Most people tend to focus on frames when choosing eyeglasses, but how you customize your lenses is also important. Glasses lenses impact your comfort, appearance, and vision. The following guide explores your options when selecting lenses for your eyewear.

A Guide to Glasses Lens Options

1. Materials

Glasses lenses can be made from a few different materials. Plastic lenses, made from CR-39 polymer, were developed as a lightweight, affordable, and impact-resistant alternative to glass lenses. Polycarbonate lenses are even lighter and more durable, making them a popular option for children’s eyeglasses, sports eyewear, and safety glasses. 

Trivex lenses are currently the best option for superior comfort and visual quality. They are thin, lightweight, and durable like polycarbonate, but they produce sharper vision and have a higher Abbe value. This means they better filter chromatic aberrations that cause optical errors like halos around lights.

2. Lens Coatings

Coatings affect the appearance and strength of your lenses, and some change how they react in different environments. For example, light-adjusting coating, or transition lenses, alter the tint of your lenses depending on sunlight exposure. This helps protect your eyes from direct sunlight and harmful UV rays. Those who often switch between indoor and outdoor environments would benefit from this option. 

While all modern lens materials are more durable than glass, they are also softer and more susceptible to scratching. Anti-scratch coating helps prevent abrasions from everyday use. Anti-reflective coating is another essential feature that decreases the amount of light reflected in your lenses, giving you clearer vision and reducing eyestrain. Other popular options include water-repellent coatings, UV blocking treatments, and blue light filtering, which reduces discomfort from viewing screens.

3. Vision Correction Needs

For the average eyeglasses wearer with nearsightedness, single-vision distance lenses are best for correcting vision. These lenses curve inward. If you are farsighted, you will benefit from single-vision reading lenses. These curve outward to help you see objects close to you. 

If you have trouble seeing things near and far, bifocal lenses let you go about your day without switching between long-distance and reading glasses. This is achieved by combining two prescriptions in each lens. Progressive lenses offer similar benefits but seamlessly combine distance, intermediate, and near vision correction. They are more customizable and do not include the obvious line between prescriptions.

If you need new eyeglasses, visit Eyewear Express in Rhinelander, WI, to pick out a unique pair that suits you. This team of experienced opticians and optometrists has offered professional eye care and vision correcting products for over 20 years. From eye exams to contact lenses and eyewear, they are dedicated to helping patients protect and improve their eye health and vision. Visit the website for more information on their services, or call (715) 365-1515 to schedule an appointment.