• Take 30 seconds to register your free account to access deals, post topics, and view exclusive content!

    Register Today

    Join the largest Oakley Forum on the web!

Under which conditions do photochromic lenses darken?

A good way to test them out is to put half the lens in a micro bag and leave the other exposed and leave them in the sun for 15 mins. Then you'll clearly see the activation.
 
In an update to testing out my new Radar Locks, I decided to sit out in the sun for about 10 or 15 minutes after getting off a dark bus. The following was the result:

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1433121950.885575.jpg


Bottom half of the face blurred out for some measure of privacy.

I've been told by the vendor not to expect extremely dark lenses in Korea due to lower UV compared to the United States, but overall I'm satisfied. While the sun was out, there were some clouds in the sky covering up. I'm leaning on keeping this pair for the moment, and forecast says there's going to be a very sunny day later this week, so I can't wait to further test this pair. For now, it's money well spent.
 
The UV index for Seoul today and the next 3 days is 8. That is the same for most of the major US cities.

This is what my M Frame looked like in one of the photos I found in my bucket archive. This is a clear - black lens.
5806FFC2-BE93-4AFD-A8AE-23F99100ACC0-11686-000015E30218B5FB_zpsd1f6d459.jpg
 
The UV index for Seoul today and the next 3 days is 8. That is the same for most of the major US cities.

This is what my M Frame looked like in one of the photos I found in my bucket archive. This is a clear - black lens.
5806FFC2-BE93-4AFD-A8AE-23F99100ACC0-11686-000015E30218B5FB_zpsd1f6d459.jpg


Interesting. I also have a clear-black lens for my pair. Does that mean that regardless of how cloudy or cloudless the skies are, I should be getting that degree of darkness for my lenses as well? Or is darkness more dependent on the time of the day and the intensity of the sunlight at the time of the day?

I'm sorry, this is the first time ever that I'm wearing photochromic lens.
 
I think mine get darker than that also. I wear them mostly at work for safety glasses.
 
I think mine get darker than that also. I wear them mostly at work for safety glasses.

I see. I was told earlier in the thread that there was a break-in period. I was also wearing this at 9AM. I think I'll stand out around noon for a while and see what happens and update the thread.
 
Do you have a uv light? Why don't you test them that way?

I don't have a UV light, unfortunately. Can you recommend any place that might let me use one for five minutes?

-

Updated pictures

Today is somewhat cloudy. I took out my pair at 11:25AM from its included case, and stood for about ten minutes. Here are some pictures with the time shown on my watch:

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1433129725.369968.jpg


Weather forecast shows cloudless sunny skies on Thursday. I still have until next Sunday to make a return if I so wish. Should I wait to test then again?
 
I duno if any one mention this .. most car window have some kind of UV protection on them , that why wearing photochromic lens in a car is pointless. If the window block the UV light.. then the lens won't turn dark. But if your outside in some kind of sun, it changes withing 10-20 seconds. One thing I hate about photochromic lens is they never turn dark enough for me. I just use my photochromic lens as safety lens when I'm working in my shop/garage or doing yard work.
 
Photochromic lenses are also temperature sensitive. The hotter it is, the less dark they will get, while the colder it is, the darker they get. Also, when cold it takes longer for them to clear back up again once out of UV.
 
Back
Top