Vanillalite

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
7,709
I'm gonna get new frames and lenses soon, and I was wondering Glasses Era opinion on transition lenses.

Is it legit? Are they more of a pain in the ass than the benefits? Should I just get a second pair of sunglasses or some of those clip ons?

Thoughts opinions?
 

Luap

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,672
I'll be honest, I thought about getting them but they just look so dorky. I couldn't do it.
 

feline fury

Member
Dec 8, 2017
1,639
I like having one pair with them. It's convenient when doing outdoor activities and I don't want to carry a clip on or prescription sunglasses.

Remember that they won't change while in the car though. The color change depends on UV light which is filtered by your car's windshield.
 

CloseTalker

Sister in the Craft
Member
Oct 25, 2017
35,024
They're just the ugliest things, and I feel like they're always in a permanent state of "kind of grey".
 

Keldroc

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,645
Are you a 70 year old grandparent? Because if not you should not be wearing transition lenses.
 

Full Recovery

Needs a sandwich
Member
Oct 26, 2017
404
USA
I bought my first pair of transition lenses over a year ago and when I'm due for a new prescription I'm going back to having a pair of dedicated sunglasses. They don't get dark enough, and the extra lens coating bothers me, scratches and distortion.
 

Squarehard

Member
Oct 27, 2017
27,247
I had a pair way back, but the downside is that it happens even on a cloudy day since they react to UV.

And they also take time to change back even when you get back indoors.

I only had that one pair, and never again.
 

henhowc

Member
Oct 26, 2017
35,054
Los Angeles, CA
Any user reviews I could find online seem to dislike them. The only ones kinda positive seem to be the eye doctors demoing and trying to sell them lol

Also my head hurt trying to figure out what all the differences were between the different Transition(Tm) product lines are.
 

Valkerion

Member
Oct 29, 2017
7,800
They are really lame looking. They seem to change/not change enough at random as well. Everyone I've seen with them looks dorky and kinda complained about them.
 

never

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,989
I've had them on my last two pairs. I can't imagine not having it. No problems. It's great.
 

Servbot24

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
45,390
I got them cuz they were free. They're fine. Wouldn't have paid for them, but don't dislike them.
 

RedMercury

Blue Venus
Member
Dec 24, 2017
18,358
It would be so convenient but they look so blah I couldn't do it. It sucks having to carry around glasses and sunglasses.
 

CSX

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,021
https://twitter.com/CSX142857
My current and last pair of glasses are transitional.

As long as you dont care about the look as people mentioned, they're fine.

Just understand that no matter how dark they can get, they will never be as good as an actual pair of sunglasses. They will not be too effective on sunny summers. Make sure to still have a pair of sunglasses in the car.
 

henhowc

Member
Oct 26, 2017
35,054
Los Angeles, CA
I think I read one "review" that said they are good for moms who don't care anymore...like I guess convenience or something even though they aren't even that convenient if they don't work when you drive. So...

I was tempted to get them on my warby parkers just to see what they looked like since they have a no questions ask return policy. But decided not to at the last minute.
 
Nov 1, 2017
1,211
I've had them for a year with no issues. I was told they take forever to change once you go in doors which apparently 15-30 seconds is considered forever.
 
Jan 31, 2018
1,430
I have them. Incredibly convenient and as far as I know, no one could tell they were transitions until they saw the effect themselves.

It's been a little over three years since I got them made and I'm starting to notice some peeling/fading around the edges though. I'm not sure if I'll go for them again when I get a new set made. Carrying an extra set of sunglasses around, not to mention the cost for prescription ones, seems overly onerous to me.
 

namlook

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
132
Regular glasses are shit frames for sunglasses. Way too much light comes in from the top + sides. You want a dedicated pair of sunglasses that are purpose designed for that. You can put prescription lenses in them. I've had transitions before and think they suck. Once I went to dedicated sunglasses I won't go back.
 

shadow_shogun

Fallen Guardian
Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,131
I recently got some photochromic lenses, they're very nice and work well when you're walking about but they never work when I'm driving which why I got them in the first place.
 

amoy

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,230
Uh, being using them for about 2 decades... no complaints.

