Progressive Lens Brands and Coatings

There are probably over a hundred different progressive lens types on the market and dozens of designs and it is up to your Optician or Optical doctor to know of and understand them so as to best suit them to the customers specific requirements in consideration with the cost and the certain limits and restrictions Insurer may place on their insured subscriber.

This is often a confusing problem between the consumer and provider that must be worked out delicately with educating the consumer about their best choices and with the why’s and what’s of each choice. We take great pains to stay on top of this situation by continually educating ourselves about every facet because we are talking about a product that can range in cost from $90.00 up to $500.00.

The list here is just a few of the brands and designs that many consumers are now aware of or will be given a choice of by most optical retailers. Some of the large corporate retailers and chain stores offer very limited choices to their patients because of financial ties to lens manufactures a situation that our company, being independent, does not have.

You may have encountered one of these brands:

• Comforts

• Physio

• Ellipse

• Image

• Succeed

• Lifestyles

• Navigator

• Summit

• Varilux

• Ovation

• Definity

• Naturals
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There are also progressive styled lenses designed specifically for computer and office activities that have grown in popularity that are very adaptable to these environments when fitting correctly and the correct design is applied for the proper application. These lens designs make a perfect second pair and can eliminate many of the complaints seen when fitting a person with progressive type multi-focal.

LET’S TALK COATINGS – Scratch coatings, anti-reflective coatings, and flash coatings are now applied to at least 50% of every lens sold today. These coatings vary greatly in quality and we have seen that some of these coatings are so bad that they should never be added to a lens, to begin with, and some of the high-quality coatings make lenses not only scratch resistant but nearly scratch-proof and can easily give scratch warranties that far outlast the two year prescription expiration dates.

Good quality two years warrantied scratch coating should retail between $40.00 and $80.00

Good quality two years warrantied Anti-reflective coating will retail between $80.00 and $150.00 and if you see it advertised for less you should beware.

Flash Coatings – are popular for sports glasses, sun wear and safety lenses and have a real function that goes beyond style and appearance, ask your eye care professional to explain these benefits and if they cannot, you should once again, beware. The three most common are:

Silver

Gold

Blue