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Complete Lens Guide

Everything You Need to Know
About Your Lenses

From lens types to coatings, prescription reading to thickness — understand exactly what goes into your LensZee glasses.

Lens TypesLens IndexCoatingsYour Prescription

Step 1

Choose Your Lens Type

Your lens type is determined by what you need to correct and how you use your glasses.

Most Popular

Single Vision

A single vision lens has one focal power across the entire lens, correcting vision for one specific distance — either far, intermediate, or near. They are the most widely prescribed type of lens globally.

Myopia (Short-sightedness) Difficulty seeing distant objects. Corrected with a minus (−) SPH power.
Hyperopia (Long-sightedness) Difficulty seeing nearby objects. Corrected with a plus (+) SPH power.
Astigmatism Blurred vision at any distance due to an irregularly shaped cornea. Corrected with CYL and Axis values.
Reading Glasses Single vision lenses set for near distances. Ideal for those who only need help reading.

From Free — included in all LensZee prescriptions. Available in all four lens index options.

Single Vision Lens — showing single focal zone diagram

Varifocal / Progressive Lens — showing 3 vision zones (distance, intermediate, near)

Varifocal (Progressive)

Varifocal lenses — also known as progressive addition lenses (PALs) — contain three seamlessly blended vision zones in a single lens with no visible lines. They eliminate the need to carry multiple pairs.

Top

Distance

Driving, TV, outdoors

Middle

Intermediate

Computer screens, dashboard

Bottom

Near

Reading, phones, close work

No visible line — looks just like single vision lenses
Typically recommended from age 40+ (presbyopia)
Allow 1–2 weeks to adapt to the progressive zones
Requires an ADD value on your prescription

From £30 — available with all lens index options. ADD value required on your prescription.


Zero Power

Zero power lenses (also called plano lenses) have no refractive correction — they don't alter your vision. They're worn purely for protection, style, or reducing digital eye strain from screens.

Fashion EyewearWear any frame without a prescription for style.
Blue Light ProtectionBlock harmful blue light from screens. Reduces eye strain, headaches and disrupted sleep.
UV400 ProtectionFull UV protection for outdoor use without sun-tinted lenses.
Post-Surgery WearWorn after procedures like LASIK while still wanting frames.

Free — no prescription needed. Skip straight to the coating and checkout.

Zero Power / Plano Lens — showing clear lens with blue light filter effect

Step 2

Choose Your Lens Thickness

The lens index measures how efficiently the material bends light. A higher index means thinner, lighter lenses — essential for stronger prescriptions.

Basic

Standard

Index 1.5

Free

Best for

Up to ±3.00

  • Standard thickness
  • UV400 protection
  • Anti-scratch coating
  • Anti-glare coating
  • Impact resistant

BLU

Popular

Index 1.6

£15

20% thinner than index 1.5

Best for

±3.00 to ±5.75

  • Blue light filter
  • 20% thinner & lighter
  • UV400 protection
  • Anti-scratch coating
  • Anti-glare coating

Thin BLU

Recommended

Index 1.67

£25

30% thinner than index 1.5

Best for

±4.75 to ±6.75

  • Blue light filter
  • 30% thinner & lighter
  • Premium anti-glare
  • UV400 protection
  • Aspheric design

Ultra-Thin BLU

Premium

Index 1.7

£40

45% thinner than index 1.5

Best for

±6.00 and above

  • Blue light filter
  • 45% thinner & lighter
  • Best for high Rx
  • Premium all coatings
  • Flattest profile

Lens Thickness Comparison (same prescription)

100%
Basic 1.5
80%
BLU 1.6
70%
Thin 1.67
55%
Ultra 1.7

Illustration shows approximate relative edge thickness for a −5.00 prescription

Lens thickness comparison photo — side-by-side of 4 lens indexes in same frame

Step 3

Choose Your Lens Coating

Every LensZee lens includes UV400, anti-glare, anti-scratch and impact-resistant coatings as standard. Choose an additional coating below.

