High Index Lenses

Why Should you get High Index Lenses?

High index lenses provide unparalleled visual acuity, comfort, and attractiveness. Their compatibility with an extensive array of frame styles and their ultra-thin design makes them a favorite choice among people seeking aesthetically pleasing vision correction. Below are the top ten reasons why you should get high index lenses.

What factors led to the development of high index lenses?

“The desire for better looking eye-wear was first addressed through development of plastics that had a higher index than conventional CR 39. This made it possible to fabricate strong minus lenses with thinner, more attractive edges…Basically, the advantage of making lenses in high index materials is that they end up with thinner edges, a cosmetic concern.”

– Eyecare Business

High index lenses were introduced to satisfy consumer demand for a thinner, lighter-weight lens. Additionally, chemists were seeking a means of bending light more efficiently than pre-existing lenses. In a nutshell, high index lenses meet the industry demand for an ultra-thin, powerful lens that meets consumers’ desire for aesthetically attractive eye-wear.

Who can wear high index lenses?

High index lenses are increasing in popularity among men and women. They are designed for adults, children, and senior citizens who have a strong prescription who are also looking for subtle, attractive eye wear. Here is a look at some of the people who can benefit from high index lenses:

• People who require a prescription strength of +/-2 or higher
• Eye-wear users who experience either nearsightedness and farsightedness
• Individuals seeking eye-wear with an ultra-thin lens
• People who suffer from headaches and other head or face pain
• Consumers searching for lightweight glasses

What are the top ten reasons why you should get high index lenses?

Selecting the best eye-wear for your individual needs is a process that should be undertaken with time and care. Before investing in high index lenses, you should make a list of your eye care goals and needs, and be sure to evaluate them alongside the advantages that high index lenses offer. Below are ten of the most compelling reasons why you should invest in high index lenses.

1) You are seeking the latest cutting-edge eyewear technology

Few eye-wear experts would challenge the notion that high index lenses represent the latest in cutting-edge eye care technology. From their ultra-thin design to their stellar design properties, high index lenses offer an unprecedented level of visual acuity and aesthetic beauty.

2) High index lenses are an excellent match for today’s flatter frames

“High-index lenses also have flatter curvatures than their standard plastic cousins. Aspheric design, when combined with high-index resin, will further t

hin and flatten both plus and minus powers. All these factors make high-index lenses an especially good match for today’s frames, which are of an increasingly flat design.”

– Timothy Coronis ABOC-NCLE, Certified Optician  

Compatibility with current frame styles has contributed to the popularity of high index lenses. Today’s eyeglass frames are trending in a flatter direction, which calls for a flatter lens style. Additionally, high index lenses are ideal for rimless eyeglasses due to their high tensile strength.

3) You need a pair of attractive, top-notch safety glasses

“When a person thinks of safety glasses, they think of the cheap, large, and ugly type, typically found in high school shop class. The #RX-1205 (RX) plastic wraparound safety glasses from rx-safety are much better than those. The best part, for those who need prescription lenses, is these plastic wraparound safety glasses come with 1.67 high index lenses.”

– rx-safety.com

Until the advent of high index safety glasses, people who needed safety glasses with a strong prescription had few options. They often had to resort to wearing awkward, unattractive safety glasses. Now, if your employer requires you to wear safety glasses, you can choose from a wider array of options, including wraparound styles and thinner, sleeker looking glasses.

4) You are looking for first-rate lenses to use with your favorite frames

If you are in love with your eyeglass frames but your prescription is no longer meeting your needs, then high index lenses could be your perfect solution. High index lenses optimize visual clarity and can be professionally cut to fit your favorite frames, helping to improve your vision while complimenting your favorite frames. As more people discover the many benefits of high index lenses, the number of options and available features will continue to grow.

5) You seek higher visual acuity for your multi-focal lenses

“High index materials will allow for better correction in multifocal lenses. The necessary higher add powers can be put into lenses and keep the overall weight and thickness less than that in older materials. Pushing advances of higher index and aberration cancellation of gas-permeable lenses will allow for a highly effective method of visual correction for our presbyopic patients.”

– Ryan Heady, Doctor of Optometry

If you currently wear bifocals and are seeking improved visual acuity, high index lenses are a great choice. For instance, high index 1.67 bifocal lenses offer a half moon shape for the reading area and a flat section at the top and bottom sections of the lens.

6) Your employment requires you to see far away and view things up close

High index lenses are ideal for employees who regularly switch back and forth between driving and analyzing data. Whether you are considering standard glasses or safety glasses, high index lenses offer excellent transitional properties that allow you to seamlessly transition from seeing highway markers in the distance to viewing tiny font on a computer screen right in front of you.

7) You are seeking eye-wear with the latest anti-reflective properties

“High index lens has the ability to bend light or light rays so that the wearer can maintain a clear vision. Decades ago, “Coke bottle” eyeglasses was the only way to ensure optimal vision. These glasses were as thick as soda bottles, unattractive, and somewhat heavier in weight. Unlike high index lenses which have anti-reflective properties, the coke bottle design did not.”

– Prudhomme Vision

High index lenses reflect nearly twice as much light as plastic lenses or conventional glass. Fortunately, today’s high index lenses are available with an optional anti-reflective lens coating (AR coating). This coating minimizes reflection while allowing 99.5 percent of light to be transmitted to the eye for maximum visual acuity.

8) You are tired of people commenting on your thick glasses

If you are like many eyeglass wearers, you prefer for people to focus on you as opposed to your glasses. If are tired of hearing comments about your thick “Coke bottle-style” lenses, then high index lenses, then a pair of high index lenses is just what you need.

9) You are seeking a powerful lens with superb UV protection

“An additional benefit of high-index lenses over standard plastic lenses is that they offer inherent UV protection as opposed to having to apply a UV coating, which may cause some standard-index lenses to turn yellow.”

– Timothy Coronis ABOC-NCLE, Certified Optician 

UV protection is vital to maintaining sound ophthalmic health and preventing wrinkles that can result from squinting in the sun. High index lenses are constructed with built-in UV protection, which means that you do not need to apply a UV coating to your lenses. This aspect of high index lenses delights eyeglass wearers who do not like the yellowish tint that can appear on coated lenses.

10) You are looking for powerful tinted lenses

With the advent of high index lenses, you no longer have to choose between a strong prescription and your favorite tints. Today’s high index lenses are available with a variety of tints in various shades of brown and gray that can promote color perception while enhancing your appearance.

Future Directions for High Index Lenses

“It’s been nearly eight years since the 1.74 innovation, but given the length of previous intervals in the high-index development cycles, we could be seeing the next highest index any day now…So how thin can high-index lenses get? They’re already at 35% thinner than glass and the future is looking bright.”

– rx-safety.com

The future appears to be bright for the high index lens industry. As consumer demand for high-performing, attractive eye-wear continues to reach new heights, manufacturers will continue to respond by introducing cutting-edge lens technology. At the top of the list of future possibilities for the high index lens industry is the introduction of a lens that is even thinner than today’s ultra-thin lenses.

What is the single best way to learn more about high index lenses?

Clearly, there are many benefits to wearing high index lenses. However, every person’s eye-wear needs are unique. The best way to learn how high index lenses can benefit your specific needs is to contact a highly trained eye-wear professional. We invite you to contact us at 1-855-463-5185 to learn more about the many benefits of high index lenses. The eye-wear experts at Rx-safety always welcome the opportunity to review the many reasons why you might be a top candidate for high index lenses. We look forward to serving as your trusted source for all of your eye-wear needs!