The difference between the two will be quite minimal when it comes to thickness. 00. TAC polarized lens process uses a multiple layer production. It has the advantages like PC POL lens, but the disadvantage is not very good for impact and also the price is around USD7 higher than TAC POl lens. Amazon.com: plastic lenses vs polycarbonate lenses. The plastic material itself is very vulnerable to scratches and hard scratch-resistant coatings have been developed as a solution to this problem. Hi Mary! Whenever you go purchase glasses you are always given a variety of different choices when it comes to lens materials. What kind of lenses do you have in your glasses? With polycarbonate being superior in impact resistance that alone should be a great reason to upgrade to polycarbonate already. LEXAN ™ SHEETS. UV Protection: A lens with UV protection is a must-have. Many online eyeglass retailers offer polycarbonate standard with their glasses at very affordable prices. In comparison, polycarbonate lenses are lightweight. Sunglasses for babies with polycarbonate lenses, Effects of Blue Light on Eyes – New Study Reveals How it Damages Your Eyes, Zenni Glasses Review 2020 – The Most Affordable Glasses Online, Lightweight – 20% lighter than plastic, substantially lighter than glass, The material is soft and requires a scratch-resistant coating, Distortion on lens edge for higher prescriptions, Is more reflective than plastic or glass (. Is what they’ve told me true? ($45 vs $55) Polycarbonate lenses were first introduced into the optical world through safety glasses. High Index vs. Polycarbonate Lenses. Consequently, polycarbonate is the material of choice for safety and children’s eyewear. On the flip side, CR-39 is the thickest and heaviest lens material. Does it really hurt your eyes? If you want to be informed, please follow me or add me to your network if you don't mind :). Just to add that polycarbonate is plastic. Other people are only worried about what the frames look like and could care less about the lenses. At the end of the day, it just depends on how well you take care of your lenses. For example, if a polycarbonate lens requires 2 millimeters of material to refract light, high-index may only need 1 millimeter. LEXAN ™ FILMS. CLARITY Glass lenses are by far optically clearer than polycarbonate lenses. The CR stands for “Columbia Resin” which is the polymer that the material is made out of and the 39 means that there were 38 other “Columbia Resin’s” that didn’t make the cut for optical lenses. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons. Answered by Dr. Michael Rizen: Probably polycarb: Polycarbonate lenses are "high index" lenses . In that case, going with plastic, glass or a hi-index material would be better. Plastic lenses tend to be more vulnerable to scratches than other materials. Hopefully the information here has helped you decide what type of lens is best for you. These tints are available in a variety of colors including, brown, gray, yellow, red, blue, rose, green, and more. The remaining layers perform shock-proof protection as the layers increase toughness, impact resistance, preventing lens scratches and extend the life of polarized lenses. Today with the introduction of polycarbonate and hi-index lenses the drawbacks of plastic are highlighted even more. With an index of 1.59, polycarbonate also produces thinner, lighter lenses than glass or plastic. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. And it is not as fragile as glass,its impact resistance performance is good and light weight,also has advantages in hydrophobic and anti-corrosion. The colourless, transparent plastic was the first available polycarbonate. Two more … It is also not easily scratched. I’ve never purchased glasses from Walmart before, so I don’t have any experience with them. CR-39 is now a trade-marked product of PPG Industries. Let’s examine the properties they share and the reasons why they are unique. What kind of price range would I expect for polycarbonate lenses? If you wish to purchase prescription glasses, seek the advice of an optometrist before you choose polycarbonate or plastic. Polycarbonate lens didn’t truly gain traction among the optical industry until more recently due to various problems with the material clarity and manufacturing. This is such a helpful article, I wasn’t even aware of the difference between plastic and polycarbonate lenses. I have 4 mo old poly carbonate lenses from Walmart. Although at the time plastic lenses had. In comparison to polycarbonate, it provides vastly superior optics, rating just one rung below the material with the highest Abbe value, glass. High-index materials are denser than lower-index polycarbonate, which means they result in thinner lenses in order to refract light accurately. Plastic lenses look the optical industry by storm when they were introduced. ... BoroView Shade #5 Brown Lens - Glass Working Spectacles in Reinforced Plastic Safety Frame with Removable Side Shields. Polycarbonate vs. Trivex Lenses. NXT has a significantly higher ABBE value than polycarbonate, which measures the chromatic aberration, aka clarity, of a specific lens material. Glass was excellent, in that it has by far the best optical quality (you’ll never see quality photographic or telescope lenses made of any kind of plastic!). Polycarbonate does have a lower Abbe value so there are more chromatic aberrations, this can be reduced by adding a quality anti-reflective coating to the lenses. The top and bottom edges of both lens have many, very fine scratches. Would it still be better to use polycarbonate as opposed to plastic. Hi Diane, great question. I notice you say that plastic is cheaper. Why do they not recommend the cheap glasses. