PRESCRIPTION EYEGLASSES

What’s what when it comes to the good stuff?

An Ocean of Options

• When shopping for eyeglasses, there are a plethora of options. There are enhancements, filters, coatings, special designs, materials and much more. When faced with all of these different options, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. The optician’s role is to make these options easier to understand. This page will guide you towards the right options for your next pair, by briefly describing each category of eyeglass options!

Eyeglasses Material

Virtually all modern prescription eyeglass lenses are plastic. There are different types of plastic that can heavily impact your final prescription glasses result.

• CR-39 or “Standard Plastic” is the most basic material for eyeglass lenses.

  • It is rigid enough to hold its shape when seated in eyeglasses frames and has good optical clarity

  • This option should be considered if you want your glasses quickly and cheaply, because it is quick to manufacture.

  • It is the least expensive, but thickest material for eyeglasses that we offer.

• Polycarbonate is a thinner, lighter and more impact resistant material than “Standard Plastic”

  • It is more flexible than “Standard Plastic” and impact resistant.

  • This option should be considered if your glasses prescription is higher than +/- 2.00 in power or if you want more durable lenses

  • It is the middle of the road option for price, but significantly thinner than “Standard Plastic”.

• Hi-Index Plastic is the thinnest possible option for eyeglass lenses.

  • It is referred to as Hi-Index because of its index of refraction of 1.67 or 1.74 (significantly higher than 1.49 of “Standard Plastic”.)

    • 1.74 index lenses are the thinnest possible result, but only come in limited designs.

  • This option should be considered if your glasses prescription is higher than +/- 3.00 in power or if you want the lightest and thinnest result

  • It is more expensive, and less durable than polycarbonate, but it is significantly thinner especially in higher prescription glasses.

Single Vision Lens Design

Single Vision Lenses are the simplest type of eyeglass lenses. There are 2 design types you should consider when purchasing this type of eyewear.

• Basic or Spherical Lens Design Basic or Spherical Lens design is the simplest way to manufacture prescription eyeglasses. The frontside of the lens is prefabricated with a spherical or round curvature that, when combined with the backside curvature of the lens, bends incoming light according to your prescription.

• These lenses are inexpensive to produce, but can cause distortion on the edges of your field of view in higher prescription strengths.

  • The more curve required on the frontside of the lens, the more distortion you may encounter for stronger prescriptions.
    
    

Digital Aspheric Lenses

• Digital Aspheric Lenses are the most modern lenses available. These lenses have flatter curves on the edges of the lens, creating a wider field of view. “Aspheric” simply means not spherical. These lenses have a wider field of view and are thinner and flatter than their equivalent basic design, regardless of material.

• This same style of technology is used in telescopes, microscopes, and when focusing the beam of a laser.

• Some examples of when you might want this are:

  • High “plus powered” prescriptions.

  • Larger frames or sunglasses.

Lens Treatments

After choosing the best material and lens design, we should consider lens treatments. Anti-Reflection, Photochromics, and Polarization features all add value and versatility to your eyeglasses.

• Some examples of when you might want this are:

  • Basic reading glasses for hobbies or crafts

  • A dedicated pair of computer eyeglasses

  • A pair of simple sunglasses for driving
    
    

Anti-Reflection

• Anti-Reflection is by far the single best treatment for all prescription eyewear. This is a series of 9 ultra thin layers that prevent light from bouncing off of your lenses. This allows for more light to transmit through the lens, and gives a clearer image.

• Anti-Reflection also provides enhanced UV protection, and blue light filtering technology.

• This feature can be applied to both sunglasses, and clear lenses, and includes a 2 year unlimited scratch warranty.

PhotoChromic

• Sometimes called “Transitions” lenses, photochromic lenses change color when exposed to direct sunlight.

• These lenses are versatile, as they perform well as sunglasses on sunny days. They offer a wide variety of color options and are most commonly ordered in Grey, Brown, Green, and BLUE!

Polarized Sunglasses

• Polarized Sunglass lenses are the best for reducing road-glare and allowing for a sharper image during daytime use. By adding a laminated polarized filter to the front of prescription lenses, we are able to filter out bright white light from high reflection surfaces such as car windows, asphalt, and bodies of water. This is a great option for those who want to enjoy enhanced clarity while driving, fishing, playing sports and any other outdoor activity.

To Summarize

• This guide is meant to help you understand some of the lens options available to you, but in no way intended to replace your local optician. A good optician will have real-world experience with the way that these lenses and lens options perform, as well as how the final result will look and feel. Our family of licensed experienced opticians have made hundreds of thousands of prescription eyewear for the Santa Barbara and Goleta communities for over 50 years! Call today at 805-967-1012 or Stop by for a free adjustment and cleaning at either our Santa Barbara or our Goleta location today.