Best Night Driving & Visions Sunglasses – Buyer’s Guide

It might sound a bit odd considering the name of the product, but sunglasses come in both daytime and nighttime models. Though, the two are fairly different from one another in terms of what makes one pair better than another.

For nighttime sunglasses, you do not need to worry so much about intense damaging light, because the sun not out to bombard you with damaging UV radiation. Instead, nighttime sunglasses need to effectively limit the sources of light remain, all the more so because the darkness makes them seem brighter by contrast.

Best Nighttime Driving and Night Vision Glasses of 2021

That is why we have put together a list of the 5 best night driving sunglasses. Then we provide a thorough buyer’s guide, so you know what to look for in a pair of night driving sunglasses that are right for you.

1. IONFORM – Best Anti-Glare HD Night Vision Driving Glasses

IONFORM is polarized night vision glasses ideal for driving especially in the dark or during night time. The technologies used in the brand’s night driving sunglasses is fairly impressive. In fact, the technology used for IONFORM sunglasses was developed in Japan for drivers of the country’s top leadership to protect them and the government at night moving.

Branding

It is a Japanese company, that owns the IONFORM brand and manufactures the sunglasses. While this is not inherently a bad thing, the market situation gets even trickier as there is only a single official seller of IONFORM merchandise, a seller by the name of Hong Tai. The seller has a great reputation for reliable and responsive customer service, and he sells only genuine IONFORM sunglasses.

Real Life

Beyond the off business infrastructure, IONFORM sunglasses are only okay when it comes to nighttime driving sunglasses performance. IONFORM has a resistant frame and lenses made of high-quality plastic, which will help to minimize damage on the chance of an airbag deployment or impact.

A large factor in this is due to the fact that IONFORM relies on the plastic lenses to provide their polarization. The polarized lenses is not only an good type of polarization, but it is also known to don’t wear out after extended use and is always consistent across the full lens.

IONFORM uses moderate yellow lenses that is not an obstacle to the correct perception of the colors of traffic lights or car signal lights. Just the correct yellow lenses can increase contrast in cloudy weather, protect against dazzle, and also help to see further.

The frame is also important. IONFORM frame is neat with narrow sidepieces, which do not affect the viewing angle and the quality of peripheral vision.

In conclusion

If you are driving at night, these sunglasses will present everything in a much sharper focus than without them. In fact, you can also wear these sunglasses for improved clarity during the daytime, because the lenses provide UV400 protection which prevents ninety-nine percent of both UVA and UVB radiation.

2. LUMIN Sol/Vector – Are These the Best Night Driving Glasses Overall?

Driving at night presents all kinds of hazards, including lower visibility and excess glare. As such, it’s a smart move to get yourself a pair of high-quality night driving glasses. These glasses are specially designed for driving at night, and there are many models available.

Right Amount of Yellow Tint

The LUM-100 glasses have been designed with a yellow tint, just like many other night driving glasses. However, many glasses go overboard on the tint. Not only does this give the impression that the whole world has gone yellow, but it can actually prevent the right level of light coming through while you are driving.

By only including a small amount of yellow tint, the LUM-100 glasses provide maximum visibility. They allow as much light as possible to enter through the lenses, enhancing visibility while you’re driving.

Your decisions behind the wheel are primarily based on what you see. You need to be able to see street signs, road markings, and traffic clearly in order to make the right decisions and drive safer. This is particularly important in adverse weather conditions like fog, rain, and mist, or when there is water on the road. The LUM-100 glasses will help you do so.

One common problem with driving at night is that your eyes become tired and are less able to distinguish colors, and your depth perception can also be reduced. The glasses essentially provide you with a much clearer night vision while you are driving, helping to avoid these problems.

Glare Reduction

One of the biggest dangers when driving at night is presented by glare. Oncoming headlights on full beam can not only be uncomfortable but also dangerous.

Bright lights can often sneak into your peripheral vision while you are driving, which can prove to be distracting and anything that is distracting is dangerous when you are driving.

The LUM-100 glasses have excellent glare reduction to prevent glare from becoming a problem.

The issue with many other glasses is that they go too far and they filter out too much light. But the LUM-100 glasses have just the right amount of protection to reduce glare while ensuring drivers can still see clearly and enjoy perfect vision.

The glasses achieve this by enhancing contrast levels to eliminate glare, especially from other cars and particularly when the surface of the road is wet.

