Lani TAC Lenses

Lani TAC UV400 Polarized Lenses

The Clear Choice for Sunglasses

 

The exceptional quality and optical characteristics of Lani TAC lenses make Lani Shades the clear choice. All Lani Shades sunglasses feature the highest quality UV400 polarized lightweight, scratch and impact resistant, 9 layer TAC lenses. But what does this mean?

TAC vs. Glass vs. Polycarbonate vs. Nylon sunglasses lenses

All sunglasses brands generally use lenses that are one of four types: Glass, polycarbonate, nylon or TAC. Glass is used by some brands since glass is scratch resistant and thought to offer the clearest optics, however glass is generally heavier and can break. Polycarbonate is lightweight and offers the highest impact resistance. Nylon lenses are what you would find in the cheapest low end sunglasses.

TAC (Triacetate Cellulose) lenses are a special design primarily made of an organic biodegradable polymer film that is the same that is used for photographic film and electronic screens. The methods used to make optical lenses out of this material have become quite advanced. The optical quality of TAC lenses is most comparable to glass, while the impact resistance is comparable to polycarbonate making TAC lenses the best compromise between the benefits of glass and polycarbonate without any of their drawbacks. For this reason TAC lenses are the most common sunglasses lens material nowadays, used by high end brands and you will find other sunglasses brands using the same lenses that come from the same expert manufacturers in Germany, Japan and China. TAC might look and feel like ordinary plastic, but make no mistake it is actually made of layers of specialized film that perform a function to give you the best optical experience when looking through the lens. 

What makes Lani TAC lenses unique is that our expert lens factory uses a special 9 layer process in the making of our lenses. All Lani Shades lenses are polarized so the core of the lens is a polarizing layer that cuts out glare so you can see the dolphins riding below your bow waves. The distortion free TAC film goes over that in two layers, followed by two layers of UV protective film that cuts out 99% of the harmful UVA and UVB rays from the sun of up to 400 nanometers. The next two layers cut out reflection and add additional strength and it's finished off with a double layer of protective anti-scratch film because it's a real bummer when your sunglasses get scratched.

As an aside, if you ever see sunglasses advertised as offering "UVA/UVB protection," don't be confused. UV400 is the highest rating that blocks out both UVA and UVB rays. Just look for UV400 if you want the highest rating for sunglasses protection.

Polarization: What is it and why is it important? 

Many sunglasses are polarized. This means that a layer of film is added to the lens to only allow vertically oriented light to enter the lens, cutting out horizontally oriented light which causes glare on the surface of the water and wet roads. Many people prefer polarized lenses, especially boaters and drivers. It greatly enhances your ability to see objects on the water which is important if you're trying to look at the water in the direction of the sun or make out objects below the water's surface. It's also very useful if you're driving in Hawaii in the liquid sunshine. 

 Both lens colors are excellent for everyday use in most lighting conditions. 

Select styles of Lani Shades come with three choices of lens coatings.

 Lani Shades Lani TAC UV400 Polarized lenses are made for durability with an extra layer of scratch resistance coating. If they become scratched, we don't want to see you just throw them away. Send them back for replacement or credit for 25% off your next pair with our Lens Exchange Guarantee.

All Lani Shades Lani TAC lenses meet or exceed ANSI Z80.3-2018 standards for UV and visible light transmittance, United States FDA standard 21 CFR 801.410 for impact resistance and European EN 12312-1 standards for CE compliance.