Sunglasses Lens Categories 0–4 and UV400 Explained: What "Cat. 3" on Your Label Means

Turn over almost any genuine pair in our store and you'll find a small line on the listing: "Cat. 3 protection". Most people skip it. It's actually the most useful number on the label, because it tells you how dark the lens is and where you can safely wear it. Here's how to read it in under two minutes.

Category = how dark, UV400 = how protected

• Lens category (0 to 4) measures how much visible light gets through, under the international sunglasses standard ISO 12312-1.
• UV400 means the lens blocks ultraviolet light up to 400 nanometres, so both UVA and UVB.
• Polarized is a third, separate feature: it cuts glare bouncing off roads, sand, water and glass. Are polarized sunglasses better for your eyes?

A dark lens without UV protection is worse than no sunglasses, because your pupils open wider behind the tint and let more UV in. That's why we only sell genuine brand lenses with full UV filtering.

The five categories at a glance

• Cat. 0 – 80–100% of light through. Clear or near-clear: fashion, indoor, night. Not sun protection from glare.
• Cat. 1 – 43–80%. Light tint: cloudy days, evenings, malls, a style statement.
• Cat. 2 – 18–43%. Medium tint: everyday city wear, mornings and late afternoons.
• Cat. 3 – 8–18%. Dark: the standard for strong sun, and the one most UAE shoppers want for midday, the beach and the desert.
• Cat. 4 – 3–8%. Very dark: high mountains and glaciers. Not allowed for driving under the standard. We don't stock Cat. 4 right now, and in the UAE you rarely need it.

Night driving: no tinted lens is suitable after dark, whatever the category. See what sunglasses can be worn at night.

Which category for life in the UAE?

• Beach, desert, midday driving on Sheikh Zayed Road: Cat. 3, ideally polarized. More in our driving sunglasses guide.
• School run, coffee on the terrace, late afternoon: Cat. 2 is comfortable.
• Evenings, malls and fashion looks: Cat. 1 or a gradient.

Same frame, two categories: Carrera 392/S

The easiest way to see the difference is one frame in two versions. Carrera 392/S D5108 has blue shaded Cat. 2 lenses; Carrera 392/S 003M9 has grey polarized Cat. 3 lenses. Same shape and size (54-19-145), very different job.

Our picks by category

All genuine and in stock. Prices checked 26 Oct 2026 and may change.

Cat. 1 – light tint

Cat. 2 – medium tint

Cat. 3 – strong sun

One lens, two categories: photochromic

A photochromic lens darkens in UV light, so it can carry two categories. Carrera Victory C 01/S 900WB is listed as Cat. 1 & 3.

Browse more: all sunglasses · Carrera sunglasses · Prada sunglasses

Quick answers

Is Cat. 3 enough for Dubai? Yes, for almost everyone. It's the standard category for strong sun.

Is a darker lens more protective? Not by itself. Darkness is comfort; UV protection is a separate filter. Check both.

Are polarized lenses always Cat. 3? Usually, but not always. Check the listing.

Can I drive with Cat. 4? No. The standard says Cat. 4 isn't suitable for driving.

Where do I find the category? On the inside of the temple or the lens sticker, and on our product pages.

Not sure which tint suits your day?

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