Serengeti Onyx Polarized Sunglasses Lens Review
- Sunglass Science
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
Serengeti finally has a full dark lens. The Onyx is their take on a true bright-sun grey, and it fills the one gap their lineup had, which was a comfortable lens for very bright places. It works beautifully in full sun, less so in anything else.
Check out the Onyx lens from Serengeti's website. (use code SUNSCIENCE30, for 30% off!)
If you want to know more about how grey lenses work, click here.
In This Review
Lens Specs | Serengeti Onyx |
Technology | Spectral Control |
Lens color | Grey |
Mirror color | Black |
VLT (%) | 10-15% |
ABBE | 58 |
Coatings | Anti-reflective, scratch-resistant, oleophobic, hydrophobic, UV, infrared, and blue-light blocking |
Material | Glass |
Weight | Moderate |
Scratch resistance | High |
Prescription available | No |
2 |
The quality of the lens is impeccable. Glass, polarized, photochromic. Amazing clarity. The full coating package is here, including the anti-reflective, oleophobic, and hydrophobic layers you'd want on a premium lens. Moderate weight, which is what glass costs you. The number that matters is the VLT at 10-15%, putting this in lens category 3.
That VLT range is the whole point. Serengeti's previous (now discontinued) grey, the Smoke, was 12-24% VLT, useful for variable light but never dark enough for genuinely punishing sun. It was technically a category 2 lens when not activated. The Onyx pretty much starts out where the Smoke topped out. If you've worn a Serengeti and felt the lens was a touch bright on the brightest days in Florida or Arizona etc, the Onyx is the answer.
The mirror is not encapsulated in glass, so it's more scratch-prone than the underlying lens. Be a little careful with how you set them down. The other Serengeti lenses without mirrors (at this point just the Drivers) don't have this issue, so it's a small tradeoff for the styling.
Is it eligible for prescription?
No. At least not yet. In general, you can get RX from Serengeti or Flight Sunglasses.
Also check out: Best Sunglasses Cases, Storage, and Travel Cases
How does the lens look?
The front mirror is black with a silver shine to it, subtle, not flashy. From the outside, it reads as a dark lens more than a mirrored one, which fits the dressier frames Serengeti tends to put their glass into.
The back has a blue shine from the AR coating. Looking at the back, the visible tint is a classic balanced grey, less blue than the Smoke this is replacing, and noticeably darker. The tint is uniform across the lens, no shift toward the edges.
What does the view look like?
First off, keep in mind that this is a grey lens and there isn't as much to talk about as a color-tinted lens. But with that in mind, this is what it does:
The view is balanced and neutral. Blues, greens, and reds all render close to how your eye sees them without sunglasses, just dimmer. No warmth bias, no cool bias. Color-tinted lenses work by manipulating the light and enhancing the view. Grey lenses harness the light. The more color and brightness available, the more a grey lens will work to remove excess light and glare and let the colors stand out for themselves.
Adaptation is instant. You put them on and the world is just darker, with everything in its right place. Serengeti's "Spectral Control" sharpens the view by removing some of the high-energy violet and blue light, but it doesn't manipulate any colors. A grey lens that warmed reds or boosted greens wouldn't be a grey lens anymore.
Contrast is moderate. Higher than a plain neutral-density tint thanks to the HEV filtering, but not the punchy contrast of a brown or a 555nm green. That's by design.
One thing worth flagging on the photochromic side: I can't really feel it. With Serengeti's other lenses I notice the small tint shift between full sun and the inside of the car (where it can't react fully without UV light). Here, the range is so narrow (10-15%) that I never caught it changing. If photochromic feel is a thing you love about Serengeti, know that this lens is more "set at dark" than "actively shifting."
I stood outside on a full sunny day at 1 pm with the Onyx, Smoke, Maui Jim Neutral Grey in glass, and Costa Del Mar 580 Grey in glass. There are no huge differences between them in terms of the view. The Maui Jim has a bi-gradient effect (mirrored on top and bottom) and the colors are a bit more saturated. The Costa is nearly the same as the Onyx, with greens slightly brighter. And the Smoke is noticeably brighter than the rest.
Sunny Conditions
These photos are the ones I used to show the view. Keep in mind that photos will never look as good as the real view looking through the sunglasses with your own eyes.
Interested in experiencing the Onyx lens for yourself? Check it out from Serengeti.
Here is my simulation of how the lens looks:
Full sun, sun on water, sun on light pavement, the Onyx stays comfortable and the view stays clean. Polarization kills the worst of the glare, glass clarity is excellent, and at 10-15% VLT there's enough cut to make the brightest days easy. I'd put it at a 9 in full sun.
Compared to a generic grey lens at the same VLT, the Onyx pulls ahead on clarity and on the slight color sharpening from the HEV filtering. The world looks like the world, just calmer and clearer.
Cloudy Conditions
When the sky goes grey, so does the case for these. Overcast, the lens is too dark and the moderate contrast doesn't compensate the way a brown lens would. I'd give it a 4. A brown lens at the same conditions would still be useful and might even be enjoyable. The Onyx just dims a flat scene further.
