DYE i4/i5 Thermal Lenses

A thermal lens is two panes with a sealed gap between them. The outer takes the weather and the hit, the inner stays close to the temperature of your face, and the gap stops the warm side reaching dew point — which is the whole reason a thermal keeps clear when a single pane fogs.

DYE build these to an optically corrected curve rather than a simple dome, so the view stays undistorted out to the edges instead of bending at the periphery where you most need to read movement. Vertical and horizontal coverage are both deliberately generous.

Tint is the part worth thinking about. A clear lens is for indoors, for heavy tree cover and for anything approaching dusk. Smoke is for open ground in real sun. Yellow lifts contrast when the light is flat and grey, which in this country is most of the year. The mirrored DYEtanium finishes cut glare hardest and hide your eyes from the other side.

Specifications

Frequently asked questions

Will one lens really fit all three masks?
Yes — DYE share the lens across the i4, the i4 Pro and the i5, so you can move between masks without rebuying glass. It does not fit the i3 Pro, which takes the i3 Pro thermal lenses.

Which tint should I buy first?
Clear, unless you only ever play open ground in summer. It is the lens that is never wrong indoors or under trees, and the one you will reach for most of the UK year.

Do the mirrored lenses make it darker inside?
Yes — a mirror finish is a tint, not a coating on clear. Lovely in bright sun, a liability in a dark CQB building. If you only own one, do not make it a mirror.

How long does a lens last?
Until it is scratched or it has taken a serious hit, whichever comes first. Any lens that has been struck hard enough to mark should come out, because you cannot see a stress crack from the inside.

Can I clean the inside pane?
Only with a dry microfibre, gently, and never when it is misted. Rubbing a wet anti-fog inner surface is the fastest way to ruin a lens.