LENS TECHNOLOGY

Built Around What You Need to See

Clarity, glare control, impact resistance, light transmission, and coatings all change how a lens performs. DSRT uses two lens platforms across the current lineup because everyday performance and safety eyewear demand different things from the lens.


Polarized · UV400 · Premium coatings · Purpose-built materials

The Lucid Series

One Lens Family. Different Performance Priorities.

Lucid is the DSRT lens platform. The designation identifies the lens material, polarization, and intended use. The current sunglass lineup uses two active configurations: Lucid+ for The Phoenix and Sedona, and Lucid S+ for The Flatiron.

Lens Naming System

Lucid

Non-Polarized Nylon

Lucid is the non-polarized nylon designation within the DSRT lens naming system. It shares the same nylon material platform focused on low weight and optical clarity, but without a polarized filter.

Material Nylon / Polyamide
Polarized No
UV Protection UV400
Current Lineup

Not currently offered in The Phoenix or Sedona.

Current

Lucid+

Polarized Nylon

Lucid+ combines optical-grade nylon with polarization for high clarity, low weight, UV400 protection, and reduced reflected glare. It is the current lens platform used in The Phoenix and Sedona.

Material Nylon / Polyamide
Polarized Yes
Abbe Value 52
UV Protection UV400
Used In

The Phoenix + Sedona

Current

Lucid S+

Polarized Polycarbonate

Lucid S+ uses impact-resistant polycarbonate for The Flatiron’s safety-focused application. The lens works with the frame, hinges, coverage, and lens retention as part of the complete ANSI Z87+ rated eyewear system.

Material Polycarbonate
Polarized Yes
Abbe Value 30
UV Protection UV400
Used In

The Flatiron

Current DSRT Lineup

Every current DSRT sunglass is polarized. Lucid+ is the polarized nylon platform used in The Phoenix and Sedona. Lucid S+ is the polarized polycarbonate platform used in The Flatiron.

Lens Materials

The Right Material for the Job

Lens material affects clarity, weight, impact behavior, and how the finished eyewear performs. DSRT uses nylon where optical performance and low weight are the priority, and polycarbonate where impact protection is the priority.

Optical Performance

Optical-Grade Nylon

Lucid+ · Phoenix + Sedona

Nylon is a type of polyamide used in premium performance eyewear because it combines very low weight with strong optical characteristics.

DSRT’s nylon lens platform has an Abbe value of 52. Higher Abbe values generally mean less chromatic aberration, helping reduce color fringing and maintain clearer vision toward the edges of the lens.

Abbe Value 52
Density 1.01 g/cm³
Polarization Yes
UV Protection UV400
High optical clarity with reduced chromatic aberration
Very low-density material helps reduce overall eyewear weight
Selected for performance, travel, training, and everyday outdoor use
The Flatiron showing Lucid S+ polarized polycarbonate safety lens construction Lucid S+ · The Flatiron
Impact Performance

Polycarbonate

Lucid S+ · The Flatiron

Polycarbonate prioritizes impact resistance over maximum optical performance. That makes it the appropriate material for The Flatiron’s safety-focused application.

Its Abbe value is approximately 30, lower than DSRT’s nylon platform. That optical tradeoff is accepted because The Flatiron is designed around impact protection and safety performance.

Abbe Value 30
Priority Impact
Polarization Yes
UV Protection UV400
High-impact lens material selected for demanding environments
Used with The Flatiron frame as part of the complete safety system
Designed for jobsite, hard-use, and safety-focused applications
Different Priorities

There Is No Universal “Best” Lens Material

Nylon gives The Phoenix and Sedona the optical performance and low weight their use cases demand. Polycarbonate gives The Flatiron the impact characteristics its safety-focused application requires. The material is selected around the job, not around a single spec.

Optical Clarity

What Abbe Value Actually Means

Two lenses can look equally clear in your hand and still handle light differently. Abbe value helps describe how much a lens material separates different wavelengths of visible light as they pass through it.

Lucid+ Nylon 52 Higher Abbe Value

A higher Abbe value generally means less chromatic aberration. That means different colors of visible light stay more closely aligned as they pass through the lens.

In practical terms, this can help reduce subtle color fringing and preserve clearer detail, particularly toward the peripheral areas of the lens.

That optical performance is one reason DSRT uses nylon in The Phoenix and Sedona.

Lucid S+ Polycarbonate 30 Impact Comes First

Polycarbonate has a lower Abbe value than the nylon platform, so it can produce more chromatic dispersion than a higher-Abbe lens material.

