We’ve already talked about how we love Oakley’s contrast-enhancing Prizm lenses. And if you haven’t already, be sure to read our complete Oakley Prizm Lens guide that explains exactly how these lenses work. But now we’ve got our hands on a bit of a different lens with Prizm Low Light.
Usually, our go-to lenses for biking and cycling are Prizm Road and Prizm Trail. Both of which are built specifically for road or mountain conditions.
But now, Prizm Low Light has jumped on our radar as a cycling lens for indoor conditions or dark outdoor rides.
Keep reading for our complete Oakley Prizm Low Light review. Plus, every Oakley frame that’s currently available with this lens.
Table of Contents
What is Prizm Low Light?
Prizm Low Light is designed to enhance contrast, visibility, and color in low light and dark conditions. With a Rose base color and tint, we’ve also seen several members use these as blue light glasses indoors or at the office.
Keep reading as we review Prizm Low light specs and benefits below.
Prizm Low Light Highlights
- 75% Light Transmission designed for low light and dark conditions such as indoor tracks, forests, and dusk riding
- Enhanced contrast in low light environments to highlight hazards, sticks, and rocks in the path in front of you
- 100% UVA, UVB, and UVC protection plus blue light blocking up to 400nm
- Rose base color and pink tint appearance when looking at the lens
Keep reading for our Prizm Low Light review and if these lenses are worth your money.
Prizm Low Light Trail Review – Are they Worth it?
Our Gear and Ride
We reviewed a pair of Oakley Radar EV Path with Prizm Low Light lenses. You can read our complete Radar guide for more on the frame, but overall this is consistently one of the top Cycling sunglasses. However, that may change with the release of the new Kato and Encoder.
For our ride, we took these lenses out on a wooded trail in the evening. With about an hour of sunlight in the day, this gave us the opportunity to see how these lenses perform in low light and nighttime conditions.
Impression and Review
After switching to the Low Light lenses, the difference compared to no lens was obvious.
Despite not having much tint, you can definitely see the difference in color and contrast. Specifically, yellows and oranges seemed to really pop with the rose base color of Prizm Low light.
And similar to other Prizm lenses, there was no distortion at all, providing clean, crisp vision.
Overall, dusk riding was the perfect lighting for this lens.
At the start of the ride, I was concerned it wouldn’t be dark enough, but that’s likely more of an adjustment coming from darker lenses. As it got darker out, this lens definitely came to life, especially with a bike light on.
Keep reading as we compare Prizm Low Light and Clear Oakley lenses for the best low/no-light lens.
Prizm Low Light vs. Clear – Which Do We Recommend?
If you’re looking for low light lenses, Prizm Low Light and Prizm Clear lenses are both great options. Overall, both lenses are similar, but Prizm Low Light is obviously darker with a 75% VLT versus Clear’s 93% tint.
Prizm Clear is more focused on clarity with mild contrast-enhancing. Compare this to Prizm low light, where you’ll see an increase in enhanced color, moderate contrast-enhancing, and an overall darker tint.
Overall we’d recommend Prizm Low Light for mountain bikers and cycling looking for a good low light/dusk lens. However, if you’re looking for an indoor lens or dark nighttime conditions, you’ll be better off with Prizm Clear.
| Prizm Low Light | Prizm Clear | |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Light Transmission (VLT) | 75% | 93% |
| Base Color | Rose | Clear |
| Ideal Conditions | Low Light | Low/No Light |
| # of Frames Available | 4 | 12 |
| Our Recommendation | Low Light / Dusk Cycling, Running and other outdoor activities | Indoor Cycling and Sports and Nighttime outdoor activities |
What Sunglasses are Low Light lenses available in?
Currently, Oakley Low Light lenses are available in 4 frames we’ve highlighted below, including Kokoro collection options.
Oakley Jawbreaker
The Oakley Jawbreaker (Direct Link) features a full-frame design with vented lenses to prevent fogging. Plus, with Switchlock technology, you can easily swap lenses based on your environment.
Check out our full Oakley Jawbreaker review for more.
Jawbreaker Highlights
- Quick and easy lens swaps using Switchlock technology
- Large vented shield lens for maximum visibility with little to no fogging
- Unobtainium earsocks and nosepads for added grip when wet
Radar EV Path
Similar to the Jawbreaker, the Radar EV Path (Direct Link) features a large shield lens. But the Radar frame offers a more modern half frame design which also helps lower visibility. You’ll also find a wide variety of lenses available in the Radar frame, such as Prizm Low Light and Prizm Clear.
Be sure to also read our full Oakley Radar Review.
Radar Highlights
- Half-Rim design for enhanced lower visibility with a large shield lens
- Lightweight O Matter frame that’s durable and comfortable all day
- Available with Prizm Low Light and Prizm Clear lenses
Flak 2.0 XL
The Flak 2.0 XL (Direct Link) is part of the popular Oakley Flak Jacket line. Featuring a dual lens design, the “XL” portion of this model offers larger lenses for more peripheral vision coverage. This is an all-around great sports frame that works well for biking, running, baseball, golf, and more!
See more in our full Flak 2.0 XL review.
Flak 2.0 XL Highlights
- Dual lens half-rim design with XL lenses for additional coverage
- Kokoro collection model with Prizm Low Light offers an artist design for the 2021 Olympics
- Unobtainium earsocks and nosepads provide additional grip when sweaty or wet
Flight Jacket
The Oakley Flight Jacket (Direct Link) offers a unique brow-less design that is great for serious cyclists who need increased upward visibility. Plus, the advancer nose bridge on this model helps to increase airflow and decrease fogging.
You can read more about these awesome features in our full Flight Jacket review.
Flight Jacket Highlights
- Brow-less design to increase upward field of vision and airflow
- Advancer nose bridge to increase airflow and prevent fogging
- Switchlock technology for quick and easy lens swaps on the road
Looking for more information?
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