| |
PROS |
CONS |
CR's TAKE |
| LENSES |
Glass
$68-$180
|
Superior optical quality; scratch-resistant. |
Heavy; breakage may cause eye damage; transmits UV light. |
Avoid. |
CR-39
$29-$129
|
Superior optical quality; least costly. |
Thick with heavy prescriptions; not the best choice for drill-mounted, rimless frames; scratches. |
Bad for sports or for people who do not have two healthy eyes. Good for mild prescriptions. |
Polycarbonate
$50-$180
|
Highly shatter-resistant; thinner and lighter than CR-39; natural UV protection; includes scratch protection. |
Easily scratched even with scratch protection; more costly than CR-39 and optically inferior. |
The choice for children, sports enthusiasts, and others who are likely to break glasses or for people with only one healthy
eye.
|
NXT polyurethane
$
|
Superior impact-resistance; excellent optical clarity; flexible and lightweight. |
Expensive. |
|
Acrylic
$
|
Inexpensive alternative to polycarbonate, best suited for casual or occasional-use sunglasses. |
Less durable and optically clear than polycarbonate or glass; some image distortion.
|
|
High-index
$49-$275
|
Thinner than polycarbonate; lightweight; natural UV protection; includes scratch protection. |
May be expensive;optically inferior to CR-39. |
Good for heavy prescriptions. Functions best with anti-reflective coating. |
Trivex
$100-$135
|
Lightweight; thinner and optically superior to polycarbonate; natural UV protection; impact-resistant. |
New material with limited availability; scratches. |
Best choice for drill-mounted, rimless or semi-rimless frames. |
| COATING |
Scratch-resistant
$0-$10
|
Protects lenses. Usually included, though sometimes an option, with CR-39 lenses. |
Additional expense, if needed. |
Add, if not included. Anti-smudge and water-resistant versions may perform better. |
Anti-reflective
$30-$125
|
Improves clarity, especially for night driving and computer use. Reduces reflections, making eyes more attractive to others. |
Additional expense; makes lenses more susceptible to dirt and smudges and harder to clean, especially as coating ages. |
Ask to see a sample of coated and uncoated lens to understand what you're getting. Especially good for high-index lenses. |
Ultraviolet protection
$7-$25
|
Blocks ultraviolet light. |
Additional and unnecessary expense for some lenses. |
An extra precaution for CR-39 lenses. |
| EDGES |
Polished
$10-$25
|
Removes milky appearance of rimless and semi-rimless glasses. |
May be additional expense. |
Ask to see samples. |
Rolled and polished
$10-$40
|
Reduces perceived thickness of high prescription lenses. |
Additional expense. |
Rolled edges usually are polished as well. Ask to see samples. |
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