EYEGLASS LENS BASICS
Which prescription eyeglass lenses are right for you? If you're looking to buy prescription glasses online, this guide can help! If you happen to be near our Carol Stream office, pop in and have one of our Concierge Opticians walk you through all of our lens options!
PRESCRIPTION TYPES
NEAR, FAR, BOTH?
Single Vision Lenses
Single vision prescription lenses offer vision correction for one field of sight - near or far. They do not correct multiple fields of vision, like progressive lenses do.
Reading Lenses
Reading lenses are technically single vision lenses, correcting only one field of sight - near. They provide simple magnification and a prescription is generally not necessary.
Progressive Lenses
Progressive prescription lenses offer vision correction for multiple fields of sight, near, far and intermediate, eliminating the need for multiple pairs of glasses.
LENS MATERIALS
POLYCARBONATE LENSES
Our polycarbonate lenses are thin, lightweight, impact-resistant, and UV-treated. These lenses are shatter-proof and provide 100% UV-protection. They are perfect for light prescriptions since they are able to correct vision without added thickness or weight.
HIGH INDEX LENSES
The "lens index" is the number that determines how thick or thin your prescription eyeglass lenses are. The higher the index number, the thinner the lenses. High index lenses are best for strong prescriptions. They are even thinner and lighter weight than polycarbonate lenses.
1.67 High Index Lenses
These lenses are best for prescriptions +/- 3.00D or stronger.
1.74 High Index Lenses
These lenses are the thinnest lenses available. They are best for prescriptions +/- 6.00D or stronger.
EFX COMPUTER LENSES
EFX COMPUTER. LENSES are designed to provide the best vision for extended computer use for our friends with multi-focal lenses.
Digitally enhanced with the latest technology, these lenses have wide intermediate and reading areas to accommodate clear vision at the computer monitor or laptop/tablet distance.
These special purpose lenses are prescribed specifically to reduce eyestrain and give you the most comfortable vision possible at your device of choice.
We recommend pairing EFX COMPUTER LENSES with Blue Light Filtering anti-reflective coating to achieve the best possible solution for extended computer use.
LENS COATINGS
ANTI-REFLECTIVE COATING
When added to your lenses, anti-reflective (AR) coating provides sharper, crisper vision by blocking glare from screens and other light sources both during the day and at night. Our AR lenses have seven layers of anti-reflective coating on each side of the lens. We also include one hydrophobic (anti-water) layer and one oleophobic (anti-oil) layer for easier cleaning.
Lenses with AR coating don't just function better, they actually enhance the look of your eyewear by eliminating virtually all reflections.
BLUE LIGHT FILTER
Lenses with our Blue Light Filtering anti-reflective coating reduce eye fatigue from extended use of electronic devices by filtering some of the harmful blue light rays that are emitted from computer screens, TVs, smart phones and more.
You should add our Blue Light Filter to your prescription lenses if you spend a lot of time in front of a screen.
Perfect eyesight (rub it in)? You can also add our Blue Light Filter to non-prescription lenses.
PROTECTION FROM CHANGING LIGHT
TRANSITIONS® LIGHT INTELLIGENT LENSES™
Transitions® Light Intelligent Lenses™ are fully clear indoors and become darker outdoors, reducing eye strain and glare. These lenses block 100% UV and help filter harmful blue light.
No need for swapping glasses and sunglasses! Transitions® lenses adapt seamlessly to any lighting for optimum vision and comfort.
We offer five different Transitions® lens colors: Gray, Brown, Amethyst, Emerald, and Sapphire. Not all colors are available for all lens types.
PROTECTION + CLEARER VISION
POLARIZED LENSES
Polarized lenses are great outdoors in bright sunlight and are especially effective around highly reflective surfaces like water, snow, and metal. The polarization scatters the reflective light and helps eliminate glare from shining directly into your eyes.
With polarized lenses, you'll experience clearer vision (especially in bright light), increased contrast with minimal color distortion, reduced eye strain, reduced glare and reflection, and 100% UV protection.
We offer three different colors of polarized sunglass lenses online: Polar Brown, Polar Gray, and Polar G15.