Island Optics Blue Flash Mirror Glass Sunglasses Lens Review
- Sunglass Science
- 7 days ago
- 8 min read
Island Optics has been one of my go-to recommendations for anyone searching for affordable, high-quality lenses. They sell nylon polarized lenses that have all coatings for around $100-$150, which, together with solid and functional frames, makes them a compelling choice, as the next level up is usually around $100 more.
Now they have taken their catalog to the next level and have added glass lenses for a price of $198. Without counting any sales or discounts, that is arguably the best-priced glass lenses on the market, period. So far, they have released a grey lens with a blue mirror and a brown lens with a green mirror. This review is for the Blue Flash Mirror lens in glass.
Check out the Blue Mirror Glass lens from Island Optics here.
If you want to know more about how blue mirror lenses work, click here.
Disclaimer: Island Optics provided the sunglasses for review. All opinions are my own, and I received no money to make this review.
In This Review
Comparison to the same brand lenses - Island Optics
The main reasons to prefer glass lenses over other materials, such as nylon (which IO uses for their other lenses), are the added clarity and scratch resistance. Without any major impacts, glass lenses should last significantly longer than other materials, provide a better view, and be a better value for your money.
The clarity offered by Island Optics's glass lenses is outstanding, typical of a well-made glass lens.
The lenses are heavier than the nylon lenses Island Optics uses in their other lenses, but it isn't heavy per se, especially since most of the frames are well-balanced and sturdy.
Island Optics includes all the essential coatings in its lenses. Both water and oil bead off the surface with ease, and the anti-reflective coating works as efficiently as any other I've encountered.
The mirrors are not encapsulated in the glass layers, which is normal, though less scratch-resistant than if they were (still very scratch-resistant relative to non-glass).
All of Island Optics' lenses are polarized.
Is it eligible for prescription?
The glass lenses do not come in prescription. Island Optics does offer prescription in polycarbonate, fully coated and polarized.
How does the lens look?
The front has a brilliant, deep blue mirror that is solid from almost any angle you see it from.
The back has a blue shine from the anti-reflective coating. The tint is amber, not a brown tint, but somewhere in between grey and brown.
What does the view look like?
Island Optics built this lens for the water, specifically bright, long-exposure days on a boat or by the beach. It is meant for very bright days and delivers comfort and clarity when standard 15% VLT lenses might be too bright.
They are competing with Costa, Bajio, and Smith, among others. These brands all have somewhat similar ideas of how their tints should work for their intended activities, and I find this lens similar to the Costa and Bajio Blue Mirror lenses.
As seen above, the grey tint is heavily impacted by the blue mirror, which reflects a lot of blue light and makes the tint more amber and warm.
Adding warmth to a lens often enhances the visual experience, making the world appear more colorful, vibrant, and energetic. This is because blue light, which is cooler and has higher energy, tends to dominate our visual field. A blue mirror lens reduces blue light by reflecting some of it away, improving our ability to perceive other colors more clearly. Additionally, a warmer tint in a lens can positively impact our mood, making us feel more alert, energetic, and happy.
Grey lenses with a subtle hint of warmth strike a balance by preserving a "natural" appearance while subtly enhancing colors like green and red. This slight boost creates a more vivid yet realistic view, often feeling more natural than lenses with stronger tints. In contrast, rose or brown lenses, while beautiful, can create a view that feels noticeably altered, reminding you that you’re wearing sunglasses. A grey lens with a blue mirror provides a middle ground by only slightly reducing blue light, ensuring blues remain vivid while still enhancing other colors, offering a less intrusive but equally enjoyable experience compared to brown lenses.
Of any grey lens with a blue mirror I have tried so far, this lens has the most pronounced amber effect.
Similar to Costa's Blue Mirror, this lens's primary concern is function and comfort in bright conditions, more so than aesthetics and color enhancement. However, it is far superior to basic lenses in those regards as well. It just slightly lags behind lenses from brands like Maui Jim or Serengeti in color optics, but those lenses will not be as comfortable in very bright, long-exposure situations like this lens is.
The lens is a 10.5% VLT and feels like that. It works well in full sun and provides a calm and comfortable view.
Sunny Conditions
Keep in mind that photos will never look as good as the real view looking through the sunglasses with your own eyes.
Here is my simulation of how the lens looks:
As blues are more reflected by the mirror, the sky and water will be a less vibrant shade of blue, while everything else will have more color and definition vs a non-mirrored grey lens like this:
Cloudy Conditions
As mentioned above, the Glass Blue Mirror lens does not thrive in overcast or mixed light. These lenses are better at controlling and manipulating the available light, letting in the good light and keeping out the bad, than changing the colors to brighten the view like a brown or rose lens. They can feel too dark and dull in non-bright settings.
Optimal and Suboptimal Viewing Conditions
The Glass Blue Mirror lens is for clear, sunny conditions. It was meant to perform in the brightest marine conditions, and it does that well.
I've taken it driving on very bright days in the summer, and it was calming and comfortable.
