Are those ever any type of polycarbonate or plastic? So I can say, yes, polycarbonate lenses are better than plastic lenses. Anti-Reflective Coating. It is very popular today especially for sunglasses and sports eyewear. With all things equal, polycarbonate is up to 18% lighter than high-index. Your recommendation? Polycarbonate lenses, which the optic shop likes to upgrade you to, is up to 10x more impact resistant than a basic plastic lens. They also offer 100 percent protection from the sun's harmful UV light and are up to 10 times more impact-resistant than plastic or glass lenses. Impact-resistant Lenses. Thankfully, polycarbonate and nearly all high-index plastic lenses have 100 … High-index plastic lenses have a refractive index between 1.6 and 1.74; the index of ordinary plastic and polycarbonate lenses is 1.5 and 1.59, respectively. ). This will ensure you have the thinnest cut for the edges. The polycarbonate sheet is also known as Lexan and has been used for construction and manufacturing businesses. You’re absolutely right! A plethora of choices are usually presented, and it can be hard to know what’s right for you. This is the sales pitch, and it’s also true – though with a definite caveat (more on that in a moment).If you are going to mountain bike race, or practice karate chops on live opponents (which is probably a case for contact lenses anyway), polycarbonate makes sense.But 10x more impact resistant is a bit misleading.A CR-39 lens is quite impact resistant. What we as opticians try to do when styling you for a frame is to ensure that your eyes are as centered in the frames as possible. When it comes to the world of prescription glasses and prescription sports goggles, the most important feature is the lenses. Lastly, plastic lenses don’t come with built-in UV protection, therefore it is important that UV protection is added to these lenses to protect your eyes from the harmful UV rays. Polycarbonate lenses also protect the eye from UV light. Obviously, I am clearly talking about CR-39 vs polycarbonate. This is why we want all patients to get Poly-carbonate lenses. Probably polycarb: Polycarbonate lenses are "high index" lenses . Polycarbonate plastic is strong and works well for high-contact activity. Today polycarbonate is slowly eating up plastic lenses share of the optical market due to it being a thinner, lighter-weight, more impact resistant, and more scratch-resistant lenses. If you are a prescription contact lens wearer be sure to check out where the best places to buy contact lenses online are, coupons & promo codes are available. See how Cr-39 Plastic holds up next to Polycarbonate with impact. Polycarbonate lenses are much lighter in weight than plastic lenses. The plastic material itself is very vulnerable to scratches and hard scratch-resistant coatings have been developed as a solution to this problem. It is because both of them are transparent plastic and are used a lot by the people. This is why glass is primarily used in microscopes, binoculars, telescopes, and cameras. Plastic Lenses. One of the best benefits of the plastic lens is how inexpensive they are. Shop Prescription Glasses. Like polycarbonate, they are thinner (by 20%) and lighter than standard plastic lenses and offer excellent impact resistance. Phoenix Lenses are: The lightest lens material available today; Twice as scratch resistant as polycarbonate; 60 times more impact resistant than standard plastic; Exceeding FDA impact guidelines; Abbe value of 43 versus 30 for polycarbonate and exceeding ANSI UV380 protection guidelines. Therefore, we will be focusing this section primarily on high and super high index lenses. Further, plastic glasses scratch less frequently. Poly-carbonate is shatter resistant and can also prevent some surface scratches. In addition, the 1.59 pure polycarbonate lens tends to scratch more easily than the 1.50, 1.57, and 1.53 lenses, because it’s a softer lens material. Polycarbonate lenses were the first plastic high index lenses. I’m thinking about getting a second pair of glasses (not googles) for water activities like sitting by a shallow pool, or walking around at a water park, so the glasses won’t be submerged as such, but I expect then to get lots of pool water splashes (both salt water and chlorinated water). Print. Fun fact: it is also used for things like airplane windscreens and astronaut helmets! Polycarbonate is well known for its excellent rigidity, low weight, clarity and electrical insulation properties. If you go through them to make a purchase we will earn a commission at no extra cost to you but helps support our website. CLARITY Glass lenses are by far optically clearer than polycarbonate lenses. A plethora of choices are usually presented, and it can be hard to know what’s right for you. Polycarbonate lenses are different from glass or plastic lenses because they are thinner, lighter, and 10 times more impact-resistant. She said that poly carbonate lenses scratch very easily, and that the high index lenses are better. Love to hear your thoughts. The reason why us opticians and many other eye care practitioners don’t recommend the inexpensive over the counter reading glasses is that most people don’t have the same prescription in each eye. Whenever the constructors or any type of furnishing industry look for a translucent plastic, they often choose between the polycarbonate and the Plexiglass sheet. What kind of lenses do you have in your glasses? Copyright © 2021 Leaf Group Ltd., all rights reserved. Breann Kanobi has worked as freelance writer since 2010. Polycarbonate Vs. The key difference between polycarbonate and plastic is that polycarbonates are lighter but much stronger than plastic. Hi Diane, great question. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Polycarbonate Vs Plastic CR39 Lenses: Worth the upgrade? The lenses are a very important part of your eyewear, and it is important to ask your optician questions if you don’t understand anything. 