When it comes to studs, choosing prescription lenses for your new eyeglasses usually comes down to how much you’re willing to pay to reduce the weight over the bridge of your nose: opt for the cheapest eyeglass lenses and you’ll have opted for the lenses too. heavier; Lenses that may not have anti-scratch or anti-reflective coatings (these “good to haves” usually come standard on more expensive lens packages).

Lens indices: thickness and weight.

These days, glasses with glass lenses are a thing of the past and have been replaced by plastic lenses which, while lighter than glass, are not necessarily much lighter than cheap plastic lenses. Many customers still approach their opticians looking for “crystal lens sunglasses” while actually looking for modern prescription sunglasses (plastic lenses). For clarity, this article will be limited to modern lens considerations only. The thickness/weight of the lens is described by one of four lens indices: index 1.5 is the thickest and heaviest, while 1.61, 1.67 and 1.74 get progressively lighter and lighter. thinner (as well as progressively more expensive) as the index value increases in magnitude.

While one may be inclined towards the thinnest and lightest lenses ever (i.e. 1.67 and 1.74 indexes), these are not recommended for rimless and semi rimless frames for practical reasons to minimize the risk of chipping and/or cracking. That said, sometimes the thick, heavy lens choice suits some people well. There are some trade-offs to be made, the final choice will ultimately be consumers, so following the general advice should help you make an informed decision:

You have chosen rimless or semi rimless frames?

We recommend a 1.6 index lens for rimless and semi rimless frames because they are more resistant to chipping and cracking. One could go for the 1.67 and 1.74 anyway, but be warned: while these glasses are very light on the bridge of the nose, they must be treated with extreme care to prevent damage. For lenses of these ratings, the risk of chipping and cracking increases from ‘could possibly happen’ to ‘very likely to chip and crack’. Also, if you decide to ignore this advice and opt for 1.67 or 1.74, you probably won’t get the usual one year warranty on your lenses from most opticians. Often they only guarantee the bridge and temples in these circumstances, so if they break or crack, you’ll have no recourse to refund or return, ouch!

thick frames vs. Fine and delicate frames Lens choice debate:

Thick eyeglass frames will hide a thick lens quite well, but that same thick lens will definitely be more noticeable if placed inside a thin, delicate frame (so we advise you to be aware of this fact and take note!) Therefore, for thin frames, a thinner lens will certainly be the more aesthetically pleasing option.

However (going back to thick frames second), if you opt for thick frames and thick lenses, you will end up with a pair of glasses that will feel heavier on the bridge of your nose, which may not be very desirable.

Finally, if you choose a pair of thin and delicate full frame glasses, you can safely opt for any of the higher (lighter) lens indexes without fear of cracking or chipping during normal wear for a pair of glasses. that will feel very light on the bridge of your nose. Your choice of index depends on your budget and how light you want your glasses to be.

A quick overview of lens types – you’ll have to choose one!

(1) Distance lenses: Choose these if you wear your glasses all day but don’t have bifocals or varifocal. These are general purpose lenses intended to be worn for everything from reading to driving and (at the risk of plowing the point by repetition) are generally worn all day.

(2) Reading Glasses – Choose these if you want glasses specifically for reading documents and seeing things very close to you or at arm’s length, including computers, sheet music, documents, etc.

(3) Enhanced Reading: These lenses are specialized: choose them only if they have been specifically recommended by your optician.

(4) Bifocal lenses (with line): Choose if you have already had them, you liked them and your optician recommends them. Read more about bifocal glasses underneath.

(5) Varifocals: Choose if you have already had them, you liked them and your optician recommends them. Read more about varifocal glasses underneath.

Lens Distance:

These are the most common lenses of all; they are usually worn all day and can be prescribed for both nearsightedness and farsightedness. When choosing lens types on eyeglass websites, you may see the word “distance” used interchangeably or in conjunction with the term “single vision” and you may see (for example)

Distance (single vision)
Reading (single vision)
You guessed it, these are corrective lenses for myopia and hyperopia respectively.

Bifocal Glasses:

These lenses contain both distance and reading prescriptions in one lens. They are easily recognizable by a horizontal line running through the center of the lens. Although they have been surpassed in popularity in recent times by varifocal However, they still retain remarkable popularity as they remain a very cost effective lens solution. However, there is a very noticeable jump between reading and distance for these lenses.

progressive gold varifocal Glasses:

These lenses, also known as progressive lenses, contain distance, intermediate and reading prescriptions all in one lens. The transitions between each of the prescriptions are very smooth in contrast to bifocal lenses that have a noticeable jump. There are no visible lines on a varifocal but the segment containing the reading prescription is almost visible as a semicircle. In the old days there was noticeable distortion present at the left/right ends of varifocal lenses that often made the wearer feel a bit dizzy. Fortunately, these days are gone with the evolution of freeform. varifocal Lenses that are now very easy to use.

varifocal The lenses include corrective prescriptions for all of the following ranges of vision within a single lens:

Yo. Distance

ii. Intermediate

iii. point blank range

Note: If you purchase these lenses from an online seller, they will require a varifocal very precise prescription and papillary distance [PD] measurements for each of the above ranges. For this reason, we do not recommend that PD measurements be taken at home to varifocal lens: The required accuracy of PD measurements to varifocal prescriptions is such that nothing less than professionally measured PD measurements will suffice. In this particular case, an optician must take the PD measurements for you.

Transition lenses:

Also know as Photochromic reactions and sun sensors, these lenses darken in response to increased ultraviolet light levels and can be ordered in shades of gray or brown. They tend not to work in your car: Car windshields tend to block the ultraviolet light that these lenses need to detect in order to darken.

Improved reading glasses:

These provide a greater depth of focus than conventional single vision reading glasses. Also known as office lenses, the top half of the lens will have a longer focal length at the top and a closer one at the bottom. As the term “office glasses” implies, these have been developed for use with the display screen, although they have other applications, such as reading music or DIY. As a varifocal Lenses are lineless but will give a much wider field of vision for intermediate distance. They have little or no distance vision and are not fit to drive.

Scratch resistant coatings:

These days, all lenses are made of plastic and not glass. Without a scratch-resistant coating, this plastic remains smooth and scratches easily. In fact, a scratch resistant coating is not a coating in the same sense as a coat of paint, but rather a process in which the plastic surfaces of the lens are hardened to make them more scratch resistant. While this process won’t make your lenses scratch-proof, it definitely makes them much more resistant to scratches during normal wear. We recommend scratch resistance as a very nice feature to have on your lenses.

Anti-reflective coatings (also known as SEA / anti-glare coatings):

This coating reduces reflection on the outside of the lens so when people look at it they don’t see a glare or reflection from the lens surfaces of your eyeglasses. Instead, your lenses will be 100% transparent and glare-free to the viewer. As such, they are more aesthetically appealing than uncoated lenses. Anti-reflective coatings also reduce glare from the computer or oncoming car headlights at night.

Had:

All prescription lenses can be converted to sunglasses by choosing polarization options. It is possible to choose a homogeneous tint that will make the entire lens the chosen color or choose a graduated tint where the lens is darker at the top and progressively lighter towards the bottom.

Polarizing:

Glare is caused by light reflecting off surfaces and bouncing horizontally back to the human eye. The polarized tinted lenses will ensure that only vertical light can pass through, thus eliminating glare. Lens polarization usually incurs an extra charge.