A Guide to Choosing Lenses

Lenses are not just about getting the prescription right. Material, refractive index, Abbe number, and coatings all affect clarity and comfort in wear.

Selection Steps

1. Confirm the prescription and pupillary distance: have the glasses made to the prescription and make sure the optical centers line up.
2. Refractive index: for stronger prescriptions, choose 1.60/1.67/1.74 to thin the lens; for lower powers, 1.56 balances the Abbe number.
3. Abbe number: the higher it is, the less color fringing; 1.50/1.56 usually sit above ultra-thin high-index lenses.
4. Coatings: anti-reflection, blue-light filtering, and UV protection, chosen according to your usage; hardening improves scratch resistance.
5. Design: single vision, anti-fatigue, progressive, or multifocal, selected according to the viewing distances you need.

Recommendations

• Strong prescription and you care about thickness → high refractive index + a small frame.
• Long hours at a computer → anti-fatigue or a slight add, plus anti-reflection coating.
• Sensitive when driving or at night → prioritize a high Abbe number and quality anti-reflection coatings.