Transition glasses were a thing in the ‘90s and early 2000s. Not a cool thing, per se, but a thing nevertheless. At that point, transition glasses—governement name: photochromic lenses—had been around for a while, but when they were invented in the ‘60s, they were as slow to change color as they were to catch on. A few decades later, the technology had improved but was still spotty, and transition glasses had a less than stellar reputation.
No longer. In 2026, transition glasses are a lot more consistent—and exponentially more cool. Step outside for a walk, and you can expect your lenses to darken by the time you’re a few houses over. Step back inside, and the lenses return to their original state in as little as two minutes. I suspect it’ll take a while before science can reduce the lag to a matter of seconds, but it’s well under the time frame that prevents you from looking like a try-hard wearing your shades indoors. I’m sticking with mine all spring.
