When Winter comes, much of the color we got used to in the Summer and Fall is gone, and the skies become consistently cloudy and overcast. What is the best way to use sunglasses to enhance our view?
In This Article
After fall is over the magnificent colors we got with the changing trees going red, orange, and yellow, mixed with the green of evergreen trees and bushes all go away. The sun, which was already shining less in the fall, is now more often than not covered with clouds.
Another big change is the angle of the sun. In the summer months, the sun is mostly directly overhead except in the morning and late afternoon. In the winter, even in the middle of the day, the sun is heavily tilted towards the south. This means looking towards the north, east, and west there may be significantly less shine than facing south.
On top of that, there are two more factors that affect the view, the days with thin overcast days, and the snow.
When there a solid ceiling of thick haze, the light coming through is diffused heavily. This means there will be less contrast and more parts of the sky you may be slightly squinting at than if there was only the sun. But it will still not be bright enough for a regular pair of grey or green sunglasses.
Snow is highly reflective and can make low light levels feel super bright. People who hit the ski hills often know all about snow blindness, a painful eye condition caused by exposure to too much ultraviolet (UV) light.
In the winter, we are closer to the sun but Ultraviolet (UV) levels (the amount of damaging rays from the sun) are lower during the winter because the earth tilts away from the sun. The issue with UV rays in the winter is more because of the reflectiveness of snow, which makes the UV rays bounce more than in the summer, and the lower levels of light which makes less people feel the need to wear sunglasses.
To summarize the challenge of the winter, we need to deal with less light mostly, but sometimes a lot of light at more extreme angles, less color and contrast, and highly reflective snow. Ultimately there is less to work with in the winter to get great views, but with the right choice it can still be a pleasure to get outside.
There are other considerations as well, like how to protect your sunglasses in the cold, what frame materials are better for you, fogging, and polarization or not, but here we will focus on lens colors.
What we discuss here will be true for everyday use and also activities like snow sports and hiking.
So what is the best way to use sunglass lenses to enhance the view?
Sunny or Cloudy
First off, it depends on whether the skies are clear or not. Brilliant blue skies are less common in the winter than throughout the year, but when that happens it matters less which lens is worn. Even a plain grey or green lens will suffice, as long as it removes glare. That said, there are better and worse lenses, as we will see.
The only lens I would recommend against wearing is a blue-tinted lens (not blue-mirrored). This lens will tamp down on the small amount of reds and yellows that we do have and dull the view even more.
Some lenses will be more brilliant than others, however. The way it works for the winter is this: Any lens that you enjoy when it is overcast will be even better in full sun. Green and Grey lenses will only be good in full sun.
Condition | Best Lens Color | Why |
Sunny | Any | Most important to reduce high glare |
Overcast | Rose or Brown | Enhances contrast and adds warmth |
There is one lens that we will not discuss here, the yellow lens. Vuarnet makes a "Skilynx" lens designed for alpine use, and many people enjoy it for that, but yellow lenses do not work well for everyday use in the winter (or any time) in my opinion.
Let's take a look at each lens color.
Grey Lenses
Grey lenses add no color and keep things neutral, which is fine for full sun, though not necessarily ideal. Since the winter is so cold anyway, grey lenses have a slight cooling effect and will make the view feel chilly.
For any overcast conditions, grey lenses are not a good choice. The view will be too dark, too dreary, and too low contrast.
For full sun, if you wanted a grey lens I would pick one of these:
I find the Costa Grey lens to be among the more comfortable grey lenses in high sunlight, which is what you will be dealing with in the sunny winter. The polarization will also help deal with high reflections off the snow. See the full review here.
A bit less of a dark grey lens than the Costa, but still very protective, the Maui Jim Neutral Grey lens is the best color-enhancing grey lens you can find. There aren't that many colors to enhance in the winter, but this will be the best option for grey lenses in that regard. See the full review here.
A great budget choice is the Island Optics Grey 12, not particularly special in any way but had great clarity and all the coatings you could want on a lens, at a great price.
Green Lenses
Green lenses boost green light and do not do much for red or blue light. In the winter, there is very little green to boost, other than some dark green evergreen trees.
