Here is a brief comparison of polycarbonate and Trivex lenses to help you decide which lenses might be best for you: Polycarbonate has a higher index of refraction than Trivex (1.58 vs. 1.53), so polycarbonate lenses are about 10 percent thinner than Trivex lenses. On the other hand polycarbonate is a thermoplastic that starts as a solid material in the form of small pellets. Is it possible to get them polished or will I have to get new lenses? They began to doubt how safe it is to wear sunglasses with this material. It’s a requirement in North America for children to be in impact resistant materials. In fact, I wear polycarbonate for my lenses. They also have good UV protection and a higher refractive index than CR39. sunglasses are very different from each other as the sunglasses have a set tint that protects our eyes from glares but they are not changeable whereas the photochromic lenses easily adapt to the nature of the light present around and changes accordingly. Polycarbonate is more common in different lens designs than Trivex. Give your hearing a check-up with our team of expert audiologists. The cost of polycarbonate and Trivex lenses can vary considerably, but many optometrist charge more for Trivex lenses than polycarbonate lenses. Polycarbonate lenses are made by injection moulding. Weight and Thickness of the Lenses. UV Protection. Although you can still see them when you have a direct line-of-sight, moving to different angles can make the screen disappear completely. When eye safety is a concern, polycarbonate or Trivex lenses usually are the best choice for your glasses, sunglasses, and sports eyewear. Polycarbonate panels have a few disadvantages when they’re compared to plastic or glass. Photochromic lenses are available in both materials. They have good impact resistance and are therefore ideal for children, sports and industrial purposes. Weight Trivex has a lower specific gravity than polycarbonate, making Trivex lenses about 10 percent lighter than polycarbonate lenses. Its superiority doesn’t mean polycarbonate lenses don’t provide a clear picture — just that glass offers more clarity. POlycarbonate is more impact resistant, great on children, and less likely to chip on the edges. Trivex lenses were introduced in 2001 by PPG Industries. Photochromic lenses and polarized lenses i.e. Trivex lenses, however, are composed of a urethane-based monomer and are made from a cast moulding process similar to how regular plastic lenses are made. Polycarbonate, being so strong and flexible, helps the structures it is used in to be more creatively designed. Polycarbonate or Trivex lenses are great if you, or a kid, plays sports. The material is very soft compared to some alternatives, opening itself up to scratches more than plastic or trivex lenses. These disadvantages are as follows: Less availability. Polycarbonate has a higher index of refraction than Trivex (1.58 vs. 1.53), so polycarbonate lenses are about 10 percent thinner than Trivex lenses. Property of resistance. Are photochromic or tinted lenses suitable for driving in. ADVANTAGES OF PHOTOCHROMIC LENSES They are being used more for household products now than before because of the quality of goods that they can produce. Polycarbonate lenses have higher impact resistance and offer greater protection than plastic lenses. Lens Materials Advantages and Disadvantages. Coronavirus (COVID-19): How eyes may play a role in its spread, Eye twitching: 8 causes, treatments and prevention, A bloodshot eye or red eye: 19 causes and treatments. Polycarbonate has a high price, It is much more expensive than the other plastics or the glass , It is as much as double the price of ABS, So, The customers opt for Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene ( ABS ) that is tougher, but it has lower impact resistance and heat resistance. This combination of lightweight comfort, UV protection and impact resistance also makes these lenses an excellent choice for children's glasses and safety glasses. In fact, part of the reason that they are so durable is also the reason for this disadvantage. Polycarbonate lenses are made by injection moulding. Both polycarbonate and Trivex lenses are thinner and lighter than regular plastic lenses. Plastic lenses do not have inbuilt protection against harmful ultraviolet rays, unlike polycarbonate lenses which have inherent UV protection. Your optometrist can discuss the pros and cons of polycarbonate and Trivex lenses, and help you decide which lens material is the best choice for your needs and budget. The problem is, people think it's bad for their health. Believe it or not, it has more advantages for sunglasses and for those who wear it. Progressive lenses have three prescriptions in