The tradeoff is impact performance. In The Flatiron, that is the more important requirement because the lens is part of a safety-focused eyewear system.

The material is selected around the application rather than around achieving the highest possible optical specification.

The Important Part

Higher Abbe Does Not Automatically Mean Better Eyewear

Abbe value describes one optical characteristic of the lens material. It does not measure impact resistance, polarization, UV protection, coatings, fit, or safety performance. The right lens is the one whose complete set of properties matches the job it is designed to do.

Glare Control

Every Current DSRT Sunglass Is Polarized

A dark lens reduces the amount of visible light reaching your eyes. Polarization does something different: it targets reflected glare. Every sunglass in the current DSRT lineup uses a polarized lens.

Woman wearing DSRT Sedona polarized sunglasses outdoors in bright desert conditions
Sedona · Lucid+ Polarized Nylon
How It Works

Reduce the Glare, Not Just the Light

When sunlight reflects from relatively flat surfaces, much of that reflected light becomes horizontally oriented. This is the harsh glare you see coming from roads, water, vehicles, concrete, and other bright surfaces.

A polarized filter reduces that reflected glare before it reaches the eye. The result is a cleaner view in bright, high-reflection environments and less distracting surface glare over a long day outside.

  • Cuts reflected glare from roads and vehicles
  • Reduces glare from water and other reflective surfaces
  • Useful around bright concrete, open terrain, and high-sun environments
  • Used across The Phoenix, Sedona, and The Flatiron
Polarization vs. UV400

Two Different Jobs

Polarization reduces reflected visible glare. UV400 protects against ultraviolet radiation. A lens can have UV protection without being polarized, so the two terms should not be used interchangeably. Current DSRT sunglasses provide both.

Digital Screens

Why Some Screens Look Different

Polarized lenses can interact with LCD and other polarized displays. Depending on the screen and viewing angle, a phone, vehicle display, or equipment screen may appear darker or show color patterns through the lens.

Current Lineup

The Phoenix and Sedona use Lucid+ polarized nylon lenses. The Flatiron uses Lucid S+ polarized polycarbonate lenses. Different materials, same commitment to controlling reflected glare.

Lens Coatings

Every Coating Has a Job

Lens material creates the foundation. Coatings tune the surface for the conditions the eyewear is designed to handle. Every current DSRT sunglass shares a core coating stack, with additional treatments used where frame geometry and intended use call for them.

Core Coating Stack

On Every Current DSRT Sunglass

The Phoenix, Sedona, and The Flatiron all receive hydrophobic, oleophobic, and anti-scratch treatments. These coatings are designed around everyday exposure to moisture, sweat, skin oils, handling, cleaning, and repeated outdoor use.

All DSRT Sunglasses

Hydrophobic

A hydrophobic treatment helps water form into beads instead of spreading evenly across the lens surface.

Why It Matters

Rain, sweat, and moisture are easier to clear from the field of view.

All DSRT Sunglasses

Oleophobic

An oleophobic treatment helps reduce the way skin oils, fingerprints, and other oily residue adhere to the lens surface.

Why It Matters

The lens is easier to clean with less smearing and residue.

All DSRT Sunglasses

Anti-Scratch

A hardened surface treatment improves resistance to normal abrasion from handling, cleaning, storage, and repeated use.

Why It Matters

It adds protection to the lens surface, but no sunglass lens should be considered scratch-proof.

Phoenix + Sedona

Backside Anti-Reflective

A backside anti-reflective treatment helps reduce reflections that reach the eye from light entering behind the wearer and reflecting from the inside surface of the lens.

The flatter lens geometries used by The Phoenix and Sedona make backside reflections more relevant, so both receive this additional treatment.

The Flatiron

Anti-Fog

An anti-fog treatment helps manage condensation that can form when moisture and temperature differences build around the lens.

The Flatiron’s deeper 8-base wrap sits closer around the face and creates conditions where fog management matters more, so Lucid S+ adds anti-fog treatment instead of backside AR.

Purpose-Built Stack

Not Every Lens Needs the Same Treatment

Hydrophobic, oleophobic, and anti-scratch treatments form the core across the lineup. From there, coating choices change with the lens geometry and use case: backside anti-reflective treatment for The Phoenix and Sedona, and anti-fog treatment for The Flatiron.

Lens + Frame Geometry

The Lens Does Not Work Alone

Lens material and coatings have to work with the shape of the frame. Curvature changes how the eyewear sits around the face, how light reaches the lens, and which surface treatments are most useful.

Phoenix + Sedona

Flatter Geometry

The Phoenix and Sedona use flatter lens geometries than The Flatiron. That creates a more open relationship between the lens and the surrounding environment.

