Lens Materials
We have a full service optical lab that can provide a wide range of lenses. Our seasoned relationships with the major optical lens manufacturers allow us to provide virtually any type of lens or treatment you may need.
We work hard to provide quality products and exceptional service.
We work with nearly all lens materials including:
Secondary processes, such as lens treatments, provide an opportunity to add value and comfort to your eyewear.
Our Treatments include:
- Anti-Reflective (AR) treatments
- Scratch Resistant Lenses (Hardcoat)
- Mirror
- Photochromic
- Tinted
- UV
- Transitions™
Plastic CR-39 Lenses
CR-39 is one of the most common materials for lenses. Plastic lenses became popular during the 1970s, due to the fashion trend for large-sized frames. Plastic (also known as hard resin or CR-39) lenses are half the weight of glass lenses, which made them more comfortable. Plastic also provides excellent optics and vision correction. To overcome the softer lens surface, scratch resistant treatments are available and should always be recommended.
There is a large selection of lens styles that are available in plastic, which increases it versatility and usage. Although it lacks the built-in UVA/UVB blocking properties of other materials, plastics can be treated with UV protective treatments. Plastic also accepts tints easier than any other material.
Compared with other materials, plastic is the choice for the budget-conscious consumer, or the fashion consumer looking for tinted eyewear. Despite the versatility of plastic lenses, they are NOT suitable for drill rimless styles because the material tends to crack and star which compromises the lens and eyewear. Other materials such as polycarbonate and trivex materials are more suited for this style of eyewear.
Advantages
- Good optics, lighter than glass
- Available in many styles
- Easy to tint
Disadvantages
- Not good for drill-rimless frame designs
- Does not have any built-in UV protection
Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate became a popular choice in the 1980s with its light weight design, thinness, superior impact resistance and built-in UV protection. Polycarbonate lenses should always be recommended for children, teenagers and individuals with active lifestyles, for safety and sport eyewear. Its natural UV filter is another reason why polycarbonate lenses should be recommended for children. Offering UVA/UVB protection to children has been shown to help prevent vision problems in the future, such as cataracts and macular degeneration.
Advantages
- 25% thinner than plastic
- Impact resistant
- Absorbs 100% of UVA/UVB
- Standard for drilled rimless frames
Disadvantages
- Does not lend itself to tinting as well as CR-39 lenses
- Lower ABBE value can result in chromatic aberration, which causes fringes of color around an image. Proper fitting and choosing an aspheric design can minimize this effect. Anti-reflective treatments can also minimize this effect.
Trivex
Trivex was originally developed for the military as “visual armor.” Trivex lenses provide excellent optics and has a higher ABBE value than polycarbonate, which means that chromatic aberration is not an issue with Trivex lenses. Trivex lenses not only passes the FDA impact resistance test at the usual 2.0 mm center thickness, it also passes the test at a 1.0 mm center thickness, making it stronger than the FDA requirement.
Advantages
- Thinner and lighter than plastic
- Excellent for drilled rimless frames
- Absorbs 100% of UVA/UVB
- Less chromatic aberration
- Excellent impact resistance
Disadvantages
- Limited availability in lens styles
- Newer available materials with comparable costs are thinner
Lens Treatments
AR Treatments
An anti-reflective lens treatment, commonly known in the optical industry as A/R, is a treatment applied to both the front and back lens surface area. This treatment eliminates reflections commonly seen with optical lenses. Reducing glare during the day caused by natural and artificial light, and headlight glare at night are the primary reasons people choose anti-reflective treatments.
In addition to the improvement in vision, first time eyeglass wearers can benefit from A/R treatments because the anti-reflective treatment eliminates the reflection of things around them when looking through their lenses. Eliminating this annoying distraction not only improves the safety and vision of the wearer, it improves the overall experience of wearing eyeglasses for the first time.
People who stand to gain the most from an anti-reflective treatment include:
- Public Speakers
- First Time Eyeglass Wearers
- People Who Use Computers
- People Sensitive to Headlight Glare
- People Sensitive to Reflections
Hardcoat
As of today, there is no lens material in the industry that is 100% scratch proof. How do these scratches appear on eyewear? The simple task of cleaning them with a cloth or tissue is often enough to mildly scratch lenses. Compounded over the life of the eyewear, just this act alone can cause major scratches on a pair of eyewear.
Several materials come with factory-applied scratch coats, but this is not often the case. For many materials, scratch coats are optional. To ensure your lenses are properly protected from scratches, be sure to make your request known to your optician.
Even with the application of a scratch resistant treatment, your eyewear cannot be totally protected from scratches caused by daily wear and tear. It is recommended that eyewear be kept in a proper cushioned case, and cleaned with a recommended cleaning solution and microfiber cleaning cloth. Do not clean your lenses with household glass cleaner or dish detergent. These products can degrade the treatments on your lenses and compromise the integrity of these treatments.
Beware of advertisements that claim to fill in scratches on eyewear. These products do not work, and are actually known to slightly change the prescription of your lenses. It is better to use proper care than to rely on these types of solutions. They can only compound the problem.
