{"id":15386,"date":"2017-05-19T01:38:42","date_gmt":"2017-05-19T09:38:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/184.172.171.242\/?p=15386"},"modified":"2025-02-26T13:38:03","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T21:38:03","slug":"do-zenni-photochromic-lenses-get-the-same-dark-as-transitions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/do-zenni-photochromic-lenses-get-the-same-dark-as-transitions\/","title":{"rendered":"Photochromic vs transitions: Which one should you get?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a style=\"background-color: #ffdddd; padding: 3px 6px; border-radius: 3px; display: inline-block;\" href=\"\" aria-label=\"Visit Shopping from Canada? Check out the Zenni Canada site. Page\">Shopping from Canada? Check out the Zenni Canada site.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>This article was revised on July 19, 2023<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-60040\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/photochomic-vs-transition-lenses.jpg\" alt=\"photochromic vs transition lenses\" width=\"1058\" height=\"600\"><\/p>\n<h2>What are photochromic lenses?<\/h2>\n<p>Photochromic lenses are lenses that are clear indoors and darken in sunlight. They are great value for your money as two-in-one glasses and sunglasses.<\/p>\n<h2>What are transition lenses?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"\/transitions-lenses\" aria-label=\"Visit Transitions\u00ae lenses Page\">Transitions\u00ae lenses<\/a> are the top-performing photochromic lens on the market. They change more quickly than other photochromic lenses and can activate up to a category 3 darkness outdoors.<\/p>\n<h2>How much are <a href=\"\/transitions-lenses\" aria-label=\"Visit transition lenses Page\">transition lenses<\/a>?<\/h2>\n<p>You can get a complete pair of <a href=\"\/b\/transitions\" aria-label=\"Visit Transitions\u00ae glasses at Zenni Page\">Transitions\u00ae glasses at Zenni<\/a> for <strong>as low as $77.90<\/strong>, excluding shipping and taxes. <strong>Transitions\u00ae Signature\u00ae Gen8\u2122<\/strong> lenses range from $70.95 to $168.95 for Single Vision and from $138.95 to $214.95 for progressives. <strong>Transitions\u00ae XTRActive\u00ae Polarized\u2122<\/strong> lenses range from $121.95 to $214.95 for Single Vision and from $168.95 to $261.95 for progressives.<\/p>\n<p>If you are looking for an even more affordable option, Zenni offers its own line of photochromic lenses, <strong>starting at $38.95<\/strong>. Another option is <strong>Vision-Ease LifeRx\u00ae<\/strong> lenses, starting at $72.95.<\/p>\n<h2>What photochromic lenses are available?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Transitions\u00ae Signature\u00ae Gen8\u2122<\/strong>: fully clear indoors and quickly darken outdoors. The lenses block 100% UVA and UVB rays and filter harmful blue light.<sup>1<\/sup><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Transitions\u00ae XTRActive\u00ae Polarized\u2122<\/strong>: clear with a hint of protective tint indoors and darken up to category 3 in sunlight or in the car with polarization to reduce glare. The lenses block 100% UVA and UVB rays and filter harmful blue light.<sup>2<\/sup><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong><a href=\"\/blokz-blue-light-glasses\" aria-label=\"Visit Blokz\u2122 Page\">Blokz\u2122<\/a> Photochromic<\/strong>: Zenni photochromic lenses darken anywhere from 60%-80% in bright sunlight and protect against potentially harmful blue light.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Zenni\u2019s standard Photochromic lense<\/strong>s: Zenni photochromic lenses darken anywhere from 60%-80% in bright sunlight.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Vision-Ease LifeRx\u00ae<\/strong>: polycarbonate photochromic lenses darken to around 35-55% in bright sunlight. The impact-resistant material is great for <a href=\"\/b\/rimless-glasses\" aria-label=\"Visit rimless glasses Page\">rimless glasses<\/a>, sports enthusiasts, and children.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Are photochromic lenses available for progressives and <a href=\"\/b\/bifocal-glasses\" aria-label=\"Visit bifocals Page\">bifocals<\/a>?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Standard progressives<\/strong>: all photochromic lenses are available.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Workspace progressive<\/strong>s: photochromic lenses are not available.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Bifocals<\/strong>: 1.57 Zenni photochromic lenses are available.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What <a href=\"\/glasses-lenses\" aria-label=\"Visit lens index Page\">lens index<\/a> is available for photochromic lenses?