The list of the attributes of the lens are many. It is probably better to start by saying what we wanted to accomplish and the type of vision we wanted to give to our enthusiasts.
Building the Foundation
The foundation we wanted to build off of was to have a lens that would be reflective of all the activities our enthusiasts enjoy. We started to think about the things we love to do: hunt, fish, ski, golf, cycle, mountain bike, trap shoot, snowmobile, side by side rides, hiking.
What became clear right away is we needed to have a lens that had high impact resistance. The two best lens types for this were polycarbonate and Trivex. Glass is very poor in this area.
Optical Clarity
The second component that we wanted in the foundation was the optical clarity of the lens.
When we were thinking about bow hunting, looking for structure in a river that could hold fish or a stump where a bass could ambush from, we knew we needed the clearest vision possible.
The best lenses for this were glass and Trivex. Polycarbonate has a lot of internal stress and distortion.
Comfort and Wearability
The last component we wanted in the foundation was wearability. We wanted a lens that could be worn for 4–8 hours and deliver comfort throughout. To do this, we knew we needed to be light in weight.
The eyeglass industry has long been chasing thin and light. Comfort for the wearer, who is wearing their glasses all day, is the holy grail of a standard pair of eyeglasses.
The best lenses for weight are Trivex and High Index lenses. High index lenses weren’t as impact resistant as we would like. Glass is very heavy in the United States due to safety regulations.
Why Trivex?
As we looked at the foundation, it was clear we needed to start with a Trivex lens material. The combination of the optical clarity of the lens, the weight of the lens, and the high impact resistance made it clear that Trivex would be our lens of choice.
We could make lenses in any material, but our flagship product would be Trivex.
Adaptive Light Technology
Next, we really wanted a sunglass or hunting lens that would get lighter or darker based on lighting conditions. This way, the lens can be worn from sun up to sun down.
Additionally, we knew the science around driving in fog, drizzle, and snow showed a significant advantage to manage the scattered light that happens in these situations.
To do all these things, we would need to add photochromic to the lens. This allows the lens to sense UV light, absorb that UV light, and darken when enough UV light is present. When that UV light is absent, the lens would lighten.
Polarization and Visual Balance
Polarization we thought would be a must. We knew that we were going to be spending a lot on a pair of our glasses and we would want one pair of glasses that would tackle all the things we would be doing.
In snow, there is a lot of reflected light. On the water, there is a lot of reflected light. In peak daylight, there is a lot of reflected light. Overall, we thought that polarization would be important also to see into the water while fishing and to deliver the best overall, relaxed vision to the enthusiast throughout their activity.
But, when polarization, tint, and mirrors are added to lenses, typically being able to see screens and electronics suffer. We wanted to make that something that the wearer of our glasses would not have to worry about.
We needed polarization on plane with polarizing films in electronics, not so much tint that the amount of available light would impede vision, and to ensure that the total reflection of the lenses would not impact the vision of the screen.
Scratch Resistance and Durability
Next up, we knew that these lenses would need to have high scratch resistance. The way we designed everything was for outdoor use. If our lenses scratch easily, it would be a non-starter.
We decided to put the most expensive lacquer we had available to us on these lenses. This would have nano particles reinforcing the coating to add significant scratch resistance to the lens.
We also made sure that our mirror and coatings going on the lens had high scratch resistance to match the activities enthusiasts were doing.
Color Transformation
Lastly, the lens changes colors. The lens, when the photochromic activates, changes from green to brown.
This adds to the enhancement of the vision of the enthusiast in low light situations, and when it is bright, the brown turns down the brightness to give more relaxing vision to the enthusiast.
The Result
As you can see, a lot of thought went into creating this lens. We believe it is the most technologically sound solution for most of the activities that enthusiasts are doing.
It’s light, it’s adaptive to the environment, it’s easy to wear all day, it allows you to see your screen, it’s high impact resistant, it’s scratch resistant, and it reduces reflected glare.
This lens is an incredible advance and we think it improves the experience you will have doing the things you love to do.
