A guide to your Lens options

Your lenses are of course the most important part of your new glasses – they are what enable you to see clearly. We offer several different options to suit all of your Optical needs.

Lens Materials

Most lenses are made of a type of plastic called CR39, more rarely nowadays of glass. Glass is heavier than plastic and will shatter if dropped on a hard surface. Plastic is much lighter in weight but scratches more easily. It is safer than glass as it’s practically impossible to break, and nowadays many plastic lenses have a scratch resistant coating as standard.

The thickness of your lenses will depend on several different factors – your prescription, the distance between your pupils, the size of lens used, and the size and shape of the frame. You can reduce the thickness by choosing a thinner lens material. This will make your lenses more comfortable as they won’t be heavy, and they will look better because they will be thinner. See thinner lens note below. You can avoid the dreaded bottle bottom effect!

If you are short sighted, your prescription will have a minus sign before the sphere power, your lenses will be thinner in the middle than they are on the edge, and will make your eyes look smaller when you wear them

If you are long sighted, your prescription will have a plus sign before the sphere power, your lenses will be thick in the centre and thin on the edge. Your eyes will be magnified when you wear your glasses.

If you have perfect vision and you would just like glasses as a fashion accessory, or as sunglasses, we can supply lenses with no power too!

Thinner, Flatter Lenses

The thickness, and therefore weight of glasses lenses is dictated by the power. The stronger the lens, the thicker and heavier it will be. In normal plastic they can be uncomfortably heavy from around 2.00 dioptres upwards. For a small extra charge you may consider the advantages of a thinner material, which condenses the lens and makes it thinner, lighter, and stronger. These come in different levels, 1.5 being standard, 1.6 the first step thinner, going up to 1.67 and 1.74.

Lens Coatings

Coatings are applied to lenses to enhance their performance, and longevity. Do take the time to read what we can offer you, and to think about whether these options will help in your day to day use of your new glasses.

Hard Coating – makes your lenses scratch resistant, protecting them against every day wear and tear.

Anti-Reflection Coating – Allows the maximum of light through to your eye, makes your vision clearer and reduces glare and eye strain. Wonderful for night driving and VDU users, also means that people can see your eyes, not their own reflection when they look at you!

Anti-UV Coating – UV light is more of a danger to us now that the ozone layer is damaged. UV on the skin causes burning, on the eye it can contribute to the development of cataracts. IF you order a tinted lens, Anti-UV is a must have alongside it.

Tints And Colour

You can add colour to turn your glasses into sunglasses, or just cut some glare. The choice is yours!

Tints – These are fixed colours which do not change. You can add from a 20% tint, which will soften the light and ease the glare, to an 85% tint which will give you full sun protection and the look of sunglasses. Available in a variety of colours, to match your frame.

Photochromic lenses – These change with the light conditions, and this change is triggered by the UV in sunlight. Ordinary electric light, or sunlight filtered through a window, will not make them change. They are excellent for going in and out of doors, and not having to change your glasses. They change from a 20% tint to 80%, and are available in brown or grey.