Australia – our lucky, yet sunburnt country – has some of the highest levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the world. Eleven minutes is all that is needed for sunburn to begin on a clear summer day.1 As eye health professionals, we have an obligation to ensure our clients understand the benefits of sun protection for their eyes.

WRITER Virgilia Readett

According to the World Health Organization, the chronic effects of exposure to UV radiation include cataracts, pterygium, and cancer in and around the eye. It may also be involved in the development of age-related macular degeneration.2 As one of the best natural sources of Vitamin D, exposure to UV from the sun does not need to be eliminated, rather we need suitable sun protection to achieve balance.2 Outdoor eyewear is a crucial component of any sun protection strategy.

It is a well-known fact among optical professionals that one pair of glasses cannot do it all. Expert eye care means expert tailored recommendations for a customer’s unique needs. For use outdoors, various tint colours, polarising filters, and photochromic lens options are available – in addition to UV protection – and can be matched to a customer’s unique needs.

In Australia and New Zealand, all sunglasses and fashion spectacles must be tested and labelled according to the Australian/New Zealand Standard for Sunglasses and Fashion Spectacles (AS/ NZS 1067:2016 Eye and face protection: Sunglasses and fashion spectacles).3 All eyewear, which includes uniformly tinted, polarising, photochromic, and gradient-tinted lenses, sold in Australia and New Zealand, is graded according to five lens categories, with categories 0 and 1 providing “some” UV protection, and categories 2–4 providing “good” UV protection (Table 1).

The standard does not cover either tinted or clear prescription glasses, but certain lens materials and coatings can provide UV protection.4

How can we identify the unique outdoor needs of our customers and the visual demands these will present? Rodenstock Australia Professional Services Manager, Alex Rigby recommends a broad approach.

“Rather than asking directly, ‘Do you play sports?’, ask ‘What types of physical, fitness, or leisure activities do you enjoy?’. This helps you avoid excluding individuals who may not consider their hobbies as sports, even though they may involve outdoor activities and warrant task-specific eyewear.”

Mr Rigby recommends engaging clients in further meaningful discussions to understand the visual and physical demands of the task at hand. Topics such as movement type and range, speed and direction changes, object size, tracking, and durability should be considered.

In addition, Mr Rigby recommends consideration of the environmental conditions and the visual impacts they will have.

Consider the normal lighting conditions, how glare or contrast affect the activity, and the unique features – for example snow or water.

“Understanding these factors allows you to make informed recommendations for lens tint, coatings, or mirror finishes,” Mr Rigby said.

Once the details of the outdoor activity and the associated conditions are identified, optical dispensers can make informed recommendations for tailored solutions for various outdoor activities.

From leisurely lakeside strolls to mountain hiking, sunglasses are an essential in the tool kit.

Depending on the physical, environmental, and visual needs of the customer, dispensers have an array of options to offer.

Colour selection in these scenarios will largely depend on customer preference. Grey will provide natural colour vision, but low contrast. Green, a mid-contrast, and brown, a high contrast.

For hiking in particular, where uneven surfaces are an issue, Mr Rigby explained contrast against the ground is an important consideration; a brown lens tint would fit the bill here.

A polarised lens will provide a customer with a multifunctional outdoor lens for use in various settings.

National Training and Development Manager from the Opticare Academy, Craig Johnson, explains that “when near any type of water, the first choice is always polarised lenses”.

He said colours are not as critical for general use around the water, so grey or green tints will work perfectly.

“Fishing, however, requires a brown tint as the contrast between the colour of the water is enhanced and thus fishers can see more depth as well as pick up movement/fish under the water easier.”

Polarised lenses are also recommended for outside in the snow, where UV levels can be a lot higher; UV is more intense at higher altitudes, and the snow can reflect up to 90% of UV radiation. However, certain sports or activities that require precise depth perception or the ability to see specific reflections may not be well-suited for polarised lenses. This is a case-by-case basis, because with activities such as skiing and snowboarding, subtle changes in light and reflections play a significant role in performance and safety. For snowboarding in particular, glare plays a key role in distinguishing ice from snow.

Amber or rose-coloured ski sunglasses (or goggles) will increase the visibility of ridges or bumps in the snow’s surface. Darker lenses like grey, brown, or rose are ideal for bright, sunny days to reduce glare and enhance contrast. Lighter lenses – yellow, orange, or rose – are better for overcast snow days as they increase contrast and visibility.

Table 1. Lens category standards. Source: Australian/ New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1067.1:2016. Adapted from Cancer Council fact sheet.4

Golf tests concentration, precision, and patience, and presents unique visual challenges associated with contrast and depth perception.

Mr Rigby recommends high contrast tints, such as orange for dynamic conditions, to enhance vision on the golf course. Rodenstock’s ColorMatic Sun self-tinting lenses adapt to the respective lighting conditions with tint density varying from 40–90%, managing both light transmission and contrast enhancement.

There is controversy surrounding the benefits of polarising lenses for golf. While highly effective for glare reduction, on the fairway this can lead to difficulty tracking the ball both in the air and on the ground; glare is beneficial in golf for visibility. Polarising can also mute the ability to see and judge subtle changes in the fairway.

Mr Johnson recommends citing the benefits of copper and brown tints to “highlight the ball and also allow the golfer to pick up the undulations of the fairway”.

