Sunglasses in Da Lat: UV Protection, Fit and Prescription Options

Da Lat sits at roughly 1,500 m. Ultraviolet intensity rises with altitude, and it does not drop away just because the air is cool or the sky is overcast — which is why sunglasses here are a practical item rather than only a style one.

UV protection is not the same as darkness

A dark tint reduces visible brightness. UV protection is a separate property of the lens. A very dark lens with poor UV filtering is worse than no sunglasses at all, because the darkness makes your pupils open wider and lets more ultraviolet reach the eye. Look for lenses rated for full UV400 protection, and be sceptical of unbranded lenses that make no stated claim.

Polarised or not

Polarised lenses cut glare reflected off flat surfaces — wet roads, water, car bonnets. Most people find them noticeably more comfortable outdoors. The trade-off is that polarisation can make some LCD screens and instrument displays hard to read at certain angles, which is worth testing before you buy if you rely on a phone or dashboard display outdoors.

Tint colour

• Grey. Keeps colours closest to natural. A safe general-purpose choice.
• Brown / amber. Increases contrast, often preferred in variable light.
• Green. A middle ground between the two.
• Mirror coatings. Reduce brightness further; mainly relevant in very strong light.

Prescription sunglasses

If you need correction, you have three options: prescription sunglasses as a second pair, photochromic lenses that darken outdoors in a single pair, or clip-on sunlenses over your regular frame. Photochromic is convenient for travel; note it typically reacts less behind a car windscreen. Prescription sunglasses usually give the best optical result but take longer to make, since tinting adds a step.

Fit

Sunglasses that sit away from the face let light in around the edges, which defeats much of the point. Coverage matters: a frame that sits close, with enough height and width to shield from above and the sides, protects considerably better than a small frame with large lenses on paper only.

What we hold

179 sunglasses in stock, from 560,000₫ to 11,930,000₫. By brand: Bolon 51, Molsion 47, Ray-Ban 28, Exfash 15, Oakley 10, Vogue 10, Armani Exchange 7, Seeson 7 and Ziozia 4.

That spread is deliberate. Exfash from 560,000₫ covers the “I lost mine and need something today” case; Ray-Ban and Oakley cover the case where you want a specific model you already know.

Prescription sunglasses

If you wear glasses, prescription sunglasses are usually more comfortable than clip-ons and much more comfortable than squinting. Prescription sunglass lenses in our range run from 600,000₫ to 5,544,000₫ a pair. They are ordered rather than stocked, so allow a few days — worth planning if you are here on a short trip.

Photochromic lenses are the other route: one pair that darkens outdoors and clears indoors, from 662,400₫ to 3,456,000₫ a pair. They are convenient, but they darken less behind a car windscreen, because most windscreens already block the ultraviolet that triggers the reaction. If your main need is driving, a dedicated tint or a driving-optimised lens (from 720,000₫) is the better answer.

Fit, in a place with real weather

Da Lat swings between strong sun and cool mist, often in the same afternoon. Two fit details matter more here than they would at sea level. Frames that sit too close to the face fog faster when you step from cool air into warm. And a frame that slides down when you look down will do it constantly on a motorbike; the fix is usually an adjustment rather than a different frame.

Looking after them

Sunglass lenses are coated, and the coating is what fails first. Rinse off dust before wiping, and use a cloth rather than a shirt — dry-wiping grit is the most common cause of the fine scratch pattern that makes lenses hazy in low sun. Cleaning, adjustment, screws and nose pads are free for as long as you own the glasses.

Before you come in

Message +84 925 331 668 on WhatsApp or Zalo if you are looking for a specific brand or model, or if you want prescription sunglasses and need to know the lead time. If you wear glasses already, send a photograph of your prescription and we can quote the tinted lens options at the same time.

Related pages

• Optical store in Da Lat — what the shop stocks, what it costs and how a visit works.
• Eye test in Da Lat — what a refraction involves, how long it takes and when to see a doctor instead.
• Prescription glasses in Da Lat — lens index, coatings and how to read your prescription.
• Same-day glasses in Da Lat — which prescriptions can be finished quickly and which cannot.
• Ray-Ban in Da Lat — checking authenticity, current stock and prescription fitting.

Visit us

• Address: 31 Nguyễn Văn Cừ, Phường Xuân Hương, Da Lat, Lam Dong
• Opening hours: Open daily, 09:00 – 21:00
• Phone / Zalo: 0925 331 668
• Directions: Open in Google Maps — about a 5-minute motorbike ride or a 15-minute walk from the Da Lat Night Market.
• Language: Our team can assist English-speaking customers through the whole process, from the eye examination to frame selection and fitting.

Mắt Kính Đặng Phước Quân has served Da Lat since 1991.