Serengeti Eyewear is a premium sunglasses brand with its roots in Corning, the American glass and optical company. Serengeti was established in 1982, with the goal of bringing advanced optical technology into high-performance sunglasses. Its history is particularly tied to photochromic glass and precision optics.

What makes Serengeti unusual is that the company has historically concentrated much more on lens technology and optical performance than simply fashion. Its signature lenses combine three technologies:

• Photochromic — the lens automatically becomes darker or lighter depending primarily on UV exposure and conditions.
• Spectral Control® — selectively filters portions of the blue spectrum to improve contrast, definition, color perception and reduce visual “haze.”
• Polarization — available on many models, reducing reflected glare from roads, water, snow and other surfaces.

One of Serengeti’s most famous lenses is the Drivers® lens, introduced in 1985. It’s an amber-based lens designed to enhance contrast and make reds, greens and yellows more distinguishable, making it particularly popular for driving and variable-light conditions.

Another important distinction is Serengeti’s mineral glass lenses. They use Corning borosilicate optical glass, which Serengeti says can be up to 20% thinner and lighter than conventional glass, while providing excellent optical clarity and scratch resistance.

Today, Serengeti offers both mineral glass and advanced synthetic lenses, along with a wide range of frame designs. The brand is now part of the Bollé Brands group, but its identity remains strongly associated with its lens technology.

The simplest way I’d characterize Serengeti:

Serengeti is an optics-first sunglasses company. Rather than simply putting a tint on a lens, they engineer the lens to actively manage light, contrast, color and glare.