THE SAFEST LENS MATERIAL FOR KIDS

If your child needs glasses, keeping his or her vision safe should be your first priority. Choosing polycarbonate lenses for your child's glasses is the best way to ensure safe vision.

The polycarbonate material was developed by the aerospace industry for use in helmet visors worn by Apollo astronauts. Polycarbonate can also be found in bulletproof windows, airplane windows and riot police shields. The material is 10 times more impact resistant than other plastics, and exceeds the FDA's resistance requirements by over 40 times. Chances are your child won't be able to break such strong lenses.

Great For Sports

Opting for polycarbonate lenses in your child's glasses protects vision by holding up to rough-and-tumble play or sports practice. Preventing the lenses from shattering means that your child's vision won't be damaged or lost by shards of plastic or glass entering the eye. Many eyecare practitioners refuse to use a material other than polycarbonate for children's glasses for safety reasons. Many people with vision in only one eye use glasses with polycarbonate lenses to protect their remaining vision, even if they don't require prescription glasses to see clearly.

Lighter Weight

Polycarbonate lenses offer other benefits as well. The material is lighter than standard plastic or glass, which is good news for youngsters with strong prescriptions. Their glasses won't be as heavy, and they won't be constantly pushing their glasses back on their nose.

Polycarbonate lenses offer inherent ultraviolet protection. About 99 percent of potentially damaging UV rays are filtered out by these lenses, whether the UV rays come from sunlight, fluorescent lights or a computer screen.

Resists Scratches

These lenses usually come with a special scratch-resistant coating to keep the lenses clear for as long as possible, even when worn by children. As well as being lighter, polycarbonate lenses are thinner than standard plastic or glass. This also contributes to the lighter weight.

Polycarbonate lenses are not only for children. If you're due for a new pair of glasses yourself, consider polycarbonate lenses. The benefits to children carry over to adulthood, and you'll probably be just as happy as your children with polycarbonate lenses.