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Eyeglass Lens

Eyeglass Lenses

Lenses Materials From Milligan Optical

Of course you want a frame that looks good and fits great, but the lenses are the most important part of a good, quality pair of eyeglasses.

Originally all lenses were made of glass. Glass lenses are one of the best in optical clarity and are the most resistant to scratching, but they are now becoming obsolete due to the technology of newer materials.

Below are the different materials with a short description:

Come by our location to learn more or give us a call at 727-546-7220

CR39 (Plastic) Lenses

Plastic lenses are the most common type of lenses. Manufactured exclusively by PPG, the patented CR-39 monomer revolutionized the optical industry as the first plastic lens material when it was introduced in 1945.

Plastic lenses offer good optical clarity, are lightweight, more shatter resistant than glass, and are the most economical lens.

The disadvantages of plastic lenses are that they require a scratch resistant coating for added durability and also require a special treatment to provide 100% Ultra Violet protection.

Polycarbonate Lenses

Polycarbonate – Before Trivex lenses were introduced, Polycarbonate lenses were the lightest weight lens available. It is in fact a form of plexi-glass. It blocks UV rays, is shatter resistant and is used in many sports glasses and glasses for children and teenagers.

Because polycarbonate is soft and will scratch easily, scratch resistant coatings are included with the lenses. Most optical stores use polycarbonate because they claim it is the most impact resistant, thin, lightweight lens.

Trivex (Aris, Trilogy, Pheonix) Lenses

This material was originally created in the USA for military applications as a new bullet-proof, transparent and light-weight material capable of providing superior protection, reliability and longer lasting performance than polycarbonate.

It is a unique material that combines the advantages of CR39, Mid-Index lenses and polycarbonate.

Like Polycarbonate, Trivex lenses are thin, lightweight, impact resistant, scratch resistant, and block harmful UV rays.

Hi Index Lenses

These lens materials are thinner than all other materials. This is achieved by the material slowing down the speed that light passes through it. There are many different types of Hi Index.

If you want the best vision we recommend Trivex, but if you want the thinnest lenses we would recommend Hi Index.