What sunglasses are right for your favourite activity?

The perfect companion when shopping – and a stylish accessory while indoors: for cloudy days out-and-about in the city or when inside, sunglasses lenses with a light absorption of 0 to 20 percent are optimally suited for the urban environment. Whether with a gradient or solid tint, such as grey, bright blue or rosé, they're a real head-turner, too. Check out our nearly unlimited selection of lens tints – you're sure to find your favourite colour! Looking for a tint to fit your fashion style or a pair of unconventional frames? No problem – you'll be surprised at the range of options available!

The sky might be cloudy, but every now and again the sun peeks through: on those days with a bit of sunshine, sunglass lenses with mid-range light absorption of 20 to 60 percent are perfect for spending time in the city. Trendy tints like blue, green or pink adjust perfectly to these light conditions. If you're looking for a particularly convenient solution, opt for the self-tinting lenses with  PhotoFusion^® X Technology  by ZEISS.

Blue skies, bright sunshine and not a cloud as far as the eye can see: the perfect weather for your vacation! When spending time on the water and at the beach with mid-range light intensity, we suggest you get sunglass lenses with 57 to 82 percent light absorption. The tints in these categories and a mirror coating provide outstanding protection with a casual look – a winning combination! AdaptiveSun sunglass lenses from ZEISS are ideal for anyone who likes to alternate between the sun and the shade: these feature a base tint and turn even darker in sunlight – for optimum but still convenient UV protection.

A lot of cyclists know what it's like to move quickly from bright sunlight to shade and back again. Sometimes their sunglasses are too bright, sometimes too dark, even though they should offer optimum visual comfort in any light. Thus the best option for cyclists is ZEISS sunglass lenses with light absorption between 57 and 82 and a somewhat brighter tint. Amber and rosé, for example, have proved ideal when biking and in little to no sunlight: these bright, high-contrast tints enable the eye to quickly and clearly identify tiny details – even in limited light. However, if you select a dark tint, the eye can no longer adapt quickly enough to changing light. For this reason, self-tinting lenses are not recommended for cyclists. You can find out which glasses are best-suited for cyclists here.

The golf course poses a number of challenges for our eyes, including bright sunshine and difficult transitions – and you'll need to keep your eye on the ball at all times to come in under par. Sunglasses not optimally adapted for the golf course limit your visual potential, and maybe even your chances at an outstanding score. Thus a good pair of sunglasses for golfers should not only darken, but improve contrast perception at the same time. In particular light to dark purple or yellow-orange tints increase contrast on green surfaces, optimising contrast perception and enhancing contours on the fairway. This way the golfer can better identify breaks on the green and clearly assess the trajectory of the ball before swinging. Thus sunglass lenses with light absorption of 40 percent (solid "ProGolf" tint) or 75 and 25 percent (gradient "ProGolf grad" tint – not suitable for driving) are well-suited for golfers. Read more here about what golfers should watch out for when choosing glasses.

Feel safe and secure while enjoying maximum visual comfort: for optimum vision when sitting behind the wheel, your sunglass lenses must have a polarisation filter to reduce distracting glare (caused by sunlight or reflections on the wet road) along with a tint suitable for driving. It is recommended that drivers get sunglass lenses or regular spectacle lenses with 57 to 92 percent light absorption and a specially modified tint like Skylet^® Road from ZEISS: the blue light filter in the lens increases contrast perception for sharper contours and more intense colours. The Skylet^® Road tint intensity is well-suited for brighter-than-average conditions while still providing perfect vision when the sun disappears behind a cloud. If you'll be hitting the road in a convertible, then you should consider wrapped lenses for additional protection from the wind. Read more about lenses for drivers here.

Being on the water poses several different challenges to our eyes: the surface of the water reflects the sunlight, often resulting in irritating glare and reflections. Thus water sports aficionados like surfers and sailing enthusiasts benefit from sunglass lenses with an integrated polarisation filter and a mirror coating. This minimizes irritating glare and ensures unimpeded vision. When it comes to tints for spending time on the water: generally, light absorption between 57 and 92 percent is ideal. With 90 percent absorption, ZEISS SkyPol Sport sunglass lenses are specially designed to meet the challenging visual conditions posed by sailing and surfing. Please note: in order to absorb additional reflections from below or the side, wear wraparound sunglasses when playing water sports. You can learn more about what water sport enthusiasts should look out for when choosing a pair of glasses here.

Whether you're hitting the slopes, climbing or mountaineering, having a good pair of sunglasses is an absolute must! At high elevations such as up in the mountains, we need to protect our eyes from damage caused by UV radiation, because here harmful levels of UV light are generally present even if the sky is cloudy or it's foggy. In extreme light conditions, such as on a glacier at extremely high altitudes, sunglasses with light absorption of 80 to 95 percent and a very dark tint are the way to go. Wrapped lenses and frames are also recommended to prevent light entering from the side.