Children are in and out of doors countless times throughout a day – playgrounds, backyards, weekend sports, beach visits, bush walks – the outdoor daily activities are plentiful. It is estimated that “around 40–50% of total UV to age 60 occurs before age 20”.5 However, increased outdoor time for children is encouraged as one of the preventative methods in myopia management.6,7 To manage this requirement within Australia’s harsh UV conditions, sun protection for children is paramount.

The Cancer Council Australia’s fact sheet,4 which is endorsed by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO), recommends close-fitting, wraparound sunglasses that meet the Australian/New Zealand Standard for sunglasses (categories 2-4) (Table 1).

Lens options are numerous for children’s sun protection, depending on their lifestyle, age, and prescription needs. For convenience and a proactive approach, photochromic lenses are an ideal option for children who require prescription glasses. Photochromic lenses will ensure eye sun protection is accounted for, reducing the need for multiple pairs and the risk of misplacing specs when changing pairs.

HOYA’s MiyoSmart Sun range addresses the need for sun protection while providing defocus incorporated multiple segments

(DIMS) technology for myopia control. The range encompasses the MiyoSmart Sunbird, a grey polarised lens, and the MiyoSmart Chameleon, a grey photochromic lens.8

We are seeing a rise in the popularity of photochromic filters with optical dispenser, Brad McMillan of Young Eyes Optometrists in regional New South Wales, explaining, “more people are asking about photochromic lenses than ever before”.

“The technology has come a long way too, with faster transitions, more stylish colours, and better performance overall. I think people are just more aware now of how important eye protection is, and they want something that’s both practical and protective.”

Long-standing classic Drivewear lenses by Transitions and Younger Optics change between three colours when activated by the relevant UV demands.

HOYA’s Sensity lenses provide a suite of photochromic options that can be matched to customers’ requirements, including increased colour options, darker activation, mirror coating, and fast adaptation times.

Mr McMillian said the impact of these advancements in technology is that, “the stigma around photochromic lenses being ‘old person glasses’ has faded quite a bit”.

“The newer style colours have really changed the game. They look better than the old grey lenses, which used to take ages to fade back to clear and just weren’t very stylish. Now the lenses change faster and look great. It’s easier to recommend them to all ages, especially younger people who care about how their glasses look. From my own experience, I probably won’t wear another progressive without transition lenses. Photochromics are practical, comfortable, and now fit with a modern style; the newer technology has broken down a lot of old perceptions.”

Prescription sunglasses have a dual functional purpose of optical correction and sun protection. Special consideration needs to be given to the frame features to achieve a harmonious balance of these purposes while still meeting the customers’ aesthetic and comfort needs.

Is an increase in size appropriate? This will provide greater coverage and hold many lens styles. The customer-specific facial and optical requirements should be balanced when making this decision. For high prescriptions or petite features, clear optical frames can offer a more suitable solution.

An increased face form angle, or wrap, will also enhance sun protection by blocking peripheral light exposure. Wrapped sporting frames offer many functional advantages, such as a secure fit and wider viewing areas. Complementing wrapped sunglass frames with a sports lens is essential to ensure optimal optics. As Mr Rigby explained, “sports lenses are engineered for dynamic visual circumstances and the environmental conditions that are associated with that athletic performance”.

“Dispensing must support and not compromise the visual function, so any lens solution must complement and never interfere with the patient’s natural visual skills.”

In addition, a well-fitted bridge will ensure the lenses are positioned with optimal coverage. Where appropriate, a thicker temple can also help block sunlight from the sides, however a good final fitting with appropriate pantoscopic tilt should be maintained.

Take a look at the following pages to see some of the sun protection options available.

Virgilia Readett is a Senior Trainer with the Australasian College of Optical Dispensing (ACOD). She holds a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, a Certificate IV in Optical Dispensing and a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Communications.

Ms Readett has been in optics since 2012 and has been teaching with ACOD since 2019.

References

1. Cancer Council NSW, When is sun protection needed? (webpage) available at: cancercouncil.com.au/cancer-prevention/sun-protection/understanding-uv-radiation/when-is-sun-protection-needed-to-protect-your-skin/ [accessed August 2025].

2. World Health Organization, Ultraviolet radiation (webpage) 2022. Available at: who.int/news-room/factsheets/detail/ultraviolet-radiation [accessed July 2025].

3. Saks A. Control the light: UV protecting lenses, mivision. 2021(165):92. Available at: mivision.com.au/2021/03/control-the-light-uv-protecting-lenses [accessed August 2025].

4. Cancer Council, Fact sheet: Eye protection. Available at: cancer.org.au/about-us/policy-and-advocacy/prevention/uv-radiation/related-resources/eye-protection [accessed August 2025].

5. Green AC, Wallingford SC, McBride P. Childhood exposure to ultraviolet radiation and harmful skin effects: epidemiological evidence. Prog Biophys Mol Biol. 2011 Dec;107(3):349-55. doi: 10.1016/j. pbiomolbio.2011.08.010.

6. Lingham G, Mackey DA, Lucas R, Yazar S. How does spending time outdoors protect against myopia? A review. Br J Ophthalmol. 2020 May;104(5):593-599. doi: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2019-314675.

7. Lawrenson JG, Dhakal R, Walline JJ, et al. Interventions for myopia control in children: a living systematic review and network meta-analysis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Apr 7;2021(4):CD014758. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD014758. 

8. Hoya. MiyoSmart Sun (webpage, 2024) available at: hoyavision.com/au/vision-products/miyosmart/miyosmartsun/ [accessed August 2025].