Eyewear technology

Eyewear technology is moving on at a great pace and lenses are now thinner, lighter and more comfortable to wear. Light sensitive lenses and special coatings means spectacles can be enhanced for wearer specific environments and improved vision.

Spectacle lens technology has over the years, developed to produce thinner, lighter lenses, special coatings and light sensitive lenses – all designed to improve your vision and make spectacles more comfortable to wear.

Single vision lenses are the simplest form of lens. They are often found in reading spectacles which correct near vision and are used for close up activity. These spectacles can cause blurred distance vision resulting in the spectacles being removed whenever you look further away. If you have good distance vision you could choose ‘half eyes’ – shallow frames with lenses for close up work that you look over the top of for distance vision.

Bifocal lenses have a prescription for near vision in the lower half and a different prescription for distance vision in the top.

Varifocal lenses progress gradually from distance strength at the top to reading strength at the bottom. Unlike bifocals, they do not have a distracting dividing line. A more modern and cosmetically appealing option the varifocal lens is the lens of choice for most professional, business and active spectacle wearers.

Flattering lenses

As well as giving you clear vision, modern lens designs and materials make a big contribution to the smart appearance of today’s spectacles. Highly advanced plastics have meant that lenses can be made thinner and lighter than ever before, even for higher prescriptions.

A popular option for all lenses is an anti-reflective coating which will virtually eliminate distracting reflections on both sides of the lens. If you drive at night or use a VDU you will welcome the suppression of reflections in your line of sight and, when people look at you, they will see your eyes and not a reflection of the window!

Most lenses can be supplied to order in a wide range of tints and you may wish to consider photochromic lenses which darken automatically in bright light.

These days, photochromics are available in lightweight plastic as well as glass. Ask for details of different lenses for different needs.

Graeme Gentles Opticians have access to one of the largest selections of quality lenses in the country, all at very competitive prices. We will be pleased to discuss your requirements in more detail and demonstrate the various lens types for you.