Lens Explained
There are many lens designs, materials, coatings and treatments available. Your choice will depend on your prescription, your lifestyle and your budget. Whatever your vision needs, we will take the time to find the right type of lenses and the best lens treatment for you. Our preferred choice for lenses is Australian owned C.R. Surfacing based in Dandenong, Victoria. Established in 1976, CR Surfacing Laboratories has forged a reputation as Australia’s premium optical laboratory. Their state-of-the-art laboratory is at the forefront of lens processing, offering the latest in lens technology and lens coatings.
LENS TYPES
Single vision lenses: These are used to correct common visual defects such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, as well as for reading.
Bifocals: These lenses offer far and near correction, but this older style of lens has an obvious line that may affect vision and is not as cosmetically attractive.
Multifocals: These lenses are ideal to allow you to see clearly up close, at intermediate and long distances, eliminating the need to constantly change your spectacles for different tasks. Progressive lens technology has advanced significantly in the last few years, making adaptation easier. There are many different lens designs available to suit individual needs.
LENS MATERIALS
Plastic Lenses are the most common lenses. They are impact resistant, light weight and have all but replaced glass lenses in the optical market.
High Index Lenses are lighter and thinner than standard plastic lenses. There is a wide variety of plastic high index lenses, as well as high index glass lenses which we source from Germany or Japan.
Polycarbonate Lenses are up to 27% lighter than standard lenses, making them incredibly light. They are up to 10 times more impact resistant than regular plastic, and are the lens material of choice for safety spectacles.
LENS COATINGS AND TREATMENTS
All our spectacle lenses have a hard coating as standard. Other additional options available include:
- Anti-reflective multicoat – a coating which reduces reflections, giving clearer vision and improved appearance
- Blue Filter anti-reflective multicoat – This coating not only reduces reflections but also cuts out harmful blue light emitted from phones, tablets and computer screens.
- UV protection – Protects your eyes by blocking the sun’s UV light.
- Polarised lenses – Lenses for sunglasses which protect against the sun’s reflected glare, particularly from surfaces such as water, snow, sand, car bonnets, wet roads and mirrors. Available in a range of designs and materials, polarised lenses make for the most comfortable prescription sunglasses.
- Transition lenses – Lenses which adjust automatically from a clear to a tinted lens according to the brightness of your surroundings.