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. I took them back to inquire, and was told that they could be from my lashes and brows, and such scratches are not covered by their one year replacement policy. The refractive index of current eyeglass lens materials ranges from 1.498 (CR-39 plastic) to 1.74 (a specific variety of high-index plastic). We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. One of the best benefits of the plastic lens is how inexpensive they are. Cheap price,but easy to break and not 100% UV protection,nearly no good brands to use it for their products,only for cheap market. Is one really better than the other? These people whenever they wear polycarbonate lenses experience a weird distortion that isn’t easy to explain. Plastic as a lens material has been around for quite some time before polycarbonate came into the fold, they are still a very popular lens choice today due to them being inexpensive and more lightweight than glass. LEXAN ™ FR Resins. RELATED: Sunglasses for babies with polycarbonate lenses. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Polycarbonate vs Trivex glasses: Which lens material is right for you? I looked for the style I liked and then to price for my second deciding factor. Obviously, I am clearly talking about CR-39 vs polycarbonate. RELATED: How to clean your glasses the right way. Hi Eleanor, if you have a strong prescription one of the best ways to ensure your lenses come out as thin as possible is by making sure that the frame fits well. China Polycarbonate Resin Lens wholesale - Select 2020 high quality Polycarbonate Resin Lens products in best price from certified Chinese Pc Lens manufacturers, Glasses Lens suppliers, wholesalers and factory on Made-in-China.com LEXAN ™ BUILDING SYSTEMS. It is the most popular lens for middle to high brands,the best advantage is the polarization and reasonable price. High index lenses are typically recommended for individuals who require a strong eyeglass prescription for common vision problems, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. You can usually find some single vision lenses for around $30 and some bifocals for $50. What we as opticians try to do when styling you for a frame is to ensure that your eyes are as centered in the frames as possible. Plastic vs. Polycarbonate Lenses. Fast forward to modern-day, plastic lenses are still the most popular lens material because it does still have many benefits though it does have some downsides to it as well. Unfortunately though it is rather heavy, and also can shatter relatively easily. Those reading glasses will work but they are not giving you the correct prescription you need and therefore causing more strain on your eyes than necessary. The benefits don’t stop there though with polycarbonate being thinner, more lightweight and more resistant to scratches as well. Refractive Index. Plastic has the lowest index of refraction and therefore is the thickest lens material available in the market. ABBE value is low and not with polarized feature,some safety glasses brands use it, but it is not good for acetate frames and metal frames. Weight: A lens weight becomes noticeable when wearing your frames for long periods. Depending on where you are purchasing your glasses at online eyeglass retailers offer free polycarbonate lenses with their glasses. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Plastic lenses have a higher optical clarity than polycarbonate lenses. Because of these properties, polycarbonates find many applications. Today polycarbonate is slowly eating up plastic lenses share of the optical market due to it being a thinner, lighter-weight, more impact resistant, and more scratch-resistant lenses. The lens comes from pouring the liquid polymer into a mould of optically treated glass. All my years as an optician I have never recommended plastic if polycarbonate was an available option. Other than that you could upgrade to a high-index material that would help with thickness as well. Polycarbonate lenses are thinner and lighter than regular plastic lenses. Find 2020 quality & cheap polycarbonate resin lens for sale. 1.60 and 1.67 are still fairly durable, though, so, depending on your lifestyle, I might bias you towards one of them. All Rights Reserved. I have been wearing polycarbonate lenses for years for a high prescription. LEXAN ™ Resin. They also offer 100 percent protection from the sun’s harmful UV light and are up to 10 times more impact-resistant than plastic or glass lenses. All the different types of lens materials vary in weight, thickness, scratch resistance, and impact resistance. This is why glass is primarily used i Trivex is a great alternative to polycarbonate lenses. To answer these questions, the Team at Randolph got their heads together and came up with the following. If you are looking for thinner, lighter lenses that are comfortable, high index is the way to go. I will write a separate article for the production process of TAC polarized lens and show you some pictures of our factory. Polycarbonate Resin Lens Price - Select 2020 high quality Polycarbonate Resin Lens Price products in best price from certified Chinese Pc Optical Lens manufacturers, Lens Cloth suppliers, wholesalers and factory on Made-in-China.com In 1941, PPG introduced a crosslinked resin prepared by a peroxide initiated radical polymerisation of the bisallyl carbonate of diethylene glycol. Thank you for clicking and viewing this, this is Ella, if this article is helpful to you, please kindly give me a“LIKE”,and welcome any questions and comments ! Translation: high-index is the smart option for stronger prescriptions. FREE Shipping. While