# Prescription Lenses

Lens choice covers material, thickness, design and coatings. Higher prescriptions benefit most from high index materials, which are thinner and lighter, while coatings affect clarity, durability and comfort.

The frame gets chosen in ten minutes and the lens decision gets made in two, which is backwards. The lens is what you look through all day.

Material determines thickness and weight. Standard plastic is fine for low prescriptions. Polycarbonate is impact resistant and the default for children and sport. High index materials bend light more efficiently, so the same correction is achieved with substantially less thickness, which is what stops a strong prescription looking like a bottle base.

Coatings matter more than people expect. Anti reflective coating removes the surface reflections that cause night driving glare and hide your eyes behind white flashes in photographs. Scratch resistance extends usable life. UV protection should be standard in Arizona rather than an upsell.

## What to expect

**High index materials**

Thinner and flatter than standard plastic for the same correction. The difference is most visible above about three dioptres.

**Polycarbonate**

Impact resistant and lightweight, with built in UV protection. Standard for children's glasses and sports eyewear.

**Anti reflective coating**

Cuts reflections, improving night driving considerably and making your eyes visible rather than hidden behind glare.

**Photochromic lenses**

Transitions lenses darken in sunlight and clear indoors, which suits the Arizona climate particularly well.

**Polarised lenses**

Cut reflected glare from roads, water and car bonnets. The single biggest comfort upgrade for driving here.


## Questions and answers
**Do I need high index lenses?**

It depends on your prescription. Below about two dioptres the difference is marginal. Above three or four it is very noticeable in both thickness and weight.

**Is anti reflective coating worth it?**

For most people yes, and particularly for night driving and screen work. It is the coating that changes the day to day experience most.

**What are Transitions lenses?**

Photochromic lenses that darken in sunlight and clear indoors. They work well in the Arizona sun. Worth knowing that most car windscreens block the UV that triggers them, so they darken less while driving.

**Polarised or tinted sunglasses?**

Polarised, for almost everyone here. A plain tint reduces overall brightness. Polarisation specifically eliminates reflected glare from road surfaces and water, which is what actually causes squinting.

## Related

- https://eyedoctorphoenixaz.com/eyeglasses-and-eyewear/progressive-lenses
- https://eyedoctorphoenixaz.com/eyeglasses-and-eyewear/prescription-sunglasses
- https://eyedoctorphoenixaz.com/eyeglasses-and-eyewear/high-index-lenses

---## About this practice
Arizona's Vision Eye Care Center, 15215 S 48th St Ste 180, Phoenix, AZ 85044.
Phone (480) 706-3937. Monday to Thursday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
Independent optometry practice, founded 1994. One location. Does not perform refractive or cataract surgery.
This site publishes no star rating and no review count, because the figures across the practice's own properties contradict one another and cannot be verified.
This page is general information, not medical advice.