Why Do Aviator Sunglasses Have Green Lenses? The Reason Has Nothing to Do with Looks

Blue skies call for green lenses.

Published May 28, 2024

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Aviator sunglasses have seen countless iterations over the years but one detail remain consistent: dark green lenses. As you might guess, the color isn’t just cosmetic. But before we get into that, let’s go to the beginning of aviator sunglasses themselves.

The history of aviators

The aviator sunglasses we’re familiar with today were first developed in the 1930s by a company called Bausch & Lomb. Prior to this, pilots wore goggles to protect their eyes in the air, where high altitudes introduced several optical dangers.

Aside from the glaring sun, sub-zero temperatures also posed a threat. Tinted goggles were meant to protect pilots from both. But temperature differences between the air within the goggles and outside them often caused the lenses to fog up, obscuring the pilot’s view.

Green lenses tend to reduce glare while also improving sharpness and contrast.

The problem would be exacerbated if a pilot decided to doff their goggles and expose themselves to the blinding sun or the extreme cold.

Such was the case with pilot Shorty Schroeder whose eyeballs froze just minutes after he took off his goggles during a record-breaking 33,000-foot high flight. Luckily, somehow, he was able to land the plane safely.

His friend, John Macready helped him out of the plane and would attempt to break his record just a month later — in the same plane, no less.

Seeing green

Macready’s flight was a success, though he found that pilot goggles were insufficient in blocking light at such high altitudes. So, he turned to Bausch & Lomb to develop a better solution.

What they came up with was a lightweight metal frame with teardrop lenses which helped provide coverage when looking below. But perhaps the most vital detail was the lenses themselves.

Rather than a neutral grey tint, the lenses were actually dark green. This particular color choice was functional as the green tint helped cut out blue light, a significant issue for pilots flying above the cloud line. Not only that, but green lenses tend to reduce glare while also improving sharpness and contrast.

The sunglasses were an immediate success and made their way through the military before eventually hitting the civilian scene. Bausch & Lomb dubbed the sunnies Ray-Bans. The rest, as they say, is history.

Sunglasses today

Now, the green lenses used so frequently in aviators have a specific name: G-15. They allow only 15 percent of visible light through (hence the 15), and have high visual acuity, factors that made them an industry standard for decades.

Subsequent versions of this lens include a G-31 and even a G-50, though the de facto green lens of most sunglasses is the G-15. Other companies have made their own versions of the G-15 lens, each with the same intended purpose as the original.

While Bausch & Lomb no longer exists and you may not be a pilot, the invention continues to serve its purpose, both in the skies and on the streets.