Celebrate all the mums in your life with 10% off frames & lenses

Distance Glasses – What you need to know

Home ⁄
Home ⁄
Ask now

Ask our dispensing opticians

Ask now

Distance Glasses

eyeglasses

Yes, you can wear glasses for both near and far distance. Some eye conditions entail that you might need two prescription powers for both myopia (short-sightedness) and hyperopia (long-sightedness). 

In these cases, bifocal lenses or multifocal lenses are required. These lenses can combine multiple prescription powers so you can see both near and far. 

Bifocal and multifocal lenses can also be useful for conditions such as presbyopia.

Single vision lenses, on the other hand are used to correct one common eye refractive error at a time.

Progressive lenses are a very good option for comfortably combining multiple prescription powers in one pair of glasses.

Ray-Ban Sunglasses Lenses

Home ⁄
Home ⁄
Ask now

Ask our dispensing opticians

Ask now

Ray-Ban Sunglasses Lenses

Ray Ban Sunglasses

Ray-Ban has a rich history dating back to 1936. As the best-selling designer sunglasses brand worldwide, Ray-Ban continues to innovate with revolutionary eyewear while staying true to their Ray-ban classic designs. 

The brands iconic status is likely due to the high quality, superior performance and comfort of its glasses.

Ray-ban sunglasses offer a wide variety of lenses, with each one having its own unique characteristics and purpose. Our guide will lead you through the different types of Ray-Ban sunglass lenses to help you get a better idea of which lens is right for you.

Solid colour lenses

As the name implies, this type of Ray-Ban sunglasses lens comes in a solid colour. They are also non-mirrored and non-polarised.

  • Green classic G-15: Similar to the story of Ray-ban Aviator sunglasses, the Classic Ray-Ban G-15 lens was originally developed for military pilots in 1937. It has a solid green colour and operates in low light to sunny conditions. These sunglasses offer a high level of clarity, comfort, protection and more accurate vision by absorbing 85% of visible light and filtering out most blue light as well as achieving outstanding colour contrast.
  • Brown Classic B-15: As the twin to the Ray-Ban G-15 lenses, it offers the same high performance with a high level of clarity, comfort, and protection. However, brown lenses provide greater contrast in low light conditions and perform better on cloudy days.

Gradient lenses

The tint in Ray-Ban gradient sunglasses recedes from top to bottom, so the lenses are darkest at the top and gradually recede until there is no tint at the bottom. 

Therefore, the lenses offer complete clarity of vision and protection from harmful UV rays. These features make gradient lenses a great option for driving.

Thanks to its precise chemical immersion process, the plastic Ray-Ban sunglasses lenses attain a receding transition from a dark to light shade. 

In contrast, high vacuum processes make the crystal lens tinted on the back, allowing for smooth colour transitions.

Polarised lenses

Ray-ban polarised sunglasses have lenses that are fantastic for those who do a lot of sporting activities such as daytime fishing, skiing, mountaineering, hiking in snowy areas or even sunny highway driving, as it helps to reduce glare. 

Ray-Ban Polarised sunglasses only allow light to enter the lens vertically and block any light that reflects from a horizontal surface such as light bouncing off water or a field of snow. These lenses are easily identifiable as they have a “P” following the lens logo.

Chromance lenses

Ray-ban Chromance is a revolutionary new lens technology for those who love colour. All Ray-Ban Chromance lenses intensify colour as well as recognition which gives the perception of brighter and more vibrant colour.

The lenses enhance contrasts, filter harmful UV rays and eliminate glare as well as reflections. As a result, Ray-Ban chromance lenses can sharpen your visual field, optimise vision and improve your experience. 

They meet the demand of a fast-paced urban lifestyle and are perfect for challenges faced in a sporting environment.

Mirror lenses

The mirror coating applied to this lens makes your Ray-Ban sunglasses look like small mirrors, a feature that not only looks great but also has major functional benefits. 

The Ray-ban mirrored sunglasses coating is made by fusing superheated metal oxides to the lens at a molecular level to ensure a uniform layer. 

Reflective lenses block sun glare while providing a strong colour contrast in order to help your vision remain clear and crisp. Additionally, the mirror coating hides your eyes so that they are not visible through any reflective lenses which gives you a unique look.

5 Tips for Buying the Right Eyeglasses for Your Child

Home ⁄
Home ⁄
Ask now

Ask our dispensing opticians

Ask now

5 Tips for Buying The Right Eyeglasses for Your Child

kids eyeglasses

Choosing the perfect pair of children’s eyeglasses frames can be a stressful ordeal. 

Having options is great, but when there are so many different frames and lens materials to choose from, it can be overwhelming to say the least. 

