My prescription has changed and I need to get new glasses. One of the many pairs of glasses I carry around with me is a set of "driving glasses" I had made in the UK - basically they're sunglasses with a fairly light tint, enough to work as sunglasses but not overly dark. The important part is that the tint is yellow so you get a higher contrast image in most daylight conditions. I've had this style lens for at least 3-4 years now and want a similar type lens over here.
So far the only vaguely similar prescription lenses I've found are the "DriveWear" lenses. From the marketing bumpf they seem to be fairly similar with the advantage of being Transition type lenses which would be big bonus with the more intense sun out here.
Does anybody have any experience with these or similar lenses? Any recommendations?
Transitions don't work in most cars, at least in my experience. I've given up on them and got a pair with a magnetic, clip on shades.
So, I don't know.
Enggboy
New Reader
1/26/12 9:52 p.m.
The DriveWear lenses are very popular among our Miata club up here. They work great behind the UV protected windshields as they have a dual action, they respond to both UV and visible light, allowing you to wear them all day from sun up to sun set. I would love to own a set, but I could not find a set of frames that I liked that would fit both my prescription and the required curvature.
I have a narrow face, so when I get sunglasses that wrap around my head a bit (you know, to block more sun like they are suppose too), the curvature of the lens is at the edges of possible with my Rx. If your face fits a wider frame like a Ray Ban or Serengeti, you will most likely find them a great benefit.
Check out their website: http://www.drivewearlens.com
I can give you the name of an optician who is familiar with them, but she is up here in Edmonton, so you most likely will not be visiting her shop...
Just order up some dedicated sunglasses from Zenni Optical and get whatever you like for out and about. At their prices I just get several pairs and leave one or two in each car. They have amber polarized, which is my winter favourite, or for the rest of the year I drive with a 30% tint pair that has a polarized clip-on to give me options.
This is Robert Lee with Younger Optics.
Thanks for your interest in Drivewear lenses. Please email me at rlee@youngeroptics.com and let me know where you are writing from. I may be able to direct you to an EyeCare Provider in your area where you can possibly see a lens sample.
Wife and I both just got Transitions lenses. We also heard that they don't work in cars...except that they work in our Focus. I dunno. The Transitions are the smoke color tint though, not yellow. They are a godsend on the bike commute to work, right up until I enter the parking deck and then it's a little dark.
It looks like the local CostCo (where I was going to get my glasses made anyway) can get these lenses so I'm giving them a shot. I'll report back...
I have bought the polarized and the Transitions glasses from Zenni Optical. I wear the polarized ones for driving and the Transitions ones daily. It seems that polarized glasses are more functional when driving.
Ask for something like a Yellow #2 lens at the place you are getting your glasses from. It's more common for hunting. I have a pair of prescription glasses with Yellow #3 lenses I use in the bad weather or when my eyes are tired at night.
I have dark tinted polarized lenses in my sunglasses. When I go to get new sunglasses they usually tell me they can't tint polarized lenses. Then after looking at my old ones they do.
