While the quickest way to fully understand the benefits of wearing Oakley PRIZM lenses is to try them out for yourself, Rob Tavakoli (aka Sunglass Rob), CEO of SportRx, compares the tech to advanced stereo tuning. Think about it like this: In the past, tints on glasses lenses were either light or dark, and most stereos simply had a volume knob. Sound technology has advanced, and now you (or an integrated AI) have the capability to adjust not only the volume but the treble, bass, and a host of other settings to optimize the sound for a specific environment.

Oakley PRIZM lenses work a lot like that—“tuning” what you see by blocking certain wavelengths of light while letting others through the lens. Though in reality the colors in your surroundings don’t change, PRIZM lenses, by enhancing contrast, make it seem as if you’re able to turn up, or brighten, the colors in your world, similar to the transition you’d see between analog television and high definition. This ability to make micro adjustments to the light spectrum means that Oakley can create a lens specifically suited for your sport and environment.

As Rob explains, “[Each PRIZM lens] provides the most amount of contrast and most amount of glare protection specific for your sport and your conditions.”

What You Need to Know About Oakley PRIZM Lenses

PRIZM lenses fine-tune the light spectrum, emphasizing specific colors while filtering out visual noise. This results in sharper details, improved depth perception, and better overall clarity. You could even say that they change the way you see the world.

Each PRIZM lens dials in the optimal lighting conditions and detail sensitivity for a specific sport or activity, filtering out “noisy” light that might affect your performance or experience. Some examples of noisy light include: overpowering blue light, which can create haze and reduce sharpness, especially when outdoors, and washed-out greys that make objects difficult to differentiate by blending details together. Muted greens and browns can also make uneven terrain features and obstacles like holes, rocks, and roots less distinct. By tamping down these noisy colors and allowing others to pass through, PRIZM tech sharpens your perception. This leads to quicker reaction times and makes it easier for you to spot and track moving objects in flight, such as baseballs and golf balls.

How PRIZM Tech Works and How the Lenses Are Made

So exactly how do these lenses filter light?

Using a technique developed for spy satellites called hyperspectral imaging that allows engineers to see the patterns and conditions of spectral peaks, Oakley created sport-specific dyes that act as filters on the lenses. But—and this is integral—these dyes aren’t just a coating on top of the lens: They are a part of the lens itself.

Oakley melts down their proprietary lens material, a high-grade polycarbonate, at which point, they add the dye. This means the color-tuning technology and high-definition optics do not decline with use. Oakley Plutonite lenses suffer none of the drawbacks of conventional lenses like peeling coatings, smudges that won’t go away, or uneven color.

“You can’t scratch the PRIZM off a lens,” says Rob.

Polarized PRIZM Lenses

Some PRIZM lenses are available with polarization, like all of those in the Everyday Lens family (they’re great for driving) and those designed for water activities. Polarized lenses effectively eliminate or significantly reduce glare from horizontal surfaces (like water or a car bumper) by blocking horizontally polarized light while still allowing vertically polarized light to pass through. They can, though, potentially throw off your depth perception during a sport like mountain biking, where noticing changes in terrain is crucial, or in those that require hand-eye coordination, such as golf, pickleball, and baseball.

Oakley’s patented polarized lens technology is called HDPolarized. While many competitors sandwich a polarized film between layers held together by glue, Oakley uses an infusion molding process that results in a single layered lens. Multiple lens layers usually cause a clouded, distorted view, similar to looking through multiple layers of glass like an airplane window.

When you order a pair of Oakley glasses with polarized lenses, they manufacture them as a single pair to guarantee the axis of polarization is centered across both lenses. This is important because, when you don’t do this (as many other brands do not), more glare passes through the lens, which can lead to eye fatigue and a splitting headache that effectively ruins your day.

In the PRIZM Sport lens family, only the Deep Water and Shallow Water lenses come polarized. The Deep Water version also features an iridium coating (Oakley’s word for mirrored) that protects your eyes and helps reflect glare away from the lens. These coatings can get scratched, but they do not peel off.

PRIZM Prescription

Need your PRIZM lenses with a prescription?