Not to mention, you can’t forget the importance of eye protection, long-term durability, and warranties.

To help you on your quest of finding the right kids’ prescription glasses, here are a few easy tips and things to think about when finding the perfect pair. 

Firstly, it is important to get a thorough eye exam from a children’s eye doctor in order to get the right prescription in the first place. This will then determine the best type of glasses for your needs.

The thickness of the glasses’ lenses will depend on your child’s prescription. Stronger prescriptions need thicker lenses and weaker prescriptions can be corrected easily with thinner lenses. 

However, thicker lenses tend to be heavier and need to be fitted with frames that can protect them properly.

When it comes to frames, both plastic and metal (wire) frames are durable. In recent years, many eyewear manufacturers have begun to duplicate adult eyewear designs into children’s glasses. 

That means you may even be able to find a mini-version of your own pair of glasses for your little one.

After you’ve found the perfect frames, the next step is choosing lenses. When it comes to kids’ eyeglasses frames, polycarbonate lenses are highly recommended. They are extremely durable, scratch-resistant and offer excellent optics. 

Not to mention, they have built in protection against harmful UV radiation and can be made for any eye prescription.

It’s wise to stay away from glass lenses as these can easily break and cause serious eye damage.

Protection and improved vision are the most important factors when choosing glasses for children. If you are going through the process of finding glasses that your child will take care of and love to wear, paying attention to comfort is key. 

Of course, you want your child to feel good and enjoy wearing their glasses – otherwise it will be very difficult to get them into the routine of wearing them.

Take safety and UV protection into consideration, but don’t forget to listen to your child’s opinions. After all, they will be the ones wearing the glasses every day and should feel comfortable and happy in their glasses. 

If your child has an interest in contact sports, it may be a good time to invest in a pair of kids eyeglasses for sports. 

Although regular polycarbonate lenses are durable enough, normal prescription glasses frames do not hold up so well when subjected to trauma. 

Sports goggles like this range from PROGEAR offer that little bit of extra protection and strength while providing the same great vision as normal prescription glasses.

And there you have it! Hopefully these tips will come in handy when you’re choosing the perfect glasses for your children. At SmartBuyGlasses, we offer several of the best-selling kids’ eyeglasses brands convenient models from value brand SmartBuy Kids.

Arise Collective™ Clarity prescription lenses

SmartBuyGlasses offers groundbreaking durability, pristine clarity and perfect vision – all in the same lenses. 

Arise Collective™ Clarity prescription lenses are made for the everyday wearer, but also offer advanced protection making them suitable for any adventure.

The Arise Collective™ Clarity lens collection comes packed with protective elements to provide you with an unbeatable pair of prescription glasses. 

From scratch-resistant and anti-reflective coatings to UV 400 and superhydrophobic protection, these lenses are guaranteed to keep your eyes comfortable in any situation.

These lenses are also aspheric, making them thinner and lighter than many other prescription lenses. These high-performing, durable lenses feature innovative lens technology that provides optimal clarity and comfort in the urban jungle.

zFORT® blue light blocking glasses

Blue light is a potentially harmful form of light. While it is naturally emitted by the sun, electronic devices (upon which we’re spending more and more time every day) are also high-level producers. 

Blue light rays at a wavelength between 415nm – 455nm can damage your retinal cells, which may lead to premature eye ageing and vision problems in the future.

Our exposure to these harmful light rays may also cause a range of other health problems, including poor sleep (according to a 2012 Harvard Medical School study). 

Find out more about how to protect your eyes from blue light with anti blue light glasses from zFORT®.

Discover more than 180 designer eyewear brands and over 80,000 pairs of sunglasses and glasses for the best prices online at SmartBuyGlasses. Offering game-changing technology, buying glasses online has never been easier. 

With the help of our Virtual Try-On tool, you can virtually trial thousands of pairs of eyewear from our selection!

What are Plano Lenses?

Home ⁄
Home ⁄
Ask now

Ask our dispensing opticians

Ask now

What are Plano Lenses?

What are they? |
What do they mean? |
Plano vs demo lenses |
What are they used for? |
Do you need them
By Caitlin Biwer
Reviewed by Sharlene Mckeeman
Sharlene Mckeeman

Reviewed by

Sharlene Mckeeman
Sharlene is a qualified dispensing optician with over 7 years optical experience, a member of the Association of British Dispensing Opticians and registered with the General Optical Council.
Updated On Apr 27, 2023
Discover why plano lenses are great for the workplace, sports, or to provide a realistic aesthetic to your look!
woman with plano lenses
SUMMARY

Plano lenses are eyeglasses lenses that don’t offer any vision correction.

