Transitions Lenses

I am thinking of getting these for my next pair of glasses, can anyone share their experience with them? I would really like to not have to get separate prescription sunglasses. I am getting worried about UV rays and crow's feet and what not...

I've had transition lenses for the past 5 years and I really like them as it is just so easy not having to change to sunglasses each and every time you go outside.  There are a couple of things though that you need to be aware of.  One thing is that if you are wearing transition lenses when you have your photo taken, even if it is inside, they will show up on the photo as slightly tinted.  The other thing at the moment is fashion, as it seems that fashionable sunglasses today are rather large where as spectacles are not.  The last thing about transition lenses is that it is the UV rays that make them darken so when you are driving they may not get as dark as normal sunglasses as the windows in the car will screen out the UV rays.  I have not found this to be a problem as they do darker some, put have heard others mention it as a slight negative.

I wore transitions lenses for years and years- it's only my newest pair of glasses (that I got about two months ago) that doesn't have them.  On the whole, I liked them- they certainly work as advertised and it was convenient not to have to deal with sunglasses.  As kateydid said, they don't work as well for driving, but I never found that to be a major problem.

However- the reason why my new glasses don't have transitions lenses is the photo issue.  I wanted to wear my glasses for my wedding and I didn't want to look as if I was wearing sunglasses in all the photos!

The last thing about transition lenses is that it is the UV rays that make them darken so when you are driving they may not get as dark as normal sunglasses as the windows in the car will screen out the UV rays.  I have not found this to be a problem as they do darker some, put have heard others mention it as a slight negative.

That's the main reason I stopped wearing them because I did like them otherwise. They would hardly transition at all while I was driving possibly because of the how my car windows were made, and since I needed them mainly for that, I had to get a second pair of sunglasses anyway.

They'd also occasionally transition indoors which was annoying.

I wear Innovative IMF or Titanium now. They are rimless with a magnetic sunglasses attachment that is the same exact size and shape as the lenses themselves.

Not ideal, but a vast improvement on having separate glasses and a decent middle ground.

I guess I'll be the voice of dissent.  I hated them!  They got plenty dark when I was outside, which was fabulous.  The car thing was a bit annoying, but liveable.  However, mine took ages to lighten.  Seriously, it took at least fifteen minutes for them to go back to clear.  It drove me nuts.  After talking with my optician, she seemed to think that it had something to do with the type of lenses I had and the other coatings I'd added, so it could have just been a fluke for me.  But even so, I'll never get it again.

I had these many years ago and did not like them.

They never got dark enough in sunlight for my eyes to be comfortable. I need my lenses to be extremely dark - almost black - or my eyes hurt in bright sunlight. This was in the US; I would probably have felt even worse in the UK where sunlight is more intense in the summer.

I thought the shade they turned -a medium brownish-greyish colour at their darkest -  was very unflattering to my complexion.

I find it better to have separate prescription sunglasses where I can choose the colour and level of tint when I purchase them.

I've had transitions for about a year now and I have no complaints. My main reason for choosing to get them was because I knew I would be moving to New Mexico - where it's sunny most of the year. Last time I lived here I had both normal glasses and prescription sunglasses, but I found it really frustrating having to switch them over everytime I went inside/outside.

I do find that they go much darker here than in the UK (presumably because the sunlight is more intense up here at 5,000ft), but although it can be a little annoying that it takes a few minutes for them to lighten indoors, it's not something that bothers me too much.

I have transitions and love them!  I've had them for about 6-7 years on 4 separate pairs of glasses.  The most recent were from the UK 2 years ago.  I got to choose the level / colour of darkness (ie. gray or brown...light or dark).  Also, I have an anti-glare coating on my lenses for driving.  At an angle my glasses have a greenish tinge to them.

For me it varies on whether or not my glasses darken for photos - I think it really depends on the light in the area at the time.  They do take some breaking in in order for the glasses to "transition" quickly; it takes a while the first few times you wear them outside and then go inside, so be prepared to be frustrated at first, but as the element (or whatever its called) gets used the time it takes for them to darken and lighten will decrease.

If you go to a good optician over here ask them if they have a lense policy (or just be firm in complaining  ), so if you buy transitions, but end up not liking them if you can get them changed out to normal lenses at no additional charge.     Good luck!

I had these many years ago and did not like them.

They never got dark enough in sunlight for my eyes to be comfortable. I need my lenses to be extremely dark - almost black - >snip<

I thought the shade they turned -a medium brownish-greyish colour at their darkest -  was very unflattering to my complexion.

same for me.

Have you considered the possibility of switching to contact lenses such as daily disposables? Your quality of vision will improve greatly,lenses have built in UV protection and then you just need a pair of sunnies?

Its a bit of a learning curve for some people but once you get used to them,you won't go back...

Alternatively,you could try getting a script from your optician and ordering specs direct on the internet at reduced price.

Have you considered the possibility of switching to contact lenses such as daily disposables? Your quality of vision will improve greatly,lenses have built in UV protection and then you just need a pair of sunnies?

While contacts would be ideal, unfortunately not everyone is able to wear them. I tried to get contacts a couple of years ago and was told that my eyes were too dry (i.e. did not produce enough tears/moisture when I blinked), so while this wasn't a problem in general, the optician told me that if I were to put contacts in my eyes, it would be a big mess! They said it might just be a phase or it could be a permanent thing and that I would probably never be able to wear contacts. There's also the cost to consider - my glasses with transitions lenses cost me £103 and will last maybe 2 or 3 years, whereas contacts would maybe £100 per year - three times the price over 3 years.

I have had them - within the last 3 years, and I loved them.  I think most of the kinks involved with slow photosensitivity have been worked out.  Mine switched back and forth very, very quickly.  Great, especially if you have blue or green eyes, which are more sensitive to UV.