How-to-guide
The Tennis Sunglasses Guide
With tennis being a summer sport, it’s important to remember to protect your eyes while on and off the court when the sun is at its hottest. Choosing the right sunglasses for tennis is important as UV protection and visual acuity all comes down to the lens colour and technology behind it. We’re here to talk all things tennis and how to keep your eyes safe while optimising your game.
Summer is the season of major sporting events in Australia, with the Australian Open tennis tournament and Cricket to name a few. Like many other Aussies with tennis fever right now, we’re more inspired than ever to get outdoors to spectate from the sidelines and even get involved on the court.
Wherever summer sport takes you, staying sun-safe is essential. To prepare for your next tennis match, we're here to share the best sunglasses for on and off the court, along with some tips on how to keep your eyes safe while optimising your game.
The Best Lens Colours for Tennis
Shielding your eyes from harsh sunlight is not the only thing to consider when playing tennis outdoors. Choosing the right lens for UV protection, colour enhancement, depth of perceptional and visual acuity all comes down to the lens colour and technology behind it. Depending on where you are in the world and what kind of weather conditions you’re likely to play in, you should determine what lens colour is right for you based on your environment. Let’s talk lens colours and all their advantages to find your perfect match.
Brown Lenses
Brown, amber and rose lenses enhance colour, especially the bright green hue of a tennis ball that increases visual acuity when playing with a fast-moving ball. As these lenses provide a warm appearance, they are the most versatile for all light conditions, suitable for sunny and cloudy days.
Yellow Lenses
Yellow lenses provide the maximum light transmission of any lens. This coloured lens improves contrast in low-light conditions making them the perfect lens for overcast days or early mornings and dusk. While great for hazy and cloudy conditions, yellow lenses aren’t recommended for strong sun or high-glare conditions.
Grey Lenses
Grey or black lenses are the darkest tint available and offer a neutral-coloured lens to look through. Best for bright and sunny conditions, grey lenses are preferred by many for their true-toned lens while being a comfortable colour to look through, making grey lenses easily wearable for long periods of time. While grey tint lenses are great for bright conditions, some may find this tint too dark when lighting is compromised and their ability to enhance contrast is more limited.
Polarised vs Non-Polarised
Deciding between polarised and non-polarised lenses for ball sports is a bit of a grey area. While we would normally recommend a polarised lens for day-to-day wear and activities on the water, choosing to wear polarised sunglasses while playing tennis comes down to what time of day you hit the courts and what player level you are.
To simplify, polarised lenses eliminate glare off of reflective surfaces like water, road and metal, its advantages are providing comfort in bright light situations while reducing eye strain. However, something to keep in mind is that polarised lenses can affect the depth of perception and influence the way the ball is tracked. While not reported as an issue by all serious tennis players, this is one of the reasons some prefer a non-polarised lens.
Fortunately, tennis courts typically don’t have much glare. If you’re a dedicated tennis player, you might want to skip the polarised lenses. If you enjoy just a casual game with friends, polarised lenses will provide the most protection against UV rays and harsh light during the hottest parts of the day. It all comes down to what kind of tennis player you are and the lighting conditions.
Our top picks for Tennis
The Wrap Up
When choosing what sunglasses to wear for tennis, it’s important to consider the type of weather conditions you are likely to play in and your player level. Go for sunglasses that are light in weight with a wraparound shape that sits comfortably on your face without slipping down while you move. As always, our friendly customer service team is happy to assist in finding the right sunglasses for you. Shop our tennis sunglasses collection to find all the best styles in one place, online at Just Sunnies.