New Brand of Sunglasses Are Like a Real Life Instagram Filter

Social media has always made others’ lives seem more attractive because it allows people to edit and showcase things that way. Whether it’s the simple omission of life’s more dull moments or the application of photographic filters to personal pictures, the online presences of friends and family just seem comparatively better to real life.

What if, though, there was a way to make the real world feel just as exciting as it seems to be online?

Tens is a new brand of sunglasses with a sense heightening lens tint to filter the wearer’s view. According to Tens’ website, these sunglasses are unlike traditional shades that block light and desaturate colors, because their lenses are like Instagram filters that “work with the warmth of the sun to lend an uplifting tint to the world beyond the lens.”

Skeptic may think that these sunglasses are just wearable Instagram filters, but Tens actually are proper sunglasses. They block 100% of the sun’s harmful rays while providing UV400 protection. Plus, the plastic polymer is scratch resistant, so they can endure regular usage.

“Plastic polymer lenses are more prone to scratching than glass lenses are, but in terms of breaking plastic polymer lenses are safer and lighter than glass,” says Craig from The Sunglass Fix. “From a durability stand point this is a trade off, glass lenses hold up well until they’re dropped and break, but plastic survives drops better until you scratch them.”

The three creators of Tens–Tom Welsh, Kris Reid and Marty Bell–spent three years drawing on their experience in the photography and film industries to develop a pair of shades that could capitalize on society’s love of warm, vibrant, retro-style filters.

“We didn’t want to launch until the lens was 100% right, then finally we created the product we always wanted, but the minimum order quantities were too high so we turned to the internet,” said Welsh. “It’s a safer way to launch business nowadays. You can test the market to see if they are interested.”

Available for pre-order on Tens’ Indiegogo page, the first style of Tens dubbed “The Classic” come in four matte colors–red, navy, teal, and black for a donation of £36.