A beginner’s guide to choosing lenses

Finding a frame that fits you perfectly is crucial but what is just as important? Choosing your lenses, of course. You can choose the ideal frame but if the lenses will be off, it will ruin your glasses wearing experience completely. Here’s a few tips that will help you choose the lenses that are right for you.

Lens materials

Many customers, especially those who haven’t worn glasses before, expect their glasses to be made from an actual glass. Even though some optics still offer glass lenses to their customers, there is a much better alternative- polycarbonate lenses. It is a safer and more comfortable version of glass lenses. Polycarbonate lenses are significantly lighter in weight which ensures maximum comfort while wearing your glasses. Such lenses are also harder to break and, to be honest, having a glass lens near your eyes doesn’t feel very safe, does it?

Visual needs

Are you having trouble seeing up close or in distance? Usually a single vision prescription is enough to cover your needs. To improve your distance vision optometrist will prescribe distance glasses and to improve your close distance vision- reading glasses. For people over 40 years of age optometrist can prescribe multifocal glasses. Multifocal glasses are perfect for those who are looking for support in both reading and far distances. With multifocal glasses there will be no need to switch between reading and distance glasses as they both will be combined in one pair of glasses. Make sure to be as open as possible with your optometrist. Don’t fear asking extra questions or answering the optometrist’s questions honestly- it will help them to prescribe the perfect glasses for your lifestyle and needs.

Indexes

Even experienced glasses wearers get puzzled when choosing the right index for their glasses. There are a few things to keep in mind. What is your prescription? It is advised to take a higher index with every +/- 2 spheres. If your prescription contains cylinders, keep them in mind too. In this case just add spheres to cylinders and choose lenses accordingly. What frame have you chosen? If your go to frame is semi-rimless or rimless then you should always go for at least 1.60 index. Why so? Standard lenses are too weak for such frames and there is a great possibility that standard lenses in semi-rimless or rimless frames will start to break. Higher index lenses are not only much thinner and lighter but they also are more durable and provide 100% UV protection.

Coatings 

It is understandable that you want your glasses to last as long as possible. Protective coatings will take care of that. Luckily, Smart Vision offers all the most important protective coatings for free with every glasses order. Hardening and anti-scratch coatings will protect your glasses from fall and scratch damage. Anti-glare and hydrophobic coating will ensure maximum comfort in all conditions. Anti-static and oleophobic coating will make the process of cleaning glasses faster and easier.

Lifestyle 

Keep in mind your lifestyle and needs. There still are a few ways to improve your glasses wearing experience. Are you using your glasses in front of the computer? Your eyes would appreciate the blue light blocking filter. You can add a blue light filter on your reading glasses if you use them in front of computer or mobile devices or you can add it on your distance glasses too. Blue protection can be added even to non-prescription lenses! For those with an active lifestyle tinted lenses could be perfect. Photochromic lenses would fit those who want to combine the benefits of sunglasses and prescription glasses. Photochromic lenses will remain transparent indoors but as soon as you expose them to sunlight, they will darken up as sunglasses- a very convenient way to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays!

Understandable how choosing lenses can be confusing but these tips should be enough to help you. If you still feel unsure about what lenses you need, you can always contact us and we will do our best to answer all your questions. Book your free eye check with a certified optometrist and get a consultation.