No problem. SportRx’s deep-rooted partnership with Oakley gives you exclusive access to authentic Oakley PRIZM lenses, custom-made with your prescription—whether single vision or progressive—for unmatched clarity and performance. If you wear progressives, you likely know that the curvature of a lens impacts whether or not your prescription will work. If this is you, and you’ve been told “no” before, talk to one of our SportRx opticians. They may very well be able to turn that “no” into a “yes.”

All PRIZM lenses block 100% UVA and UVB rays as well as UVC and harmful blue light up to 400 nanometers. If you’ve damaged a set of your favorite PRIZM lenses, have an updated prescription, or want the option of swapping between PRIZM Road and PRIZM Trail lenses, you can also order prescription PRIZM replacement lenses.

No matter what your sport or activity of choice is—whether you’re a mountain biker, a deep-sea angler, a golfer, or a snowboarder—and whether you spend more time in full sun or winding through shadowy forest trails, there’s a PRIZM lens that will complement it.

PRIZM lenses offer a wide range of possibilities.

PRIZM Sport Lenses

Oakley Sport

Oakley engineers measured the visible light spectrum in sport environments to determine how they could build a lens that would outperform the rest by making the details easier to see. This means that, through contrast enhancement and increased clarity, a PRIZM lens can actually help improve your athletic performance. And who doesn’t want that?

Available in a variety of tint levels matched to different weather conditions, you may notice that each specific lens has a VLT rating. VLT stands for Visible Light Transmission and refers to the amount of light that passes through the lens to your eye. Typically, a darker tint will have a lower VLT, while a lighter tint will have a higher one.

Mirrors, which also come in different levels of intensity, can also play a role in VLT. Highly reflective mirrors will have a lower VLT, since they block more light and make it difficult to see the wearer’s eyes from an onlooker’s perspective, whereas a “flash” or subtle mirror will have a higher VLT and result (in some cases) in being able to view the eyes of the wearer through the lens.

Additionally, the color of the mirror combined with the tint of the lens will achieve a specific type of color tone and visual outlook. Whatever their respective VLT may be, when it comes to a PRIZM lens, you can be confident that it creates the optimal balance of accentuated and filtered colors for the sport it was designed for. If you want some more individualized guidance, get in touch with one of our opticians: Each of them can talk about polarization, tints, mirrors, VLTs, and lenses all day long.

PRIZM Lenses for Cycling, Running, and Driving

If you’re a road cyclist, a runner, a racecar driver, or just someone who drives a lot, an Oakley PRIZM lens was designed with you in mind. The PRIZM Road comes in three versions: (traditional) Road, Road Black, and Road Jade.

Engineered to make road details pop so you can easily see cracks, uneven surfaces, and oil slicks, the Road lens features a bright yellow/purple/red lens with iridium coating and a VLT of 20%. They enhance the blues and greens in your surroundings and protect your eyes from blinding light without shutting out the world ahead. No matter how smooth the surface you’re traveling on, there’s always a chance of an unexpected and treacherous pothole ahead. Oakley PRIZM lenses give you the best chance of spotting that pothole well in advance, no matter how fast you may be going. PRIZM road lenses are suitable for variable conditions including cloudy, overcast, and sunny.

If you like a darker tint on your lens that only allows 11% of surrounding light to get through, the Road Black lens has you covered. Made with a rose base tint combined with grey and a black iridium finish, these are most suitable for sunny roads and desert trails—or when you’re cycling close to the equator. They make road details clearer, white and yellow lines more vivid, and, like the traditional Road lenses, allow you to see well in both bright light and shadows.

If you want something in between these two, consider the Road Jade tint, which has a 15% VLT and light rose base.

PRIZM Lenses for Trail Running, Mountain and Gravel Biking, and Hiking

If one of your favorite road signs is “Pavement Ends,” and you love a trail through a forest, field, or remote village, you’ll benefit from the PRIZM Trail or Trail Torch lens. Both offer 100% UVA, UVB, and UVC protection, and both will provide the contrast and clarity you need to navigate even the sketchiest of tracks.

Equipped with a VLT of 35% (the Trail has a 36% VLT), the Torch works a bit better in bright, sunny conditions. It features a red/orange colored lens with a rose base to increase contrast, which means that even while traversing canopy sections, you’ll be able to quickly spot varying textures and changes in the terrain. There’s nothing like a sudden massive tree root or jagged boulder to send you rubber side up or into an unintended dismount. The Torch helps you pick your best line, whether you meant to send it or not. Equipped with an iridium coating for extra eye protection, Trail Torch lenses reflect more light than the Trail lens.

