Maybe you’ve been wearing contact lenses for years, but now dry eyes are becoming a problem, and you have no idea what your prescription lens options are. Unfortunately, there isn’t a one-size answer for which lenses you should get in your glasses, but your optometrist or optician can help you make the best choice for your vision needs.
They come in several materials, such as glass, polycarbonate, trivex, and plastic. You should also consider the coatings available—blue light blocking, UV protection, tint, scratch resistance, anti-glare, hydrophobic, and oleophobic coatings are all potential coating options.
Finding an optometry clinic that offers on-site edging can greatly benefit your quest. Not only will you benefit from the knowledge of optometrists who can help keep your eyes healthy, but you’ll experience a personalized and quality experience.
Common Glasses Lens Materials
There isn’t a single best material you should get your lenses made out of. Each may fit different lifestyles or vision needs. Let’s explore a few of them.
Glass
A glass lens offers incredible optics. However, glass is heavier than other materials like plastic or polycarbonate. Plus, glass tends to be at a higher risk of cracking or shattering, which could be a potential safety hazard for someone who plays sports or has an active job. They are available but aren’t as common.
Polycarbonate
If you work in construction or play sports that require safety glasses, you’re likely familiar with polycarbonate lenses. Most safety eyewear is made with polycarbonate lenses because of their natural impact resistance.
Trivex
Trivex lenses bear striking resemblances to polycarbonate lenses. We utilize trivex as the material for our children’s lenses. The reason behind this choice lies in trivex’s superior optics, thanks to its higher Abbe value. Despite being pricier than polycarbonate, at River City Eye Care we offer a complimentary upgrade to trivex for children’s lenses. This practice stems from our unwavering commitment to providing nothing but the best for our young ones.
Plastic
Plastic lenses have become quite popular because they’re super lightweight and durable. Breaking or cracking a plastic lens is much more difficult than glass lenses. However, plastic can be more susceptible to scratches. Our experienced opticians will help determine if plastic is a good option while considering your vision needs and lifestyle.
High-Index Plastic
High-index plastic lenses have similar strengths and weaknesses that standard plastic lenses have. One significant advantage that they offer is they are thinner and lighter. This can be beneficial for someone with a strong prescription. The high-index plastic bends light much more effectively, so a stronger prescription can be reached with a thinner lens.
Prescription Lens Coatings & Treatments
Choosing the material is an important part of lens choice that your eye doctor or their team can help you with. But something else to consider is the potential coatings that can enhance your vision or comfort further.
Blue Light Blocking
For those of us spending hours in front of computers and cellphones, digital eye strain or computer vision syndrome (CVS) can develop. Computer glasses with blue light filters in the lens are available for people who don’t need prescription glasses. For those who need specs to see, a blue light filter can be added to many prescription lenses.
UV Protection
UV damage is linked to many conditions your eye doctor is checking for during a comprehensive eye exam, such as cataracts or age-related macular degeneration (AMD). If you prefer to have separate eyewear, you can get prescription sunglasses. All of our premium Zeiss lenses offer 100% UV protection whether they are tinted or clear.
Tints
Prescription sunglasses are a great way to protect your vision from UV radiation. But they are also great for eliminating the discomfort from the brightness of a sunny day. If you don’t want to juggle 2 different pieces of eyewear, transition lenses that automatically tint with UV exposure may be an option. We also offer polarized lenses as an option, which reduce glare and can give you clearer, more accurate vision, and alleviate some eye strain. These are a great option for driving and outdoor activities.
Scratch-Resistance
If you opt for glass lenses, you probably won’t have to worry about scratches. However, this coating is a requirement for all plastic, polycarbonate, and trivex lenses.
Anti-Fog
If you live almost anywhere in Canada, you’re well versed in the cold winter weather we can get. And if you wear glasses, you know how inconvenient it can be to go from the cold outside into the office and have your glasses fog up. An anti-fog coating could help.
Additionally, some anti-fog sprays and topical products can be applied to the lenses afterward to help minimize foggy lenses from temperature changes.
Find Out About All Your Options
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer for the right lens and coating combination for you. At River City Eye Care, our experienced team of optometrists and opticians can work with you to discover your vision needs and style, which will allow us to provide you with some recommendations tailored to you.
Additionally, by edging lenses in-house, we can significantly reduce the turnaround time it takes to process and deliver eyeglasses to you. Plus, having control over the entire lens edging process allows us to maintain high-quality standards throughout. We can closely monitor each step, ensuring that the lenses are cut precisely to the required specifications. This level of quality control results in accurately fitting lenses that provide better visual clarity for the wearer.
Stop by our practice or give us a call if you have any questions.