Lens Options

With hundreds of lens options on the market today and many brands to choose from it is more important than ever to speak to an experienced professional when choosing your new glasses.

Single vision or multifocal, hard coated or anti-reflection coated, spherical or aspherical, freeform or conventional, photochromic, sports or occupational – all of these options come with their own benefits and our experienced team will be happy to advise the best option for you. We will provide you with honest impartial advice ensuring you only purchase what you require.

Choosing the right lenses for your frames can be overwhelming which is why we believe in taking an individual approach to you, your lifestyle and your vision needs. Whether you wear glasses everyday or for specific activities, our fully trained staff can help you to make the right choice.

Technology has improved dramatically in recent years and there is now a wealth of amazing products on the market. You will find that lenses are now much thinner, flatter and optically superior. At Foster Opticians we only sell the best branded lenses from Essilor to Zeiss.

 

Single vision refers to lenses that have one focal range only as they correct for a single viewing distance rather than for two or three different distances. Available in either a plus or minus form, single vision lenses are generally made for either distance, intermediate or near use and can be spherical or aspheric in design. At Foster Opticians we stock a wide range of single vision lenses including high-index single vision lenses that allow us to keep lenses thin when prescriptions are high.

Designed with two corrective lenses on each side of a pair of glasses, bifocal lenses are designed for people who need both near and distance vision correction.

Due to their ability to allow clear vision at any distance by positioning the head and eyes correctly, varifocal lenses (progressive power lenses) are often described as the closest thing to natural vision. Providing the wearer with three fields of vision – distance, intermediate and near, these lenses replace the need to have potentially three different pairs of spectacles.
Available in a hard and soft design, varifocals are highly recommended for people who require sharp vision at a variety of distances or who are new to glasses because wearers find that they adapt to them very quickly.

Transitions lenses protect your eyes by blocking 100% of UV rays all of the time. This latest photochromic lens technology reacts to varying light conditions and therefore provides darker and clearer lenses where appropriate. Transitions lenses perform as everyday clear lenses indoors. Outdoors, they do more, continuously filtering the light, reducing glare and eye fatigue.They adapt to changing light conditions, bringing out the best in everything you see. This type of lens is ideal for people with an active outdoor lifestyle or those with light sensitive eyes.

Normally light is focused on the retina at the back of the eye to form a sharp image. Long-sightedness means the eye is too short and the light is focused beyond the retina. Lenses to correct this are thicker in the middle than at the edges. In a strong prescription, the lenses can be particularly heavy and unsightly.
There are various ways to improve the appearance and minimise the weight of the lenses. Choosing a small frame will help minimise the weight. Secondly, consider lenses with a higher “refractive index”.
This will also reduce the thickness and weight of the lenses. Choosing lenses with an aspheric design will reduce the thickness further still.
Anti-reflection coatings can also improve the appearance and your vision through them..

As we have just mentioned, light is focused by the cornea and the lens to form a sharp image on the retina. Sometimes the eye ball is too long and the light comes to a focus before the retina.
Lenses to correct this are thicker at the edges than in the middle. In a strong prescription, the edges can be particularly thick and unsightly.
There are a number of ways to avoid this. Choosing a small frame reduces the edge thickness and weight of the lens. Lenses with a high “refractive index” also reduce the edge thickness and weight.
The third way is to use aspheric lenses which reduce the thickness further still. Anti-reflection coatings can also improve the appearance and vision through the lenses.

Lens Coatings

Plastic lenses are nice and light but do tend to scratch quite easily. These scratches will reduce the quality of your vision through the lenses particularly under some conditions – like driving at night.
To help protect your lenses, a thin coating can be applied to the lenses. This will help to keep your lenses in tip-top condition for much longer.

Reflections from lenses make them more noticeable. Internal refractions within the lens can result in distracting reflections and “ghosting”. These are particularly noticeable in bright sunshine or driving at night. Also, bright objects behind you can be reflected back into your eye creating a distracting double image.
These reflections can be reduced by applying a special anti-reflection coating to the lens. This not only makes the lenses look more transparent but also helps to get rid of distracting reflections. It can also be beneficial when driving, particularly at night.

 

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