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Sunglasses with Reflective Lenses

Mirrored Sunglasses (Reflective Sunglasses)

Published on January 20th, 2025

Mirrored sunglasses or reflective sunglasses refer to sunglasses that have a reflective coating on the lenses that makes them look like a mirror. The benefits of mirrored sunglasses include their glare reduction, fun aesthetic, and stylistic versatility. The ways to choose the best mirrored sunglasses for your eye care needs are first to consult an eye care professional, pick a frame, and choose a mirror colour. Read on to learn more about mirrored sunglasses.

What are Mirrored Sunglasses?

Mirrored sunglasses refers to sunglasses with a reflective coating resembling the look of a mirror. Mirrored sunglasses are useful in protecting the eyes from the sun and limiting glare. Mirrored sunglasses can come in a variety of lens colours, and, unlike normal sunglasses, won’t be as see-through from the outside.

Two people wearing Oscar Wylee Active Collection mirrored sunglasses.
Two people wearing Oscar Wylee Active Collection mirrored sunglasses.

How do Reflective Lenses Reduce Glare?

Anti-reflective lenses help to reduce glare through a coating. The anti-reflective coating comprises many thin layers of materials with an alternating refraction index. These materials even out the refraction of light, reducing reflection and glare. Mirrored sunglasses may be able to help reduce glare from the sun.

Are Mirrored Sunglasses Still in Style?

Mirrored sunglasses are still in style to some degree, with more subtle lens colours a popular choice among glasses wearers. While many may associate mirrored sunglasses with orange, blue, and other brightly coloured lenses, more subtle brown and grey mirrored glasses are a trending style. According to a 2024 Vogue Scandinavia article, mirrored sunglasses were still in style, seen on runways including Givenchy.

How to Choose the Best Mirrored Sunglasses?

The ways to choose the best mirrored sunglasses for your eye care needs are first to consult an eye care professional, pick a frame, and choose a mirror colour. The ways to choose the best-mirrored sunglasses are listed below.

  • Consult an eye care professional: Consulting an eye care professional before getting a new pair of glasses or sunglasses is always important, as not all eyewear and lens add-ons will be appropriate for everyone. You could check in with an optometrist if you have prescription needs, or consult an optical dispenser or store worker if you don’t wear prescription glasses.
  • Pick a frame: Picking a frame is the next step in choosing the best-mirrored sunglasses. Once you have consulted with a professional on whether mirrored sunglasses will meet your eye care needs, you can pick the frame you feel best suits your personality and style. Some retailers may sell mirrored sunglasses as they are. At Oscar Wylee, mirrored tints can be applied to most frames. 
    • Choose a colour: Choose a colour for the mirror tint. Mirror tints can come in a variety of colours, depending on the retailer. At Oscar Wylee, our mirror tints come in pink, blue, silver and orange colours.

    What are the Benefits of Mirrored Sunglasses?

    The benefits of mirrored sunglasses are their glare reduction, fun aesthetic, and stylistic versatility. Read more on these benefits listed below.

    • Glare reduction: Mirrored lenses enable glare reduction by reflecting light away from the eyes, making them ideal for outdoor activities and sports where UV protection is important.
    • Fun aesthetic: Mirrored sunglasses offer a fun aesthetic as their reflective lenses exude vibrancy. Its appearance is eye-catching and makes for a perfect statement piece on a sunny day at the beach. 
      • Versatility: Mirrored sunglasses are versatile as they come in a variety of colours, sizes and shapes. This makes them a compatible sunglass option for any face and sense of style.

      Which Colours are Most Popular for Reflective Lenses?

      The colours that are most popular for reflective lenses or mirrored sunglasses generally depend on what purpose the sunglasses will be used for. Green, orange and blue mirrored lenses are the colours most popular in mirrored sports sunglasses. More subtle colours such as grey may be popular for everyday use.

      3 pairs of mirrored sunglasses in different colours.
      3 pairs of mirrored sunglasses in different colours.

      How to Clean and Maintain Mirrored Sunglasses?

      The way to clean and maintain mirrored sunglasses involves removing dust or particles, spraying the glasses with a lens cleaner and gently wiping the glasses. The steps to clean and maintain mirrored sunglasses are listed below.

      1. Blow on glasses to remove dust or particles: Gently blow on your glasses to remove dust or particles that may scratch if you rub them in.
      2. Spray lens cleaner: Spray lens cleaner on both sides of your glasses lenses with the Oscar Wylee lens cleaner.
        1. Wipe with a microfibre cloth: Using a microfibre cloth, gently wipe your glasses in a circular motion. Do not rub back and forth.

        What are the Downsides of Mirrored Sunglasses?

        The downsides of mirrored sunglasses include expense. Mirrored sunglasses may be more expensive than sunglasses with a regular tinted lens, as the mirror coating is a specialised material. An additional downside of mirrored sunglasses is that the reflective coating may not be appropriate for all outside activities.

        Do Mirrored Sunglasses Offer Better UV Protection?

        Mirrored sunglasses do not necessarily offer better or less UV protection than other types of sunglasses. Mirrored sunglasses are designed like most other sunglasses to help protect your eyes from the sun, including UV rays. UV is a type of light emitted from the sun, which can be harmful to the eyes after long periods of exposure. Mirrored sunglasses as well as polarised and some tinted lenses, can offer a certain degree of protection against UV rays.

        Why are Oversized Mirrored Sunglasses Trending?

        Oversized mirrored sunglasses are trending due to their bold allure, making them a statement accessory. They have been worn by celebrities in both the red carpet and streetwear settings, and are also popular with social media influencers, who pair the piece with summery beach wear, or street-style clothes. Alongside their stylishness, oversized sunglasses offer thorough glare reduction and UV protection for a practical statement piece.

        Are Mirrored Sunglasses Ideal for Outdoor Sports?

        Mirrored sunglasses may be ideal for certain sports as they can help to reduce a certain amount of glare. For sports in the snow or on water, where glare is strong, mirrored sports sunglasses may help to protect the eyes and help people see clearer.

        A person wearing mirrored sunglasses outside, during sports.
        A person wearing mirrored sunglasses outside, during sports.

        Do Aviator Sunglasses Come With Mirrored Lenses?

        Aviator sunglasses with mirror lenses can be a good choice of eyewear as it combines style and functionality. Aviator glasses are renowned as a sleek and stylish glasses option, often considered a statement accessory for a range of outfits. Their distinct shape combined with the bold mirror lenses makes for a bold piece to accentuate your summer attire. Functionally, they offer glare reduction, due to their reflective lenses, enhancing visual clarity in outdoor conditions. The aesthetics and functionality combined, make aviator sunglasses with reflective lenses a viable option.

        Are Reflective Sunglasses Good for Winter?

        Reflective sunglasses can be a good eyewear option for winter, especially in snowy weather conditions. Reflective winter sunglasses reduce glare from sunlight reflecting off the snow and ice, providing clear visibility and protecting eyes from UV rays which are still strong in the wintertime.