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Lens Materials

Discover the best lens materials for your vision needs with our comprehensive selection of Polycarbonate, Trivex, High Index 1.67, and High Index 1.74 lenses. Each lens material offers unique benefits in clarity, weight, durability, and cosmetic appearance—making it easy to find the perfect match for your lifestyle and prescription strength.

 

Our Polycarbonate and Trivex lenses provide exceptional impact resistance, lightweight comfort, and built-in UV protection, making them ideal choices for active wearers, safety eyewear, and children’s glasses. For customers with stronger prescriptions, our High Index 1.67 and High Index 1.74 lenses deliver significantly thinner, lighter designs that reduce edge thickness and improve overall aesthetics without sacrificing visual performance.

 

Whether you’re looking for durability, superior optical clarity, or the slimmest lens profile possible, this category highlights the key differences between today’s most popular lens materials—helping you make an informed decision with confidence. Shop the full range to compare features, benefits, and ideal uses, and choose the lens material that delivers the best comfort, appearance, and visual clarity for your everyday eyewear.

→ Polycarbonate Lenses: Lightweight, Impact-Resistant Performance
 

Polycarbonate is one of the most widely used lens materials, highly recommended for active individuals and anyone seeking durable, lightweight eyewear.
 

Key Benefits

  • Extremely impact-resistant â€“ ideal for kids, sports, and safety glasses
  • Lightweight and comfortable for all-day wear
  • Built-in 100% UV protection
  • Suitable for most prescriptions

Best For
 

Everyday use, children’s eyewear, safety glasses, wraparound frames, and active lifestyles.
 

→ Trivex® Lenses: Superior Clarity & Impact Protection

Trivex lenses offer the same impact protection as polycarbonate but with improved optical clarity and lighter overall weight.
 

Key Benefits

  • Sharper, more accurate vision due to higher optical clarity
  • Exceptional impact resistance for safety and sports use
  • Ultra-lightweight for greater comfort
  • Reduced internal stress, ideal for rimless and drill-mounted frames

Best For
 

Rimless frames, high-activity eyewear, users seeking clarity closer to high-end plastic lenses with the safety of polycarbonate.
 

→ High Index 1.67 Lenses: Slimmer & Lighter for Stronger Prescriptions
 

High Index 1.67 lenses are engineered for moderate to high prescriptions, reducing lens thickness while maintaining excellent clarity.
 

Key Benefits

  • Up to 35–40% thinner than standard plastic lenses
  • Lighter weight for improved comfort
  • Enhanced aesthetics—less lens bulging in strong prescriptions
  • Widely compatible with most frame styles

Best For
 

Medium-to-high prescriptions (±3.00 to ±8.00), fashion eyewear, and anyone who wants thinner, more attractive lenses.
 

→ High Index 1.74 Lenses: The Thinnest & Most Advanced Option
 

High Index 1.74 lenses offer the thinnest and lightest lens profile available in plastic materials, making them the premium choice for strong prescriptions.
 

Key Benefits

  • Thinnest plastic lens material on the market
  • Minimal edge thickness, ideal for high myopia
  • Provides a sleek, low-profile appearance
  • Lightweight without compromising clarity

Best For
 

Very high prescriptions (≥ ±6.00), full-rim or semi-rimless frames, and customers wanting the best combination of thinness and cosmetic appeal.

 

Which Lens Material Should You Choose?

  • Choose Polycarbonate if safety and durability matter most.
  • Choose Trivex if you want sharp optics with excellent impact resistance.
  • Choose High Index 1.67 for slimmer lenses in moderate-to-strong prescriptions.
  • Choose High Index 1.74 if you want the thinnest, most premium lenses available for high prescriptions.
     

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Frequently asked questions

Have questions? We’re here to help

How do I know which lens material to choose?

The right material for your lenses will depend upon your prescription. Please let us know your prescription, frame style and size and application. We can assist you with the best lens material for your specific requirements.

Which lens material is most scratch resistant?

Glass lenses are naturally very scratch resistant, but they are heavier and less impact resistant. Most plastic, polycarbonate, Trivex, and high-index lenses can be improved with a scratch-resistant coating.

Do lens materials affect optical clarity?

Yes. Lens materials can affect optical clarity, thickness, weight, and color fringing. CR-39 and glass are known for strong optical clarity, while Trivex offers a good balance of clarity, light weight, and impact resistance.

Which lens material is the lightest?

Trivex is one of the lightest commonly used prescription lens materials. Polycarbonate is also lightweight and is often chosen for active eyewear, safety glasses, and children’s glasses.

What are the most common eyeglass lens materials?

The most common eyeglass lens materials are plastic CR-39, polycarbonate, Trivex, high-index plastic, and glass. Each material has different advantages for weight, thickness, impact resistance, optical clarity, and scratch resistance.