Mirror
Mirror coats come in a variety of colors and are highly reflective. Often paired with polarized lenses, eyewear with mirror coats are generally used for outdoor activities. Its highly reflective properties reflect heat and glare, and can enhance the visual comfort of the wearer in outdoor situations.
A variation of the mirror coat, the flash coat is a lighter treatment, showing only a subtle flash of reflection. This treatment is often chosen for cosmetic reasons.
When selecting a mirror coat, be sure to keep in mind this treatment can craze and scratch if the eyewear is not handled with care. Leaving your mirrored eyewear on the dashboard of a car, where it may be subject to extreme temperatures or sliding when the vehicle is in motion, will cause mirrored eyewear to be damaged. As a precaution, mirrored lenses can have a factory-applied hardcoat that will make them more resistant to scratching.
Photochromic
Photochromic lenses are widely known by the brand name of Transitions™ Lenses. These lenses are specially made with a treatment that is virtually clear while indoors and automatically darkens when outside, while providing 100% UV protection. This versatility means patients no longer need prescription sunglasses, clip on shades or take unnecessary risks with non-prescription sunglasses.
However, there are limitations to photochromic lenses. The treatment that darkens the lenses is activated by UV light. In some cases, the photochromic lenses may not darken if UV light is being filtered. For example, the windshield of a car will filter UV light, preventing the lenses from darkening.
Tinted
While some people think tinted lenses are merely cosmetic functions, the right tint can enhance vision and comfort at specific tasks, from in the office in front of a computer screen, to outdoor activities such as golf or skiing. Tints come in solids, gradients or double gradients, and can be a fun unique touch to your lenses.
Pink or Rose
This tint has been known to help reduce eyestrain in brightly-lit offices. This tint is often recommended for computer wearers.
Yellow
Often known as blue blockers, yellow tints are a favorite of skiers and skeet shooters because they provide excellent depth perception and low light contrast. Yellow lenses are not recommended when accurate color perception is necessary.
Brown or Amber
Similar to the yellow tint, brown tints provide excellent contrast because they filter some blue light, but not as much as the yellow tint. Brown lenses are excellent general purpose lenses.
Green
The human eye is most sensitive to green light. Because of this, green tints give us the highest contrast and greatest visual acuity of any tint. Green tints can enhance contrast in low-light conditions.
Gray
The most popular tint, a gray tint provides good protection from glare and does not overly distort colors. Gray tinted lenses are excellent for general purpose and for driving.
Purple
A good choice for hunters, purple tints allows for natural color perception while offering some shade from the sun.
Blue
Blue tints are not recommended for outdoor use because it can increase glare. It can be used as a fashion tint if used in lighter shades. If a blue tinted lens is desired for outdoor wear, be sure to consider the option of a brown or gray polarized lens with a blue flash mirror coat.
UV
In this day and age, many products come with sun protection: cosmetics, lip balm, moisturizers, and even clothing. Most people know to protect the skin with sunscreen to keep the sun’s UV rays from damaging our skin or worse yet, causing cancer. What is often overlooked; however, is that our eyes are just as susceptible to the sun’s UV rays as our skin.
There are three types of UV radiation: UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C.
UV-C, the most harmful, is fortunately filtered by the earth’s ozone layer. This leaves us to consider UV-A and UV-B.
UV-A exposure can cause damage to the retina, which is the part of the eye that receives images and transmits that information to the brain.
UV-B has been associated with the development of cataracts.
UV treatments are easily applied, and will not change the appearance of a lens in any way. This simple procedure, which is sunscreen for your eyes, will protect you from future damage and vision problems.
How Transitions ® Lenses Work
If you wear regular clear lenses, the glare of the sun can cause you to squint and strain your eyes and make it difficult to see objects clearly in bright light. Through advanced technology, Transitions lenses give you the benefits of clear lenses indoors and at night, plus distinct advantages of sunglasses outdoors - all in the convenience of one lens.
Transitions lenses are clear indoors and at night, but automatically adjust their level of tint to changing light conditions outdoors. They provide visual comfort and quality at any and every moment, helping you to see better today.
And just like sunblock protects your skin, Transitions lenses help preserve the health and wellness of your eyes for the future by blocking 100% of harmful UV rays, so you can see better tomorrow too.
Lenses to dye for
Transitions lenses contain patented photochromic dyes, which cause the lens to activate - or darken - when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight. When the UV light diminishes, the lenses fade back to clear. As outdoor light conditions change, the level of darkness adjusts, creating just the right level of tint and allowing just the right amount of light to enter the eyes at any given time. This action allows Transitions lenses to help protect your eyes from the light you can see - reducing glare, diminishing eye strain and fatigue and enabling you to distinguish contrast more easily.
For the light you can't see - ultraviolet light - Transitions lenses can help protect your eyes for long-term preservation of healthy sight. It's important to remember that, no matter how light or dark they appear to be, Transitions lenses are always blocking 100% of eye-damaging UVA and UVB rays. In other words, Transitions lenses provide automatic protection from UV rays in any environment, continually protecting your eyes from the light you can't see, while you enjoy comfort and vision quality in the light that you can see.
