What Does VLT Stand For in Sunglasses?

VLT stands for Visible Light Transmission. Put simply, it is the percentage of light that the lenses allow through to your eyes. A sunglasses lens with a VLT of 20% …

VLT stands for Visible Light Transmission. Put simply, it is the percentage of light that the lenses allow through to your eyes.

A sunglasses lens with a VLT of 20% allows 20% of light to pass through filtering out the other 80%.

You should always consider the VLT when you are choosing the best sunglasses for your activity.

  • The best sunglasses for bright conditions will typically have a VLT of 10-15% and blue, green, or gray lens colors.
  • Sunglasses that can be worn in both full sunlight and shady conditions like on a deck or verandah have a VLT of between 15-25% and have a variety of different lens colors.
  • And sunglasses that are for specialist activities, like fly fishing in low light conditions should have a VLT of between 25 and 40% and usually have either yellow or copper color lenses.
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AUTHOR
Rick Wallace is a passionate angler and fly fisher whose work has appeared in fishing publications including FlyLife. He's appeared in fishing movies, founded a successful fishing site and spends every spare moment on the water. He's into kayak fishing, ultralight lure fishing and pretty much any other kind of fishing out there.