Polycarbonate Optics: What Are They?

Polycarbonate optics, often called polycarbonate lenses, are a popular choice for eyewear because of their impact-resistant properties and extra strength.

If you’re interested in a new pair of glasses in the future, it’s worth thinking about adding this lens material to your order. Let’s take a closer look at polycarbonate eyeglass lenses and how they could benefit you.

What Is Polycarbonate?

Polycarbonate is a type of plastic with high durability and strength. A combination of bisphenol A (BPA) and phosgene, it’s lightweight yet extremely tough — a combination you can’t always get from other materials.

In addition to creating eyeglass lenses, polycarbonate can play a key role in safety equipment because of its ability to hold up against high impacts.

Another unique feature that sets polycarbonate apart is its ability to produce a clear image, even under high pressure or stress. Compared to glass, which used to be the go-to material for glasses, these plastic lenses are much more capable of holding up against an impact while helping you see clearly afterward.

How Are Polycarbonate Optics Made?

The process of creating polycarbonate lenses involves injection molding, a high-tech means of morphing a material into specific shapes and levels of thickness.

Here’s a quick rundown of what the process looks like:

Polycarbonate Pellets

Polycarbonate lenses start their lives as polycarbonate pellets, which serve as the raw material for injection molding. These pellets are heated until they melt and are mixed with additives like UV protection agents or colorants for tinting.

Molds

Next, this melted plastic is injected into molds shaped like prescription lenses. These lenses will later be paired with eyeglass frames and shipped to customers. These molds are specially engineered to ensure the lenses have the right curvature to help customers see more clearly.

Polishing

When the material is injected into its molds, it cools and hardens, forming the lens. The hardened, cooled material is then removed from the molds and polished, giving it a smooth, clear surface without any imperfections.

Coatings

Finally, many lenses are coated with scratch-resistant or anti-reflective coatings to fill a customer’s particular order. These lenses will cost a bit more, but they’re perfect for glasses-wearers who need extra protection and functionality.

What Are the Perks of Polycarbonate Lenses?

Polycarbonate lenses are a far cry from the old-school glass lenses that used to be the norm. They boast a unique set of features that double as major selling points:

Impact Resistance

There’s nothing worse than dropping your glasses and seeing a crack forming in the lens. That was once an extremely common problem with glass lenses in old prescription glasses, but it’s barely an issue with polycarbonate.

This material has superior impact resistance because of its durable combination of polymers. Because of that, it’s used for more than just your standard glasses: Safety glasses, sports glasses, and even some military-grade lenses are made from polycarbonate.

Additionally, polycarbonate is considered a shatterproof material, which means it can withstand heavy blunt force without cracking or breaking. That makes it the kind of material you want to protect your eyes.

Lightweight

Polycarbonate is much lighter than glass. However, it’s also significantly lighter than many other types of standard plastic. As a result, lenses made from polycarbonate can make you feel much more comfortable while wearing your glasses for long periods of time.

If you put on your specs every day and keep them on until the evening, the weight of your lenses is a significant factor worth considering for comfort and ergonomics. Your current lenses may be making you feel more uncomfortable than you realize. Switch to polycarbonate, and you might be surprised by the difference.

For some folks, switching from glass to polycarbonate lenses reduces strain on the face, especially the nose, for more sustainable all-day wear. Some glasses-wearers don’t sense as much of a change, but it can be especially noticeable if you have a high-grade prescription that requires thicker lenses.

Clarity

Polycarbonate doesn’t provide the same optical clarity you’d get from glass in its raw, unpolished form, but polishing can help. After the polishing process, you can see more clearly through polycarbonate than through glass, which makes polycarbonate even more innovative.

Whether you wear single-vision, bifocal, or progressive lenses, clarity is essential. The last thing you want is lenses made from a material that distorts your vision in any way, which is sometimes possible with old-school glass lenses, especially for strong prescriptions.

To avoid this issue, give polycarbonate lenses a try. Their added clarity can be particularly helpful for folks with higher prescriptions.

UV Protection

Protecting your eyes from harmful UV rays is always a good idea, and polycarbonate lenses block these rays much more effectively than glass or regular plastic lenses.

Although polycarbonate typically makes for a thinner lens, its UV-protective power is stronger than even thick glass. It filters out UVA and UVB rays alike and protects your eyes from long-term damage.

Polycarbonate’s UV-protective properties make it the go-to material for multiple forms of protective eyewear, including safety goggles and even the visors on an astronaut’s helmet.

Should You Get Polycarbonate Lenses?

If you’re unsure whether polycarbonate lenses are right for you, your eye doctor's office is the best place to find out.

As a general rule, you should visit your optometrist at least once a year, but you can schedule an appointment at any time to get all your FAQs answered. Your optician can make recommendations for your lenses based on the strength of your prescription and any specific concerns you might have.

Polycarbonate lenses are a great choice for just about anyone. They’re easy to wear, durable, and often very affordable, which makes them ideal for a wide range of needs. If you aren’t sure whether they’ll work well for you, your eye doctor can help you make sure.

How To Choose Your Lenses From Pair

Ordering glasses from Pair is a breeze. With features like our virtual try-on and convenient prescription importing, we make it easier than ever to pick out a Pair that’s perfect for you. Selecting your lenses is one quick and simple step in the process.

Our standard lenses are made from polycarbonate, but you can customize your glasses with a variety of lens materials to suit your lifestyle and budget. That might mean adding extra features like scratch-resistant coating or polarized lenses, but what’s more important is knowing the type of lens you need.

Most prescriptions call for either single-vision, bifocal, or progressive lenses, and your prescription card from your eye doctor’s office will specify what you need based on your last eye exam. Our polycarbonate lenses can be single-vision, bifocal, or progressive, so we can most likely fulfill your specific prescription.

How To Pick Out the Perfect Glasses

Once you know which lenses you need, it’s time for the fun part.

We’re set apart by our unique combination of durable Base Frames with magnetic Top Frames, which turns your glasses into a canvas for expressing yourself. When you pick out glasses from Pair, you’ll start with a Base Frame and add Top Frames to complete the look.

Our Top Frames come in dozens of unique styles, including patterns and motifs inspired by your favorite fandoms. Our partnerships with Disney, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and more make it easy to find a pair that perfectly captures your personality.

The Bottom Line

Polycarbonate lenses offer many benefits, including durability, versatility, and the chance to add extra features. We give them an A+!

If you still aren’t sure whether polycarbonate lenses will work for you, give them a try and see how you feel. You might be surprised by the difference they make, especially if your job or lifestyle puts you at risk of scratching or breaking your glasses.

When you order, remember to add magnetic Top Frames to your cart before checkout. While the durable lenses in our glasses provide the function, our Top Frames provide the form, helping you look exactly how you want without needing to change your glasses. See in style with Pair.

Sources:

Health Effects of UV Radiation | US EPA

How to Protect Your Skin from UV Rays | Sun Safety | American Cancer Society

Eye Exam and Vision Testing Basics | American Academy of Ophthalmology

Bisphenol A (BPA) | NHS