Optimal and Suboptimal Viewing Conditions
Anything bright is the right place for these. Full sun, on the water, driving on a sunny day, beach, and high-altitude sun. Driving in full sun is an 8-9, in clouds it drops to 4. The Onyx isn't dark enough for glaciers or category 4 use, but in sunny day-to-day life it's near the top of what you'd want.
For winter and snow its fine on a full sunny day, but not as good as a rose lens. Any clouds and its not good at all.
Everything else is the wrong place. Overcast, dusk, low light, indoor transitions. The 10-15% VLT means there's just not enough light coming through to make a flat-light scene readable.
If you live somewhere bright and sunny year-round (Florida, Arizona, Southern California, the Mediterranean coast), and you want a Serengeti, this could be the one. If you live somewhere with variable light or actual seasons, get the Drivers or 555nm first and consider the Onyx as a supplement for your sunniest days. Don't make this your only Serengeti unless your light really is that consistent.
Sports
Not a sports lens. Glass is a real impact concern in any sport with a chance of facial contact, and the lack of a color boost means the Onyx doesn't give you anything a dedicated sport lens would.
Fishing in flat-out bright sun is the one exception. For most other sports that involve impacts, get a non-glass lens with more contrast. If no impacts, still get a more colorful lens.
Comparison to the same brand - Serengeti
Serengeti 555nm
The 555nm is the obvious internal comparison. It's a green lens with more color enhancement, lighter VLT, and works surprisingly well in bright sun for how light it is. For most people in most places, the 555nm is the better Serengeti. The Onyx is for people who specifically want a darker lens, or don't like green tints, or live somewhere the 555nm would be a touch too bright on the worst summer days.
See here for the full 555nm review.
Serengeti Drivers
The Drivers is lighter still, more colorful, and better in any condition that isn't full bright sunlight. One of the best lenses ever made. If your daily light is variable, Drivers over Onyx, every time. If your daily light is consistently bright, the Onyx is the more comfortable lens.
See here for the full Drivers review.
Serengeti Sedona
The Sedona is a rose lens, amazing in winter and pleasant the rest of the year, but warmer than the Onyx and not as comfortable in genuine bright sun. Different lens for a different job.
See here for the full Sedona review.
Serengeti Smoke
The Smoke is the lens the Onyx is replacing. 12-24% VLT, no mirror, lighter overall. It was a nice lens but it sat in a weird spot in the lineup. The 555nm did the variable-light thing better with more color, and there was no truly dark Serengeti for bright places. The Onyx solves that. For what it's worth, I personally preferred the Smoke without the mirror. The Onyx mirror is fine, just less classy in my opinion, and Serengeti's frames lean dressy. I also didn't mind the lighter grey, but I do have other options for darker lenses, and Serengeti isn't going to structure their lens lineup for just me.
Comparison to Grey Lenses of Different Brands
Maui Jim Neutral Grey
Maui Jim Neutral Grey at 11% VLT is, to my eye, the best grey lens out there, at least in terms of color. More color enhancement than the Onyx, particularly on greens and reds, and the bi-gradient mirror that lightens toward the middle. Color enhancement for a grey lens is not easy to do. The bi-gradient is the catch. Some people love it, others find it distracting and dated-looking. If you want Maui Jim grey quality without the bi-gradient effect, the Onyx is exactly that lens (I think I like the solid mirror better). Maui Jim also makes their grey in non-glass options, but those aren't as good as the glass.
See the full Neutral Grey Review here.
Costa Del Mar 580 Grey
Costa Del Mar 580 Grey at 10% VLT is the closest peer. Slightly darker, slightly more comfortable in extreme sun, and essentially the same lens experience. Costa comes with a silver mirror (encapsulated in glass, so less scratch concern), or no mirror, and lives in sportier frames. If you want this kind of lens in a sportier package, Costa. If you want it in a dressier Serengeti frame, Onyx. The 580 has slightly brighter greens but most people would not be able to see a difference between these lenses, which is probably exactly what Serengeti was going for, as Costa is known for making lenses that are comfortable in bright sun.
See the full 580 Grey Review here.
Smith ChromaPop Glass Grey
Smith ChromaPop Glass Grey at 11% VLT is essentially the same idea as the Onyx but without a mirror. ChromaPop adds spectral filtering similar in spirit to Serengeti's Spectral Control. Choosing between them comes down to frame and styling more than lens performance.
Conclusion - Serengeti Onyx Sunglasses Lens Review -Â Should you buy it?
The Onyx is a top-quality grey lens that exists for one specific reason: to give Serengeti fans a dark option for genuinely bright places. It nails that job. Clarity is what you expect from Serengeti glass, polarization is excellent, and at 10-15% VLT it's actually dark enough for full sun, which the rest of the Serengeti lineup isn't.
There isn't a magic moment with the Onyx the way there is with the 555nm or the Drivers. It's a great grey lens. That's what it set out to be, and it does it well.