They are generally used for aesthetic, safety and eye health reasons.

Glasses have many benefits, even if you have perfect vision. In this article, we will explain plano lenses, demo lenses, and the difference between plano lenses and prescription lenses. 

Discover why plano lenses are great for the workplace, sports, or to provide a realistic aesthetic to your look!

What are Plano lenses?

Not all glasses require corrective lenses, and when this occurs, glasses can be fitted with two types of non-prescription lenses: demo or plano lenses. 

Furthermore, plano lenses are optical lenses that do not have any value power. Therefore, they do not help correct your vision. 

In the eyewear industry, plano-convex lenses are described as flat and do not refract or focus light through the lens. 

So if you have blurry vision, see double or can’t read the words right in front of you, then plano glasses are not going to help.

We recommend that you have an eye test to find out if you do not require any prescription to correct your vision. 

For example, you may need a prescription from your eye doctor to correct astigmatism to improve distance vision (progressive lenses) or you may even need a prescription suitable for reading glasses. 

If you notice any changes in vision or have not had an eye test with your doctor in two years, we recommend booking an appointment.

What does Plano mean on eye prescription?

The word plano is Latin for ‘flat’, and if this is found in the SPH section of your prescription, it means you do not require nearsighted or farsighted correction. 

You will know if you require plano lenses if your eye prescription refers to ‘plano’, ‘PL’ or ‘0.00’, found under the sphere box (SPH) measurement section.

DID YOU KNOW?

If 0.00 is written on your eyeglass prescription, this is equivalent to plano. This indicates that there is no refractive power and no corrective power is needed. Therefore, you do not have any distance problems with your sight, astigmatism or anything to be corrected.

What are demo lenses?

Another type of non-prescription is demo lenses, and they are mainly used for demonstration purposes, such as for glasses displays in retail stores. 

Demo lenses can help you understand what prescription glasses or sunglasses look like before you purchase them.

Plano vs demo lenses

Plano and demo lenses are not the same and should not be confused. Plano lenses are often made from CR39 lens material and are thicker than demo lenses. 

In addition to this, extra protective lens coatings can be added to a plano lens that can’t be added to demo lenses, like the following:

  • Anti-scratch coating
  • Blue light filter
  • Tinted lens coatings

Demo lenses are thinner, do not have any additional lens coatings, and sometimes also have printed brand labels on the lens. They are like a simulation of what the glasses can look like.

What are Plano lenses used for?

The various reasons why you’d want or need to wear plano glasses are:

  1. Aesthetic reasons: If you’re looking to change up your look, make a fashion statement, or add the finishing touch to your outfit, you might opt for plano lenses. They can be helpful in boosting a look or helping to frame an outfit without any vision correction.
  2. Safety reasons: In many workplaces, companies have to follow protective eyewear regulations to help prevent eye-related injuries. Safety glasses can help protect from hazardous elements such as chemicals. During the working day, you can also protect your eyes from glare or blue light emitted from digital devices with blue light glasses. Once you have chosen a pair of glasses you like, you can add blue light to them.
  3. Eye health issues: If you are blind in one eye or suffer from eye health issues, you may benefit from protecting your eyes with plano lenses.
Worker wearing safety Plano glasses

Do you need Plano lenses?

If you are looking for eyewear for any of the reasons mentioned previously, then you may need plano glasses. 

You can wear any style of glasses or sunglasses with plano lenses and benefit from protective lens filters, such as UV protection. Plano lenses in glasses can also serve as protective eyewear, whether or not you need vision correction or prescription lenses.

You can even find plano contact lenses. So what does plano mean in contact lenses? Plano contact lenses are the same as plano in glasses; they do not help correct visual impairments. 

Usually, plano-coloured contact lenses fall into this category of non-prescription contacts that people wear mostly for cosmetic purposes.

Wear Plano glasses

Don’t need prescription glasses but still want to benefit from the trends, styles and protective lens coatings that eyeglasses and sunglasses provide? Plano lenses are what you are looking for.

Eyewear with plano lenses does not have any power values for vision correction and can also be used as PPE (personal protective eyewear). 

Whether you need to protect your eyes at work, on holiday or simply want to look fashionable, you can try to wear plano lenses. 

You can find a variety of eyewear with quality protective filters to help correct vision or improve your look with SmartBuyGlasses.

We recommend visiting your local optometrist for an up-to-date prescription to ensure you do not require single-vision lenses or progressive lenses with corrective power. If you need some quick advice, contact our online optician!

