It can be a chore to find nice glasses, because frames come in all shapes, sizes and colors:from vintage to rimless and from olive green to rose gold. Those are some of the trends I've been paying attention to before. When you've finally found something, you still have to make sense of the countless options for the glass. Think of anti-reflection, thicknesses, coatings and shades. I will help you on your way and give you a few tips that will make the choice easier.
Let's make one thing clear:most standard glasses are already equipped with the necessary extras. Usually they have a UV filter, anti-reflection and a scratch-resistant layer. Still, it's worth taking a look at what else is possible. It is a common mistake to spend a lot of time choosing frames, but not thinking about the glass you have in your glasses.
Nowadays, almost every spectacle lens is made of plastic, but of different types. The oldest material is the plastic Columbia Resin 39, better known as CR-39. It is light, has a low cost and has been used since the 1940s. Another material is polycarbonate, which is even lighter than CR-39. It was once developed for helmet visors and bulletproof glass. I think that says more than enough about how strong it is! In addition, there is Trivex. It is as sturdy as polycarbonate, but it weighs less:they are even the lightest glasses out there. Not the thinnest, because those are made of High Index plastic. Finally, you can opt for Tribird, which is the most impact-resistant of all materials.
There are many different coatings. It is especially important that you ask yourself when you wear the glasses and why. For example, are you on the road for several hours every day by car? Then you can opt for a polarizing filter. This helps with the glare caused by the road and other cars. Are you rarely behind the wheel, but all the more behind the computer? Then choose a blue light filter. This offers protection against the blue light emitted by computers and smartphones. Do you continue to wear your glasses while cycling and do you do that through wind and weather? Then consider a hydrophobic coating. It is water and dirt repellent and ensures that the water rolls off your glasses, as it were. All lenses except polycarbonate require a scratch resistant coating. Always use a special microfibre cloth with this coating to clean your glasses. If you do this with something else, you can still get damage.
In addition to numerous different coatings, you also have a choice of different shades. This gives you the option of ordering lenses that color with the sunlight. When the sun shines brightly, you automatically have sunglasses. This saves you the purchase of sunglasses and you don't have to put on different glasses every time the weather is sunny.
You notice that there is a huge choice of coatings and filters. So take a good look at which options the standard glass has and choose a number of extras that suit your wishes. You are a little more expensive, but you will undoubtedly enjoy your glasses more!
