Smith V-Ti
Sunglass Lenses:
Smith designs their lenses to be some of the most optically clear available on the market. Smith incorporated several different technologies into these lenses in order to make sure they perform well. In order to get the most out of their products Smith offers a wide array of available lens tints for varying light conditions.
With our pair of V-Ti Chrome sunglasses we received the polarized Polar Copper, Ignitor, and Clear Mirror lenses.
Smith V-Ti lenses - (left to right) Clear Mirror, Polar Copper, Ignitor (click to enlarge)
- Polarized lens - By creating polarized lenses Smith is able to offer riders a lens which reduces 99.9% of visible glare from water, snow, sand and pavement. Polarized lenses offer increased visual accuracy and object definition, decreased eye strain, and heavily reduced glare. On bright days the polarized lens comes in handy because you can see things you normally wouldn’t see due to the glare reduction.
- Tapered Lens Technology or TLT - TLT is used on the V-Ti’s lens in order to make sure the entire lens offers an optically clear, distortion free view. Smith’s TLT technology varies the thickness of the lens so that light can pass through it evenly relieving distortion issues.
- Carbonic lens material – Smith developed their Carbonic material to be the most impact resistant lens material in the world. It surpasses the ANSI Z80.3 standard.
- Hydrophobic lens coating – Smith adds their hydrophobic coating to the inside and outside of their lens to prevent oil and dirt build up as well as provide additional scratch resistance. During testing I was hit in the face very hard by a tree I was removing from a trail. The lens did not scratch at all and the lens only had a smudge which was easily removed.
- UVA Protection – The lenses provide 100% protection against UVA/B/C rays.
- Multi-layer lens construction – Smith builds each lens using a multi-layer construction process which sandwiches all of their technologies together in order to offer high levels of impact and scratch resistance.
- Excellent peripheral vision – The peripheral vision of the V-Ti’s is about as good as you’re going to get. The lens wrapped around my full peripheral view and offered no obstruction due to the frameless design. The frameless design also provides great downward vision. Since there is no frame at the bottom of the lens, the view of anything below you is unobstructed. This can be appreciated by those who have worn full frame glasses and have had a blind spot when looking down.
Smith V-Ti side profile (click to enlarge)
- Various lens tint options – The V-Ti’s have a wide array of lens tint options available. The three that came with our Chrome test sunglasses worked very well for different applications. Personally, I felt the Polar Copper lens tint was a little too light for very bright days but worked well for partly sunny days. I am used to darker tinted glasses for very bright days. I liked Smith’s Platinum Mirror lens better for very bright situations. Our other reviewer didn’t have any problem with the Polar Copper tint and liked using it on very bright days. The Ignitor lens worked well in the woods and under cloudy conditions. It offered a rose colored tint that helped increase the definition of trail features while riding. The Clear Mirror lens had no real visible tint distortion and works well for general eye protection when no tinting is needed.
Smith V-Ti with Ignitor lens (click to enlarge)
Lens tint options
Smith offers a nice selection of lens tints for those looking to have more options when riding in various lighting conditions. The prices for Smith’s accessory lenses are on par with most other manufacturers at $20 for non-polarized lenses and $50 for polarized. Prescription options are not available at the moment but are in the works.
- Polarized Copper - 12% VLT – provides relatively true colors with moderate contrast.
- Polarized Platinum Mirror – 12% VLT - gray color base with multi layer silver mirror maximizes color definition and visual acuity
- Platinum Mirror – 12% VLT - gray base lens tint with a silver mirror coating cuts light and glare by reflecting it away from the eye.
- Polarized Sienna Brown – 13% VLT - provides increased depth perception and a “soft effect” on the eye, reducing eye strain.
- Bronze Mirror – 15% VLT - brown lens tint with a bronze mirror cuts light and glare by reflecting it away from the eye.
- Ignitor – 32% VLT - highlights shadows in all types of terrain while increasing color definition. Also includes a multi-layer mirror coating for reduced glare, and hydrophobic lens coating to reduce dirt & sweat adhesion.
- Clear Mirror – 70% VLT - ideal for low light or night time use. The light silver mirror reduces glare from water, sand and pavement.
| Click to navigate | |
