Oakley Inc. is a California-based company that manufactures sports equipment, eyewear, watches, and other accessories. It was founded by Jim Jannard in 1975.
Headquartered in Foothill Ranch, California, U.S., the company is currently one of the most popular eyewear-producing brands in the world. Out of their numerous optical lenses, Black Iridium and Warm Grey Lenses are two lenses that are very similar as well as popular.
Key Takeaways
- Black Iridium lenses are designed to provide better contrast and depth perception in bright light conditions.
- Warm Grey lenses are intended to reduce glare and provide better visibility in moderate light conditions.
- Black Iridium lenses are ideal for outdoor activities such as skiing and snowboarding, while Warm Grey lenses are better suited for activities such as golf and fishing.
Black Iridium Lens vs Warm Grey Lens
Black Iridium lenses are created to reduce glare and enhance contrast, making them ideal for sunny conditions. They have a dark tint that blocks out a high percentage of light. Warm Grey lenses are better suited for lower light conditions. They offer good color perception and contrast.
Black Iridium Lens, as the name suggests, comes with a black iridium coating on the glass lens. It has a grey base and an index of 3. This type of lens is specifically designed to perform best in conditions where the light is very bright.
It allows merely 10% of light to reach the eyes and hence keeps them safe from bright light. On the other hand, Warm Grey Lenses have no extra coating as the Black Iridium ones do.
Although they also have an index of 3 and 10% of the light allowance, they lag slightly at performing in bright light compared to the Black iridium lens. They are more suitable for use at dawn or dusk.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Black Iridium Lens | Warm Grey Lens |
|---|---|---|
| Branding | Black iridium lens is launched and marketed by Oakley Inc. | Warm Grey lens is launched and marketed by Oakley Inc. |
| Light Index | It has a light index of 3. | Its light index is also 3. |
| Special Coating | It has a coating of black iridium on the glass lens. | There is no special coating on it. |
| Light Allowance | It allows 10% of the light to reach the eyes. | It has a light allowance of 10% too. |
| Suitability | This lens is more suitable for bright and sunny hours. | This lens is more suitable for dawn or dusk. |
| Shade | It is way darker. | It is lighter in comparison. |
What is Black Iridium Lens?
Oakley is an international brand that deals with the production of several accessories for sports and eyewear. Several products have been introduced, especially eyewear.
Sunglasses, optical lenses, and contact lenses are some of them. Black Iridium lens is one of the highly popular products of this brand. Going by its name, the lens has a coating of black iridium on its glass lens. It comes with a grey base and has a light index of 3.
It is neutral and is specifically designed to facilitate excellent vision in bright light. It does a great job when one is in bright sunlight, but it is not ideal for cloudy or foggy weather.
It is darker in the shade as compared to the Warm Grey lenses. Therefore, it fails to deliver the best in low light conditions. Black Iridium lenses provide great comfort to the eyes while taking photos in bright sunlight, sitting at the beach, or just spending time in sunlight.
But these lenses lag when it comes to things like driving, enhancing colours or providing clear visibility in low light. Even after going with the fact that the Black Iridium lens is a great choice under direct sunlight, it is not an all-rounder.
It cannot perform well while driving. So one should be clear in the head before choosing the lens.
What is Warm Grey Lens?
Oakley, as a brand, has flourished a lot over the years. The company has grown from just manufacturing normal spectacles to coming up with optical lenses that suit every possible situation.
Oakley glasses are mostly popular among the masses that believe in maintaining a fashionable and active lifestyle. Warm Grey Lenses are one of the most popular Oakley products.
They are specifically designed to serve well in medium bright light or sunlight. Whether it is dawn, dusk or just cloudy weather, these lenses guarantee the best visibility under all these conditions.
Just like the Black iridium lens, they offer 10% of light to enter into the eyes and have an index of 3. Warm Grey lenses have no special coating.
But still, they come with extremely amazing features related to visibility. They work well when one is driving because they provide great visibility in the medium as well as low light conditions.
As everything good has its drawbacks, the Warm Grey lenses are no exception. They fail to perform well in bright sunlight. It is because they are lighter in the shade and are unable to comfort the eyes when it is extremely bright outside.
Main Differences Between Black Iridium and Warm Grey Lenses
- Black Iridium lenses and Warm Grey lenses are manufactured by Oakley Inc. as different eyewear.
- Black Iridium lens has a coating of black iridium, while the Warm Grey lens has no special coating.
- The light-blocking properties of the Black Iridium lens come from the iridium coating, whereas the Warm Grey lens comes from the design and transparency.
- Warm Grey lenses are lighter in shade as compared to the Black Iridium lens.
- Black Iridium lens works best in bright light conditions, while the Warm Grey lens works best in low light conditions.
- https://journals.co.za/doi/abs/10.4102/aveh.v78i1.475
- https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-abstract/424/4/2429/1053981
Last Updated : 14 October, 2023
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
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