Light entering from behind or beside the wearer can reach the inside surface of the lens and create distracting reflections. DSRT adds a backside anti-reflective treatment to help reduce those reflections.

Lens Platform Lucid+
Geometry Flatter Profile
Added Treatment Backside AR
The Flatiron

Deep 8-Base Wrap

The Flatiron uses a deeper 8-base wrap that follows the face more closely and provides greater side coverage than the flatter Phoenix and Sedona profiles.

That deeper wrap changes the angles at which outside light can reach the inside of the lens, while also creating a more enclosed environment where heat and moisture can build. For that reason, Lucid S+ uses an anti-fog treatment rather than the backside AR treatment used on the flatter frames.

Lens Platform Lucid S+
Geometry 8-Base Wrap
Added Treatment Anti-Fog
Designed as a System

Geometry Changes What the Lens Needs

The coating differences across the DSRT lineup are intentional. The Phoenix and Sedona are treated for the reflection characteristics of flatter eyewear, while The Flatiron is treated for the moisture and airflow conditions created by a deeper wrap.

Explore Frame Technology →

Light Management

Darkness and UV Protection Are Not the Same Thing

Visible Light Transmission and UV protection describe two different parts of lens performance. One controls how bright the world looks. The other protects your eyes from ultraviolet radiation.

Visible Light Transmission

What VLT Measures

Visible Light Transmission, or VLT, is the percentage of visible light that passes through the lens and reaches the eye.

A lower VLT means a darker lens. A higher VLT allows more visible light through.

12% VLT Approximately 12% of visible light passes through the lens
Ultraviolet Protection

What UV400 Means

UV400 means the lens is designed to block ultraviolet radiation through wavelengths up to 400 nanometers, covering UVA and UVB.

Every current DSRT sunglass lens provides UV400 protection, regardless of the visible darkness of the specific lens.

UVA Protected
UVB Protected
Protection UV400
Current Lens Specifications

VLT Depends on the Lens Configuration

The Phoenix 12% VLT Current Phoenix lens configurations.
Sedona Varies by Lens Refer to the selected colorway for its specific VLT.
The Flatiron 12% / 14% Varies by Flatiron lens configuration.
Common Misconception

A Darker Lens Is Not Automatically More UV Protective

VLT tells you how much visible light reaches your eyes. UV400 describes ultraviolet protection. A lens can be lighter or darker while still providing the same UV400 protection, which is why both specifications should be considered separately.

Tint + Mirror

What You See Starts With the Base Tint

Lens color is not only cosmetic. The base tint influences how colors, contrast, and brightness appear through the lens. A mirror finish sits on top of that base tint and changes how the lens interacts with incoming light from the front.

Base Tint

Grey

Grey lenses reduce visible brightness while keeping color perception relatively neutral. The environment looks darker without adding a strong warm or cool shift.

That makes grey a strong general-purpose choice when natural color recognition and bright-sun performance are priorities.

Well Suited For
  • Bright sun
  • Driving
  • Open terrain
  • Neutral color perception
Base Tint

Brown

Brown lenses create a warmer view and can increase perceived contrast between terrain, shadows, and surrounding features.

Because the tint changes color perception more than grey, it is often preferred when contrast and terrain definition matter more than maintaining the most neutral possible view.

Well Suited For
  • Hiking and trails
  • Variable outdoor conditions
  • Terrain definition
  • Warmer, higher-contrast viewing
Simple Choice

Choose grey when you want a more neutral view. Choose brown when you prefer a warmer view with greater perceived contrast.

Mirror Finishes

More Than a Colorway

A mirror finish is a reflective treatment applied to the front surface of the lens. It reflects a portion of incoming visible light before that light passes through the base lens. The base tint beneath the mirror still plays a major role in what the wearer actually sees.

01

Changes the Exterior

The mirror creates the reflective blue, gold, silver, rose, or other exterior appearance visible from the front of the lens.

02

Reflects Incoming Light

The reflective surface sends a portion of visible light away before it enters the lens, contributing to the finished lens's overall light-management characteristics.

03

Does Not Replace the Lens

A mirror finish does not replace polarization, UV400 protection, the base tint, or the optical properties of the underlying nylon or polycarbonate lens.

Read the Lens From the Inside Out

Start with the material and base tint, then consider polarization, VLT, coatings, and mirror finish. The exterior mirror color is only one part of the complete lens system.

Lucid S+ Safety System

Built for Impact. Tested as a System.