For any other conditions, this lens is not particularly versatile. It will be too dark on overcast days and borderline on mixed days. This is an excellent tool for a versatile sunglasses collection, but not a Swiss Army Knife itself.
It doesn't have enough color enhancement to work well in the winter, though it will be fine on bright, clear days.
If you live in a consistently bright and clear place with a lot of sunlight, this could be your daily lens.
Sports
In full sun, grey lenses will be fine to use for sports, but not ideal, even with the blue mirror effect. Since grey lenses are neutral, they are neither calming nor vibrant, at least not to the degree that they can be an advantage for sports. When we play sports, we want the view to elicit feelings of energy, vibrancy, and warmth. For that, a brown or rose lens will be a better choice.
Grey lenses are great for water sports and fishing, especially with the blue mirror. This lens is one of the best offshore lenses available, and if you spend a lot of time around sunny marine environments, this may be the right lens for you.
It is best not to wear glass lenses for sports, as they are not as impact-resistant as other materials. Whether or not fishing and boating are impact-risk sports depends on the individual.
Comparison to the same brand - Island Optics
Island Optics Blue Flash Mirror
Since both the Glass Blue Mirror and standard nylon Blue Flash Mirror lenses look the same from the outside, you might think they are similar, but that isn't the case. The Glass lens is grey-based, whereas the nylon blue mirror is brown-based. A blue mirror on a brown lens makes the lens even redder than a standard brown lens. The glass lens is great for a more comfortable and calm view in bright conditions. The nylon blue mirror is still a dark lens that works in full sun, but has a huge amount of contrast and color alteration that makes a much "hotter" view.
Island Optics Glass Green Flash Mirror
The other glass option introduced by IO, alongside the blue mirror, the Glass Green Mirror is very similar to the Nylon Blue Mirror in tint, perhaps even slightly redder than that. It also has a very low VLT but features significant contrast and color changes that create a much more "vibrant" view than the Glass Blue Mirror.
Island Optics Brown 12
For a brown option that is more aesthetically pleasing and less intense than the two other brown based lenses above, the Brown 12 is a comfortable and versatile lens that works well in many conditions without being too hot. I would like them to make a version of this lens in glass as well.
See here for the full Brown 12 review.
Island Optics Green Flash Mirror
The Island Optics Green Flash Mirror lens is a rose lens, similar in tint to Maui Jim Rose. Reds and blues will be more prominent with the green mirror, but greens will be relatively diminished. The view may be more or less enjoyable depending on the setting, similar to how rose and brown lenses always have certain conditions they thrive in. The Glass Blue Mirror will be more comfortable but less colorful in full sun, and vice versa.
Comparison to Blue Mirror Lenses of Different Brands
Maui Jim Blue Hawaii
The Blue Hawaii takes the priorities of the Glass Blue Mirror and flips them. The top priority is to get the best view possible, with colors boosted and fine-tuned, and then comfort in bright light is good as well. Light-sensitive people may enjoy the IO more, and the Maui Jim may begin to feel too bright in long exposure in very bright conditions, though it does perform well there as well. For those who feel the Glass Blue Mirror is too dark and not colorful enough, the Blue Hawaii is the way to go. The Blue Hawaii comes fully coated like the IO.
See here for the full Maui Jim Blue Hawaii review.
Costa Del Mar 580 Blue Mirror
Like the Maui Jim Blue Hawaii, the Costa 580 Blue Mirror has all the coatings you could want, and has an encapsulated mirror, which makes the scratch resistance top tier. The Costa is engineered, like the IO, more for comfort than beauty, though it still looks very nice. These lenses are very similar, with the Costa being slightly more neutral and the IO being a bit more amber.
See here for the full Costa 580 Blue Mirror review.
Oakley Prizm Sapphire Polarized
Oakley's Prizm Sapphire has a great view, and the Prizm tech does a good job enhancing colors and making this a pleasant lens to use, not far off the Maui Jim. However, it is a polycarbonate lens that has no coatings and is very scratch-prone. If you need something more impact-resistant (and more disposable), Prizm Sapphire might be the right choice.
See the full Prizm Sapphire review here.
Conclusion - Island Optics Blue Mirror Glass Lens Review - Should you buy it?
The Island Optics Blue Mirror Glass lens is an impressive addition to the brand’s lineup and a strong entry into the glass lens category. It’s clear that Island Optics focused on optical clarity, comfort in bright light, and durability, and they’ve nailed all three. The view is sharp, stable, and calm even under intense sun, making it ideal for boating, fishing, and other high-glare environments.
At $198, it’s easily one of the best-priced glass lenses available, especially considering the quality of coatings and overall performance. While it’s not the most versatile lens, too dark for cloudy days and not designed for high-impact sports, it’s outstanding for its intended purpose: bright, marine conditions where comfort and visual clarity matter most.
If you’re looking for a durable, polarized glass lens that delivers excellent clarity and comfort in full sun without paying $300+, the Island Optics Blue Mirror Glass lens is a great buy.
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