Choosing the prescription lenses for your glasses is not something you do every day, but when the time comes, that is what we are here for: to help you make the right choice.
The first thing to bear in mind is that choosing the prescription lenses for your new glasses largely comes down to how much you are willing to invest to reduce the weight sitting on the bridge of your nose. Choose the most basic lenses and you will also get heavier, thicker lenses, which may not even include scratch-resistant or anti-reflective coatings to begin with (these “nice to have” extras usually come as standard in more premium lens packages).
If you are thinking about progressive glasses, our progressive lenses guide explains what they are, which types exist, how much they cost and how to get used to them.
Lens indices: thickness and weight
Today, most prescription lenses are organic lenses, that is, plastic lenses. They are much lighter and less likely to break than mineral (glass) lenses. On the downside, organic lenses scratch more easily than mineral ones.
Many customers still ask our opticians about mineral lenses, but what they are really looking for are organic prescription lenses. To keep things simple and clear, in this article we will focus only on organic lenses.
The thickness and weight of a lens are described by one of four lens indices: index 1.5 is the thickest and heaviest, while 1.6, 1.67 and 1.74 become progressively thinner and lighter (and also progressively more expensive) as the index value increases.
Have you chosen a rimless or semi-rimless frame?
For rimless and semi-rimless frames we recommend a lens with an index of 1.6 or higher, because these lenses are more resistant to chipping and cracking. This also means you could opt for a 1.67 or a 1.74 index.
Thick acetate frames vs metal frames
Acetate (plastic) frames hide thick lenses quite well, whereas thick lenses are much more noticeable in a metal or rimless frame. So, with a thin frame it is worth thinning the lens down more than with an acetate frame, because the thickness of the prescription lenses will be far more visible.
On the other hand, if your frame is acetate and you fit a thick lens in it, your glasses will also be heavier and more uncomfortable on your nose.
That is why it is important to choose the right refractive index for each prescription, so that your glasses are not heavy, your lenses do not break and the result looks as good as possible.
A quick summary of lens types: you will need to choose one!
- Single vision lenses: needed for distance glasses or reading glasses. Choose these if you wear your glasses all day but do not need bifocal or progressive (varifocal) lenses.
- Occupational lenses: choose these if you want glasses specifically for reading documents and seeing things that are very close to you or at a medium distance, including computers, sheet music, paperwork and so on.
- Bifocal lenses (with a visible line): choose these if you have worn them before, you liked them and your optician recommends them.
- Progressive lenses: these lenses are recommended for general use. They are designed for everything, from reading to driving, and (at the risk of repeating ourselves) they are usually worn all day long.
Not sure which one fits your prescription and your frame? Send us your prescription and we will advise you, and you can check the price of every option in the configurator.