Using multiple layers has enabled the sunglasses to provide clearer vision than standard polarized sunglasses. But lifestyle sunglasses also need impact protection. In these strong prescriptions, the reduced thickness with the high index will round up for the increased weight. Polycarbonate was developed in the 1970s for aerospace applications. If you are looking for high index lenses (1.74), you have to pay between $180 and $230. Contacted as you seen on tv.co.nz . Men Sunglasses ","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Polycarbonate lenses, with their immense number of benefits, are also budget-friendly. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Boll Bolt 2.0 Titanium Volt+ Ultraviolet Polarised, Boll Bolt 2.0 S Creator Green Volt+ Gun Polarised, Boll Bolt 2.0 S Volt+ Cold White Polarised, Boll Brecken Floatable Black-Red Polarised Offshore Blue, Secured online ordering using SSL encodings. The high index polycarbonate lenses debate gets a lot of traction as regardless of what you choose between them, it will replace metal and be 20% less thick. The last two layers, are shock proof layers that increase impact and scratch resistance. Hence, since the creation of the plastic lens, its become the default material for opticians and glass lenses are now much rarer than plastic when it comes to prescription glasses. Polycarbonate glasses have higher impact resistance and offer greater protection than plastic lenses. Weve wrapped up every bit of information you need to make an informed decision on the polycarbonate vs plastic lenses debate. Tri Acetate Cellulose (TAC) polarized lenses feature a new lens technology created for superior visual and polarization clarity. . Some companies use exclusively one or the other, some offer both. 2018-2023 EyeHealthHQ.com. Vision Center is funded by our readers. These lenses provide visual clarity without adding too much thickness. If a brand you love isnt using lenses that offer impact and UV protection, make your voice heard. All About Vision does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. You can look great and be safer with the right lenses. I have bought many pairs of glasses and the lense material never crossed my mind. Youre absolutely right! The liquid polycarbonate is then rapidly injected into lens molds, compressed under high pressure, and cooled to form a finished lens product in a matter of minutes. | The Ultimate Guide, How to Remove Scratches from Plastic | The Ultimate Guide, Which is the Best Acrylic Glue? Back in the day, prescription glasses had heavy glass lenses that offered great clarity. playing sports while wearing an eyeglass frame that is not rated for In an eyeglass lens manufacturing process called injection molding, the polycarbonate pellets are heated until they melt. Learns and shares consistently about plastics technologies. These tints are available in a variety of colors including, brown, gray, yellow, red, blue, rose, green, and more. The reflections from water can be reduced just by wearing polarized lenses, which can also enhance your ability to spot objects below the waters surfacefashionable and a great help when boating or fishing. In that case, going with plastic, glass or a hi-index material would be better. Today, even though glass lenses are thinner than they used to be, polycarbonate lenses are still the lighter choice. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Some are known to go up to 9 layers, but theres no confirmation whether having nine layers is better than seven. And that reason is impact protection. Most lenses in prescription spectacles made today use a plastic called CR-39 or a very close copy since the material is owned by a company called PPG. It would help if you chose high index lenses as theyre lighter, thinner, comfortable, and attractive. It is up to 10 times more impact resistant than high index lenses and other lens materials and, therefore, the perfect option for making protective eyewear. Photochromic lenses are available in both materials. Polycarbonate sunglasses are very susceptible to scratches. Very informative. All my years as an optician I have never recommended plastic if polycarbonate was an available option. The cost and quality of polycarbonate lenses will vary depending on your prescription (stronger prescriptions may cost more) and the seller, so its worth shopping around. Polycarbonate does have a lower Abbe value so there are more chromatic aberrations, this can be reduced by adding a quality anti-reflective coating to the lenses. Support the site and become a premium member today! This can make them a little more suitable for sports and other outdoor activities, for those times you dont want to wear contact lenses. Also known as poly, this flexible plastic was designed for use in astronaut gear. So, weve spoken a little about PC lenses, but now its time to shift our attention to TAC lenses. UV protection. Shu Kie is Mouqys certified optician with over 5 years of experience in the optical industry. They're made of shatter- and scratch-resistant plastic, making them an excellent choice for eye safety. You only get one pair of eyes, so use your sunglasses to protect them. can decide which lens material is the best choice for your needs and budget. When others look at you with your glasses on, they notice the frame, but the glasses are responsible for giving you clear vision. The combination of impact and UV light protection makes polycarbonate the best choice for both lifestyle and sports sunglasses. They offer a higher refractive index and are incredibly strong and durable, which makes them ideal for use in products such as glasses that need to be thin enough to fit