Lenses and Coatings
Whether you have a simple prescription or a complex one that requires custom made special lenses, there are lots of different options available to suit your needs and budget. This help guide explains the types of lenses more commonly used for glasses.
Lens Type
Single Vision Lenses
These are standard plastic lenses available for seeing things in the distance, driving, working on a computer or reading a book. The standard lenses are available in various thicknesses and our system will recommend the ideal lens to you based on your prescription.
Lens Materials
Polycarbonate Lenses
Polycarbonate is one of the strongest and safest materials on the market. They have excellent power and resilience. Glasses with polycarbonate lenses offer a higher degree of protection to keep your eyes out of harm's way while providing clear, comfortable vision. The polycarbonate material is a natural UV filter, blocking over 99 percent of the sun's damaging UV rays without the need for special lens coatings. These lenses are suitable for workspaces like a builders yard, mechanics garage or if you wear your spectacles for sports or for protection as safety spex are required by BS EN 166.
1.6 Index Thin Lenses
Polycarbonate is one of the strongest and safest materials on the market. They have excellent power and resilience. Glasses with polycarbonate lenses offer the highest degree of protection to keep your child's eyes out of harm's way while providing clear, comfortable vision. The polycarbonate material is a natural UV filter, blocking over 99 percent of the sun's damaging UV rays without the need for special lens coatings.
1.67 Index Super Thin Lenses
Polycarbonate is one of the strongest and safest materials on the market. They have excellent power and resilience. Glasses with polycarbonate lenses offer the highest degree of protection to keep your child's eyes out of harm's way while providing clear, comfortable vision. The polycarbonate material is a natural UV filter, blocking over 99 percent of the sun's damaging UV rays without the need for special lens coatings.
Lens Tints and Treatments
Lens Colours
Lens colours can enhance the look of your glasses. From light tints which can turn your glasses into a fasion accessory to dark tints which can turn your favourite pair into sunglasses, there are plenty of colourful options. Light tints provide approximately 45% light absorption and dark tints provide approximately 85% light absorption. Both tints are available in grey, brown, green and blue colours.
Light-Reactive Lenses
Photochromic lenses are eyeglass lenses that are clear (or nearly clear) indoors and darken automatically when exposed to sunlight. Other terms sometimes used for photochromic lenses include "light-adaptive lenses" and "variable tint lenses."
Polarised Lenses
Polarised lenses offer both a stylish look and protection from harmful rays by filtering out reflected glare. These lenses Block out 99.7% of glare from reflected light, ideal for driving include 100% protection from the sun's damaging UV rays, and ideal around water and snow, perfect for coastal holidays and water activities.
Gradients
Gradient tints can help you turn your sunglasses into a practical fashion accessory with a dark tint on top and a soft tint at the bottom. Gradient tints allow you to see things nearby without having to take off the glasses.
Mirrored
Mirrored sunglasses have a special reflective optical coating on the outside for that ultimate fashion look. Mirrored coating is available in gold, grey and blue colours.
Lens Coatings
Scratch Resistance
Lenses that are treated front and back with a clear, scratch-resistant coating have a much harder surface that is more resistant to scratching, whether from dropping your glasses on the floor or occasionally cleaning them with a paper towel.
Anti-Reflection
Anti-Reflection coating is a microscopically thin multilayer coating that eliminates reflections from the front and back surface of eyeglass lenses. By doing so, AR coating makes your lenses nearly invisible so people can focus on your eyes, not distracting reflections from your eyeglasses.
UV Protection
Our 1.6 index and 1.67 index lenses come with built in UV protection and protect your precious eyes from UVA and UVB rays.