Prescription Eyeglasses - All About Eyeglass Lenses

When starting the process of selecting your prescription eyeglasses, the first choice to make is the type of lenses in them.

There are many types available and each has its own pros and cons. Some work well for children while others are indispensable for higher prescriptions. Some may even affect the level of vision correction achieved.

Before you order your eyeglasses online do your homework and compare different kinds of lenses available. Find out which type of eyeglass lenses will meet YOUR personal needs.

Who sells the Cheapest Prescription Glasses?

Here is an overview of eyeglass lenses and their individual qualities:

• Plastic lenses

  Pros: They are easy to tint and have pretty good optical clarity. Plastic lenses are probably the most affordable.

  Cons: They can be heavy in higher prescriptions.

• Polycarbonate lenses

  Pros: Polycarbonate lenses are thin, lightweight and can be used in custom frame work. They also have a natural UV resistance and are fairly shatterproof.

  Cons: The problem is that they have the poorest optical clarity and scratch very easily, nor can they take a dark tint.

• High index plastic lenses

  Pros: These are extremely thin and light. They are easy to add a tint to.

  Cons: VERY expensive.

• Trivex lenses

  Pros: Thin, lightweight and resistant to impact. Excellent optical clarity for the wearer.

  Cons: Like the Hi-index plastic lenses, these are very expensive. They may also be hard to find as well.

• Glass lenses

  Pros: The most excellent optical quality available. Extremely resistant to scratches and naturally blocks UV rays.

  Cons: Very thick and heavy, can harm the eyes if broken and certain frames will not take glass lenses at all due to the weight of the glass in higher prescriptions.

Add-Ons For Your Prescription Eyeglasses

All of these lens types can be customized with these options:

• Photochromatic lenses that tint automatically in direct light.

• Anti-reflective coating makes the lenses less noticeable and makes the wearers eyes more visible.

• Scratch resistant coating extends the life of the lenses dramatically in some cases.

• A UV coating helps for people that are outside a great deal of the time. Polycarbonate and glass lenses do this naturally.

• Tinting the lenses will add a touch of style to your look or can be used as sunglasses.

• Polarized lenses help reduce glare off of flat surfaces; wet roads or sun glare on windshields for example.

Read more about this topic on the following pages:

Selecting The Right Eyeglass Frame - What You Need To Know
The right eyeglass frames fit your needs and lifestyle but there are millions of them... How do you find the one that's best for you?

How To Read Your Eyeglass Prescription
Are you amazed at the numbers and letters on your eyeglass prescription? Here is a guide to those abbreviations and numbers that will help.



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