How to Choose Lenses for Glasses

Choosing lenses for glasses will vary for each person. The right lenses depend on the needed vision correction, your facial features and lifestyle. It is important to take all factors into account so your lenses will last a long time and provide the needed vision adjustments. With so many different types of lenses available and the high cost of prescription lenses, it is important to choose the best lenses for your needs. With the recent advancements in prescriptive lenses there are many options to investigate.

Things You'll Need

• Eyeglass lens prescription

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Instructions

• 1

  Visit an optometrist to test your vision and determine the necessary vision correction that your eyes need. For individuals that are both near and far-sighted, bifocals are needed. An individual that is just near-sighted will need lenses to be able to see far away. Additionally, people with astigmatisms will require certain shaped lenses. The optometrist will provide the vision correction information in the form of a lens prescription.

• 2

  List out the situations in which you tend to wear your glasses. Those individuals that wear glasses all the time will want to have lenses with a variety of coatings such as anti-fog, scratch resistance, anti-reflective and UV treated lenses. These coatings improve your vision and the durability of the lenses.

• 3

  Visit an optometrist to see about the weight of different lenses. Individuals who have a large prescription may find that normal lenses are very heavy. The weight of the lenses can cause headaches. High index lenses are made of special high-index material that produces lighter and thinner lenses.

• 4

  Determine if you want to get a pair of prescription sunglasses and regular glasses. If you wear your prescription sunglasses frequently then photochromic lenses may be an option. Photochromic lenses will become darker in bright situations and lighter when indoors. Therefore, you will not need to purchase a second pair of prescriptive sunglasses.

• 5

  Compare the cost of the different lenses you are interested in. Lenses can be expensive and most insurance policies will cover the cost of the lenses, if not the frames. If you are paying for the lenses yourself then you may need to stay within a budget. Determine which options are necessary and what you can afford.