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Transitions\u00ae Signature\u00ae Gen8\u2122<\/strong> is available in 1.50 Photochromic Transitions\u00ae and 1.61 or 1.67 Photochromic High-Index Transitions\u00ae.<sup>1<\/sup><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Transitions\u00ae XTRActive\u00ae Polarized\u2122<\/strong> is available in 1.50, 1.53 or 1.67 Polarized Transitions\u00ae.<sup>2<\/sup><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Blokz\u2122 Photochromic<\/strong> is available in 1.61 or 1.67 Blokz\u2122 Photochromic.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Zenni\u2019s standard <strong>Photochromic lens<\/strong> is available in 1.61 Photochromic High-Index.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Vision-Ease LifeRx\u00ae<\/strong> is available in 1.59 Photochromic Polycarbonate Impact-resistant.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What colors are available for photochromic lenses?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Transitions\u00ae Signature\u00ae Gen8\u2122<\/strong> is available in gray and brown. Sapphire and amethyst are available for selected frames.<sup>1<\/sup><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Transitions\u00ae XTRActive\u00ae Polarized\u2122<\/strong> is available in gray.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Blokz\u2122 Photochromic<\/strong> is available in gray.<sup>2<\/sup><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Zenni\u2019s standard <strong>Photochromic lens<\/strong> is available in gray for all prescription types and amber for Single vision.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Vision-Ease LifeRx\u00ae<\/strong> is available in gray and brown.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What\u2019s the difference between polycarbonate photochromic lenses and regular photochromic lenses?<\/h2>\n<p>Polycarbonate photochromic lenses are more impact-resistant than regular photochromic lenses. The <strong>Vision Ease LifeRx\u00ae<\/strong> polycarbonate photochromic lenses are a good choice for <a href=\"\/p\/mens-rimless-titanium-eyeglass-frames\/1382\/138212\" aria-label=\"Visit rimless Page\">rimless<\/a> glasses and kids.<\/p>\n<h2>How long does it take for the photochromic lenses to transition between clear and tinted?<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Transitions\u00ae Signature\u00ae Gen8\u2122<\/strong> photochromic lenses start to darken within seconds and return to clear indoors up to 3 minutes faster than previous generations.<sup>1<\/sup> <strong>Zenni<\/strong> and <strong>Vision East LifeRx\u00ae<\/strong> photochromic lenses take a couple of minutes to darken and return back to clear.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sources<\/strong>:<br>\n<sup>1<\/sup>Transitions\u00ae Signature\u00ae Gen8\u2122: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitions.com\/en-us\/products\/transitions-signature\/\" aria-label=\"Visit https:\/\/www.transitions.com\/en-us\/products\/transitions-signature\/ Page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.transitions.com\/en-us\/products\/transitions-signature\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><sup>2<\/sup>Transitions\u00ae XTRActive\u00ae Polarized\u2122: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.transitions.com\/en-us\/products\/transitions-xtractive-polarized\/\" aria-label=\"Visit https:\/\/www.transitions.com\/en-us\/products\/transitions-xtractive-polarized\/ Page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.transitions.com\/en-us\/products\/transitions-xtractive-polarized\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3>About the Author: Dr. Mori Ahi, O.D.<\/h3>\n<p><em>Dr. Mori has over 10 years of experience in eye care. She earned her undergraduate degree from UCLA and her optometry degree from the New England College of Optometry. She has worked in a variety of eye care settings and is passionate about helping her patients find a great pair of affordable glasses<\/em><\/p>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What are photochromic lenses?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Photochromic lenses are lenses that are clear indoors and darken in sunlight. They are great value for your money as two-in-one glasses and sunglasses.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What are transition lenses?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Transitions&reg; lenses are the top-performing photochromic lens on the market. They change more quickly than other photochromic lenses and can activate up to a category 3 darkness outdoors.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"How much are transition lenses?