What are the materials of glasses?

What are the materials of glasses?

There are mainly the following types of materials for glasses lenses :

• Resin lenses: They are a kind of thermoplastic polymer compound that softens when heated. Resin lenses have the advantages of light weight, comfortable wearing, strong impact resistance, not easy to break, good light transmission, and low price. The disadvantages of resin lenses are that the surface is easy to scratch, the thermal expansion coefficient is high, and it is easy to deform and affect the optical performance. Resin lenses have various refractive indexes, such as 1.49, 1.56, 1.60, 1.67, 1.74, etc. The higher the refractive index, the thinner the lens.
• Glass lenses: They are lenses made of optical glass, with high clarity, high surface hardness, scratch-resistant and wear-resistant. The disadvantages of glass lenses are that they are heavy, uncomfortable to wear, fragile, and have poor safety. Glass lenses also have various refractive indexes, such as 1.52, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, etc. The higher the refractive index, the thinner the lens.
• PC lenses: They are lenses made of polycarbonate material, also called “space lenses” or “safety lenses”. PC lenses have the advantages of light weight, strong impact resistance, and good ultraviolet protection. The disadvantages of PC lenses are that the surface is easy to scratch, the price is high, the processing is troublesome, and the dispersion control is not ideal. PC lenses have a refractive index of 1.59.
• Nylon lenses: They are lenses made of special transparent polyamide material, which are mostly used for sports brand sunglasses and high-quality sunglasses. Nylon lenses have the advantages of high elasticity, good optical quality, strong impact resistance and light weight. The disadvantages of nylon lenses are poor wear resistance and high production cost.
• Polarized lenses: They are lenses composed of multiple layers of resin lenses that can filter out irregular light interference and avoid glare and dazzle phenomena. Polarized lenses are suitable for driving and fishing activities. The disadvantage of polarized lenses is that if the curvature of the lens itself does not meet the optical standard, the polarizing effect will be weakened and affect the image authenticity.

Choosing the material of glasses lenses depends on your own needs and preferences. Generally speaking:

• If you pursue clarity and wear resistance and don’t mind weight and safety issues, you can choose glass lenses.
• If you pursue lightness and comfort and don’t mind surface scratches and deformation issues, you can choose resin lenses.
• If you pursue safety and ultraviolet protection and don’t mind price and dispersion issues, you can choose PC lenses.
• If you pursue elasticity and optical quality and don’t mind wear resistance and cost issues, you can choose nylon lenses.
• If you pursue anti-glare and visual comfort and don’t mind image authenticity issues, you can choose polarized lenses.