Did you know that eyeglass lenses improve your eyesight by bending light and focusing it on the retina? In the past, this meant that a stronger prescription required a thicker lens. Not only were the lenses comically huge, but they also magnified the user’s eyes, making them look big and bug-like. Fortunately, modern technology allows you to have slim, lightweight lenses even if you have a strong prescription. The question you need to be asking is: “What are high-index lenses?”
High-Index Lenses 101
High-index lenses are eyeglasses lenses with a higher refractive index than standard lenses, which means they bend light more effectively to correct vision, allowing them to be thinner and lighter. They can correct most common refractive errors, including nearsightedness, farsightedness, presbyopia, and astigmatism, and they’re made from plastic. They’re less noticeable, more comfortable to wear, and provide superior optical clarity when compared to standard lenses. Plus, while standard lenses can make your eyes look much bigger or smaller depending on your prescription, high-index lenses minimize this distortion, so your eyes will appear their normal size to people looking at you.
Clearly, high-index lenses offer many benefits, but they do have downsides as well. They’re more brittle and prone to scratching and shattering, so it’s important that you add an anti-scratch coating. In addition, they’re more reflective and prone to glare, so you’ll need to add an anti-glare coating as well. Many high-index lenses come with an anti-reflective coating already applied. Finally, because of their more efficient technology and the need for protective coatings, they will increase the total cost of your glasses.
Should You Choose High-Index Lenses?
When you purchase new glasses, you might be surprised by the number of options available. It’s not simply a matter of selecting your frames and providing your prescription. Do you want an anti-reflective coating? What about a scratch-resistant coating? And, of course, you’ll need to decide if you want high-index lenses or not.
While high-index lenses do increase the cost of glasses, they’re almost always worth it if you have a stronger prescription. They’re powerful yet lightweight: an ideal combo. If you have a prescription of +/-2.00 or higher, you may be steered toward 1.61 high-index lenses. If you have a prescription of +/-4.00 or higher, you may be recommended 1.67 high-index lenses. And if you have a prescription of +/-8.00 or higher, you’ll likely be encouraged to get an even higher index: 1.74 high-index lenses. Other refractive indexes are available, but the most common are 1.61, 1.67, and 1.74.
If you have a lower prescription strength, high-index lenses are typically unnecessary because they won’t provide a major upgrade in lens thickness or improved vision. However, don’t be afraid to ask your eye doctor or their staff if high-index lenses are a good option for you. They can also help you shop for frames, as the slimness of your lens will also depend on the frames you select. To reduce the thickness, try to find a frame that centers your eyes behind each lens.
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What are high-index lenses? They’re a thinner, sleeker, more lightweight type of lens that works by bending light more effectively. Your eye doctor will likely recommend them if you have a stronger prescription.
If you live near southwest Missouri, contact Heffington’s. Since 1975, the Heffington family has been assisting the Springfield community with top-quality eye care and affordable eyeglasses and contacts. One of the unique features of our family-owned business is that we manufacture lenses at our own laboratory, giving us total control over the service and pricing, and we’re happy to pass our savings on to you. To learn more about our products and services, please get in touch with us online, send an email to asktheexperts@heffingtons.com, or give us a call at 417-869-3937 (Optiland location) or 417-882-3937 (House of Vision location). We look forward to hearing from you!