Lucid S+ is the polarized polycarbonate lens platform used in The Flatiron. Polycarbonate provides the impact characteristics required for the application, but the lens material alone does not make eyewear safety rated.

DSRT Flatiron technical close-up showing Lucid S+ polarized polycarbonate safety lens and wrap construction
The Flatiron · Lucid S+
Complete Eyewear System

Safety Is More Than a Lens Material

The Flatiron is designed around protection as a complete system. Its Lucid S+ lenses, frame, lens retention, hinges, coverage, and overall construction work together.

That distinction matters. Polycarbonate is selected because of its impact characteristics, but using polycarbonate by itself does not automatically make a pair of sunglasses ANSI Z87+ rated.

Polarized Lucid S+ polycarbonate lenses
Deep 8-base coverage and safety-focused geometry
Frame and lens retention designed to work together
ANSI Z87+ performance applies to the complete eyewear system
01

Lens

Impact-resistant Lucid S+ polycarbonate forms the optical and protective lens component.

02

Retention

The lens has to remain properly retained by the frame when the eyewear is subjected to impact.

03

Frame

Frame material, geometry, hinges, and surrounding construction are part of how the finished eyewear manages impact.

04

Coverage

The Flatiron’s 8-base wrap provides the deeper coverage required by its safety-focused design.

Why Polycarbonate

Impact Is the Priority

Lucid S+ has a lower Abbe value than the Lucid+ nylon platform, but The Flatiron is built for a different job. In a safety-focused application, impact performance takes priority over maximizing one optical specification.

Phoenix + Sedona

Performance Sunglasses, Not Safety Eyewear

The Phoenix and Sedona use premium Lucid+ polarized nylon lenses for outdoor, athletic, and everyday performance. They are not substitutes for ANSI Z87+ protective eyewear where rated eye protection is required.

Testing + Standards

See How The Flatiron Is Evaluated

Learn more about impact testing, safety markings, optical requirements, and why safety performance is evaluated at the complete-eyewear level, not by lens material alone.

Explore Testing + Standards

The Lens Lineup

Two Current Lens Platforms. Two Different Jobs.

Both current DSRT lens platforms are polarized and UV400 protected. The difference is what each lens is optimized to do: Lucid+ prioritizes optical performance and low weight, while Lucid S+ prioritizes impact performance for safety-focused use.

Optical Performance

Lucid+

Polarized Nylon
  • Material Nylon / Polyamide
  • Abbe Value 52
  • Polarized Yes
  • UV Protection UV400
  • Core Coatings Hydrophobic · Oleophobic · Anti-Scratch
  • Added Treatment Backside Anti-Reflective
  • Primary Priority Clarity + Low Weight
Built For

Training, driving, hiking, travel, everyday wear, and outdoor use where glare reduction, optical clarity, and low weight are the main priorities.

Used In

The Phoenix + Sedona

Safety-Focused Performance

Lucid S+

Polarized Polycarbonate
  • Material Polycarbonate
  • Abbe Value 30
  • Polarized Yes
  • UV Protection UV400
  • Core Coatings Hydrophobic · Oleophobic · Anti-Scratch
  • Added Treatment Anti-Fog
  • Primary Priority Impact + Protection
Built For

Construction, jobsite use, hard-use environments, and other applications where impact protection and ANSI Z87+ rated eyewear are the priority.

Used In

The Flatiron

Same Philosophy. Different Priorities.

The Best Lens Depends on What You Ask It to Do

Lucid+ is the better fit when optical clarity, low weight, and everyday outdoor performance lead the decision. Lucid S+ is the right platform when impact performance and safety-focused construction come first.

Lens Reference Guide

Common Questions About Sunglass Lenses

Material, polarization, tint, VLT, UV protection, coatings, and safety ratings all describe different parts of lens performance. Here is how they apply across the current DSRT lineup.

Lens Materials

Nylon is a type of polyamide used in premium sunglass lenses because it combines low weight with strong optical characteristics. DSRT uses polarized nylon in Lucid+ lenses for The Phoenix and Sedona.

Polycarbonate is an impact-resistant lens material commonly used where protection is a higher priority. DSRT uses polarized polycarbonate in the Lucid S+ lens platform for The Flatiron.

Neither material is universally better. Nylon is used in The Phoenix and Sedona because optical clarity and low weight are important to those products. Polycarbonate is used in The Flatiron because impact performance is the priority.

Abbe value describes how strongly a lens material separates different wavelengths of visible light. Higher values generally mean less chromatic aberration and less potential color fringing.

DSRT's Lucid+ nylon platform has an Abbe value of 52, while Lucid S+ polycarbonate is approximately 30.

