Transitions eyeglass lenses -- reviews?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone offer a review of transitions eyeglass lenses? I had some as a kid in the 80's, and sometimes they were dark even though I was inside. It looked terrible. Thanks!

That's the cool part of about them, you can legitimately wear "sunglasses" indoors....which after a few minutes turn into regular glasses

[Anonymous]

Hated mine because when you go outside, they do get dark BUT you do not notice. The bright sun hurts my eyes and it is NOT like wearing sunglasses. I got rid of mine 4 years ago and have 2 pairs, one of which are RX sunglasses. Much better on my eyes.

[Anonymous]

I like them a lot. I feel like they reduce my migraine frequency as well.

[Anonymous]

OP - please don't!!!!!

Those glasses are so unattractive and scream "I live under a rock and don't care about my appearance". The only people I know who wear them are engineer-types, and the elderly. If you care one tiny bit about your looks, do not buy them....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have them and they aren't perfect. My main gripe is that they do take a while to transition back to normal after being outside. I usually push them up on top of my head when I step inside after being outside for a while. Within 5 mins, they are back to normal. I wish it happened faster. Otherwise, I like them.

My son has them and this is what he does. My only other gripe is he has to take them off for outdoor photos or you can't see his eyes.

[Anonymous]

I have been wearing transition lens for about two months and really like them. They work well in Southern Ontario. We travelled to Aruba recently and of course it is not far from the equater. They did not darken nearly as much as they do here in Ontario. My wife also found it quite noticeable. I am thinking it should be just the opposite. Has any one else experienced this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I asked about them the last time I was shopping for eyewear and the clerk at the store advised me against them. Since I figure they are only to happy to get as much money from me as possible, I took that as an honest assessment of their mediocrity.
Clerk mentioned the following problems:
1. Take a while to "transition"
2. If you are in your car, they won't darken.
Since the car is one of the places I need/want sunglasses the most, I decided not to go with them.

This basically sums up my opinion. I think it might've been ten years since I've had a pair though.

But I really needed them when driving when sometimes the sun would be glaring directly into my eyes. And as another poster said, I heard somewhere that there is some kind of UV protection that prevents the transition lens from changing in the car. Then when I step out of the car to go inside, it does transition and doesn't transition back fast enough. So it looks like I'm walking around inside with sunglasses.

[Anonymous]

Can you have this process removed from your lenses?

[Anonymous]

I am primarily a contact lens wearer but have both transition and bifocals. Once I hit 50 2 years ago, I needed reading glasses so keep that in mind. I initially got a pair of bifocals because my mom said transitions made her dizzy. I liked the bifocals until my eyes got worse for close up. Then my sister said she loved her transition lenses so when I went back the next year I got a pair of those. Here's how I use them (and it's a pain but workable). If I know I'm going to watch TV, I prefer my bifocals because I like to sit at an angle and with transitions, you have to be looking straight ahead. When I'm at the computer and thus looking straight ahead, I have to wear the transitions so I can see mid range which my bifocals don't allow. Hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

I don't like them. For all the reasons listed. It won't be long before electrochromic glasses are available and I will probably try those. Instant on/off, much darker, no car problems, etc.

Ontario poster - Not surprising. Given the angle of the sun your glasses are exposed to more UV radiation given that it is reflected as opposed to Aruba where it comes straight down.

[Anonymous]

I HAD A PAIR FOR 3 WEEKS. THERE IS A SLIGHT TENT WHEN YOU ARE INSIDE A BUILDING THAT DRIVES ME BATTY. THEY WILL NOT WORK IN MY CAR WITH TENTED GLASSES AND I STILL HAVE TO USE MY SUNGLASSES. I AM GETTING THEM TAKEN OUT AND GO BACK TO OVER THE GLASSES SUNGLASSES AND EVENTUALLY GO BACK TO PRESCRITION SUNGLASSES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I asked about them the last time I was shopping for eyewear and the clerk at the store advised me against them. Since I figure they are only to happy to get as much money from me as possible, I took that as an honest assessment of their mediocrity.
Clerk mentioned the following problems:
1. Take a while to "transition"
2. If you are in your car, they won't darken.
Since the car is one of the places I need/want sunglasses the most, I decided not to go with them.

After 10 years, quit Transitions for the exact reasons above and ponied up for real prescription sunglasses. Best decision ever.

[Anonymous]

Just passing by a few years late to laugh at this. Whole lot of opinions and not a lot of information.

Not even a mention that there are four kinds of Transitions that each have different effects, and that Transitions is just a brand of photochromic material that often gets applied to other brands... like how tissues get called Kleenex even if they aren't actually Kleenex.

[Anonymous]

Mine are amazing. The longer I'm outside the darker I get and my friends are always doing double-takes. I don't even notice them transitioning until I get back in and I look down at them to see they're fully dark.

[Anonymous]

I want my old pair that actually darkened, even when I was inside. It was amazing. I'm very, very sensitive to light and these transitions extra active do absolutely nothing. My old pair was great, they changed automatically as soon as I stepped outside and even when the sun was overcast. I want these back but I even ordered two pair and they don't do anything. There's barely any darkening AT ALL. What's the point in getting them if they don't provide some kind of darkening? I might as well have a separate prescription sunglasses and a separate prescription regular glasses. Although, that is a pain because I'd have to carry them at all times switching back and forth. Lame.