one pair of glasses. Not enough thinness. Although Trivex lenses provide an almost endless list of advantages, there are some downsides. Buy your contact lenses online and get free delivery. They also offer 100 percent protection from the sun's harmful UV rays and are up to 10 times more impact-resistant than plastic or glass lenses. Trivex and polycarbonate lenses have sharp central vision. Pros and Cons for High Index Lenses. What are the advantages and disadvantages of polycarbonate spectacle lenses? Polycarbonate has a higher index of refraction than Trivex (1.58 vs. 1.53), so polycarbonate lenses are about 10 percent thinner than Trivex lenses. Glass is superior in this category, which is why binoculars, telescopes, and cameras use it. Polycarbonate lenses are available in a wider variety of lens designs (e.g., progressive lenses and other multifocals) than Trivex lenses. In a lens manufacturing process called injection moulding, the pellets are heated until they melt. 1. The big advantages of CR39 lenses over previous glass lenses were light weight, and better shatter resistance. Halloween season with a 9 year old means lots of time spent on costumes and parties. These types of lenses cannot be tinted easily, either. These lenses have good impact resistance, making them ideal for children, sports and industrial work. Spectalce lenses made of polycarbonate were introduced in the early 1970s in response to a demand for lightweight, impact-resistant lenses. AR coating eliminates distracting lens reflections that can interfere with vision, particularly when driving at night or in other low-light conditions when glare sources are present. Poor scratch resistance. It is much more expensive than glass and other plastics. © 2000-2021 AAV Media, LLC. They also have good UV protection and a higher refractive index than CR39. When carbon is bonded to three oxygen molecules by a condensation polymerization process, the resulting product is a polycarbonate material. Disadvantages of Polycarbonate By Keith Allen Hunker may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Polycarbonate lenses contain bisphenol-A (BPA). First things first, I would like to apologize for my extended absence. By their very nature and chemical makeup, high index lenses have distinct advantages over standard plastic or glass. Polycarbonate is by far the safest lens available. First of all, they are so durable that they are hard to get shattered even in the roughest conditions. This fundamental question is asked every time a pair of spectacles is purchased. It may also impact the amount of color that some people can perceive when looking at information or watchin… Visual acuity: Is 20/20 (or 6/6) perfect vision? Weight Trivex has a slightly lower specific gravity than polycarbonate, making Trivex lenses about 10 percent lighter than polycarbonate lenses. As a result, denting is possible on the surface if care is not taken. The advantages of this material of course are because of its properties. ... Polycarbonate lenses provide both higher impact resistance and 100% UV protection naturally, taking care of the two main safety concerns when shooting outdoors. Polycarbonate and Trivex lenses both block 100 percent of the sun's UV rays without the need for special UV-blocking lens coatings. These lenses have good impact resistance and therefore are ideal for children, sports and industrial purposes. High price is one of the major disadvantages of polycarbonates. There is more distortion away from the optical center. Your baby: Infant vision development timeline. As they are far less likely to fracture than regular plastic lenses, polycarbonate lenses also are a good choice for rimless eye-wear designs where the lenses are attached to the frame components with drill mountings. Or, if you have any condition where you see better out of one eye, these can help protect your "good" eye. Polycarbonate was developed in the 1960s for aerospace applications and is currently used for the helmet visors of astronauts and pilots and was used for the windscreens of the space shuttles. Both polycarbonate and Trivex lenses offer 100% sun protection from UV rays. The lower weight allowed eyeglass makers to experiment with larger size lenses, since CR39 is much lighter in weight. Plastic or glass lenses? Polycarbonate lenses advantages and disadvantages. Polycarbonate is the standard choice for almost … Find an eyecare professional and book online in minutes! For all their durability, flexibility, and impact resistance, polycarbonate scratches easily. Trivex has a slightly lower specific gravity than polycarbonate, making Trivex lenses about 10 percent lighter than polycarbonate lenses. – Optical quality is not as high as high index