comfortably on someones face but also need to be able to withstand regular wear and tear. In other words, PC stands for polycarbonate. Its the most scratch resistant lens material and blocks UV light. Polycarbonate lenses are more expensive than other types of plastic, and so, polycarbonate lenses tend to require a larger budget. Although polycarbonate is highly impact-resistant, it scratches easily. October 10, 2022 by Ashish Mittal Leave a Comment. RELATED:How to clean your glasses the right way. These lenses are not scratch resistant like glass, so it does need an additional scratch-resistant layer. Polycarbonate lenses are more expensive than plastic glasses. Without a doubt, polycarbonate is the most rigid lens material. Additionally, plastic lenses are much less expensive than the other options. $80.00 charges for the FT poly. KL, What's The Difference Between PC Lens And TAC Lens On Sunglasses. Bottomline Benefits: Polycarbonate Vs High Index Lenses . Polarized Polycarbonate RhinoLenses are virtually indestructible. Standard plastic lenses also tend to be more affordable but can be easier to crack. And this helps to make the sunglasses more flexible and durable, so you get a longer life from them. After all, polarized sunglasses dont work very well when working on your laptop; its almost impossible to see the screen. Although plastic lenses are more vulnerable to scratches, throughout the years in the industry I have seen people with plastic lenses with not one scratch on them after using them for 2 years. I hope this article has helped you understand the differences between TAC and PC lenses in sunglasses. Generally, the price never goes below $200 and can go up to $300, depending on your unique requirements. The truth is that our eyes cant really detect the difference in clarity between glass and high-quality polycarbonate. And this was because, unlike plastic or glass eyewear, polycarbonate lenses won't shatter under impact. Your professional optician can discuss the pros and cons of polycarbonate and Trivex lenses so you Those reading glasses will work but they are not giving you the correct prescription you need and therefore causing more strain on your eyes than necessary. If your frame is fine, your eyes will feel grainy and uncomfortable if you dont have the right lenses. Most people cant assess color deformation at these levels. Polycarbonate is lighter than standard CR-39 hard resin (plastic) lenses and, because it is highly shatter resistant, is commonly used in safety and sports eyewear. Impact resistance sets them apart from other eyeglass lenses. Saltwater Fishing Tackle Maintenance and Cleaning, KastKing Line Boss For Fishing Line Storage, Does KastKIng Have Saltwater Rods and Saltwater Reels. Bear in mind that some of the links on this website are affiliate links. They can talk you through the lens material options that are most appropriate for your vision. Thats because Polycarbonate flexes instead of shattering when hit by an object, whether its gravel, a ball, or an elbow. The rigid thermoplastic is often considered 200 times stronger than glass and is thus utilized to make bulletproof windows and car shields. Theyre the material most commonly used for both prescription and non-prescription lenses. Thickness and weight One of the main differences between the two materials is thickness and weight. Since the refractive index is only 1.49, these types of lenses get very thick, if you need a strong correction. I have 4 mo old poly carbonate lenses from Walmart. Both materials offer excellent impact resistance and UV protection. Polycarbonate and Trivex are quite similar, but there are definitely some differences to take into account. Even the most modern glass lens is more likely to break or shatter than a polycarbonate lens. 5750 Brittmoore RD Suite 300Houston Texas 77041. or Trivex lenses. Having a conversation with your optician about your eyewear needs and shopping around for the best price is wise. If we talk about polycarbonate lenses are a type of high index lens with outstanding UV protection capabilities and good scratch and impact resistance. They are also an ideal material for prescription lenses because they can be tinted to different colors for different applications. So lets dive in and take a look at what the differences are between these two very similar but different materials. High index lenses rank slightly higher than polycarbonate. Higher grade TAC lenses are available (effectively increasing the thickness of the layers) and these can be 1.6mm thick. Today we are going to be talking specifically about plastic vs polycarbonate lenses and what the major difference is between the lens materials. We think all the time! He covers everything within Plastics manufacturing and processing. Polycarbonate lenses are ideal for sports. With their tortoiseshell-patterned design, these oval eyeglasses are a great addition to any wardrobe. Your choice of lenses is completely dependent on your vision needs. The thin metal temples and silicon tips at the end of each arm provide stability, while remaining lightweight enough to be worn all day longwithout overwhelming your face. There's no need to add a protective coating. In general, high-index lenses are prescribed for strong prescriptions. Thanks for stopping by! This promotes eye health by providing an extra layer of safety. It is also much less expensive to use than glass. Any thoughts? don't provide the type of eye protection needed for sports. | The Best Plexiglass Glue, What is TPV Material? Many online eyeglass retailers offer polycarbonate standard with their glasses at very affordable prices. scratch-resistant coating to prevent surface