Around 12 million people in America have some sort of sight impairment. This might mean that you need to wear glasses for driving, while reading, or throughout your daily activities.
Fortunately, eyeglass lenses are here to help out and they've come a long way since they were first invented in 11th century Italy! Now there are more lenses for glasses than ever before.
However, this can make choosing the right lenses for you overwhelming. If you're looking for a new set of glasses lenses there are certain things that you should be looking for.
Want to know more? Then you're in the right place! Read on to find out how to pick the right types of lenses for you.
Understanding Your Vision Needs
When it comes to choosing glasses, you have to start with your specific needs. This is all about your prescription — so whether you are short-sighted or long-sighted.
A lot of Americans need are short-sighted and need single-vision distance lenses, which they wear all the time. Single-vision reading glasses are suitable for long-sighted people. Often you will only need to wear these for short periods of time.
As you get older your sight will change and you may need bifocal lenses. These are split distance and reading lenses, which let you switch between the lenses that you need depending on what you're doing.
If you don't like the appearance of bifocal lenses then you can also go for progressive lenses. These work in the same way but don't have a line across the middle of the lens.
Understanding Your Lens Index
Your lens index refers to the thickness of your lenses. These come in:
- 1.5 index (standard lenses)
- 1.57 index (thin lenses)
- 1.59 index (polycarbonate lenses)
- 1.6 index (super-thin lenses)
- 1.67 index (ultra-thin lenses)
- 1.74 index (the thinnest possible lenses)
Higher index lenses are great for stronger prescriptions that would normally require a thick lens. By thinning the lens, these glasses are able to deliver high-quality vision without being too chunky.
Once you know your prescription and lens index, you can start looking at different lens coatings. These give your lenses different practical and aesthetic properties. Let's take a look at some of the coating options available at the moment.
Anti-Scratch Coating
An anti-scratch coating does what it says on the tin. This will protect your glasses from scratches and scrapes during daily use. This is a great way to ensure your lenses stand the test of time.
Anti-Reflective Coating
Anti-reflective coatings are perfect for removing annoying glares. These can happen you have to look at sources of light through your glasses.
They also stop your glasses from reflecting light in photographs or when you are talking to people. This helps to give you a better face-to-face experience when wearing your glasses.
Light-Adjusting Coating
You may have seen light-adjusting lenses in action. These (as the name suggests) adjust to the light conditions that you're in.
This means that your day-to-day glasses can actually double as sunglasses. What's not to love?
Color Tint Coating
If you want to have some real fun with your lenses style then color tinting is a great option.
You can use this to transform standard lenses into sunglasses. Or you can get creative and use more vibrant colors to create a truly unique look!
Gradient Tint Coating
Gradient tint lenses are a brilliant choice if you aren't ready to commit to a solid lens color. These are darker at the top and then get lighter towards the bottom.
This is a great way to give your eyes plenty of stylish sun protection. Gradient lenses can also work well indoors and outside as they don't totally block out light.
Polarized Coating
Polarized coatings serve a much more practical purpose than tints do. These help to reduce reflections and glares on your glasses when you are driving. This makes it an ideal coating for anyone who likes to get out driving or cycling in the sunshine a lot.
Mirrored Tint Coating
If you're looking for a pair of sunglasses with a little bit of mystery then look no further than a mirror coating! This coating is very popular with aviator styles of glasses and is available in a variety of hues, including gold, silver, and blue.
This style of coating is also extremely popular with athletes.
Water-Repellent Coating
All glasses lenses are, of course, waterproof. However, water-repellent coatings help to keep the water off your glasses and stop it from marking your lenses. This is very helpful if you are wearing your glasses for sports and other outdoor activities.
UV Protection Coating
If you are going to be outside then UV protection is an absolute must from your glasses lenses. This helps to protect the skin around your eyes and your eyes themselves from sun exposure.
This is essential to preventing UV-related conditions such as cataracts and macular degeneration.
Blue-Light-Blocking Coating
On average people in America spend more than 7 hours a day staring at screens. This can have serious consequences for our eyes and our general focus. This is generally a result of the blue light in smartphone and computer screens.
Fortunately, blue-light-blocking coatings help to protect your eyes while you work. This means that you can use your screens comfortably and without damaging your eyes.
Find the Best Eyeglass Lenses Today
As you can see, when it comes to finding eyeglass lenses you have a lot of different options. Some of these will alter the appearance of your lenses while others have more practical uses. Whatever you're looking for, you're sure to find a lens to suit you!
Ready to find your next pair of stunning glasses? Then check out our latest frame and lens combinations now!
