Guide to Buying Prescription Lenses

 

Guide to buying glasses with prescription lenses. 

Select your Frame and Add to Cart

Choose from a massive selection of acetate and metal frames. From oversized, bold frames for the fashion focused to the most elegant rimless styles in precious metals, we have a range of eye frames for everyone.

Need help finding the perfect frames? Let us help. Our qualified personnel is on hand to help you. Click here for help.

 

Select Your Prescription Type

When you add the frame to cart you will be asked whether you wish to purchase single vision lenses, speciality lenses with a blue light filter or an anti-reflective coating, or just the frame.

If you are not sure which lenses you need or are interested in purchasing another type of lens, please contact us.

Single Vision Lenses

If you need one type of visual correction then this is the lens type you need to select. Single vision lenses have one focal distance, if you need bi-focal or progressive lenses please contact us for a personalized consultation.

Single vision lenses are used to correct Myopia (nearsightedness), Hyperopia (farsightedness), Presbyopia (age related) and Astigmatism (a defect that causes blurry vision as a result of the curvature of the cornea). 

You can choose whether or not to add your prescriptions details directly online or whether to send us a copy of the prescription immediately or later on.

Non-prescription Lenses

Choose non-prescription lenses if you do not need visual correction, but would like to purchase lenses with an anti-reflective coating or blue-light filter.

 

Reading Your Prescription

OD or Right Eye
OS or Left Eye
OU Both Eyes

Sphere or Power: This is the strength of correction needed. It is measured in diopters and can range from +20 (positive numbers denote farsightedness) to -20 (negative numbers denote nearsightedness). 0,00 or plano would be perfect vision.

Cyl or Cylinder: This is a number only used for correcting astingmatism. When the cornea is not perfectly spherical, cylindrical correction is necessary. Not all prescriptions will have a cylinder value!

Axis: The axis is a number of degrees (between 1 and 180) at which the cylinder will be positioned when mounted.

The PD or Pupillary Distance is the distance between the pupils and is required in order to make sure that the lenses are centered correctly in your glasses. An adult PD is normally between 54 mm and 74 mm and may be expressed as one whole number or two numbers, divided into right PD and left PD. 

You may have an ADD value for bifocal or progressive lenses. Please contact us for a personal consultation if you need this type of lens. 

There may be a PRISM value on the prescription. Again, please contact us if this is the case. 

If you have any doubts, please upload the prescription and we will be more than happy to verify it with you. You can choose to insert your prescription information online, upload a copy of the prescription or send it to us later. Our optician will oversee all orders to ensure you get exactly the lenses you need. 

 

Which Brand? 

We carry several brands of prescription lenses and at this step you can select which brand you prefer. If you don't see your preferred brand or need some help choosing, please contact us. 

 

Choose Your Lenses

After selecting the manufacturer you need to select your lenses. Lenses come in different thicknesses (or indices) and, as a rule of thumb, stronger prescriptions will require thinner lenses with a higher index. Your prescription may already say which lenses you need. If you are unsure, please let us know and we will be happy to assist you.

 

Select Any Necessary Coatings

Ophthalmic lenses can have technical coatings which can improve or enhance their performance. All lenses supplied will be hard lenses with an anti-reflective coating. Alternatively you can select lenses with a Blue Light Filter. 

 

FAQ Prescription Lenses

Which lens coatings should I choose?

All lenses supplied will have a hard coating as well as an anti-reflective treatment. If you are looking for other options, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss the options with you.

What is Blue Light? 

Blue light is the short wavelength, high energy light emitted by telephones, LED screens and computer monitors. Due to its wavelength blue light is not easily blocked by our eyes and passes through the cornea and lens to the retina. Prolonged exposure to blue light may cause damage to the retine over time as well as potentially contributing to digital eye strain which may lead to headaches, blurred vision and disrupted sleep patterns. 

Blue light filtering lenses may be recommended for people who spend a lot of time in front of a screen.

Related Article: How Blue Light Glasses Work (& Why You Need Them)