scratches. About Me | Meet Our Team | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Sitemap However, thinner lenses are not lighter in weight. Just to add that polycarbonate is plastic. Ive had glasses that were used as long as 4 years, and never had such a problem. Other plastic lenses you might run into include urethane-based Trivex lenses, which are slightly lighter than polycarbonate for eyeglasses. A quality pair of prescription glasses would eliminate that strain. Should you, as a normal person should, worry about Abbes value? Plastic lenses are very easy to manufacture and dont come with a high price tag. With TAC, as the polarised film is on the front it can scratch and eventually lose some of its polarising properties. Have a question about Polycarbonate vs. Glass lenses? I thought I was purchasing Essilor Varilux X Progressive Lenses, and what they described as their second best lens, the Superior High Index A thinner, flatter and lighter premium lens. The arrival of the sun has us all excited and ready for some fun. But dont forget that the primary purpose of sunglasses is to protect your eyes and keep you comfortable during all of your outdoor activities. Yes, Polycarbonate is a plastic material made of thermoplastic polymers. I have just started to need glasses for reading. Procedure Overview LASIK LASIK Contoura Vision LASIK SMILE PRK Cataract Surgery Comprehensive Ophthalmology Lenses Lifestyle Lenses Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL) Vivity Extended Vision IOL Keratoconus Treatments Cross-Linking Just browsing. Today's modern You can add a scratch-resistant coating, which adds to the overall expense. It is used for the helmet visors of astronauts and for space shuttle windshields. scratch-resistant coatings can make the surface of polycarbonate and According to consumer reports, pair of polycarbonate specs can cost around $29 to $149. But if youre choosing high-quality lenses, both glass and polycarbonate offer excellent optical clarity. These lenses are up to 30% thinner than regular plastic or glass lenses. Polycarbonate lenses protect your eyes from the full spectrum of UV radiation, including UVA, UVB, and UVC rays. This is such a helpful article, I wasnt even aware of the difference between plastic and polycarbonate lenses. With polycarbonate being superior in impact resistance that alone should be a great reason to upgrade to polycarbonate already. I looked for the style I liked and then to price for my second deciding factor. Get Traffic & Exposure. Both are extremely strong, but polycarbonate is very susceptible to scratches unless it comes with an added film; that being said, theyre shatterproof. Ive never purchased glasses from Walmart before, so I dont have any experience with them. Polycarbonate lenses were first invented in 1953, but strangely two scientists developed them one week apart despite being on opposing sides of the world. Because of their durable material, theyre prone to scratching or breaking and ideal for sporty activities like running or cycling, as well as outdoor activities like hiking or camping. Trivex lenses have a higher Abbe value and may produce sharper peripheral vision with less chromatic aberration than polycarbonate lenses. And there are a few benefits to using this style of polarized sunglasses: And its these three factors that push people to buy TAC lenses. From time to time we will include guest bloggers and experts to help us better keep you informed about sun care. This gives Trivex lenses the advantage of sharper optics than injection-molded polycarbonate lenses, according to PPG. This plastic tends to reflect a lot of light, leading to glare. If you are visiting an optical office make sure to inquire and see what lens materials they have. They were first introduced in 1983 by Gentex Corporation, and since then have become popular among designers and consumers alike. Hi Tim! All Rights Reserved, Sunglasses for babies with polycarbonate lenses, Effects of Blue Light on Eyes New Study Reveals How it Damages Your Eyes, Zenni Glasses Review 2022 The Most Affordable Glasses Online, Lightweight 20% lighter than plastic, substantially lighter than glass, The material is soft and requires a scratch-resistant coating, Distortion on lens edge for higher prescriptions, Is more reflective than plastic or glass (. 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. sport eyeglasses. Hi Huy, Generally, rimless and semi-rimless styles can be slightly more fragile than full-rimmed frames. Plastic lenses can accept tint colors for the people that like a light tint on their lenses. Both options have their pros and cons. Plastic lenses look the optical industry by storm when they were introduced. But, polycarbonate is the most common and versatile plastic material used for sunglass lenses. 2-16 FAYUEN ST MONGKOK They lst longer than other brands thanks to the additional layers protecting the sunglasses from drops, scratches, and shocks. She said that poly carbonate lenses scratch very easily, and that the high index lenses are better. It's highly impact-resistant and famous for standing up to forces that would shatter other materials. Find an eyecare professional and book online in minutes! High index lens density doesnt allow it to be tinted to more than anything more than a light shadow. Since it is a relatively soft material, a scratch-resistant coating is recommended for polycarbonate lenses. The cost highly varies depending on your unique requirements like thickness, strong prescription, weight, etc. The RhinoLens offers 100% UVA & UVB protection, and can also be found in our Master Angler Series.
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