its optical characteristics are less than ideal, polycarbonate, the same material used for bullet-proof glass, is the most impact resistant of lens materials. The first layer is a polarizing layer, core of the lens as it provides more than 99% of the polarizing effect which can effective absorption of glare. Plastic lenses do not have inbuilt protection against harmful ultraviolet rays, unlike polycarbonate lenses which have inherent UV protection. Its range is -4.00 /+2.00 or lower on the SPH and +/- 6.00 or lower on the CYL. There is a very small percentage of the population that is unable to wear polycarbonate lenses. The fourth and fifth layer for UV-absorbing layer, absorbing 99% of UV-ultraviolet rays. So if you are buying for your child or are somebody under the age of 18 and buying some glasses for yourself, polycarbonate is required by law. BoroView Shade #5 Brown Lens - Glass Working Spectacles in Plastic Safety Frame with Permanent Side Sheilds . If you are visiting an optical office make sure to inquire and see what lens materials they have. And much like a poor quality camera lens translates into a poor quality photograph, that poly lens transfers an image … Ella (cqmstudio@163.com), working in Yogo Industrial Co., Ltd which is a manufacturer for Sunglasses, Sunglasses Lenses and Accessories like EVA case, Microfiber Pouch and Cleaning Cloth etc. Plastic lenses can accept tint colors for the people that like a light tint on their lenses. Polycarbonate lenses are highly resistant to impact, won’t shatter, and are 10 times stronger than glass or standard plastic, making them ideal for children, safety lenses, and physical activity. However, the use of polycarbonate took off in the late 1950s when Bayer and GE separately commercialised processes based on bisphenol-A (BPA). Both polycarbonate and Trivex lenses are thinner and lighter than regular plastic lenses. This will ensure you have the thinnest cut for the edges. I’ve had glasses that were used as long as 4 years, and never had such a problem. It is an epoch-making significance for the development of resin lenses. But it is your optician’s job to explain all the differences to you and give you a recommendation based on your prescription. When comparing polycarbonate to acrylic material, polycarbonate is much more resilient than acrylic, making it ideal for highly demanding applications where impact is a requirement or flame retardance. Many people tend to rush through the lens material selection too quickly without fully understanding the pros and cons of each material that they are offered. Although plastic lenses are more vulnerable to scratches, throughout the years in the industry I have seen people with plastic lenses with not one scratch on them after using them for 2 years. SABIC ® PC Resin. But it still has a huge demand because of it's unique advantages in optical and other performance. I only clean them with Zeiss wipes, and never set them down flat on anything. Plastic Lenses vs. Polycarbonate Lenses for Glassses - YouTube This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. This lens is often described as “polycarbonate composite,” because in addition to polycarbonate the lens is composed of other polymers and resins that keep the lens thinner than the 1.50 lens. Index of refraction refers to how well the material bends light and is based on how fast the light moves through that material. While the specific attributes of each resin differs according to its exact composition and extraction method, each is synthesized via catalyst from monomers called hydrocarbons, in a process known as condensation polymerization. The only reason I may recommend polycarbonate would be for safety reasons- polycarbonate is a shatterproof lens, so if something were to accidentally hit you in the face, the polycarbonate wouldn’t shatter into your eyes like other lens materials might. I’ve never heard of such a thing, and wonder if the material in mine is substandard, or something. Polycarbonates (PC) are a group of thermoplastic polymers containing carbonate groups in their chemical structures. Whether you decide to choose minimalist high index or tough polycarbonate lenses, all of the lenses we offer at EyeBuyDirect come with anti … Polycarbonate lenses took some time to gain traction in the optical world. Keep in mind that we link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission we receive from your purchases. Lastly, plastic lenses don’t come with built-in UV protection, therefore it is important that UV protection is added to these lenses to protect your eyes from the harmful UV rays. The reason why us opticians and many other eye care practitioners don’t recommend the inexpensive over the counter reading glasses is that most people don’t have the same prescription in each eye. I will send you an email to help you with this. So for the same prescription power and lens design, a lens made of CR-39 plastic will be the thickest lens available, and a 1.74 high-index plastic lens … PC/Polycarbonate Lens; Excellent impact resistance performance and light weight,the price is cheaper compare to PA lens. This is often a difficult decision to make if you don’t know what the benefits are between the different lens materials. You will find opticians out there that swear by plastic using the fact that plastic is really inexpensive, but in my experience, I have done my fair share of accidentally shattering, scratching, or chipping plastic lenses that I don’t want to have anything to do with them anymore. 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The first available polycarbonate that you could upgrade to a high-index material that would help with thickness as....