Can you get prescription sunglasses? Your guide under the Philippine sun

If you wear glasses, the sun forces an annoying choice: squint through your clear lenses, or switch to sunglasses and lose your sharp vision. There is a better answer. You can put your exact grade into sunglasses, so you see clearly and stay protected at the same time.

Yes, your prescription fits in sunglasses

Prescription sunglasses are simply sunglasses made with your grade built into the tinted lens. Almost any prescription can be done, whether you are nearsighted, farsighted, have astigmatism, or need progressive lenses for near and far. The tint and your correction live in the same lens.

Your main options

• Tinted prescription lenses. A solid tint in grey, brown or green, made to your grade. Grey keeps colours natural, brown lifts contrast, which many drivers like.
• Polarized prescription lenses. These cut the harsh glare that bounces off roads, water and car hoods. Ideal if you drive, fish or spend time at the beach.
• Photochromic lenses. These stay clear indoors and darken outdoors, so one pair covers both. Handy if you do not want to carry two pairs, though they darken less inside a car.
• Gradient tints. Darker at the top, lighter at the bottom, useful for driving so you can still read the dashboard.

Why this matters in the Philippines

We get strong sun all year, not just in summer. UV exposure is a real, ongoing thing here, and protecting your eyes from it is not optional. On top of that, glare off wet roads after a downpour, off the sea, and off glass buildings makes driving and walking harder on the eyes. Good sun lenses protect against UV and tame that glare. Look for full UV400 protection, which blocks the harmful wavelengths.

How to choose

• Think about where you will use them. Driving and the beach point to polarized. Everyday city use is fine with a quality tint.
• Pick a frame that shields well. Larger or wrap styles block more side light.
• Mind your prescription strength. Stronger grades do best in certain lens materials and frame shapes, which we can guide you on.
• Add the right coatings, such as a back-surface anti-reflective layer to stop light bouncing into your eyes from behind.

What about contact lens wearers?

If you wear contacts, you can use any non-prescription sunglasses over them. But many people still keep a pair of prescription sunglasses for days they are not in contacts, or as a backup. It is about having clear, protected vision whenever you step outside.

Getting them made right

Prescription sunwear is still a precise lens. The tint should match your needs, the lenses should be centred to your eyes, and the frame should fit and shield properly. Our sunglass range pairs with bespoke lenses cut to your exact grade, so your sun protection is as sharp as your everyday glasses.

Visit your nearest Vision Express store to explore prescription sunglasses fitted to you — and book a Vision7 eye test while you are there if your grade is more than a year old.

For a single-vision pair, ask for the Shamir Opulens Exact in polarized at the counter — made to your measurements and ordered polarized, so the glare sheeting off wet roads and car bodies is cut at the source rather than just dimmed. If you wear progressives, our custom-made designs can be ordered polarized too: ask about the Shamir Autograph range or Essilor Varilux XR. And if you would rather carry one pair that does both jobs, ask for Essilor Photochromic Elements White 1.56 — clear indoors, dark in the sun. Free lifetime ultrasonic cleaning and fitting adjustments come with all of them.