Many solutions are available for adding some sunglass-grade tint to a pair of prescription eyeglasses, like clip-on shades, to block UV light. However, EyKuver, a company based in Colorado, has come up with a more convenient, affordable, and simple alternative: lightweight, removable tinted film patches that attach to individual prescription lenses and transform eyewear into prescription sunglasses.
EyKuver Film Patches
Marcus Boggs, the founder of EyKuver, has a background in manufacturing and medical device engineering. He has produced a patent-pending custom film that adds sunglass functionality to prescription glasses. The EyKuver protective film patches reduce glare and block UVA and UVB rays without using chemical adhesives; instead, they “cling” to the lenses like a non-adhesive window sticker.
EyKuvers are designed to be removed as easily as applied without leaving any residue or harming the lenses. The company notes that they can be thrown away or used again later. If you want to use them again, you should wash them first to ensure they don’t hold any dirt or grit that could scratch your eyeglass lenses.
Although EyeKuver acknowledges that many people who wear prescription glasses won’t receive an exact, custom fit, it claims that its two sizes will fit around 80% of prescription glasses currently on the market. For eyeglass wearers that do not receive an exact fit, the film will be slightly too large or too tiny for the lens.
A Temporary Solution
Though creating a custom fit kit might be a simple way to address the fit problem, EyKuver isn’t promoting the product as a long-term fix for converting existing prescription eyeglasses into sunglasses (which would be helpful). Instead, it envisions them as a temporary solution when someone forgets their prescription sunglasses or glasses clip-ons but still needs UV protective eyewear.
The EyKuvers are cheap enough to be appealing as a temporary solution and small enough to fit in a purse, jacket pocket, or wallet, ensuring you always have a backup when you’re out and about. For those on-the-go circumstances, a precut form performs better than a custom cut-to-fit kit.
After debuting its product in the fourth quarter of 2020, EyKuver began promoting it locally in Colorado and on a broader scale last year. The company’s headquarters are in Steamboat Springs, a mountain town in Colorado that is known as Bike and Ski Town USA. EyKuver is concentrating its marketing efforts on the outdoor recreation and travel sectors because these markets could benefit from EyKuvers’ ability to keep outdoor enthusiasts active even if they forget their prescription sunglasses.
EyKuvers are offered in large and medium sizes with blue and gray hues. On its website, EyKuver sells three-packs for US$9.99, or $8.49 each for orders of three or more. Each bundled pack in the three-pack includes a pair of EyKuvers.