0. I notice you say that plastic is cheaper. Plastic lenses or also known as CR-39 is the most common optical lens material you will find. Polycarbonate lens didn’t truly gain traction among the optical industry until more recently due to various problems with the material clarity and manufacturing. Though their specific cost varies, polycarbonate lenses almost always cost more than ordinary plastic lenses. They also offer 100 percent protection from the sun’s harmful UV light and are up to 10 times more impact-resistant than plastic or glass lenses. All the different types of lens materials vary in weight, thickness, scratch resistance, and impact resistance. I never knew the difference in the material til now High index lenses are thinner than normal lenses and bend light in a slightly different way. Strength Options (protection for safety applications) When it comes to strength, there are four options to keep … Even when we talk about Polycarbonate or derivatives thereof from different manufacturers. However, many plastic lenses use an anti-glare or UV coat to reduce the harmful impact of the sun. 7 Ways to Tell if Your Glasses Lenses are Made of Plastic or Glass. 01/27/2015. Due to their higher index, polycarbonate lenses are thinner and lighter than traditional lenses. The most wearers of glasses use plastic lenses due to impact resistance and less weight. Get Aviator Sunglasses in Blue Glass Look great in these stunning Aviators! Posted by Goggles N More on 12th Jun 2020. Generally speaking, kids should be just using plastic lenses in their glasses. Glass vs plastic lenses, high index vs standard, polycarbonate? Just to add that polycarbonate is plastic. It’s common for people who wear glasses to simply get stuck in a loop of upgrading to the same exact lens type and style of frames every time they need to update their prescriptions. How iCare does Eye Care for the Bronx. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Well, plastic lenses are our basic lens. Polycarbonate glasses create more distortion than plastic lenses and often cause problems for those prone to distorted vision. Plastic cover . Plastic Lenses. Watch as Eyeglass Tyler doles out everything you need to know about polycarbonate vs. CR-39 lenses. Glasses become a burden if you are … Would it still be better to use polycarbonate as opposed to plastic. It’s worth giving polycarbonate a glance if it’s time to upgrade your lenses. The same attribute that allows high-index to be thinner, makes it heavier. Now I will be adding lense material to the list. This post was most recently updated on June 2nd, 2020. polycarbonate vs plastic lenses best for high myope? And polycarbonate lenses are 10 times impact-resistant than common plastic lenses. Highly recommended for strong prescriptions, polycarbonate lenses offer 100% UV protection and shatter proof designs. What are Polycarbonate Lenses? Plastic lenses are one of the most commonly prescribed due to their comfort, durability, and impact resistance. The higher the refractive index, the thinner the glass. High index lenses are thinner than normal lenses and bend light in a slightly different way. Bear in mind that some of the links on this website are affiliate links. TMEN. Polycarbonate will be uv400. Hi Mary! They are flexible and durable material. I have been wearing polycarbonate lenses for years for a high prescription. They provide extra safety for your eyes without sacrificing comfort or fit. Both polycarbonate and Trivex lenses are thinner and lighter than regular plastic lenses. As a general rule of thumb, glass lenses will cost you more than plastic ones. Cheap, Simple, High Quality. 20 years experience Ophthalmology. Plastic lenses also have a higher Abbe value which causes less chromatic aberrations. The reason is because poly carbonate have high impact resistance. PETG vs Polycarbonate: Material Review . Polycarbonate lenses have an index of refraction of 1.59, and will generally be about 20% thinner than standard plastic lenses. Many kinds of lenses are manufactured from polycarbonate, including automotive headlamp lenses, lighting lenses, sunglass / eyeglass lenses , swimming goggles and SCUBA masks, and safety glasses/goggles/visors including visors in sporting helmets/masks and police riot gear (helmet visors, riot shields, etc. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. June 15, 2020 June 15, 2020 8 min read Muskan. So, It is a good idea to try them. With ordinary plastic lenses, a strong prescription can result in a thicker lens. Hi Tim! Polycarbonate lenses set the standard in vision correction. The two major differences between glass and plastic are weight and scratch resistance. Polycarbonate lenses are thin, lightweight, and incredibly impact resistant. Ordinary plastic lenses offer minimal protection from UV radiation. These lenses have the highest impact resistance of all lenses therefore, making them great for kids. Fast forward to modern-day, plastic lenses are still the most popular lens material because it does still have many benefits though it does have some downsides to it as well. The difference between the two will be quite minimal when it comes to thickness. This provides Trivex lenses the benefit of crisper optics than injection-molded polycarbonate lenses, according to PPG. Polycarbonate (PC) sheet is one of the most used plastics and is available throughout the world today. The other thing is, they are legally required for anybody under the age of 18. Polycarbonate is a generic name for the industrial plastic manufactured from bisphenol A and has a wide range of application from household items to aerospace and automotive industry. Because of the many advantages to polycarbonate lenses, they generally double in price from glass or plastic lenses. However, many plastic lenses use an anti-glare or UV coat to reduce the harmful impact of the sun. The CR stands for “Columbia Resin” which is the polymer that the material is made out of and the 39 means that there were 38 other “Columbia Resin’s” that didn’t make the cut for optical lenses. Winner: Glass Lenses . Trivex lenses have many of the same qualities as polycarbonate lenses and offer crisp, clear optical clarity. S optical clarity of regular plastic lenses had a choice between the lens materials they have there that. Talking about CR-39 vs polycarbonate lenses have UV protection increased because you must keep glasses... Thinner, 30 % lighter than traditional lenses its start go with polycarbonate ’ s right for you all. On high and super high index lenses are mainly made from polycarbonate Trivex... Told ( by 20 % by using high-index vs. polycarbonate lenses almost always cost than! First plastic high index lenses lenses vs. polycarbonate lenses were first introduced into the optical market and is best for. 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