✓ Included on Every Lens — No Extra Charge

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UV400 Protection

Blocks 100% of UVA and UVB rays.

💡

Anti-Glare (AR)

Reduces reflections for sharper vision and night driving.

🔬

Anti-Scratch

Hard coating protects lens surface from everyday wear.

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Impact Resistant

Tested to withstand everyday impacts safely.

FREE

Clear Lens

The most versatile lens — crystal clear, colourless and suitable for any environment. Perfect for full-time wear both indoors and outdoors. Optimal light transmission for the sharpest, most natural vision.

Best for all-day indoor and outdoor wear
No colour shift — truly neutral vision
Works beautifully with any frame style
Lightest possible appearance on the face
Clear lens — showing a clean, uncoated lens against a white background

Tinted lens colour swatches — showing all 9 colours at 3 opacity levels
+£15

Tinted Glass

A fixed solid tint in your choice of 9 colours at 3 opacity levels. The tint is fused into the lens — it won't wear off or fade. Ideal for outdoor use, driving, or simply making a style statement.

Light 25%

Fashion tint, subtle colour

Medium 50%

Outdoor glare reduction

Dark 85%

Strong sun protection

Driving note: For driving, Category 2 tints (15–43% transmission) are recommended. Our medium 50% tint meets this. Our dark 85% tint is not suitable for driving at night.


RECOMMENDED · +£30

Photochromatic

Photochromatic lenses (also known as Transitions® lenses) contain photochromic dyes that react to UV light. They are clear indoors and automatically darken in sunlight, adapting to the light around you.

🏠

Indoors

Fully clear — like a standard lens

☀️

Outdoors

Darkens automatically in ~30 seconds

⏱️

Returns Clear

Back to clear in ~5 minutes indoors

🛡️

UV Blocked

Blocks 100% UVA and UVB rays

Note: Photochromatic lenses don't darken as effectively behind a car windscreen (most windscreens block UV), so they may stay light while driving.

Photochromatic lens — split showing same lens clear (left) vs darkened in sunlight (right)

Prescription Guide

Reading Your Prescription

An optical prescription looks complex, but it's straightforward once you understand what each value means. Here's your complete guide.

Sample prescription — a filled-in prescription card showing all fields: SPH, CYL, Axis, ADD, PD
SPHCYLAxisInter AddNear Add
R Eye OD-2.50-0.75120°
L Eye OS-2.00-0.50090°
PD: 63.0 mm

Example only. Your prescription values will differ.

SPH (Sphere)

−2.50 / +1.75

The main correction power. A minus (−) value means myopia (short-sightedness). A plus (+) value means hyperopia (long-sightedness). The further from 0.00, the stronger the prescription.

CYL (Cylinder)

−0.75 / +0.50

Indicates the amount of astigmatism — an irregular cornea shape that causes blurred or distorted vision. If this field is blank or reads SPH, you have no astigmatism.

Axis

001° – 180°

Only present if CYL has a value. The Axis is the angle (in degrees) that describes the direction of the astigmatism cylinder correction. It must be between 1 and 180.

ADD (Addition)

+0.75 – +3.50

The extra reading power added to the lower portion of a varifocal lens. Only present on varifocal or bifocal prescriptions. Always a positive number, typically +0.75 to +3.50.

PD (Pupillary Distance)

58–72 mm

The distance in millimetres between the centre of your two pupils. Critical for accurate lens centering. Can be a single number (binocular PD) or two numbers (monocular — one per eye). Ask your optician to include it.

Prism

0.25 – 5.00

Corrects binocular vision problems where the eyes don't align properly. Given as a numeric value with a base direction (In, Out, Up, or Down). Not common — most prescriptions won't have this.

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UK Prescription Validity

Under the UK Opticians Act 1989, a prescription must be issued by a qualified optometrist or ophthalmic medical practitioner. Prescriptions are valid for:

2 Years

Adults up to age 69

1 Year

Age 70 and above

1 Year

Under 16, or those at risk

Always use a valid, in-date prescription. We recommend getting your eyes tested every 2 years with a registered UK optometrist.

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