Progressive Sunglasses: Are They Right for You?

You might be wondering if progressive sunglasses are simply revolutionary sunnies — and in a way, you’d be right. They’re certainly an evolution of ordinary prescription glasses, and they’re right at the forefront of bifocal eyewear technology.

Let’s find out what progressive sunglasses are and whether they may be right for you. We’ll also share where to get a high-quality — and versatile — pair of progressive sunnies that will take you to a garden party, your kid’s soccer game, and everywhere in between.

What Are Progressive Sunglasses?

To explain exactly how progressive sunglasses work, let’s break it down, starting with the “progressive” part.

Progressive Lenses

If you have a simple vision issue, your optometrist will usually recommend single-vision prescription lenses. For example, perhaps you’re nearsighted and struggle to see into the distance or you’re farsighted and can’t easily see objects that are close by. You may have astigmatism too, which can also be corrected with single-vision lenses.

But what if you have more than one vision issue? For example, if you’re already nearsighted and then you develop presbyopia. This is quite common as you get older and the lens of your eye loses some flexibility, making it more difficult to read a book or your mobile phone. Your eye doctor may then give you a prescription for multifocal lenses.

Multifocal lenses are made up of different sections with different prescriptions.

Bifocals have two sections. So when you look up and through the top part of your eyeglasses, they help you see into the distance. The bottom part of the lens magnifies what you’re looking at, like reading glasses do, so you can see up close.

Trifocal lenses have three sections, usually the same two as bifocals plus a third lens type in the center, which provides clear vision in the middle distance — very useful for computer work.

Old-school multifocals have a visible line between the different sections of the lens. This can cause an uncomfortable vision jump as you change your area of focus, plus it’s a dead giveaway that you’re wearing multifocals — something you may prefer not to advertise.

Thankfully, modern technology has given us another option: progressive lenses — otherwise known as no-line bifocals. Progressive glasses have all the same sections as old-fashioned multifocals but the different areas of the lens blend seamlessly into each other. This provides a much more natural experience as you change focus and as a bonus, it looks like you’re wearing regular, single-vision glasses.

So then what are progressive sunglasses?

Let’s dive into the next piece of the equation.

Sunglasses

Take a pair of glasses with ordinary, clear prescription lenses. Add a tint to the lenses, and you create prescription sunglasses. If those lenses are progressive lenses, then you get progressive sunglasses.

The sun can cause a lot of damage to your eyes and the skin around them. Wrinkles and eye strain or headaches from the glare are the least of your potential problems. The sun also contributes to much more serious eye conditions like macular degeneration or cataracts.

Sunglasses protect your eyes and if you choose a reasonably large frame size, they protect the skin around your eyes too. Some sunglasses are also polarized, which cuts the glare even further, helping you see clearly, no matter how bright the light is around you.

If you have complex vision issues and you’re often outside in summer — or in winter since snow and other light surfaces also reflect glare — progressive sunglasses are simply good eye care.

Where to Get Your Progressive Sunglasses

Looking for a pair of high-quality progressive sunglasses? Pair Eyewear is a great place to start.

Pair sells customizable, full-rim glasses in a range of styles to suit different face shapes. Whether you’re looking for round, rectangular, square, or cat-eye frames, we’ve got a pair for you. Simply use the Virtual Try-On tool to see which shape suits you best.

We offer regular, clear prescription glasses — with a blue light lens option for computer work — as well as several ways to create progressive sunglasses. Let’s take a look at those options so you can choose the type that’s best for you.

Option 1: Regular Sunglasses

If you’re looking for regular sunglasses with a progressive prescription, start your order from the Sunglasses page.

Select your sunglasses Base Frame color plus your lens color — you can choose from ordinary matte black, brown, or green lenses, or go with more eye-catching silver, pink, green, or blue reflective lenses. Then when you get to the prescription type page, choose progressive lenses.

When you’re wearing your regular glasses, protect your sunglasses with a Glasses Case. You can add this to your basket before you check out.

Best For: Choose this type of progressive sunglasses if you regularly spend lengthy amounts of time outside and are looking for great sun and glare protection.

Cost: From $358

Option 2: Sun Tops

Pair’s unique design concept features Base Frames in various styles, plus the ability to add a Top Frame of your choice. Top Frames are extremely lightweight and attach magnetically to your Base Frame. We offer several ranges of Top Frames — including Classic Designs, Best Sellers, Collabs, and Limited Editions — plus Sun Tops.

Start your order from the regular Base Frames page and choose progressive lenses as the prescription type. Then when you get to the Top Frames page, add your favorite pair (or two) of Sun Tops.

You might also want to add a handy Top Frame case to your basket to keep them safe when you’re not wearing them.

Best For: Go with Sun Tops if you mostly wear regular progressive glasses but you want to be able to quickly pop on your Sun Tops for short periods in the sun.

Cost: From $289

Option 3: Light-Responsive Lenses

Also known as transition or photochromic lenses, light-responsive lenses change their tint depending on how bright the light is. When you’re indoors, they’re clear and look just like normal glasses, but when you step outside, they automatically darken to protect your eyes.

Choose a regular Base Frames and pick progressive lenses as the prescription type. On the lens customization page, select Light Responsive lenses.

Best For: Choose progressive transition lenses if you regularly move indoors and outdoors during the day and can’t be bothered to keep changing your glasses.

Cost: From $408

Side Note: No matter which of these options you choose, it can take a week or two to get used to new progressive lenses. If you’re still not completely comfortable with them after a couple of weeks, pay a visit to your local optician. Your new pair of glasses may simply need a little adjustment, and if not, your optician will be able to recommend any further steps.

Benefits of Buying From Pair Eyewear

Why choose Pair Eyewear over other eyewear retailers? These are just some of the reasons:

Versatility

Once you’ve chosen your Base Frame, you can add as many Top Frames as you like, giving you access to a range of looks with just one pair of glasses.

Resilience

Pair glasses frames are crafted from tough cellulose acetate and our lenses are made from polycarbonate, which is scratch- and impact-resistant — so you know they’ll last.

Free Lens Coatings

Both our regular glasses and sunglasses come with an anti-reflective coating at no extra cost. Plus our sunglass lenses and Sun Tops are 100% UVA and UVB resistant and polarized to cut the glare even further.

Healthcare Benefits

If you have an FSA or HSA, you can use those pre-tax dollars to purchase your prescription glasses or sunglasses from Pair.

Fair Return Policy

We hope you’ll love your Pair eyeglasses but if you’re not 100% satisfied for any reason, we offer free returns and exchanges within 30 days.

If you have any queries about our eyewear, feel free to consult our FAQ page or contact us directly at [email protected].

Enhance Your Vision and Protect Your Eyes with Stylish Progressive Sunglasses

Progressive sunglasses are a modern type of multifocal glasses with tinted lenses. They help you see clearly, no matter where you’re looking, while cutting glare and protecting your eyes from sun damage.

Get your high-quality progressive sunglasses at Pair Eyewear today. Choose from sunglasses with progressive lenses, regular progressive glasses with Sun Tops, or light-responsive progressive lenses. They might just change how you see the world.