Choosing Quality Eyewear and Why It’s Important

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Choosing Quality Eyewear and Why It’s Important

After getting a comprehensive eye exam, how to choose the best pair of eyeglasses can raise a series of questions with very few answers. Where should I go? How does the brick and mortar places compare to the online stores? How much will this cost? All of these questions and more will have an impact on the end result. The truth is purchasing eyeglasses from any of those places will in some form correct your refractive error (vision) but whether or not your purchase is appropriate for your prescription lies in the quality of the product.

Every vision center will provide different levels of quality eyewear. For example, when you hear the term HD, most patients know that stands for High Definition. This is a trigger word that immediately quantifies the product’s value. This term is used when describing eyeglass lenses that have been digitally surfaced and will present the least amount of aberrations (distortion). Premium lenses such as HD, will cost you more money than a standard or middle grade product due to the superior benefits.

It is important to ask your eye care professional (ECP) what the features and benefits are of each lens. Also, discuss the functionality of your prescription. Discuss if you will benefit from wearing a multi-focal versus a single vision lens, and what features are necessary to optimize your vision. Ask your ECP what is currently recommended to improve your vision such as glare resistance, and what will filter out harmful radiation such as ultraviolet and high energy visible light (blue blocker) filters. Talk with your ECP at length and don’t shy away from asking too many questions.

The final task would be choosing a suitable frame. Your ECP should recommend a frame that will allow you to maximize your visibility as well as shape your face structure. Eye placement is set in the middle of each eye wire without sitting too nasal or on the outside of the frame. By maximizing visibility your field of vision should be equidistant when focusing on an object in the far and near distances. Choose a frame that is comfortable and one you can see yourself wearing on a regular basis. If you have a metal allergy, choose a plastic or a hypoallergenic metal frame. Beyond that, features such as color and design patterns are of personal choice.