice for everyday wear to reduce glare and eye strain in brighter light.

Gray
Gray is a neutral color that reduces glare and works in both cloudy and sunny conditions, making it a good choice for all-purpose wear and suitable for driving.

Blue, Purple, Violet, and Teal
Blue, purple, violet, and teal tints work well in fog and mist, while enhancing color perception and helping you see contours. This is a good option in snow, as you get protection from reflective surfaces.

Brown
Brown tinted sunglasses reduce glare while increasing contrast between colors on sunny days and brightening cloudy days. This is a good choice for sports such as baseball or golf, as you can see small things at a distance.

Yellow and Orange
Yellow and orange tints are useful in moderate- to low-level light, improving depth perception and visibility, while making surroundings bright and reducing blue light entering through the lenses. These tints can distort some colors.

Custom
Let your imagination go! We can make virtually any color. If you’d like us to match an existing color, please email us for the address to send your sample.

Mirrored Sunglasses

Mirrored lenses aren’t just for good looks! You may be surprised at some of the benefits they can offer. They’re the perfect choice for activities such as driving, cycling, water sports, and snow sports, where bright light and glare are significant issues.

Mirrored Sunglasses Benefits

Reduced Glare
Light bounces off mirrored lenses away from your eyes, reducing glare and protecting your vision.

Increased Brightness
With mirrored lenses your field of vision will be enhanced. Your surroundings will be brighter because the mirror coating will reflect light rather than absorb it.

No Patterns
Unlike polarized sunglasses, you won’t experience seeing small patterns when looking through a car window’s tempered glass.

Mirror Coat and Tints, Plus More About Mirrored Sunglasses

A mirror coat is a thin metallic layer applied to lenses after the application of a colored tint layer. You get all the benefits of tinted lenses, with the added benefits of mirrored lenses. Optical Lens Lab offers mirror coats in gold, silver, and blue.

Despite their benefits, mirrored sunglasses are susceptible to scratches. Be sure to take care of your sunglasses so they can take care of you.

Many lens materials offer 100% inherent UV protection. Learn which lenses to choose for UV protection when ordering mirrored sunglasses.

Lens Edge Polishing

When lenses are cut to fit the shape of eyeglasses frames the edges of the lenses are a satin matte finish. The edges of lenses are visible when mounted in rimless or drill-mount frames or if the lens itself is thicker than the frame into which it’s mounted.

Some people prefer a polished, clear edge rather than a satin edge. A polished edge is especially effective at camouflaging thick outer lenses that protrude behind the frame. Optical Lens Lab provides lens polishing as an optional add-on.