If you're investing in Essilor's premium single vision sun lenses or Varilux (varifocal) sun lenses, there's a wide variety of lens colours you can choose from.
For ease, they're are two main ranges;
Xperio® Tinted lenses focus on colour, comfort, and everyday wear
Xperio® Polarised lenses are built for clarity, cutting glare in bright outdoor conditions
Both ranges offer full UV400 protection, meaning they block 100% of UVA and UVB rays. From there, it becomes a question of how you want your sunglasses to look and feel when you wear them.
Xperio® Tinted range
The Xperio® Tinted range are non-polarised sun lenses, offering full UV400 protection. They're all about easy, everyday comfort with a considered palette of lens colours to choose from.
Each tint colour softens brightness and reduces glare just enough to take the edge off bright conditions, without dramatically altering how the world looks. That makes them ideal for daily wear; walking through the city, driving, or sitting outside on a bright afternoon.
Xperio® Tinted lenses offer:
- UV400 protection (blocking 100% UVA and UVB light)
- Reduce brightness for more relaxed vision
- Maintain a natural visual experience (depending on the tint)
- Are available with prescription lenses
This is where you can start to think about how your lenses pair with your frames. Something we always enjoy helping customers with.
Xperio® Tinted Brown
A warm, contrast-enhancing tint that subtly sharpens the world around you.
Brown lenses are particularly good at improving depth perception, which makes them feel comfortable and stable in changing light conditions.
Best for: Driving, everyday outdoor use
Visual feel: Warmer tones, improved contrast
Pairs nicely with: Havana, tortoiseshell, amber, and richer acetates like Rosso or Danish Brown
Xperio® Tinted Caramel Brown
A lighter, more expressive take on a classic brown tint.
Brown Caramel has slightly more vibrance than traditional brown lenses, offering that warm, contrast-enhancing feel. It’s a great option if you like the benefits of brown, but want something that feels a touch warmer and more relaxed on the eye.
Best for: Everyday wear, softer light conditions, and style-led sunglasses
Visual feel: Warm, slightly brighter, easy on the eye
Pairs nicely with: Honey havanas, lighter tortoiseshells, sandstone tones, and translucent acetates where the warmth can really come through.
Xperio® Tinted Grey
The most neutral of all sun lens colours.
Grey reduces brightness without shifting colour, so what you see stays true to life—just a little more comfortable.
Best for: Bright sunlight, all-round use
Visual feel: Clean, natural, balanced
Pairs nicely with: Black, graphite, clear, or minimal frames
Xperio® Tinted Black
A deeper, more intense version of grey.
Despite looking darker, these lenses transmit the same amount of light as grey, but have a deeper tone to them.
Best for: Very bright conditions, holidays, strong sun
Visual feel: Darker, more protective
Pairs nicely with: Chunkier black frames, bold silhouettes, darker tortoiseshells
Xperio® Tinted Grey/Green
A classic balance between neutrality and contrast.
Grey/Green lenses (often associated with heritage “G15-style” tones) give you a slightly more defined view than grey, while still keeping colours natural.
Best for: Everyday outdoor wear
Visual feel: Natural with a touch more clarity
Pairs nicely with: Green tones, smoke greys, and translucent acetates
Xperio® Tinted Blue Ink
A cooler, more contemporary lens colour.
Blue Ink sits slightly outside the traditional palette, offering something more expressive without sacrificing comfort.
Best for: Style-led wear, urban settings
Visual feel: Cooler tones, slightly softened contrast
Pairs nicely with: Crystal frames, greys, and cooler acetate colours
Xperio® Tinted Burgundy
A rich, warm tint with a softer feel on the eye.
Burgundy lenses subtly enhance contrast while giving everything a warmer tone—often described as easy and relaxed to wear.
Best for: Lifestyle wear, softer light conditions
Visual feel: Warm, gentle, slightly diffused
Pairs nicely with: Rosso reds, warm browns, and golden-toned acetates
Xperio® Polarised range
While regular tinted lenses take the edge off brightness, polarised lenses go a step further.
Xperio® Polarised lenses are designed to eliminate harsh reflected glare - the kind that bounces off roads, water, or glass. The result is noticeably sharper, calmer vision, particularly in bright or reflective environments.
Xperio® Polarised lenses offer;
- UV400 protection (blocking 100% UVA and UVB light)
- Filter horizontal (reflected) glare for clearer vision
- Improve contrast and visual definition
- Are available with prescription correction
They’re especially popular for driving, travel, and time spent near water.
Key features & benefits
- Vision comfort: Easier, more relaxed vision in bright conditions
- Sun protection: Full UV protection with additional blue-violet light filtering
- Glare cut: Reduces harsh reflections for better clarity
- Vision correction: Available with your prescription
- Outdoor clarity: Ideal for driving, holidays, and active use
The Xperio® Polarised lens colours are a little different the Xperio®Tinted range. To see what's available, check out the list below.
Xperio® Polarised Brown
A warm, high-contrast lens with added glare reduction.
Best for: Driving, countryside, variable light
Visual feel: Warm, crisp, high clarity
Pairs nicely with: Havana, amber, and warm acetates
Xperio® Polarised Grey
A neutral lens with maximum glare control.
Best for: Bright sunlight, general outdoor use
Visual feel: True-to-life colour with reduced intensity
Pairs nicely with: Black, grey, and understated frames
Xperio® Polarised Grey/Green
A balanced, all-purpose polarised option.