lenses or standard CR39 plastic. This does not mean, however, that high index lenses are without drawbacks. Photochromic lenses are available in Trivex as well. Since then, polycarbonate lenses have become the standard for safety glasses, sports goggles, children's eye-wear and a variety of other uses. Eye allergies: Relief for itchy and watery eyes, How to get rid of a stye: Treatments and remedies, Glaucoma treatment: Drugs, drops and more, Computer eye strain: 10 tips to get relief, Digital devices and children: Protecting their eyes, Hyperopia (long sightedness): How to correct for it. Choose glasses that are sturdy, attractive, shatter-resistant, comfortable – and finally easy to wear. How do you know if a new-born baby needs glasses? Pop in for an eye test to give your eyes all the care they deserve. Contrast sensitivity testing: What is it? Did you know you can now enter your prescription and buy online? Contacts for teens: What age can you wear contacts? Polycarbonate lenses eyeglasses have many advantages. The biggest disadvantage is their high price. Disadvantages of Trivex Lenses . And then polycarbonate lenses eyeglasses are much lighter than glass or plastic glasses, which make them more comfortable to wear. When you are wearing glasses that have polarized lenses, then the chemical agents added to the product to create the filtering mechanism reduce the amount of light your eyes process from an LCD screen. Trivex lenses offer better clarity for both central and peripheral vision. It also has good UV protection and a higher refractive index than CR39. Polycarbonate lenses are about 10% thinner than Trivex lenses. Polycarbonate lenses are very resistant to tint in contrast to plastic lenses which accepts tints. That being said, we hope we managed to shed some light on the advantages and disadvantages of polycarbonate lenses. It’s up to 10X more impact-resistant than high-index lenses and is therefore the ideal lens material for sports protective eyewear and children’s glasses. Polycarbonate and Trivex lenses have comparable impact resistance. Polycarbonate Lenses (1.59 Index) Polycarbonate is one of the strongest and safest materials on the market. Most other plastic lenses are made from a cast moulding process, where a liquid plastic material is baked for long periods in lens forms, solidifying the liquid plastic to create a lens. Trivex lenses have a higher Abbe value and for higher prescriptions (>+/-4.00) may produce sharper peripheral vision with less chromatic aberration than polycarbonate lenses. Like polycarbonate lenses, lenses made of Trivex are lightweight and more impact-resistant than regular plastic or glass lenses. Polarized lenses make it difficult to view LCD screens. Polycarbonate and Trivex lenses both will provide clearer, more comfortable vision if an anti-reflection (AR) coating is applied. Eye refraction and function: How does the eye work? November 14, 2017 November 14, 2017 / The Optical Jedi. The lenses in my specs are scratched. Clarity: A lens that’s optically clearer provides a better picture. Prescription lenses can be made out of 3 main materials: Glass, CR-39 optical plastic, and impact-resistant polycarbonate. However, Trivex is about 10% lighter than polycarbonate. There are a number of advantages and disadvantages to polycarbonate if they indeed can be labeled as such. All About Vision and AllAboutVision.com are registered trademarks of AAV Media, LLC. The advantages are the polarization and optical power,but the disadvantage is the price is around USD5 higher than TAC POL lens,and also it's not good for acetate and metal frame. Unlike glass, the structures that use polycarbonate can be shaped like domes, igloos and many other fancy shapes that add a design feature to the building. This explains the explosion of … The three main topics when discussing potential disadvantages of yellow-tinted blue-light-absorbing lenses are complaints of scotopic vision loss, altered color perception, and sleep disturbance. They will survive the impact of a steel ball travelling at 160 km/hr without shattering which meets EN/EU … High Index Lenses: Pros and Cons. Here are some advantages of polycarbonate lenses: Durable, providing extra safety to your eyes and promoting better eye health 10 times more resistant to impact than plastic eyeglasses, so they don’t shatter or break as easily Boast scratch resistance so they last longer than regular plastic lenses Here are the advantages/disadvantages of each material: Glass: Glass was the original material prescription lenses were made out of, however, it is now used on a limited basis. They have exceptional strength and resilience. Polycarbonates are not very resistant to scratching, marring and abrasive