What is the difference and which Glass lens material should I order for my prescription? 

Please email us a copy of your prescription, let us know the frame shape and size you are looking for and the application you are using them for. You can also check out more detailed information in our Resource center.

Can you get safety glasses with glass lenses?

The VS Eyewear team is excited to present our collection of glass safety glasses. This selection of products includes a great assortment of frames that come in different shapes, sizes, and colors. All of our glass safety glasses meet rigorous ANSI Z87 safety standards and feature extremely scratch-resistant glass lenses in a 1.53 index material.

These glasses are ideal for people who need ANSI-approved safety glasses but don’t need the impact safety of polycarbonate. Plus, glass is much more scratch resistant than any plastic lens material and tends to take a lot longer to wear out. All glass safety glasses are available with a great variety of lens types that you can choose from.

What is the best lens material for prescription glasses?

The best lens material depends on your prescription, frame style, and how you use your glasses. Polycarbonate and Trivex are great for impact resistance, high-index lenses are best for thinner lenses with stronger prescriptions, CR-39 is a good everyday plastic lens, and glass offers excellent optical clarity and scratch resistance.

What is the difference between plastic and polycarbonate lenses?

Are polycarbonate lenses better than plastic lenses?

Polycarbonate lenses are better for impact resistance, lightweight comfort, and protective eyewear. Standard plastic lenses may be preferred for basic everyday glasses when impact protection is less important and optical clarity is the main priority.

What is the difference between polycarbonate and Trivex lenses?

Polycarbonate and Trivex lenses are both lightweight and impact resistant. Trivex lenses are often chosen for sharper optical clarity and rimless frames, while polycarbonate lenses are a popular choice for sports glasses, safety glasses, and children’s eyewear. BOTTOM LINE - Trivex is the best overall lens we offer.

Are Trivex lenses worth it?

Trivex lenses can be worth it if you want a lightweight, impact-resistant lens with excellent optical clarity. They are especially useful for rimless frames, drill-mount frames, safety glasses, and active everyday eyewear.

What are high-index lenses?

High-index lenses are thinner than standard plastic lenses. They are often recommended for stronger prescriptions because they can reduce lens thickness and make glasses look slimmer and feel more comfortable.

Who should choose high-index lenses?

High-index lenses are a good choice for people with stronger nearsighted, farsighted, or astigmatism prescriptions. They are also useful when you want thinner lenses in a more stylish frame.

What lens material is best for safety glasses?

Polycarbonate is one of the most popular lens materials for prescription safety glasses because it is lightweight and highly impact resistant. Trivex is also a strong option for impact-resistant eyewear.

Are glass lenses tempered for safety?

Yes. Modern real glass lenses undergo thermal tempering or chemical strengthening to dramatically increase impact resistance.  While safer than old, untreated glass lenses, glass is still not recommended for high-impact activities or children.

What lens material is best for sports glasses?

Polycarbonate and Trivex are usually the best lens materials for sports glasses because they are lightweight, durable, and impact resistant. They are also commonly used in wraparound frames and protective eyewear.

Are glass lenses better than plastic lenses?

Glass lenses offer superior scratch resistance and the highest optical clarity of any material. However, they are significantly heavier and can shatter upon impact, making them less suitable for children, sports, or rimless frames

What lens material is best for strong prescriptions?

High-index plastic lenses are usually best for strong prescriptions because they can make lenses thinner and reduce edge thickness. The stronger the prescription, the more helpful high-index lenses may be.

Can glass lenses shatter?

While this is ultimately true, glass is a very rigid material that can shatter if dropped or hit the right way. It’s EXTREMELY unlikely. You see, glass lenses are held to similar safety standards as other lens materials so they are much safer than most people think. They undergo specific treatments to help with impact resistance. They are also tempered so if they take an impact they don’t necessarily shatter, instead they crack so it drastically reduces any chance of glass shards coming back into your eye.

 How does your glass lens replacement program work?

We can replace prescription or non-prescription lenses for most brands and styles of frames at an affordable price. We can replace your lenses if they are damaged, cracked or worn out.  We offer the most current lens technology to fit all customers. Our lab technicians can fit any type of lens, including progressive lenses and single vision lenses, as well as transition lenses, prescription sunglasses lenses and prescription safety lenses.

Do glass lenses protect my eyes from UV rays?

Natural glass offers some inherent UV protection, but it does not block 100% of harmful UVA and UVB rays. To ensure full protection, you must have a specialized UV-blocking coating applied to the lenses.

Is your price for glass lenses per pair?

All lenses are sold in pairs and the price you see is your total for both lenses.

How do I clean and maintain my prescription glasses?

Use mild soap or lens-safe cleaner and a microfiber cloth. Avoid harsh chemicals, alcohol-based cleaners, and paper towels, which can damage coatings.