Optical Lenses - Materials, Coatings & More...
Optical lenses are a savior for those of us with vision impairments. With modern technology as good as it is, we are offered a huge range of optical lens options to suit every taste, style and budget.
There are many different types of optical lenses, and often it can be hard choosing the right one for you and your eyes. In this article we shall look at some of the different types of optical lenses that are available.
High-index lenses are currently one of the most popular types of optical lenses today. They are very thin and light and the perfect option for those that hate thick lenses. Thin lenses are a lot more attractive and comfortable than thick ones. High-index lenses bend the light differently to conventional lenses, it is a new type of plastic that is much more efficient in bending the light so that less material is required and thus the lenses are much thinner. These are perfect for those with strong prescriptions that would normally have to wear unattractive thick lenses. The only disadvantage to high-index optical lenses are that they reflect up to 50% of the light that should reach your eye, as opposed to only 8% on conventional lenses. However, this can be overcome by asking for an anti-reflective coating to be put on your new high-index lenses. Anti-reflective coating can be used on all types of lenses and is great for minimizing glare when driving at night time.
Other types of lens coatings include UV coatings, mirror coatings, and scratch-resistant coatings.
Ultra-violet coatings work in the same way that sunscreen does. It prevents UV light getting to our eyes and causing damage over time. UV coatings are generally not very expensive to buy and are easily applied. They offer great benefits in the long run.
Mirror coating is purely for cosmetic reasons, and means that your optical lenses will reflect all light that reaches them giving them the appearance of mirrors. They can come in practically every color possible and are usually most popular on sunglasses.
Scratch-resistant coatings are probably the most useful of optical lens coatings, as they can help maximize the lifespan of your new pair of glasses. Optical lenses can easily become scratched, and often it can be so bad that they are no longer wearable. Many optical lenses these days come with inbuilt scratch-resistant coatings, however those that don't can easily have them added on by your eye care practitioner for an affordable price.
Another type of optical lenses are photochromics and tints. These types of optical lenses darken as you head into the sun light without having to change into a pair of sunglasses. There are dozens of different brands that offer this technology and these can be a perfect option for those who are regularly moving from indoors to outdoors. One of the popular brands are ColorMatic Extra who produce plastic photochromic optical lenses. Their lenses can be tinted to alter the color of the lens.
Tinted optical lenses do not change color with the light, but remain a constant color at all times. Most people use tinted optical lenses for color purposes, and they come in virtually every color ranging from bright pink to lime green. They are also used for non-cosmetic purposes as well, for example yellow tinted optical lenses are popular with shooters as the yellow tint blocks out blue color meaning it decreases haze and produces more contrast between objects making it easier to shoot targets.
Multi-focal lenses are another type of optical lens available. These are for people who have different prescriptions and want to be able to see different distances without changing glasses. Multi-focal lenses offer different prescriptions at different distances in the same lens. One of the most popular forms of multi-focal lenses are progressives lenses, as these have no visible lines that many other ones have. They are the most attractive multi-focal optical lenses.
The final type of optical lenses we shall look at in today's article are polycarbonate lenses. These are perfect for those that are very active - particularly kids. These are some of the toughest lenses available, and are 10 times more impact-resistant than other plastic lenses. They also offer 100% UV protection. They were originally used for aerospace workers and are often used in safety glasses in workshops. Polycarbonate lenses are also regularly used in glasses that have no frames, as the drilling into the actual lens does not cause it to shatter.
