Different Types of Progressive Lenses

Progressive lenses are especially made for people over 40 who have trouble reading fine print. These glasses have the same benefits as traditional bifocal and trifocal eyeglasses, but are designed with vanity in mind---so there are no visible lines dividing different sections of the lens.

No-Line Bifocal Lenses

• No-line bifocal lenses combine two prescriptions, one for viewing distance and another for viewing close objects, into one lens. With these progressive lenses, the user can smoothly transition between reading small print materials and viewing objects clearly at a distance.

No-Line Multifocal Lenses

• No-line multifocal lenses are also referred to as progressive power lenses or graduated lenses. They are different from bifocal lenses in that they allow the user to view objects clearly at a range of distances, as well as up close. Due to the various different prescriptions built into different areas of a lens, it may be difficult for users to adjust to this type of lens at first, but the eye will shortly adapt to selecting the appropriate areas to look into to view the appropriate distance.

Progressive Lens Formats

• Progressive lenses used to have visible lines or rings separating the different prescriptions, which many wearers find unattractive and embarrassing. Modern lenses have been designed which are impossible to differentiate from "normal" eyewear. Progressive lenses are available as both traditional lenses, which come in plastic, glass and polycarbonate---as well as contact lenses.