PRIZM Trail lenses offer slightly better performance on shady trails and a more intense contrast in and out of canopy sections than if you were wearing Road lenses. They feature a purple/pink colored lens with a rose base that won’t leave you blinded when you suddenly find yourself in a sunny clearing or crossing an open field.

“With a grey tint, seeing the difference between patches of sunlight, lots of shade, or dried, brown leaves on the ground can be tricky,” explains Stephen Roche, pro mountain biker, “I put the Trails on, and I was immediately able to go a little faster.”

Even if you have light-sensitive eyes (like Sunglass Rob), you don’t need to worry about the Trails not being dark enough.

“As soon as you hit that first shadow, that lens wakes everything up,” says Rob, “It almost feels like an unfair advantage. You feel as if you know what’s going to happen before it happens; as if there’s a computer chip in the lenses.”

As of yet, PRIZM lenses do not contain computer chips. But who knows what future technology may bring?

PRIZM Lenses for Water Sports

From deep seas to tranquil ponds, water exists in a variety of environments. To design the ultimate water-specific lens, Oakley considered light exposure, water depth, and background colors that exist on or near water, each of which can be very location-dependent. The result was two separate lenses—Deep Water and Shallow Water—which cover the full spectrum of water environments. Like other PRIZM lenses, both offer 100% UVA, UVB, and UVC protection.

Both provide glare protection via polarization. This helps prevent eye strain, which can make it more difficult to focus on objects as well as bring on headaches.

PRIZM Deep Water Polarized lenses are for open water conditions. As sailors and fishermen know, when you’re out on the water with only water in your scope of vision for extended periods, the persistent shades of blue can make discerning details difficult. Open ocean water surfaces also reflect approximately 5% to 10% of incoming ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Deep water lenses filter out blue shades and strengthen reds and greens, which gives you a better view of what’s happening underwater. If you’re an angler, this makes spotting fish below the surface easier. Deep Water lenses have a rose base with a VLT of 12% to 20%.

“They’re a neutral, natural soothing lens,” explains Rob, “The world is the color you expect it to be.”

If you frequent inland lakes and rivers, PRIZM Shallow Water polarized lenses with a rose base and VLT of 16% to 26% boost the green and copper hues that define fish hiding spots. This boost in contrast means you’ll be able to see shadow movement below the surface of the water. They’re engineered to keep the whites bright, so you can spot the flash of fish, making them easier to track.

“[Shallow Water PRIZM lenses] change the color of the world; even a white boat doesn’t look white anymore,” says Rob. When you’re spot fishing inshore, and the water is potentially murky, you need the extra contrast. They are one of the few PRIZM lenses not yet available in a prescription.

PRIZM Field Lenses

Designed specifically for sports that take place on a field like baseball and cricket, Field lenses lack polarization because, as mentioned previously, it can interfere with depth perception, which, as anyone who has caught (or missed) a fly ball knows, is crucial in these kinds of sports.

With a VLT of 15% and a rose base tint, Field lenses make it easier for you to track a ball against varying field textures and colors. If you’re wearing run-of-the-mill sunglasses, pop fly balls can blend in with the clouds, and the sun can throw off your vision.

Golf PRIZM Lenses

To play your best golf game, you need to do more than just see the greens—you need to spot transitions between the fairway, fringe, and rough while accurately gauging distance and grass conditions. Golf PRIZM lenses help you spot grass textures and grades—the slopes and contours—you might otherwise miss by improving the contrast between the greens of healthy grass and the yellow, oranges, and reds of unhealthy grass. They differentiate the grain direction, which aids in predicting ball speed and gives you increased depth cues, which helps gauge distance for wedge shots.

Mike Ferrino, one of the opticians at SportRx, is a huge fan of Oakley’s PRIZM Golf lenses. As a morning tee time person who is not light sensitive, he prefers the lower light version—or standard Golf lenses.

