You might have noticed your favorite MLB player wearing sunglasses on the field. But, sunglasses aren’t just a fashion accessory on the baseball diamond. Your lens color actually alters how you perceive colors out on the field. While some tints make colors more vivid, others may reduce glare, improve visual acuity, or block light.
And with the right baseball lenses, a good pair of baseball sunglasses will help you see more clearly, reduce eye fatigue, and enhance your depth perception!
Keep reading as we review the best lens colors for baseball. Plus, the top brands for baseball-specific lenses to take your game to the next level!
The Best Lens Colors for Baseball
Below are the most popular lens colors and their strong suits and drawbacks. Plus, keep reading for our handy diagram of the best colors!
Amber / Orange
Amber and orange lens colors are popular choices for baseball glasses, and for a good reason. These lenses help contrast the blue sky, green field, and white ball. This means you’ll be able to see every pitch coming toward you!
We recommend Amber and Orange lenses for bright sunny conditions. But they also work well for overcast and cloudy conditions, thanks to their bright color. Amber-colored lenses can also help to improve visual acuity under bright stadium lights.
Blue
Blue baseball lenses are great for people who have a hard time with light sensitivity. The blue tint helps calm your eyes and avoid squinting or straining in bright light conditions. Plus, this color also has practical implications. For instance, blue lenses can improve color perception and enhance your ability to see the ball.
We recommend Blue baseball lenses for bright sunny conditions and people with light sensitivity.
Rose / Red
Rose and red lenses are equally popular choices for baseball. We recommend Red/Rose lenses for daytime baseball games and semi-cloudy days. In addition, the lenses provide maximum contrast, so you can easily spot the ball against the green grass or blue sky!
On the downside, these lens colors aren’t quite as dark as other options. This might be a problem for people struggling with light sensitivity and light-induced headaches or migraines.
Clear / Yellow
Clear and Yellow lenses are best suited for low-light or hazy conditions. And they are excellent choices for indoor batting practice or night baseball.
Yellow is particularly effective for reducing glare from overhead stadium lights or bright indoor lighting without darkening vision. In addition, this color helps to sharpen the focus by filtering blue light. And it helps to enhance depth perception and contrast in low-light conditions. Clear lenses are also popular for prescription baseball glasses.
Baseball Specific Lens Brands
Baseball sunglasses are a dime a dozen on the market. But, two brands dominate the MLB, with baseball-specific lenses that outperform the rest. We’ve highlighted these lenses below:
Oakley Prizm
Oakley Prizm lenses offer the latest innovation in contrast and color-enhancing tuned for baseball. And they’re backed by over 15 years of research and development!
Oakley’s Prizm technology focuses on fine-tuning vision for specific environments and not just blocking excessive light. For baseball, Oakley’s created Prizm Field lenses!
These lenses manipulate the light spectrum to emphasize the most important visual aspects on a baseball field as follows:
- Increasing contrast – Increased contrast helps to highlight baseballs against the blue sky. And this visual element really makes a difference for tracking fly balls. Plus this helps to reduce eye strain from sunlight during daytime games.
- Reducing glare – Baseball players have to contend with glare from the grass, field, and other environmental elements. By reducing this glare, you’ll be able to easily spot the baseball and react better to ground balls.
- Enhancing visibility – Prizm Field technology is tuned to highlight the red stitching on baseballs. This improved color sensitivity makes it easier to identify the pitch as the ball approaches.
Finally, Prizm Field lens technology doesn’t neglect UV protection, offering 100% UV and UVB protection! You can see this lens in action below:
Nike Field Tint
Nike offers its own technology for baseball sunglasses known as Nike Field Tint. Specifically, this technology mutes harsh light, so you can easily spot the ball even on sunny bright days.
Additionally, Nike Field Tint sunglasses improve visual acuity and clarity, so you can easily track and intercept a baseball in bright and shifting light.
Nike uses this technology in their range of sports sunglasses, including Nike Windshield Elite Pro and Nike Show X3 sunglasses. And these lenses offer 100% protection against harmful UV and UVB rays.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Best Sunglasses for Baseball?
Our top pick for the best baseball sunglasses is the Oakley Radar EV Path.
These sunglasses feature Oakley’s proprietary Prizm technology and are available with prescription lenses. Plus, these sunglasses also feature air vents to prevent fogging and a three-point fit for all-day comfort. And you can quickly swap lenses depending on the environment.
These sunglasses also sport Oakley’s O-Matter frame material. This nylon-infused plastic is durable and lightweight. And it can withstand hot and cold outdoor temperatures without becoming brittle. Plus, Oakley offers a Radar XS frame that’s perfect as kid’s baseball sunglasses!
Read more in our guide to the Best Baseball Sunglasses.
Are Polarized Lenses Good for Baseball?
Yes, Polarized lenses help stop harsh glare, which means they’re great for baseball on sunny days.
But the next best lens feature is enhanced contrast. This makes it easier to see and track the ball. Oakley Prizm lenses are perfect in this case and aren’t polarized.
So you get the anti-glare advantages of polarized lenses without sacrificing depth perception. In any case, you still get 100% UV protection.
Read more in our Prizm vs. Polarized lens guide.
What Light Transmission is Best for Baseball?
A 15% light transmission is ideal for baseball and works great for bright-light conditions, such as outdoor baseball on a sunny day.
Want More?
Have a question about the best lens colors for baseball? Or want to learn more? Let us know in the comments below!
