Eyewear designInnovations in medical science and technology have made it possible for people who wear glasses, to choose different types of lens for their glasses, as per their individual requirement. Buying lenses for spectacles also requires that you make decisions regarding not just the type of the lens, but also the design, material, and coating. Here is a quick guide to the different lens options you might come across.
Factors For Choosing Lenses
Broadly speaking, there are three primary factors that must be considered when choosing lenses for your glasses. These are:
- Appearance - days of heavy lenses are long gone. Nowadays, thin lenses like high-index lenses are not only lightweight but also very comfortable to wear on a daily basis.
- Functionality - Typically, people who wear eyeglasses find it an annoyance to switch between their specs and the sunglasses. Clip on sunglass can be difficult to fix. Therefore, the best option is photochromic (photochromatic) lenses. These lenses can darken by themselves when you step out into sunlight, and can just as easily go back to normal when you are indoors. Today’s photochromic lenses work far more effectively than older ones.
- Safety (Material) - When safety is a prime concern, polycarbonate lenses are the answer. Considerably impact resistant, these are most suitable for kids and sportspersons.
Types of Lenses For Glasses
Having understood the main factors to consider when buying lenses, it’s as good a time as any to learn about the different lens options available now. Of course, your optometrist is always there for to answer your questions.
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Multi-focal Lenses – There are three types of multifocal lenses:
Bifocal – lenses that are divided horizontally in the middle. The top part helps with distance vision, while the bottom part helps correct near vision.
Trifocal – Similar to bifocals, trifocals have another section down the middle for vision that lies between near and distance range.
Progressive – these are lenses like trifocals having an uninterrupted gradient. These are the latest types of multifocal lenses that allow you to focus on things at a distance when seen through the top and nearer when seen through the base of the lens.
Polycarbonate Lenses – Highly impact-resistant, these plastic lenses are sturdier than glass lenses and especially good for kids, sportspersons, and those involved in heavy manual labor work. These lenses are also used for safety glasses. Though plastic lenses don’t break easily, they do get scratched easily enough and you’ll need to be careful when using them. Since polycarbonate lenses block sun’s UV rays, you won’t need to get a UV coating.
Tinted Lenses – Usually sunglasses are fitted with tinted lenses. These lenses can be made of glass or polycarbonate. However, when buying tinted sunglasses, only pick up a pair that can block the harmful UV rays. Cheaper pairs don’t have the ability to block UV rays and can harm your eyes with regular use.
Photochromatic Lenses - Made of glass or polycarbonate, photochromatic lenses are treated with chemicals so that they react to direct sunlight and become darker. They lose their tint when out of sunlight.
High-Index Plastic Lenses – People who have higher power find it extremely painful to wear thick lenses. However, with high index plastic lenses, a type of lens that refracts light much more efficiently than glass or regular polycarbonate lenses, your lenses can now be lighter and thinner. No more sore noses!
Aspheric Lenses – Unlike regular lenses that have a standard spherical curve, the curvature of an aspheric lens flattens as it towards the lens’s center. This allows for thinner lenses even with powerful prescriptions. That’s why aspheric lenses are made from high index polycarbonate. Another advantage of aspheric lenses is the fact that they don’t give any kind of unwanted effect to your face.
Finally, while there are some other types of lenses also available, in order to avoid confusion and thus make the right decision, consult your optometrist or visit a good lens store like OneSpecs online for more information.
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