Help with Buying
Help with Buying
When choosing glasses there is also other options you can add to your glasses to improve your vision further, such as coatings, transitions, varifocal lenses and bifocals.
Thinner Lenses
Thinner lenses are more of a cosmetic solution for glasses as they improve the appearance and make them more comfortable to wear. They are primarily designed for people with high prescriptions as previously their lenses would have been will be very thick, either in the centre of the lens if you are a plus prescription or very thick at the edges if you are a minus prescription. This can make the glasses heavy and look bulbous, and you may of had to choose a small frame in the past to hide this slightly.
They are specially made of a high index material making them thinner and lighter and come in three levels of thinness, 1.6,1.67 and 1.74, the higher you go the thinner they will be and the nicer your glasses will look. If your not sure if you need to have thinner lenses our optical dispensers will be able to recommend what level of thinness is best suited for you depending on your prescription.
The benefits of choosing thinner lenses are;
-Improved appearance of glasses
-Lighter, therefore are more comfortable to wear
-Wider choice of frames suitable for you
-Anti-scratch, anti-glare coating comes included with all thinner lenses
Coatings
There are two types of coatings that we offer; a Anti-Reflective Coating and a Blue Control coatings which can be added to your glasses for an extra charge.
Anti-Reflective
This is an anti-reflective, anti-scratch and anti-glare coating. It is a clear coating, and minimises the glare caused by lights reflecting off the lenses. Any lenses that do not have a anti-reflective coating comes at a disadvantage due to them producing clear visible light reflections that can cause vision problems, this can become more of a problem when driving at night but also in face-to-face conversations, due to the reflections showing the persons reflection rather than your eyes. This coating also reduces the glare from car headlights when driving at night which can improve safety whilst driving at night by improving your vision. No glasses are scratch proof however with this coating it makes the surface harder which makes it more resistant to scratches.
Benefits of Anti-reflective lenses
-Reduces eye fatigue from glare.
-Prevents minor scratches
-Lengthens the life of lenses
-Easy clean properties
-Improve safety whilst night driving
Blue Control
Technology such as smartphones, tablets, computers and flat screen TV's have become a vital part of everyday life, however there is a downside to using these digital devices constantly due to them causing eye strain and eye fatigue after prolonged use.
Nearly all digital devices use LED screens which emit a very high percentage of blue light, 40 % more than any other colour. This blue light is what causes the effects to our eyes.
Blue control is perfect for anyone who spends prolonged periods using digital devices weather it be for work or entertainment. This coating reduces and neutralises the blue light emitted from digital screens which minimises the glare and enhances the contrast, which improves vision clarity and colour perception and can stop eye stain and eye fatigue.
Benefits of Blue Control
- Reduces eye strain and eye fatigue and headaches caused by digital screens
- Keeps eyes in better condition.
-More comfortable and relaxed vision due to the reduce glare
- More scratch resistant than anti-reflective
-Stays cleaner longer
-Don't need to have a prescription to have this coating
Photochromic
Throughout the day people move around from one place to another. From light to Dark; from indoors to outdoors; From sunny to cloudy. Each time they face different light conditions that demand a different solution. A photochromic lens is perfect for any of these situations, it is a clear lens that turns dark when exposed to UV light. They will quickly darken to sun lenses outdoors and fades back to clear in doors, they have consistent performance in different climates and seasons.
Photochromic Lenses are available in all lens types, single vision, Thinner lenses, Coatings, Bifocal and Varifocals.
Benefits of Photochromic lenses
-Block 100% of suns harmful UVA rays
-Reduces glare and prevents tired eyes
-Available in Brown and Grey
-Comfortable vision
-Consistent performance in all conditions
-Available with all lens extras
Bifocals
Bifocals are ideal for people who already have distance glasses and are now presbyopic (someone who needs corrective lenses for reading) this is because a bifocal lens is divided into two parts the top half is usually for distance and the bottom half for reading, however they can be tailored to your needs for example someone who plays a musical instrument may prefer to have there VDU prescription in the bottom (or top?)section instead of reading, just let a member of our team know and we are more than happy to do so.
Bifocals are a convenient solution to reading glasses as they eliminate the need to keep swapping between your distance, and reading glasses. They can also work out more cost effective rather than paying for two separate pairs of glasses.
The sections are slightly visible on the lens, there are three different types of bifocals and each show the visible bottom half differently; It will either be 'D' segment, a half circle or a full line across the bottom of the lens as shown below.
You can upgrade your Bifocal by adding coatings to the lenses or transitions which can make your glasses even more suitable for any situation. Bifocals are also appropriate for people with high prescription too as they are available in the three stages of thinner lenses. We will help you choose all the extras you need to improve your vision to the best it can be, to ensure comfort and 100% satisfaction.
Benefits of Bifocals
-Ideal for people who are always switching between glasses
-Clear vision at any distance
-Available with all lens extras
-Can be more cost effective
Varifocals
A Varifocal lens is a specially made lens which combines all 3 types of corrective prescriptions; Distance, VDU and Near, into one lens. Varifocals are usually aimed at people who have started to be affected by presbyopia (loss of near vision) usually people over the age of 40. Varifocals accommodate to all your vision needs, they allow you to see at any distance, whether you are using a computer, shopping, reading or driving you won't have to keep swapping between your distance, VDU or reading glasses. Meaning you have one pair of glasses which work for any distance in any situation.
Unlike Bifocals there is no visible line separating the different prescriptions; The upper part of the lens is where the distance prescription is, The middle section is the VDU prescription which is used for computers or closer up work and the bottom section of the lens has the reading prescription. By taking your measurements it allows us to perfectly position your varifocal to ensure ease and comfort when looking through all distances, all you have to do is move your eyes and position your head to see perfectly any object at any distance.
During collection of your new varifocals, our team will be happy to talk you through how to use and adapt to wearing your glasses.
You can upgrade your varifocal by adding coatings to the lenses and transitions which will make your glasses even more suitable for any situation. Varifocals are also appropriate for people with high prescription too as they are available in the three stages of thinner lenses. We will help you choose all the extras you need to improve your vision to the best it can be, to ensure comfort and 100% satisfaction.
Benefits of Varifocals
-clear vision at any distance
-ideal for people who need to switch between glasses
-enhanced field of vision
-option to tailor the lens to your lifestyle
-No visible line on the lens unlike bifocals
-Available with all other lens extras
Here at specs direct we offer a wide range of varifocal lenses and brands at varying prices so you can be sure to find one to fit your budget.
Choosing a Frame
Although we don't have an online shop to browse all of our glasses at the moment, We do offer a service in which you can email us with the information we need, and we are able to tell you if it is in stock and available to buy and give you a quote for the price of the frame or sunglasses (and lenses if needed).
If you are interested in getting a quote please email, ask@specsdirectopticians.com with the following information;
- Frame Model Number
- Frame colour
- Frame size
- Picture of Frame (optional)