This will make green lenses even worse than grey lenses in full sun, and downright bad in overcast conditions. For me, when the first snow comes my green lenses go into storage until the leaves start growing back.
The only green lens i could possible imagine recommending here is the Serengeti 555nm, which is the most color enhancing green lens I have tried. I still wouldn't use it though if you can find an alternative.
Put away your Ray Ban G15 lenses in the winter.
Brown Lenses
Brown lenses are, in my opinion, the second best lenses in the winter. This is because they boost reds and yellows while keeping greens bright.
There are some drawbacks in the winter, though. The blues of the sky, which on sunny days are some of the only nice colors we get, are somewhat negatively impacted, though the number of bright sky days is limited in the winter anyway. This is because brown lenses block blue light the most. Another issue is that brown lenses can make the view look dirty in the winter because mud and slush will get an extra boost of brown.
Brown lenses work well in full sun and are useful in overcast conditions where they add color and contrast and even make it feel brighter and warmer.
For brown lenses, there are two kinds, yellow browns, and red browns. I generally like yellow browns year round, but in the winter I find red browns more enjoyable than the rest of the year.
Yellow browns
A nice dark brown with amazing color enhancement, one of my favorite lenses that works well anywhere. Great in full sun and overcast, though better in full sun. See the full review here.
In my opinion, the most beautiful lens ever made that, like the Maui Jim HCL Bronze, can hold its own in any condition. Better in mixed conditions than the HCL bronze. See the full review here.
Nearly the same as the Maui Jim HCL Bronze, but with nylon lightweight lenses and more frame designs to choose from, often at a lower price.
Nearly the same as the Serengeti Drivers, but with lightweight lenses and more frame designs to choose from, at a great price. See the full review here.
Red Browns
All these lenses are roughly the same, dark red-brown lenses that add a lot of warmth and contrast. Better in full sun than in overcast.
Very dark, very comfortable brown lenses, I would only use them for full sun, they are too dark otherwise. See the full review here.
A nice budget option compared to the other recommendations, with a pleasant red-brown tint.
Rose Lenses
With rose lenses, we come to the best lens color for the winter. This is because rose lenses boost reds and blues, while greens are relatively subdued. This means the blues of the sky will be nice and bright, and the added red will add color, warmth and definition to the rest of the view, even snow, once your eyes adjust. Rose blocks green the most, but there isn't much green to work with. It's like rose lenses were made for the winter.
Oakley makes most of its snow goggles with rose-based lenses.
Rose lenses will work great in full sun, and I think they are slightly better than brown lenses in overcast conditions.
My top picks for rose lenses in the winter are:
A wonderful warm rose, with Serengeti's amazing quality and clarity. The lense are photochromic and will be great at adjusting in full sun, and letting in a bit more light in overcast weather. See the full review here.
A saturated rose with high color boosting, this is a darker lens that excels in full sun, and can hold its own in brighter overcast conditions. See the full review here.
A more neutral rose that is easiter to adjust to, The Revo Drive performs great in bright sun, and overcast.
Very similar to the Revo Drive, the Costa Gold mirror comes in glass lenses and a nice gold mirror aesticic. I have given it heavy rotation from the moment I got it.
Even more neutral rose to the Revo Drive and Costa Gold, the Otis green mirror combines amazing optics with a warm rose overtone. Great for full sun, not as good for overcast.
For a budget option, the Island Optics Green Mirror is very similar in tint to the Maui Jim Rose, though it is not glass. It come with all coatings and a great price.
For a good sport option, which I use when I am shoveling and sweating, the dark rose-based Deep Water Polarized or the non-polarized Prizm Road Black perform well. They do not have any coatings other than their fragile mirrors, so get a wrap frame to avoid any backside reflections.
Conclusion - Best Sunglass Lens Colors to Wear in the Winter
Winter brings unique visual challenges, but the right lenses can make all the difference. While grey and green lenses suffice in bright sun, rose and brown lenses excel by adding warmth, contrast, and vibrancy to the muted winter landscape. For the best winter experience, opt for lenses that enhance color and clarity, helping you see beauty even on the dullest days.
For what it's worth, I wear the Serengeti Sedona the most in the Winter.
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