The material your lens is made from affects weight, impact resistance, clarity, and price -- here is the real difference.
| Material | Weight | Impact Resistance | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| CR-39 Plastic | Standard | Moderate | Everyday wear, mild prescriptions |
| Polycarbonate | Lighter | Very high | Kids, sports, safety-conscious wearers |
| Trivex | Lightest | Very high | Similar to polycarbonate with sharper optics |
| High-Index | Lighter for strong Rx | Moderate to high | Strong prescriptions needing thinner lenses |
CR-39 plastic is the long-standing industry standard: affordable, optically clear, and suitable for the majority of prescriptions. It is heavier than newer materials and less impact-resistant.
Polycarbonate is significantly more impact-resistant, making it the standard recommendation for children's glasses, sports eyewear, and safety glasses. It also blocks UV light inherently.
Trivex is a newer material with similar impact resistance to polycarbonate but generally sharper optical clarity, at a somewhat higher price point.
High-index materials aren't about impact resistance -- they exist purely to make strong prescriptions thinner and lighter, and are covered in detail in our high-index lens guide.
Which material is best for kids' glasses? +
Is Trivex better than polycarbonate? +
Do all lens materials block UV light? +
What material does Shade Gray use by default? +
From everyday plastic to impact-resistant polycarbonate, Shade Gray offers lens material upgrades on any frame starting at $49.