Why are there so many prices for thinner lenses? Are they all the same?

Thinner lenses are the lazy way to not explain what products exist in the optical world.  There are a large variety of thinner lenses on the market that perform better than others and deserve higher prices.  Most optical shops will give radically different prices for thin lenses but are you getting the same from each?  Know your questions so that you can better understand your answers.

Plastics have been used for the last handful of decades to replace our glass lenses; safety was the biggest reason this happened.  Glass was used for so long for it's amazing clarity; plastic is very close to mimicking.  The clarity index is the most important topic in optics when choosing your lenses and yet it's never mentioned.  Most times your optician will talk about weight and thinness, great topics but shouldn't be priority in my opinion.  Here is the breakdown on deciding between lenses.

Plastic (CR-39) is the most basic lens material; clarity is about 98% and weight is half of glass.  This is a great, inexpensive lens for most basic prescriptions.  The next one is called Polycarbonate; clarity is about 93%, lighter weight then plastic and impact resistant.  We always recommend children wear this material for safety reasons; adults that are monocular should also consider this option for safety.  This lens also provides strength, extremely useful for semi/full rimless frames.  In our office at Eyed LA we use Trivex which is just as strong as Polycarbonate but much clearer (about 98%), we don't feel anyone should be blurry.  Not all office offer or work with this superior material, so feel free to ask abou it to find out.  Finally we have Hi-index; clarity is about 99%, lightest weight, reduced magnification/minification effects.  I would recommend this lens for moderate to higher prescriptions.  This lens has three distinct levels, the higher the level the thinner the lens; prices will reflect this.

A good optician will be able to guide you through to chose the best option, asking about your daily routines is always helpful.  Personally as an optometrist I address these options with patients when they are sitting in my exam chair, so they have a better education on lens options.  Please make sure you are comparing apples to apples before deciding on the more economical option; know the value of your products.

See and Be Seen! at Eyed LA Optometry in Brentwood, West Los Angeles

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