Had a normal pair and the discomfort and squinting when going outside was a pain in the butt.

But then again, I don't really care about looks, all my glasses have matte black, slim half-rim frames :/
 

ryseing

Bought courtside tickets just to read a book.
Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,546
For lovers
Carrying an extra set of sunglasses around, not to mention the cost for prescription ones, seems overly onerous to me
This is the correct way to do things.
Yeah. I have a pair of prescription sunglasses in the same frame. No regrets.

Prescription sunglasses are seriously the best purchase I've ever made. I live somewhere very sunny so I get a ton of use out of them.
 

MrNelson

Community Resettler
Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,356
I've had transitions ever since my first pair of glasses almost 20 years ago. I can't imagine going without them at this point.
 

nitewulf

Member
Nov 29, 2017
7,576
I had a pair, they are fine if the frames themselves are good looking. Certainly great for driving etc.
 

5taquitos

Member
Oct 27, 2017
13,444
OR
Don't be that person.

Like others here have said, prescription sunglasses are the greatest thing ever.
 

sph3re

One Winged Slayer
Avenger
Oct 28, 2017
8,789
Depends on whether you care about function or form. They are certainly dorky, but they work. I found it exhausting to carry around two pair of glasses on a sunny day, but I've never been one for form anyway
 

B4mv

Member
Nov 2, 2017
3,385
typically glasses and sunglasses don't share the type of lenses that lend themselves to both styles.
Get a prescription pair of both.

Goggles4u and zennioptical are amazing for cheap (sun)glasses.
 

Deception

Member
Nov 15, 2017
8,616
I mean if you want to look like a dork then go for it but I'd never personally wear them. 🤷🏻‍♂️
 

Deleted member 3082

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,099
The only time I would wear them is while driving. Because automotive glass has UV filters built in and Transition lenses only change when exposed to UV light, they are absolutely useless when inside a vehicle.
 

daveo42

Member
Oct 25, 2017
17,252
Ohio
Just get some prescription sunglasses. Transition lenses never work as well as you want and they generally look bad.
 
Oct 25, 2017
3,119
I like them. Mines have worked when I needed them to even in the car.

Never tried prescription sunglasses, but I feel those would be a waste for me since I wouldn't use them very often.
 

Deleted member 64002

User requested account closure
Banned
Feb 19, 2020
813
My eyes are really sensitive so their perfect for me since sunlight and bright light actively burns my eyes. I found this out back in elementary school where I refused to go out to recess because it was too bright. I cant even have my phones brightness very high and need it on the lowest setting most of the time.
 

Sieffre

Member
Oct 27, 2017
815
United States
My last pair was transition lenses, and I hated them. There's too much open space around them that lets light in, as opposed to regular sunglasses that wrap more around your face. On top of that, gray days when it's snowing outside causes them to darken when I don't want them to, and then I come inside from shoveling snow with dark lenses and have to wait 10-15 minutes for them to clear up. Not going to do that again.

Also not going to get polarized sunglasses again, either. They cancel out the polarizing layer of some LCD screens and make them unviewable. My phone screen is invisible while holding it in portrait mode while wearing my sunglasses.
 

Deraldin

Member
Oct 25, 2017
493
Used transitions lenses since I started wearing glasses almost 20 years ago. I'm not walking around with two pairs of glasses on me at all times. Fuck that. Yeah, they aren't as good as dedicated sunglasses, but they block enough that I'm not constantly squinting outside on bright sunny days and that's really all I need from them to be worth it.

The few minutes it takes for them to adjust when I come inside is such a minor inconvenience. Having them fog up during the winter is more of a pain.

Honestly the biggest downside is my damn reverse raccoon passport photo because I had my picture taken at the end of the summer and there was a noticeable band around my eyes where the glasses blocked the UV so it didn't tan as much.
 

dreams

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,839
Why don't people wear contacts? I've had glasses since I was 12 and I almost never wear my glasses, especially in the summer so I can wear sunglasses.

But like other people have already said in this thread, transition lenses are so dorky. I would never.