5 Tips to Help You Choose the Right Lenses for Your Eyeglasses

While most people focus on finding the perfect frames for their eyeglasses, the type of lens you choose is what truly impacts your day-to-day life. From reducing eye strain to helping you see more clearly, the right lens choice could make or break your eyeglass purchase.

The lenses you choose can significantly impact the clarity, durability, comfort and cost of your eyeglasses. Understanding the options available and what they offer can help you make the best choice for your vision needs. Here are five tips to guide you in selecting the right lenses.

1. Understand Your Prescription

If you have a prescription, you can get eyeglasses at your optometrist’s office, a larger retailer or even online. But understanding your prescription is essential for knowing what type of lens is right for you. For example, people who need stronger prescriptions may choose a more expensive, thinner lens material so their glasses aren’t quite so thick.¹

You’ll need single-vision glasses if you just have one type of vision issue, such as being nearsighted (trouble seeing far-away objects), farsighted (trouble seeing up close) or having presbyopia (vision gets blurrier with age, making reading difficult).¹

If you have more than one vision issue, you may need bifocals (two prescriptions), trifocals (three prescriptions in one lens) or progressives (invisible transition between prescriptions).¹

2. Know the Different Types of Lens Options

The material used in your eyeglass lenses affects their clarity, durability, weight and cost. Below are seven popular types of eyeglass lens materials: glass, traditional plastic, polycarbonate, Trivex®, high index, aspheric and prism, along with their pros and cons:

Glass lenses

While not as common a choice anymore, glass provides great scratch resistance and visual clarity.²

Disadvantages. Glass lenses are more prone to breaking and heavier than plastic lenses.²

Plastic lenses

With good optical quality, plastic is lightweight, more shatter-resistant than glass and has inherent UV blocking.¹ These lenses tend to be less costly and are easy to tint.³

Disadvantages. Plastic lenses are thicker than polycarbonate or high-index plastic. They are also less scratch-resistant, less clear than glass and more prone to distortion, especially if you have curved or wraparound frames.³

Polycarbonate lenses

Polycarbonate is more impact-resistant than traditional plastic, making it ideal for safety eyewear and sports eyewear.¹ It’s also lighter and thinner than traditional plastic, which can be suitable for children and people with active lifestyles.² It offers 100% UV protection.³

Disadvantages. These lenses are more expensive than plastic, may be prone to distortion with wraparound or curved frames and may not be as clear with higher prescriptions. The lens is also thicker, which is a disadvantage for those with higher prescriptions.³

Trivex lenses

This is a newer type of plastic that offers top-notch impact resistance, making it another good choice for safety glasses, sports goggles and children’s eyewear. It also produces sharper vision than polycarbonate.¹ It’s about the same weight as polycarbonate.³

Disadvantages. Trivex tends to be more expensive than plastic and may have distortion if you use wraparound or curved frames. They're also less scratch-resistant, which can affect their longevity.³

High-index lenses

This plastic material is thinner and lighter than traditional plastic. Because of its higher index of refraction, it works well for people who need more intense vision correction.² It can help stronger prescriptions avoid that “coke bottle” look.¹ This material may also deliver a better optical quality and come with built-in UV protection.³

Disadvantages. High-index lenses are more expensive and prone to distortion with wraparound or curved frames. They’re also less impact-resistant than other lenses, so not a good choice for sports.³

Aspheric lenses

This is a newer lens with a non-spherical design that can be made from any material, like Trivex or polycarbonate. It’s thinner and flatter, may have less distortion and better peripheral vision than other types and tends to be lighter. It can be a great choice for people with stronger prescriptions.⁴

Disadvantages. This type of lens is more expensive and requires a more extensive eye exam that measures your pupillary distance. It needs an anti-reflective coating because it’s more reflective than other types.⁴

Prism lenses

This is a special type of lens that bends light so people with double vision or eye misalignment (crossed eyes) can see a single image. Unless you have one of these vision issues, you won’t need prism lenses.²

3. Pick the Correct Coating and Treatment

In addition to the material your lenses are made of, you’ll choose from different types of coatings. Here’s a quick look at the most common options and their pros and cons.

4. Consider Your Lifestyle and Personal Needs

When choosing your lenses, you’ll want to consider which type and coating best fit your lifestyle. Think about your occupation, hobbies and screen time when working, scrolling or gaming.

If you have an active lifestyle, such as frequently playing sports, you might prefer more impact-resistant materials like plastic or polycarbonate. Children may benefit from polycarbonate, since it’s very lightweight and impact resistant.²

If you have a strong prescription, you might prefer high-index plastic for a thinner look.²

Some people who spend a lot of time working on the computer may choose computer glasses, which are multifocal lenses designed specifically for focusing on computer screens that are 20 to 26 inches away from your face.¹

5. Review Your Insurance Coverage

Of course, choosing your lenses and frames will ultimately come down to cost versus features. Most medical insurance plans only cover incidents like eye injuries or eye diseases. If you have a separate vision insurance plan, that might cover at least a fixed amount of the eyeglass cost.⁸

If you’re on Medicare, it doesn’t typically cover eyeglasses, but Medicare Part B may cover one pair with standard frames after you’ve had cataract surgery.⁹

So, knowing your available budget will play a big role in how much you can invest. Ask your eye care provider if they offer any kind of special package or payment options. Additionally, a credit card that offers financing options may help.

Healthy Vision Starts With a Comprehensive Eye Exam

When choosing eyeglasses, the frames may be fashionable, but it’s your lenses that do the heavy lifting for your vision. Whether you’re looking for plastic lenses, blue light glasses or transition lenses for day and night, you’ll want to get an eye exam first to ensure that your prescription is up to date.

During your eye exam, ask your eye doctor which eyeglass lens materials, as well as which coatings, would be best for your specific vision condition and your lifestyle. Your eye doctor can recommend the best options for your next pair of glasses to help you see clearly.

Financing Eyewear With the CareCredit Credit Card

Whether you’re purchasing stylish new frames, getting contacts or due for an eye exam, the CareCredit credit card can help you pay for care where your insurance leaves off.* Use our Acceptance Locator to find a vision specialist near you that accepts CareCredit so you can see all that life has to offer. Continue your wellness journey by downloading the CareCredit Mobile App to manage your account, find a provider on the go and easily access the Well U blog for more great articles, podcasts and videos.

In addition to vision care, you can also use your CareCredit credit card for dentistry, cosmetic, pet care, hearing, health systems, dermatology, pharmacy purchases, spa treatments and so much more within the CareCredit network. How will you invest in your health and wellness next?

Author Bio

Stephanie Dwilson specializes in science journalism, breaking news and animal health and is a business owner, non-practicing attorney and writer.