High Optical Quality Lenses

The lenses in the LUM-100 are designed and manufactured to the highest quality standards. This provides a number of benefits, one of the most important of which is to reduce eye fatigue.

Fatigue can be a problem when driving at night, and the lenses incorporate anti-radiation technology to effectively reduce fatigue. This can also help to prevent headaches on longer journeys. In addition, they also boast UVA and UVB protection, just like regular sunglasses. The LUM-100 lenses absorb 100% of harmful rays, protecting your eyes further.

Lightweight and Stylish Design

Finally, we need to look at the design. As well as being functional, night driving glasses also need to be attractive and the LUM-100 glasses have got you covered there.

These are designed to be lightweight, so they are incredibly comfortable when you wear them. This is very important because you may need to wear them for hours while driving. If you have to keep removing your glasses because they are uncomfortable, this can be distracting and it can even create safety risks. The frame is also durable, ensuring these are glasses that are designed to last.

Conclusion

There are many models of night driving glasses on the market, and they are all slightly different in their design and the features they provide. The LUM-100 glasses provide all of the most important features including anti-glare, allowing enough light to come through, a durable and lightweight build, and a stylish design. This makes them a great option.

There is also no reason why you should only use them when driving. You can also use them for other nighttime activities, or activities where you encounter a large number of reflective lights that can be distracting and uncomfortable like skiing, fishing, and cycling. Try them yourself and enjoy a greater clarity of vision the next time you drive at night.

3. BLUPOND Night Driving Glasses – Best Day & Night Driving Sunglasses

BLUPOND is a fairly new company founded in 2015 that ostensibly specializes in eyewear and sports accessories. As of writing this, Blupond actually focuses on producing a number of driving sunglasses for both the day and night as well as a few specialized sport glasses. In terms of accessories, the brand does sell swimming and nose clips, and is expanding to more cases and add-ons for the glasses.

Build Quality and Protection

In terms of role, the BLUPOND glasses do serve admirably as a solid pair of daytime and nighttime glare reducing sunglasses. Unfortunately, their yellow tinted lenses are not quite good enough to make them the best for sports, they are more appropriate for night driving. For one, they offer excellent protection against the sun’s rays. With UV400 protection, your eyes are spared the damaging effects of ninety-nine percent of all UV radiation.

Some of the constructive feedback is that the manufacturer does not guarantee noticeable glare reduction, yet a lot of the reviews show that it is helpful. Also it is not designed to be worn over prescription glasses. Their polarization is material based, but even the material seems to have the alternate effect that the yellow tinting of the lens is supposed to provide.

Conclusion

4. Duco Night Vision 8953Y – Best Wrap Around Yellow Night Driving Glasses

Night driving sunglasses are great if your eyesight only suffers from nighttime glare, but many people who struggle with nighttime glare also suffer from other issues with their eyesight. In this case, the most common “solution” is to buy a pair of snap on nighttime lenses. Unfortunately, this leads to a situation where the lenses are regularly falling off of the prescription glasses’ bridge. Another issue is that snap on accessories are not all that expensive and an incredibly niche market, so the polarization is liable to be worse than even night driving sunglasses with a polarized film.

This is where the Duco’s come in handy and are made explicitly to be worn with prescription lenses. For one, this is the only pair of night driving sunglasses on our list that come in more than one size. Aside from the fact that this provides different options for men and women, it also provides some wiggle room depending on the type of prescription frames purchase. Be forewarned though, the quality of these nighttime sunglasses as fitovers can be a bit iffy.

Featured Design

Still, these night driving glasses are also the only ones we reviewed that have a small, night lens side panel. This panel provides the same nighttime lens benefits to your peripheral vision and also prevents cars that are passing you from shining their bright lights even out of the corner of your eye. Another important feature is the silicon nose pad. Rather than using a stilted nosepad like most other types of glasses prescription or otherwise this design allows the Ducos to fit snugly against your prescription glasses without occupying more space on the bridge of your nose.

5. SOXICK HD – Most Durable Driving Glasses Lenses

Continuing the lineup of odd brands, SOXICK HD is not actually a distinct brand in and of itself. Instead, SOXICK HD takes Soxick brand sunglasses and places their own lenses in the frames. In this way the sunglasses can achieve the best of both worlds while ultimately lowering their overhead. While Soxick may or may not be thrilled about this practice, it allows the Manneco’s to offer a superior lens at the same price point.