Best for: Everyday outdoor use
Visual feel: Natural with enhanced clarity
Pairs nicely with: Greens, smoke tones, and crystal greys
Polarised Blue Purple
A more expressive option within the polarised range.
Best for: Style with performance
Visual feel: Cooler tone with strong glare reduction
Pairs nicely with: Clear frames, greys, and contrasting acetates
Xperio® Polarised Blue Purple
A slightly more expressive lens colour that still delivers all the performance of polarisation.
Blue Purple sits between traditional and modern. It offers strong glare reduction, but with a cooler, subtly vibrant tone that gives it a bit more personality than classic options like grey or brown.
Best for: Bright conditions where you still want a bit of character
Visual feel: Cool-toned, slightly enhanced contrast with reduced glare
Pairs nicely with: Crystal frames, cool greys, and lighter acetates where the lens colour can stand out a little more
Xperio® Polarised Blue Sky
A lighter blue lens suited to open, bright environments.
Best for: Coastal settings, travel, wide open landscapes
Visual feel: Bright but controlled, less intense than darker lenses
Pairs nicely with: Light crystal tones, sandstone, and softer colours
Xperio® Polarised Blue Ink
A deeper blue lens with a stronger visual presence.
Best for: Driving, water, high-glare conditions
Visual feel: Cooler, more defined
Pairs nicely with: Dark greys, black frames, and bold styles
Xperio® Polarised Violet
A distinctive, fashion-led lens colour that still delivers full polarised performance.
Violet sits at the more expressive end of the spectrum. It offers the same glare-cutting clarity as the rest of the polarised range, but with a softer, slightly warmer feel than blue-based tints. It’s a nice balance between subtle and statement.
Best for: Bright environments where you want both comfort and individuality
Visual feel: Soft contrast with a gentle warm-cool balance
Pairs nicely with: Crystal, grey, and lighter acetates, as well as deeper tones like burgundy or smoked havanas
What’s the difference between Xperio® Tinted and Xperio® Polarised?
Both ranges offer the same UV400 protection, so either way, your eyes are fully protected from damaging (invisible) UV light.
The key difference comes down to how they handle visible light:
Xperio® Tinted lenses reduce overall brightness and soften glare. They’re ideal for everyday wear, recreational use including most, if not all outdoor activities and leisure.
Xperio® Polarised lenses contain in-built filters which remove reflected glare from reflective surfaces such as wet roads or water to give you sharper vision and improved contrast in bright conditions.
In most scenarios, polarised lenses are considered as the superior option, simply due to their ability to block reflected glare. They do however have some drawbacks which you can read about in this blog post.
FAQs
Are polarised lenses worth it for everyday use?
If you regularly drive, walk in bright conditions, or spend time near reflective surfaces like water or glass buildings, polarised lenses are absolutely worth it. They help to diminish the harsh glare that causes inconsistent vision in strong sunlight, squinting and ultimately, eye fatigue.
If most of your day is spent outdoors or commuting, you’ll notice the difference straight away. In the long term, over the duration of a sunny holiday, polarised lenses prevent the compounding effects of eye strain which is where they really separate themselves as a superior lens choice compared to non-polarised lenses.
Do darker lenses provide better protection from the sun?
It’s a common assumption, but lens darkness don't provide better protection. UV protection comes from the lens treatment itself, not the tint. A light lens with UV400 will protect your eyes just as well as a dark one. The tint simply controls how much visible light gets through, measured as VLT (visible light transmission). As a rule of thumb, most sunglasses are category 3 darkness at around 15% VLT which provide good visual comfort in bright environments.
Can I get Xperio® lenses with my prescription?
Yes, and this is where they really come into their own. You can have both Xperio® Tinted and Polarised lenses made to your prescription, meaning you don’t have to compromise between clear vision and sun protection. If your prescription is stronger, it’s also worth considering high index sun lenses to avoid overly thick or heavy lenses that 'spill' out of your frame.
Which lens colour offers the most natural vision?
Grey is the closest to “true” vision, as it reduces brightness without shifting colours. If you want everything to look exactly as it should (just more comfortable) grey is the safest choice. If you’d like a bit more definition, particularly when driving or in changing light, Brown or Grey/Green can give you a subtle contrast boost without feeling unnatural.
Are blue or coloured lenses just for style?
Blue sun lenses do have a more expressive, style-led feel, but they’re not purely aesthetic. Blue, burgundy, and violet tones still reduce brightness and offer full UV protection, they just alter the 'mood' of what you see slightly. If you’re choosing a coloured lens, it’s worth thinking about when you’ll wear them. For everyday use, keep it subtle. For holidays or occasional wear, you can afford to be a bit more playful.
What lens colour is best for sensitive eyes?
If your eyes are particularly sensitive to light, start with either a darker grey or brown lens, as both will reduce brightness effectively. From there, moving to a polarised version can make a noticeable difference by removing glare altogether. If you often find yourself squinting even in mild sunlight, polarised sunglasses are usually the most comfortable long-term solution.
Can I choose different tints for different frames?
Yes, and it’s something a lot of people end up doing if they have a large collection of sunglasses frames. You might have a neutral grey or brown pair for everyday use, and something more expressive for weekends or travel. It also allows you to pair lens colours more intentionally with different acetates, which can subtly change the overall feel of the frame.
As you've read, there are numerous tint colours to choose from in both of the Essilor Xperio® ranges. If you're undecided or want to dive deeper into polarised vs non-polarised lenses, you should check out our various sunglasses blog posts.
Thanks for stopping by.