The right pair of glasses can change your world. Eyeglasses have 2 main components: the lenses and the frame. The lenses can be prescription (bend light to make a clear image for your eyes) or non-prescription (no impact on visual clarity). There are several types of lens styles and coatings that are selected for you based on your visual needs and with specific use of your glasses in mind. 

Here is a quick-guide to the most common types of prescription lenses:

Single Vision Lenses

  • Single vision lenses have one prescription throughout the entire lens 
  • Single vision lenses can be used for nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism. 
  • These lenses are also used for reading glasses (custom made or over-the-counter!)

Multifocal Lenses

  • Multifocal lenses have more than one prescription throughout the lens
  • Most commonly, when you look straight ahead through a multifocal lens, you can see clearly at distance. When you look through the bottom of a multifocal lens, you can see clearly at near. 
  • Multifocal lenses are commonly used for presbyopia (the age related loss of focusing power in the eye, resulting in the need for a reading prescription), but can also be used for a variety of other eye conditions
  • 3 main types of multifocal lenses:
    • Bifocal
    • Trifocal
    • Progressive 

Bifocals
  • Bifocal lenses have one visible line that separate the lens into 2 zones: a distance prescription zone and reading prescription zone. 
Trifocal
  • Trifocal lenses have two visible lines that separate the lens into 3 zones: a distance prescription zone, intermediate prescription zone (good for computer work/dashboard length activities), and near prescription zone (good for reading, looking at your phone). 

Progressive 
  • Progressive lenses have no visible line, the prescription gradually (or progressively) changes throughout the lens. When looking straight ahead, this lens style offers clear distance vision. As you look further down through the lower portions of the lens, the reading power increases which offers clear vision at virtually every distance.

Lens Coatings

Lenses can also utilize different coatings and treatments for many different purposes:

  • Anti-glare
  • Anti-scratch
  • UV protection
  • Transitions
  • Polarized

As always, our expert staff is here to guide you! If you have any questions about which lens style or lens coating/treatment is right for you, give us a call at 718-273-5000 or stop by at 1884 Victory Blvd, Staten Island NY 10314.

When you see good, we look good.