Achieving 100% UV Protection with Clear Lenses! The Surprising Mechanism Behind Zoff's "Clear Sunglasses"

Throughout the year, UV protection is essential. Many people routinely use sunscreen or carry a parasol, but how about protecting your eyes?

Recent studies have made it clear that UV radiation increases the risk of cataracts. Still, there are plenty of people who feel uncomfortable wearing sunglasses in business settings or indoors, making them impractical to use daily.

But what if you could wear clear lenses—glasses that look like normal eyewear instead of tinted sunglasses? The "Clear Sunglasses" from Intermestic Inc., the company behind popular eyewear brand Zoff, are the perfect answer to this dilemma.

How do clear lenses block UV rays? To learn more about the science behind it, we interviewed Kei Tanaka from the company's Lens, Sunglasses, and Package Division.

In recent years, growing beauty-consciousness has made UV protection goods a staple of the summer season.

From sunscreen to parasols, hats, and UV-blocking clothing, innovative products are released every year—making sunglasses one of the most important items in the lineup.

"It's widely known that UV rays cause dark spots and freckles on the skin, but few people realize the impact on the eyes. Exposure can cause inflammation of the cornea, redness, and even lead to cataracts."

There are various wavelengths of UV radiation.

While JIS standards define the UV spectrum up to 380nm for eyewear lenses, Zoff's Clear Sunglasses are engineered to cut 100% of rays up to 400nm.

Building UV Protection into Transparent Lenses

Zoff released its "Clear Sunglasses" in 2016, at a time when the idea of "UV care for your eyes" was far from mainstream.

"The development started because we wanted to show that you can take care of your eyes with completely clear lenses. In particular, we wanted to respond to customers in their 20s and 30s who wanted to protect against UV on a daily basis, but were hesitant to wear sunglasses."

Tanaka, who worked the sales floor as a store associate then, vividly remembers the launch's impact to this day. Customers flooded in with comments like "I've been waiting for this!" and "This is so rare!"—everyone was amazed.

The secret to UV protection with a clear lens lies in its manufacturing process.

"A UV absorber is mixed into the lens during production. This would normally cause a slight yellow tint, but by adding a blue raw material, we've neutralized the color and achieved an almost perfectly transparent look."

In traditional sunglasses, the next step adds a tint to the lens. The color helps cut glare and brightness when outdoors.

One particularly fascinating takeaway from our interview: The major difference between regular sunglasses and "Clear Sunglasses" lies in their ability to block UV rays coming in from gaps between the glasses and your face. And the reason for this is the special coating on the back of the lens.

"With these Clear Sunglasses, an anti-reflective UV-blocking coating—normally an optional add-on—comes as standard on the back of the lens. This means it cuts about 95% of the UV rays that would ordinarily sneak in from behind."

The UV cut rate on the front is 100%, and it’s said to block about 95% even from the back of the lenses, making these sunglasses almost unbeatable. On top of that, the lenses feature an ultra water-repellent coating, protecting them from scratches, dirt, and moisture.

We actually asked which is more popular, regular sunglasses or these "Clear Sunglasses."

"Tinted sunglasses are still more popular, but awareness of Clear Sunglasses is gradually increasing.

The main feature of Clear Sunglasses is that they can block 100% of UV rays while remaining transparent. We’d like to emphasize that strength even more."

Since launching the product, we’ve received a lot of delighted feedback from customers.

"For example, there are reactions like, 'I used to hesitate wearing tinted sunglasses, but I can wear Clear Sunglasses without a second thought,' and 'Since I regularly wear fashion glasses, I love that I can protect myself from UV rays without anyone noticing.'

Especially for younger children in elementary school and such, many parents worry that their kids will be judged if they wear tinted sunglasses—even though they’re concerned about UV rays. However, they’ve told us, 'With Clear Sunglasses, I can let my child wear them with peace of mind,' so they've been extremely popular."

Zoff’s customer base is wide-ranging, from people in their 20s to 60s. To meet these diverse needs, the product lineup is key.

Even just among sunglasses, beyond the current "Clear Sunglasses," they also offer 2WAY glasses that can be attached or detached with magnets and models equipped with photochromic lenses.

So, what sets them apart from competitors?

"Although we purchase lenses from lens manufacturers, we also have Zoff original colors. These are available in 9 lens colors with varying dye concentrations for a total of 28 color options."

With so many color choices, you’re sure to find a pair that perfectly suits your taste. This trend also seems to reflect the modern urge among young people to express their individuality.

"Needs are always changing with the times. While responding to those, we also want to develop products that create new demand.

It’s never easy to develop new technology, but take blue light cut lenses or photochromic lenses for example—technologies that existed years ago have recently regained attention. Instead of only chasing after the new, we also want to shine a light once more on existing technologies."

Why not make "Clear Sunglasses," which have totally broken the stereotype that sunglasses must be tinted, your go-to accessory this summer?