If you want to experience all these benefits for yourself, choose between PRIZM Golf and PRIZM Dark Golf lenses. The Dark Golf, with a VLT of 22% and a rose base with a slight silver mirror tint, excels in bright, sunny conditions and gives your eyes the extra protection they need. For low to medium light, Mike recommends his favorite, the PRIZM Golf, with a VLT of 30% and rose base color with a slight purple/blue tint.

PRIZM Sport Lens Frame Suggestions

PRIZM Everyday Lenses

Oakley created PRIZM Everyday lenses so people can enjoy the benefits of PRIZM technology, even off the field or trail. Everyday lenses maximize contrast and enhance visibility by deepening red tones and boosting green and blue hues—and they come in a range of tint combinations for multiple aesthetic and performance options. What this all means is that, wherever you are and whatever you do, your visual experience will be both relaxing and pleasing to the eye. If you’ve worn Oakley’s Daily lenses in the past, the Everyday family is the updated and improved version, offering more lens colors than in the past as well as polarization options—all with or without a prescription.

Oakley Everyday

Whether commuting, enjoying lunch outside with friends, or taking your pup for a walk, these lenses boost colors and enhance contrast for vibrant and vivid views.

Everyday lenses are grouped into two categories: Bright Light and Variable Light. For bright, sunny days, the Black Polarized or 24K Polarized lenses will give your eyes the extra protection they need. Black Polarized lenses feature a grey base with an iridium finish that eliminates 90% of ambient light, while the 24Ks offer a bronze base for an exceptional contrast boost and a bold aesthetic. If you like a more natural color appearance in your surroundings, Sapphire Polarized lenses, built for all conditions, possess a grey base.

PRIZM lenses that work well in variable light include Jade Polarized and Grey Polarized, each of which is built on a grey base. The Jade is your answer for a middle-of-the-road lens with an iridium finish, while the Ruby delivers an even more visually stunning appearance to your surroundings. A popular choice for all-purpose lenses, the Grey Polarized (essentially a toned-down version of the Black) perfectly blends protection and utility.

Made with a bronze base, Tungsten Polarized and Rose Gold Polarized lenses both provide a warmer all-around color experience. For daily commutes and outdoor activities, the Tungsten has a subtle mirror and delivers a more overtly bronze tone compared to the Rose Gold. The Rose Gold mirror is solid and makes the outlook through the bronze base appear a bit more toned down compared to the Tungsten.

PRIZM Everyday Sunglasses Frame Suggestions

PRIZM Snow Lenses

The weather and weather forecast can both change quickly, especially when you’re on a mountain. Having a different PRIZM Snow goggle lens for every environment, from bluebird days to blizzards, gives you the confidence to ride in even the most extreme conditions. All Oakley PRIZM Snow Goggles are available with the SportRx custom prescription insert. This insert sits directly behind the main shield PRIZM lens included with each goggle purchase. The contrast (and tint) achieved comes from the goggle lens. The Rx insert, itself, is clear, not tinted, on which you can choose to include an anti-fog coating.

Oakley Snow

PRIZM Snow Goggle lenses come in 11 different tints, while PRIZM Snow (sun frames) are available in four. For PRIZM Snow Goggles, choose from a range of Iridium that includes black, sage gold, rose gold, snow argon, snow torch, and iced iridium, or non-mirrored tints of garnet, persimmon, or clear. Each tint helps you perform your best in specific light conditions. For instance, the darkest tint, Snow Black Iridium, with a VLT of 5.5%, keeps your vision crisp on sunny days in the snow, while the non-mirrored Snow Persimmon, with a VLT of 39%, and the Iced Iridium allow light through and offer color and contrast enhancement if you tend to find yourself in snowy, overcast, or even whiteout conditions. (Remember though, they are not suitable for full sun.) Studies suggest snow can reflect as much as 80% of the sun’s UV radiation, compared to dry beach sands (15%–18%) and seafoam surfaces (25%–30%). If you plan to be out at night or in whiteout conditions, Snow Clear is your best bet.

Sun and Cloud lenses, designed for everyday conditions, fill the gaps between these two extremes. If you’re not skiing in extreme weather or at night, and most of your days on the mountain fall into the “average” weather range, these lenses will serve you well. This category features snow goggle lenses with and without a mirror coating (again, Iridium in the title indicates mirrored lenses in Oakley-speak).

