Ray-Ban Silver Mirror vs. Silver Flash

Silver Mirror (left) vs. Silver Flash (right)

I love sunglasses. My friends tell me I have a problem. Maybe I do but my problem is your benefit!

I also love to debunk things and genuinely help people. My reviews are free and never have any ads nor do I get any money for recommendations. I also own or frequently use all items which appear in Adrian’s Gear or otherwise.

I want to help!

Recently, while looking at some sunglasses, I had never seen Ray-Ban’s Silver Flash or Silver Mirror in person. I wanted some absolutely mirror finish aviators but images on Ray-ban’s website don’t do them justice. Looking for some reviews of both were of absolutely no help. In fact, some literally are quoted saying “there is no difference.”

To find out for myself, I bought a pair of both. To put it simply, anyone who claims there is no difference has neither owned them nor looked at them in person, or maybe just making things up. They are definitely different.

Let’s clarify the differences between these lenses.

Silver Mirror—a highly reflective, dark gray, with a mostly mirror finish. I write ‘mostly’ because one’s eyes are not completely concealed from onlookers. The lenses I would say are 80% mirrored. They are also very neutral in their tint, meaning no nearly no color shift, and a medium darkness.

Silver Flash—like their colorful (Flash) brethren, they are extremely reflective and to the extent I would call them 95% mirrored. There is almost no seeing ones eyes through these lenses. The tint is very neutral and a little darker.

In pictures, due to exposure and other variables, it would be hard to say which is which looks like what but the image above represents a good everyday experience. But if you want a truly mirror finish on a pair of Aviators, Silver Flash is the way to go. Something a touch more subtle, the Silver Mirror is a better choice.

If you want an example, watch the film Terminator 2: Judgement Day. While that might be an unexpected recommendation, the T-1000 sunglasses about two-thirds way through the film are what I would call ‘silver flash’.

Personally, I really like both pairs of sunglasses but the Silver Flash are really the way to go. They are beautiful.

Feel free to ask any questions about them in the comments and I’ll give as much detail as I can. Thanks for reading!

Ray-Ban Aviator Flash Lenses — Gold, Green Flash

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The problem is… I only have sunglasses I love so these too are a favorite pair. The green lenses remind me of the Emerald Coast, white sand beaches, and a cool breeze off the Gulf of Mexico while the hot sun beaming down on a summer day in July. Greens and Blues tend to be my favorite colors as is. I’ve actually had these for years and they are so cool.

I had never spent nearly $200 on a pair of sunglasses before but I had to have them and my favorite pair of Fossil sunglasses had gotten both scratched and the nose piece had fallen off never to be found. Time to upgrade.

The clerk at the Sunglass Hut was insistent. “You’ll take good care of these. You’ll have them forever because you invested extra money in them.” And he was right. Not only were they more expensive than their Fossil counterparts, they were better made. Glass lenses, more durable frames, a better warranty, and infinitely cooler. So I handed over my Amex and said, “let’s do it.”

Well, that ended well. Now I only spend a bunch of money on sunglasses. It’s a trap! But a good one. My motto is to spend good money on good things because they will likely last longer and, generally, are better. As a favorite TV judge always says, “lo barato sale caro.” The cheap comes out expensive.

My Fossil sunglasses did look cool but they were plastic lenses and cheaper frames. Not knocking them either. Until these Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses came along, they were my favorite pair. To be clear, if you’re looking to NOT spend a couple hundred dollars on sunglasses, I’d whole heartedly recommend Fossil.

But here I am with my Green Flash lenses and no regrets about spending the money.

The lenses are not only cool AF, they reproduce color well and have limited flare/glare in direct sunlight. Light weight, no pinching of the nose or squeezing at the temples, and easy to keep clean. They look good, feel good, and work well. Aces.

At $178, it is a bunch to spend but as the Sunglass Hut clerk said to me, I think once you have a pair like this (or more expensive), you’ll find you’ll take great care of them. These are now four years old and look as good as the day I bought them. Durability is key for something that is in you bag, in a pocket, cold weather, warm weather, sand, wind, water, etc. They’ve held up superbly.

Ray-Ban Aviator Flash Lenses comes a eleven colors so if the green isn’t for you, check out the Yellow Flash, another fave, red, blue, lilac, mirror (these are on my acquisition list too), and more.

Price: $178

Ray-Ban Aviator Flash Lenses — Gold, Yellow Flash

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Perhaps one of my favorite pairs I've ever owned, the Yellow Flash lenses of these Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses feel like something from a Japanese anime, sci-fi flick—or maybe a golden version of the T-1000 (say... that's a nice bike.) These were my sunglasses of choice for the fall and winter. They are super slick and definitely catch people's attention.

I may not wear them much during the summer—I find that the yellow just felt like a good fall/winter styling. Further, the yellow lenses do change color significantly—colors are very warm. I might even call it a feature. The warmer color in the winter, when I wore these the most, was nice. Same token, during the spring and summer, these lenses render greens really nicely. Maybe I’ll wear them year round!

It is simply worth noting these lenses do not reproduce color as accurately as other Flash Lenses. My Gold, Green Flash pair are fairly neutral in color reproduction. In the non-Flash Lenses Aviator category, like @Collection Gold, Grey/Blue have great color reproduction too. (At this rate, I'll have the whole series. #addiction)

Contrast is good and flare/glare is will controlled in direct sunlight. 

A big plus, however, of those three Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses mentioned, the Yellow Flash pair we the only ones that work with Face ID on iPhone X.

Having had them for a while, I can safely say they are awesome and you should pick up a pair. At $178, it is not a low cost accessory, but cool is cool is cool.

Price: $178

Pro Tip:

If you have an American Express card, check out the offers in their app on online. I got $30 this Ray-Ban purchase—second time it has popped up for my card. Definitely take advantage of that little perk.

*Works with Face ID on iPhone X.