Cyclist Riding the Bike on Autumn Rocky Trail at Sunset. Extreme Sport and Enduro Biking Concept.

Best Prescription Lenses for The Great Outdoors and Indoor Activities

Besides improving your vision, the right glasses can improve your lifestyle.

Whether you love the outdoors or prefer indoors activities, there are distinct types of lenses that will improve your experience.

Why is selecting the right lenses so important?

A good mechanic will tell you the job is much easier with the right kind of tool.

It's much the same with glasses. If you pick the right lenses with the right enhancements, the activity you are doing will be easier and more satisfying.

There are polarized lenses that block glare.

There are photochromic lenses that darken with increased sunlight.

Tints that improve contrast or improve color variation in landscapes.

Blu-Blockers that, you guessed it, block blue light.

And anti-glare coatings that allow more light to enter, which helps block glare.

The correct lens upgrades to plastic, polycarbonate, or glass lenses add to the wearers positive experience.

Glasses for Fishing

While you're fishing, does the glare from the water's surface make it difficult to see below the surface? Does it make your eyes hurt?

Polycarbonate and Trivex are both recommended lenses because they are lightweight and impact-resistant.

Polycarbonate is thinner and lighter, but less resistant to scratches.

That said, many anglers prefer glass lenses due to their scratch resistance.

Glass is also the clearest material. It is heavier, but to many wearers, the scratch resistance wins out and they choose glass if the prescription is low.

There are different treatments and lenses to consider depending on whether you fish in shallow water or deep water:

Off-shore Fishing

Off-shore fishing is when you are fishing at least thirty meters deep, and fishing is done in direct sunlight. The glare and sunlight bouncing off the water is intense, which makes it hard to track the fish.

An excellent choice for lenses is a gray polarized lens with a blue mirror. These enhancements will not only allow to see the fish under the water, but also block the glare that hurts your eyes.

Shallow Water Fishing (Lake and River)

Shallow water fishing is for water less than 30 meters deep. The focus in this situation is to optimize contrast, so of course polarized lenses make sense. All fishing lenses should be a polarized lens.

The polarized lenses should have a copper base color and a green mirror. This will improve contrast in the darker water.

Best prescription glasses for hunters or shooters

Besides your prescription glasses giving you the ability to see better, a shooter or hunter in the outdoors would appreciate being able to see brighter and with optimal contrast.

If you shoot target practice or skeet, yellow or rose lenses will make targets brighter with more contrast.

If you are an avid hunter, then polarized lenses are an option as well as Photochromic lenses and a non-nlare coating will improve contrast and reduce glare.

Eyeglass considerations for golfers

Is it hard to see your ball in certain light conditions? Or is it hard to see your ball in the sky to know where it is going?

The right pair of glasses can improve the contrast between your golf ball and the sky, as well as other backgrounds on the golf course.

A contrast enhancement (e.g. rose tint) and a mirror coating are necessary, because these features enhance depth perception and clarity.

Polarized lenses on the other hand are not a good option for golfers. Polarized lenses play havoc with depth perception, which is not so great on a golf course.

Do you like to play in the snow?

Besides goggles when you are active, your dress glasses can help you navigate a snowy holiday. Glare from sunlight reflecting off the snow can be blinding. You can choose lenses that will block this glare.

Polarized lenses are an excellent choice, or look for transitions lenses, which change with the environment and conditions. Pair that with a non-glare coating and you'll never wince again!

Are you a cyclist?

Cyclists should select lenses that are scratch resistant and lightweight to ensure durability. Avoid polarized lenses, because polarization throws off depth perception.

Instead focus on contrast – enhancing colors. Consider a rose or copper tinted lens and, of course, a non-glare coating.

Are you a boater and sailor?

Polarized lenses are what you want to have when you are on the water, period!

These lenses protect your eyes from painful glare and allow you to see through the surface glare of the water. That means you can see any obstacles underneath the surface of the water.

Polarized lenses come in assorted colors. A rose or green tint is a good choice.

Are you a runner?

If running is your jam, try a polycarbonate lens. They are lightweight and impact resistant. You can choose a lens color that will improve your eye comfort, improve contrast relative on your terrain, and allow you to see all the bright colors.

The goal is to choose a lens color that will offer the best contrast.

High contrast lenses boost depth and color perception, and they will help you read the terrain. The best tint to choose is a rose-copper.

Stay away from gray tints, because they will tend to block color variations and make everything look gray.

Are you a gamer or do you spend hours at work on your computer?

If you wear prescription lenses and spend hours on a computer each day, get glasses with blu-blocker, along with an easy to clean non-glare coating on your lenses.

Digital screens have a negative effect on the health of our eyes, often making them hurt after being on the computer for a couple of hours.

Blue light, which comes from device screens, can suppress melatonin production, which causes sleep disruption. Lenses that block blue light can give you a more consistent sleep schedule. 

A non-glare coating on the lenses will generally reduce the glare from your computer or phone screen.