01 · BASE TINT
There is usually a base colour and tint underneath
Many mirror lenses start with a grey, brown or other base tint, with a mirror treatment added on top.
The colour seen from outside does not necessarily tell you the colour the wearer sees through the lens.
A mirrored sunglass still begins with the substrate and, in many cases, a base tint. Grey or brown tint may provide much of the underlying colour and attenuation, with the mirror layer added on top. The colour seen by an observer from the outside is therefore not necessarily the colour the wearer sees through the lens.
02 · MIRROR
A mirror changes surface reflection
Mirror colour and reflectivity vary by product. Combined with the base tint, the treatment can change both appearance and final light transmission.
Mirror and polarization are also different technologies: polarization filters directional reflected light, while a mirror changes the reflective behaviour of the lens surface.
The mirror is also a physical surface coating whose condition matters. Repeated abrasion or incompatible chemical cleaning can affect its appearance, so care should follow the manufacturer instructions. Patchy mirror damage can create uneven reflection and transmission, making it worth checking both the cosmetic defect and what the wearer actually sees.
03 · FINAL TRANSMISSION
Base tint alone may not predict final brightness
Two lenses with the same base 75% tint can end up with different visible-light transmission if their mirror treatments differ.
For driving or any use where brightness matters, check the finished-lens specification rather than relying only on the base-tint number.
The mirror is a surface treatment that reflects part of the incoming light. Its colour and reflectance depend on the coating design, and a stronger mirror can reduce final visible transmission on top of the base lens. External mirror intensity alone does not provide an exact VLT or UV-protection value.
04 · APPEARANCE
The outside colour and inside view can be different
A lens may look blue, silver or gold from outside while the wearer mainly sees through a grey or brown base tint.
Treat exterior styling and the wearer's viewing colour as two separate choices.
Mirror colour results from which wavelengths are preferentially reflected, so a blue-looking mirror does not automatically create a blue view for the wearer. The perceived view is determined by the combined transmission of the base tint, mirror stack and any back-surface treatment. Cosmetic colour and through-lens colour should be evaluated separately.
05 · UV
A visible mirror does not prove UV performance
UV protection should be confirmed from the lens material and UV specification.
A strongly mirrored lens still needs UV information, and a non-mirrored lens can also provide strong UV protection.
UV performance should be checked independently of how dark or reflective a lens looks. A relatively light lens can still have strong UV-blocking specifications, while a very dark tint or strong mirror does not automatically mean a higher level of UV protection. Confirm the finished lens’s UV marking and manufacturer specification rather than judging from appearance.
GLANOS LENS CHECK
A practical order for mirror lenses
Choose the underlying grey, brown or other tint.
Compare levels such as 50, 75 or 85%.
Choose the exterior reflective colour and strength.
Check the finished transmission behaviour.
Verify UV protection separately.
CAUTION
Do not confuse the mirror colour with the wearer's viewing colour
The reflected colour seen from outside and the base tint seen from inside can be different.
GLANOS EYEWEAR
Eyewear comfort has reasons.
Mirror · Tint · Coating · Transmission · UV