Learn about light-responsive lenses that transition with you, indoors to outdoors Warby Parker Why you're seeing this ad unit
, which are designed to darken even behind a car windshield—a common limitation of standard transition lenses. Key Benefits to Consider
: They eliminate the need to carry a separate pair of sunglasses. buy transition glasses online
: They block 100% of UVA and UVB rays automatically.
: Available at merchants like Walmart , these combine "smart" technology with lenses that shift from clear to graphite green. : Available at merchants like Walmart , these
: Offers a wide variety of budget-friendly frames, including cat-eye and aviator styles, starting at discounted rates as low as ~~~$29.00~~~ $5.80. SmartBuyGlasses : Sells specialized versions like Transitions XTRActive Go to product viewer dialog for this item.
For decades, these lenses were made only of heavy glass and were notoriously slow to change, earning them a reputation for being "moody" or unstylish. A major breakthrough occurred in , when Transitions Optical—a joint venture between PPG Industries and Essilor—launched the first lightweight plastic photochromic lenses , making the technology practical for everyday fashion. Where to Buy Transition Glasses Online For decades, these lenses were made only of
The story of transition lenses (technically called ) began in the 1960s at Corning Glass Works, where William H. Armistead and Stanley Donald Stookey discovered that embedding tiny silver halide crystals into glass allowed it to darken when exposed to UV light. Interestingly, this technology is essentially the same science used in old-fashioned photographic film , but with a reversible chemical reaction that allows the lenses to clear up again indoors.