surfaces. P olycarbonate roofing sheets disadvantages. Clarity. These materials are much more expensive than plastic or glass and as a result, customers opt for Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene … Here's what to look for, Guide to buying the best sunglasses for kids, Teens: Choosing sunglasses for a teenage boy or girl, Understanding how to read a contact lens prescription, How to use, put in and remove contact lenses, Lens care: Cleaning, disinfection and storage, LASIK eye surgery recovery & healing time expectations, 8 tips to reduce cataract surgery recovery time, LASIK procedure: A guide for what to expect, Eye and visual acuity tests and the Jaeger eye chart, Preparing for an eye exam: What to expect, Colour blindness tests and types of colour blindness, Macular degeneration: How to cut your risk, How to boost your diet to protect ageing eyes, Ageing eyes: Signs of eye problems in elderly, Red eyes in photos: How to get rid of the red-eye effect, Applying eye drops: A guide on how to put in eye drops. Answer: Polycarbonate lenses are made by injection moulding. These lenses have good impact resistance, making them ideal for children, sports and industrial work. Lightweight and thinner than glass lenses, polycarbonate is more comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Despite its many advantages, polycarbonate isn't the only lens material suitable for safety applications and children's eye-wear. The following holds true for both materials: Choosing the most suitable one hinges on individual factors such as visual acuity and personal taste. Blue eyes: The origin and genetics of blue eyes, How to clean and remove scratches in glasses, Eye and vision problems in preschool children. 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. Explore our wide range of glasses and frames at amazing value, Speak to one of our qualified optometrists or audiologists. That allows you to do close-up work (like reading a book), middle-distance work (like checking out … Specialty eyewear: Work, driving and safety glasses, Reading glasses: What to know before buying, No-line multifocal progressive lenses for a younger you, Polycarbonate lenses: Advantages and disadvantages, Best places to buy eyeglasses/where to buy, Kids’ glasses: 10 tips for buying children’s eyewear, How to find great glasses at a bargain price, How to choose the best glasses for your face shape, Glasses that suit your personality and lifestyle, Performance sports sunglasses: See better, play better, Best sunglasses for ultraviolet (UV) eye protection, Prescription sunglasses: A guide to the best lenses, Facts about sunglasses: A FAQ and buying guide, Polarised sunglasses: Best for reducing glare, Designer and fashion sunglasses: Look like a celebrity, Non-prescription sunglasses: What to know before buying, Buying kids' sunglasses? Disadvantages include the fact that their abrasion resistance is poor - adding an anti-scratch coating can help but reduces the impact resistance slightly. Brown eye colour facts: What causes eyes to be brown? High-quality polycarbonate lenses are not the cheapest option on the market. They are high-quality, durable lenses which will protect their owner from multiples threats including physical damage and UV radiation. Disadvantages of polycarbonate lenses. The disadvantages of polycarbonate lenses include the fact that their abrasion resistance is poor, but when an anti scratch coating is added to this the impact resistance is reduced slightly. Next, polycarbonate lenses are hard to get scratched. The melted polycarbonate is then rapidly injected into lens moulds, compressed under high pressure and cooled to form a finished lens product in a matter of minutes. The polycarbonate … And buy online have a direct line-of-sight, moving to different angles can make the screen disappear completely the. Allaboutvision.Com are registered trademarks of AAV Media, LLC AllAboutVision.com are registered trademarks of AAV,! The cost of polycarbonate spectacle lenses to tint in contrast to plastic lenses not! Threats including physical damage and UV radiation for Trivex lenses both will provide,... Therefore are ideal for children to be brown needs glasses lens manufacturing process called moulding! Line-Of-Sight, moving to different angles can make the screen disappear completely lenses were light weight, impact-resistant! Finally easy to wear for long periods of time household products now than before because of its.! From UV rays more common in different lens designs ( e.g., progressive lenses have three prescriptions in pair. Can make the screen disappear completely not very resistant to tint in contrast to plastic which. 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