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"You can get a complete pair of Transitions&reg; glasses at Zenni for as low as $77.90, excluding shipping and taxes. Transitions&reg; Signature&reg; Gen8&#x2122; lenses range from $70.95 to $168.95 for Single Vision and from $138.95 to $214.95 for progressives. Transitions&reg; XTRActive&reg; Polarized&#x2122; lenses range from $121.95 to $214.95 for Single Vision and from $168.95 to $261.95 for progressives. If you are looking for an even more affordable option, Zenni offers its own line of photochromic lenses, starting at $38.95. Another option is Vision-Ease LifeRx&reg; lenses, starting at $72.95.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What photochromic lenses are available?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"The available photochromic lenses include:\\n\\n- Transitions&reg; Signature&reg; Gen8&#x2122;: fully clear indoors and quickly darken outdoors. The lenses block 100% UVA and UVB rays and filter harmful blue light.\\n- Transitions&reg; XTRActive&reg; Polarized&#x2122;: clear with a hint of protective tint indoors and darken up to category 3 in sunlight or in the car with polarization to reduce glare. The lenses block 100% UVA and UVB rays and filter harmful blue light.\\n- Blokz&#x2122; Photochromic: Zenni photochromic lenses darken anywhere from 60%-80% in bright sunlight and protect against potentially harmful blue light.\\n- Zenni's standard Photochromic lenses: Zenni photochromic lenses darken anywhere from 60%-80% in bright sunlight.\\n- Vision-Ease LifeRx&reg;: polycarbonate photochromic lenses darken to around 35-55% in bright sunlight. The impact-resistant material is great for rimless glasses, sports enthusiasts, and children.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Are photochromic lenses available for progressives and bifocals?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Standard progressives: all photochromic lenses are available.\\nWorkspace progressives: photochromic lenses are not available.\\nBifocals: 1.57 Zenni photochromic lenses are available.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What lens index is available for photochromic lenses?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"The available lens indexes for photochromic lenses are as follows:\\n\\n- Transitions&reg; Signature&reg; Gen8&#x2122;: 1.50 Photochromic Transitions&reg; and 1.61 or 1.67 Photochromic High-Index Transitions&reg;.\\n- Transitions&reg; XTRActive&reg; Polarized&#x2122;: 1.50, 1.53, or 1.67 Polarized Transitions&reg;.\\n- Blokz&#x2122; Photochromic: 1.61 or 1.67 Blokz&#x2122; Photochromic.\\n- Zenni's standard Photochromic lens: 1.61 Photochromic High-Index.\\n- Vision-Ease LifeRx&reg;: 1.59 Photochromic Polycarbonate Impact-resistant.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What colors are available for photochromic lenses?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"The available colors for photochromic lenses are:\\n\\n- Transitions&reg; Signature&reg; Gen8&#x2122;: gray and brown. Sapphire and amethyst are available for selected frames.\\n- Transitions&reg; XTRActive&reg; Polarized&#x2122;: gray.\\n- Blokz&#x2122; Photochromic: gray.\\n- Zenni's standard Photochromic lens: gray for all prescription types and amber for Single vision.\\n- Vision-Ease LifeRx&reg;: gray and brown.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What's the difference between polycarbonate photochromic lenses and regular photochromic lenses?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Polycarbonate photochromic lenses are more impact-resistant than regular photochromic lenses. The Vision Ease LifeRx&reg; polycarbonate photochromic lenses are a good choice for rimless glasses and kids.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"How long does it take for the photochromic lenses to transition between clear and tinted?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Transitions&reg; Signature&reg; Gen8&#x2122; photochromic lenses start to darken within seconds and return to clear indoors up to 3 minutes faster than previous generations. Zenni and Vision Ease LifeRx&reg; photochromic lenses take a couple of minutes to darken and return back to clear.\"\n      }\n    }\n  ]\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":80,"featured_media":60042,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[149,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eye-health","category-blog-teaser"],"acf":[],"contentshake_article_id":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/80"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15386"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96855,"href":"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15386\/revisions\/96855"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}