Still Impressive

In fact, if the SOXICK HD used a polarization other than film, these would likely be the best performing night driving sunglasses instead of the Eagle Eyes. That being said, the lenses themselves are fairly impressive. For once, these lenses are made from ten different layers many of which are not often found on other night driving sunglasses and are not on any other product we reviewed.

Coating

On top of the coatings and films, the lenses are made out of a shatter-proof German resin which is actually superior to polycarbonate though it does still fall a bit short of Tevix/SR-91. Finally, these lenses are the only on our list to utilize two convex lenses with the coatings and layers in between them. This allows the contrast generated from the yellow tinting to become even clearer.

Great If They Fit

Unfortunately, the SOXICK HD suffer from the same issues with their frames that Soxicks do. Namely, these sunglasses do not really fit many people all that well. In an effort to make a unixes one-size-fits all, these frames are really a one-size-fits few. Essentially, women report the frames to be a tad too large on their face, while men regularly find them to be too snug. Still, the frames are made out of the same aluminum magnesium alloy making them both lightweight and durable.

6. Eagle Eyes Classic Aviator Night-Lite – Best Classic Night Vision Glasses for Driving

Eagle Eyes as a brand has a long history of using cutting-edge technology to manufacture some of the best performing sunglasses available in numerous niche markets. In fact, the brand originated when NASA scientists were trying to figure out how to best protect an astronaut’s eyes while in space where the absence of an atmosphere allows the full intensity of sunlight to shine.

Stellar Technologies

This endeavor was so successful that not only did NASA use the technology Eagle Eye developed, but the brand was even given a lifetime certification by the Space Foundation for the quality of their sunglasses. To make matters more surprising, Eagle Eye does not use all of the technologies at their disposal, but still manages to perform better than any other brand we reviewed.

Durability

In terms of durability, the Eagle Eye’s are a bit of a mixed bag. The frames are made out of stainless steel, which is not really one of the more durable materials for frames. On top of the material, the frame temples are exceedingly thin likely to prevent them from being heavier than they otherwise would be due to the stainless steel. Altogether, this makes the Eagle Eye frames the least durable that we reviewed.

Conversely, the lenses are fairly durable. For one, they are made with two layers or a scratch resistant coating on either side of the lens, and they are made out of a proprietary material that is similar to polycarbonate though, it is not as good as Tivex/SR-91. The only disappointment with the lenses is their subpar performance during the daytime.

Best Night Driving Glasses – Buyer’s Guide

When purchasing night driving sunglasses, the single most important feature is a polarized lens. The primary issue with night driving is that the glare from light generally headlight, but technically any light source can cause issue will cause a kind of acute blindness even if you are not looking directly at the light.

Polarized Lens

While compensating for the glare, you will end up squinting a bit and involuntarily contracting the pupil to reduce light from getting to your retina. Over a long period of time of doing this, your eyes will begin to fatigue ultimately making the problem worse in a vicious spiral.

Glare occurs when light strikes a horizontal surface before reflecting into your eye. Because of the angle of reflection, the light is more intense than if it had entered your eye from a different direction causing a glare. Polarization removes the horizontal light waves while allowing the angled vertical light waves to pass through.

Polarization can take a couple forms. First, the way the lens material is architecturally manufactured can act as a filter. On the other hand, some sunglasses use a film to simply block light’s direction. Finally, some manufacturers select materials which are naturally polarized. Each of these methods or polarization has its benefits.

The architectural polarization is the most effective. This type of polarization is consistent throughout the lens and will not fade over time. Unfortunately, this type of polarization is also often the most expensive.

The next most effective type of polarization is where the lens material itself is naturally polarized. This generally leads to a mostly consistent polarization, through points of concentration and dispersion can occur. Still, this type of polarization will not fade over time either.

A polarized film is the least effective means of polarizing lens, but it is also the most common. The reason for this is simple: cost. It is much cheaper to coat the lenses in a polarized film than to alter the manufacturing process. Thankfully, this savings of cost is often passed on to the consumer too though, this kind of polarization will fade over time and use.

You should be careful though, because polarized lenses have a tendency to make seeing LED and LCD lights difficult as well. If your vehicle, phone, or dash accessories use either of these lights, you may not be able to see them properly if the lens polarization is too effective.