Polarization

Polarized lenses reduce reflected glare, particularly glare coming from surfaces such as roads, water, concrete, and vehicles. This can create a cleaner view in bright, high-reflection environments.

Yes. The current DSRT sunglass lineup is polarized. The Phoenix and Sedona use Lucid+ polarized nylon lenses, while The Flatiron uses Lucid S+ polarized polycarbonate lenses.

Polarization and UV protection are different technologies. Polarization manages reflected visible glare. UV400 describes protection from ultraviolet radiation. Current DSRT lenses provide both.

LCD and some other displays use polarized light. When viewed through polarized sunglasses, certain screens can appear darker, change visibility with viewing angle, or show color patterns.

Tint + Mirror

Grey lenses reduce visible brightness while keeping color perception relatively neutral. Brown lenses create a warmer view and can increase perceived contrast between terrain, shadows, and surrounding features.

A mirror finish is a reflective treatment on the front surface of the lens. It reflects a portion of incoming visible light and creates the reflective exterior appearance of the lens.

Not necessarily. The exterior mirror finish and the underlying base tint are separate parts of the lens system. The base tint plays a major role in how color and contrast appear to the wearer.

VLT + UV Protection

Visible Light Transmission, or VLT, is the percentage of visible light that passes through a lens. Lower VLT percentages mean darker lenses, while higher percentages allow more visible light through.

VLT varies by product and lens configuration. The Phoenix is 12% VLT. The Flatiron uses 12% or 14% VLT depending on the lens. Sedona VLT should be referenced by the selected lens configuration.

UV400 means the lens is designed to block ultraviolet radiation through wavelengths up to 400 nanometers, covering UVA and UVB. Every current DSRT sunglass lens provides UV400 protection.

Not automatically. Lens darkness is described by VLT, while UV protection is a separate characteristic. A lighter or darker lens can still provide the same UV400 protection.

Lens Coatings

Every current DSRT sunglass lens has hydrophobic, oleophobic, and anti-scratch treatments. Additional coatings vary by frame and lens geometry.

Their flatter lens geometries allow more light to reach the inside surface of the lens from behind and beside the wearer. Backside anti-reflective treatment helps reduce those reflections.

The Flatiron's deeper 8-base wrap sits closer around the face and creates a more enclosed environment where heat and moisture can build. Lucid S+ therefore adds anti-fog treatment.

No. Anti-scratch treatment improves resistance to normal abrasion, but no sunglass lens should be considered impossible to scratch. Proper cleaning and storage still matter.

Safety

ANSI Z87+ identifies eyewear that meets applicable high-impact requirements under the ANSI eye and face protection standard. The rating applies to the qualified eyewear system, not simply to the material used to make the lens.

Yes. The Flatiron with Lucid S+ is DSRT's safety-focused eyewear system. Its frame, lenses, retention, coverage, and overall construction work together as the rated system.

No. The Phoenix and Sedona are performance sunglasses designed for outdoor, athletic, and everyday use. They should not be used as substitutes for rated protective eyewear where ANSI Z87+ protection is required.

No. Polycarbonate is selected for its impact characteristics, but lens material alone does not establish an ANSI rating. Safety performance depends on the complete eyewear system, including the frame, lens retention, coverage, and construction.

The Complete System

One Specification Never Tells the Whole Story

Lens material, Abbe value, polarization, VLT, UV protection, coatings, tint, frame geometry, and intended use all contribute to how finished eyewear performs. DSRT builds each lens platform around the complete job the sunglass is designed to do.

DSRT Technology

Next: Frame Technology

The lens is only one part of the eyewear system. See how frame material, curvature, width, fit, contact points, and hardware change across The Flatiron, The Phoenix, and Sedona to support the way each pair is designed to be used.

Explore Frame Technology

Find Your Lens

Different Lenses for Different Jobs

Lucid+ is built around optical clarity, low weight, polarization, and everyday outdoor performance. Lucid S+ is built around impact performance as part of The Flatiron’s safety-focused eyewear system. Start with how you use your sunglasses, then choose the lens built for that job.

Lucid+

Optical Performance

Polarized nylon with high optical clarity, low weight, UV400 protection, and a coating stack designed for athletic, outdoor, travel, driving, and everyday use.

The Phoenix + Sedona
Lucid S+

Safety-Focused Performance

Polarized polycarbonate built around impact performance and used as part of The Flatiron’s complete ANSI Z87+ safety-rated eyewear system.

The Flatiron
Compare Sunglasses Shop Sunglasses