The darkest Sun and Cloud lens is (as you’ve probably correctly assumed) the Snow Dark Grey that features a garnet-colored base tint. These lenses offer a stealthier appearance than their flashier mirrored Black Iridium cousins, while still being a great choice for bright conditions (their VLT is 11%).

The iridium Sun and Cloud Lens tints encompass the following: Sapphire, Sage Gold, Snow Argon, Rose Gold, and Snow Torch, all of which function similarly with a garnet base color and VLTs that range from 13% to 17%. Non-mirrored Sun and Cloud lens choices include the Snow Garnet and Snow Rose, with VLTs of 17% and 19% respectively.

So you may be wondering, which Oakley PRIZM Snow lens is best for skiing? Ultimately, the choice is up to you, which is one of the best things about PRIZM lenses. No matter what your preference, activity, sport, and locale are, you can find the perfect lens to satisfy all your criteria. All PRIZM Snow lenses offer the contrast to pick up the details on the mountain, something which is of utmost importance for advanced and beginner snow athletes alike. Whether you are navigating the bunny hill or charging down double blacks, the boost in contrast makes everything in your environment easier to see.

If you want a pair of Snow lenses in sunglass frames (as opposed to goggles), Oakley has you covered there too. PRIZM snow lenses come in Black, Sapphire, Jade, and Torch (all mirrored).

PRIZM Snow Goggle Suggestions

  • Oakley Fall Line – cylindrical style, rimless, available in small, medium, and large
  • Oakley Flight Tracker – features a Toric lens (combination of spherical and cylindrical shapes, available in small, medium, and large
  • Oakley Flight Path – semi-rimless for optimal downward views, spherical lens for great peripheral vision, available in medium and large
  • Oakley Line Miner – cylindrical lens, throwback look, available in small, medium, and large
  • Oakley Line Miner Pro – 20% greater field of view than its predecessor, single layer lens for minimal distortions, available in medium and large
  • Oakley Flight Deck – fan favorite, spherical lens, rimless design inspired by helmets of fighter pilots, available in medium and large

PRIZM MX Lenses

If you’re someone who loves the thrill, adventure, and speed of motocross or dirt biking, you know that a clean ride starts with clear vision and trustworthy eye protection. When you’re on a fast-sweeping turn or riding up to a table top, having anything but precise vision equals danger. Oakley MX goggles equipped with PRIZM MX lenses help mitigate potential danger.

Constructed with a lightweight and flexible O-Matter™ frame and layered face foam to wick away sweat, the goggles provide ultimate comfort and fit. Outfit these goggles with PRIZM MX lenses, and you’ll be able to discern subtle changes in the dirt, which will give you the ability to make the kind of decisions that determine whether you nail the perfect inside line or wipe out.

They come ready with anti-fog treatments and can be outfitted with SportRx prescription MX goggle inserts, just like Oakley’s Snow goggles. Available lens tints include MX Sapphire Iridium, MX Jade, and Clear.

OAKLEY MX Goggle Frames:

PRIZM Gaming Lenses

If you do some of your gaming in front of a screen (or you have to spend significant time in front of electronic screens for work or other responsibilities), PRIZM gaming lenses will help you focus better for longer. Made with a yellow base tint, these lenses offer 40% blue-light filtering within 380–500 nanometers.

“Blue light protection keeps your eyes from getting wrecked during long gaming sessions. It cuts down harsh screen glare, helps with focus, and keeps you from getting those late-night headaches,” says Sunglass Rob. “Plus, it filters out the high-energy blue light that messes with your sleep—so you can grind late without feeling it the next day.”

PRIZM Gaming Frame Suggestions

Gaming frames feature sleeker temple arms for comfort and headset/headphone compatibility.

Oakley’s PRIZM lens technology helps dial in the world around you according to your sport and/or activity of choice. The range of options and combinations of tints and frames available means you can essentially design a custom pair of glasses suited for your personal lifestyle and passions. If reading through all the possibilities makes you a bit overwhelmed, call us and get personalized advice and suggestions from one of our opticians.

We’re all sports and adventure lovers at SportRx, committed to helping people see their best while doing the things they love. Factor in a PRIZM lens, and you might even experience an extra edge that takes your athletic performance (and joy) up a notch.