UV Protection

Just because night driving sunglasses have “night” in their title does not mean they are not useful during the day as well. The same types of light patterns that cause glare at night also affect you during the day generally with more frequency since there is more light. You simply may not notice quite as much because the darkness allows glare to seem brighter by contrast.

As such, if you are going to wear night driving glasses during the day to cut down on glare, you will want to make sure that they also cut down on the other issues with light most prominently, UV radiation. While night driving sunglasses may not cut down the sun’s intensity, they still need to protect your eyes from both UVA and UVB radiation.

UVA Rays

UVA radiation is the most common type of UV protection offered by sunglasses. Even cheap sunglasses in a gas station that purports UV protection probably protects from UVA rays. Be forewarned, this is a bit of a marketing trick.

That is not to suggest that UVA radiation is not dangerous, but it is far less intense. UVA rays also account for the overwhelming majority of UV radiation altogether, upwards of ninety five percent. Still, it is far easier and cheaper to protect against UVA ray and allows a manufacturer to still claim 100 percent UV protection without technically lying.

UVB Rays

Sunglasses that provide UVB radiation protection are the real deal. Because UVB ray protection is more costly and difficult, if a manufacturer is going to go through the trouble to provide UVB protection, you can bet that they went ahead and threw in UVA protection as well.

UVB rays are far more intense than UVA rays and far more damaging to the eyes. However, UVB radiation if only a major problem between 10 am and 4 pm. Regardless, UVB protection will generally increase the cost of the sunglasses significantly more than UVA protection, but is vital for daytime sunglasses.

Lens Material

Unlike daytime sunglasses, nighttime sunglass lens materials are a bit more restricted. This is because the primary function of nighttime sunglasses to reduce glare and amplify light is hindered by some of the materials that daytime sunglasses use for their lenses.

Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate is by far the most common type of lens material used for nighttime sunglasses. It is relatively cheap and exceedingly durable. In fact, brands that advertise “shatter-proof” lenses are generally referring to polycarbonate lenses. Aside from the aforementioned benefits, polycarbonate is also one of the lighter materials used for sunglasses lenses regardless the type of sunglasses. Unfortunately, polycarbonate is known to reduce the optical quality a bit.

Tivex/SR-91

This material is far less common in a pair of nighttime sunglasses lenses, but it is by far the best performing. Tivex is the actual material in question, whereas SR-91 is simply a naturally polarized version of Tivex. This material is lighter, more impact resistant, and more scratch resistant than polycarbonate. Tivex also provides as clear an image as glass. Unfortunately, sunglasses made with Tivex/SR-91 lenses are some of the most expensive available.

Lens Tint

While it may not always be the most important quality for daytime sunglasses, nighttime sunglasses should always be tinted, and they should always be tinted one color: yellow. The reason for this has to do with the way that different colored lenses respond to different wavelengths of light.

Yellow and Amber

Depending on the situation and brand, some manufacturers may sell nighttime glasses in either yellow or amber lens tinting. While there is a reason for this, the purposes of nighttime lens tinting is to amplify the available light in low-light settings and to cut down on blue light.

While amber tinting technically accomplishes both of those tasks, yellow tinting simply does it in a vastly superior manner. Instead, amber tinting is actually better for dawn and dusk when the light conditions are fading but have not yet reached “low-light” levels.

It is of worth noting that yellow will cause significant color distortion, but that is often less of a concern in low-light settings where colors are already dimmer anyway. While amber will also cause color distortion, it is not nearly as distorted as yellow tinting hence its preference during dawn and dusk.

Conclusion

When it comes right down to it, the reason to purchase night driving sunglasses is fairly singular: to be able to see better while driving at night. All of the other features that a pair of night driving sunglasses may provide pale in comparison to an inferior type of polarization or glare reduction.

That is why our top recommendation for the best night driving sunglasses goes to the Eagle Eyes. Even though the frames are liable to get broken if you are not cautious and alert, even if the lenses are not even truly polarized, these glasses still cut glare in low light conditions better than any other we reviewed.

Of course, night driving sunglasses can still have their use during the day. Golfers, hunters, and fishermen often swear by the additional clarity provided by yellow-tinted sunglasses, which makes the Soxick sunglasses a great choice. And for those who also wear prescription lenses, the Ducos are pretty much the only game in town.