Replacement Lenses: Form and Function You Didn’t Know About

Prescription glasses are constantly replaced due to natural wear, the prescription getting old, or a complete break in the lenses or frames. For the average American this means $173 is spent every 1-3 years. This is a pretty steep price for an extremely common problem. Some aspects of this are going to be unavoidable. Specifically getting the prescription checked and replacing the lenses, although for those who want a slightly cheaper option, the frames are where one can hope to save. 

Instead of ordering a completely new pair of glasses, there’s now the option of sending in an older pair of frames, prescription or not, and having new lenses inserted into them. This is known as replacement lenses. This not only means frames can be reused, but any vintage frames can now be turned into a viable pair of glasses.

These aren’t just simple glasses either, any of the new innovations within lens technology can be applied. Some are more simple, things like bifocals and trifocals have been around a long time. Scratch resistant lens coatings are also extremely commonplace and an automatic addition for many, although there are less simple options as well.

A Lot of Tech Goes Into Glasses

Many of these come in new innovations to existing technology. Progressive lenses, for example, are an alternative to bifocals that work by instead progressively shifting the prescription on a pair of glasses instead of having rigidly defined areas. 

There are now also anti-fog and blue light blocking lens coatings that are lesser known but incredibly practical to those that find those two things bothersome. One of the bigger innovations that is becoming more commonplace is lens tinting, specifically colored tints.

Types of Lenses

Transition lenses, glasses that will effectively turn into sunglasses in sunlight and revert back to normal in any other context have been around awhile. Although a permanent yellow, gray, pink, brown, or yellow tint are less explored but very useful options as well.

Each colored tint has an aspect that it’s meant to help with. Pink lenses, for example, help with depth perception and have some power in reducing migraines. Brown lenses reduce eye strain in bright light, gray lenses act as sunglasses, yellow help with low-light vision, and blue help with reflections. 

In Conclusion

None of these innovations are going to necessarily be life savers, but they act as a big increase to the quality of life to those who wear glasses. For anyone looking into replacing a pair of outdated glasses, maybe stick with the frames and try physically changing the lenses instead.