How to Test Blue Light Glasses

Ask now

Ask our dispensing opticians

Ask now
Ask now

Ask our dispensing opticians

Ask now
Home ⁄
Home ⁄

How to Test Blue Light Glasses

Blue light explained |
Types |
Testing methods
By Ivana Yankova
Reviewed by Beck Jinnette​
Beck Jinnette​

Reviewed by

Beck Jinnette​
Beck has over 17 years of experience in eye care and holds her Certificate IV in Dispensing in Australia.
Updated On May 27, 2024
Discover the different types of blue light glasses and how to test their efficacy at-home.
man wearing blue light blocking glasses how to test them

In today’s world, people stare at digital screens every day, which can cause long-term damage to our eyes.

With hundreds of brands offering blue light blocking glasses, many people aren’t aware that their regular glasses may also have a blue light filter. How can we determine if they effectively block harmful blue light?

Thankfully, you don’t need to go to your local optometrist to find this out. Here we’ve gathered five different ways you can perform a blue light filter test from the comfort of your home.

What is blue light?

Before discussing the various at-home blue light tests, we need to learn what exactly blue light is.

Blue light is a type of light with a short wavelength and high energy that is emitted by digital screens, LED lights and the sun. 

Some blue light is natural and necessary for our well-being, but when blue light rays reach a wavelength between 415-455nm, they can hit the retina and have a detrimental effect on vision.

In this case, wearing blue light glasses can be an effective way to counteract the effect of this short-wavelength light, and protect your eyes in the long term. 

Different types of blue light-blocking lenses

At first sight blue light glasses can be distinguished by their lens colour. Understanding the differences between these lenses can help you choose the right ones for your needs.

Clear lenses

The most common type of blue light glasses – also known as blue light computer glasses – contain clear lenses.

These are especially useful when using your phone or laptop or while watching TV. They are perfect for daily use because they significantly relieve digital eye strain and improve sleep quality. 

Their subtle coating filters out 25-30% of all blue light while maintaining the natural colour of objects. 

woman wearing blue light blocking glasses with clear lenses

Yellow lenses

Yellow lenses are recommended for nighttime driving because of their ability to provide better contrast. 

They block 65-70% of all blue light and reduce glare from artificial light sources such as traffic lights and LED car headlights. 

woman wearing blue light glasses with yellow lenses

Orange & red lenses

Orange and red lenses offer the highest level of blue light protection. They filter out 99.5–99.9% of all blue light and can help improve sleep quality by minimising the disruption of the sleep hormone melatonin.

Using these glasses in the evening or before bedtime can reduce eye strain and fatigue, especially during prolonged periods of screen time.

In comparison with yellow lenses, blue light glasses with orange and red lenses are not suitable for nighttime driving. 

They can also cause colour distortion making objects appear slightly different in hue. This may not be ideal for tasks that require colour accuracy, such as graphic design or photo editing.

woman wearing blue light glasses with red lenses
DID YOU KNOW?

Not all coloured lenses effectively filter blue light; it’s the science behind the lens tint and coating that determines their efficacy in blocking harmful wavelengths.

Five ways to test blue light glasses

Testing blue light glasses doesn’t have to be complicated. 

With a few simple methods, you can ensure that your glasses effectively block blue light and provide the protection you need without the need of visiting the local optician.

1. Reflection test

This is a good initial test to determine your glasses’ authenticity. Hold your blue light glasses up to a light source and observe the reflection. 

If you spot a blue reflection on the lens surface, it indicates that they are effectively blocking blue light, though it doesn’t specify their level of blue light filtration. 

reflection test blue light blocking glasses screen

2. Pigment test

Hold your glasses up to a screen emitting white light, such as a computer screen with a white background. If the screen appears slightly yellow, it means that the glasses filter blue light.

pigment test blue light blocking glasses stop blue light rays

3. RGB colour chart test

Use a digital device to display an RGB colour chart. Put on your blue light glasses and observe the colours. 

If the blue light is effectively blocked, the blue section “B” should appear slightly darker or almost black and the green circle “G” should be a bit dimmed.

The image on the left represents a regular RGB colour chart, while the image on the right has been modified to simulate the results when using blue light lenses.

If you have true blue light filtering eyewear, both images will appear almost identical through your glasses.

RGB color chart test blue light blocking glasses

4. Black and blue circle test

Similar to the previous test, put on your blue light glasses and look at the black and blue circles. If the circles appear less bright and a dark grey colour, your glasses are working as they should.

black and blue circle test blue light blocking glasses

5. Spectrophotometer test

While the other methods are a great way to test your blue light blocking lenses and can be done at home, using a spectrophotometer is the best way to accurately and precisely measure how much blue light is being filtered.

The spectrophotometer test can be done in specialised labs or optical stores. The device will generate a spectrum report indicating the percentage of blue and green light blocked by your glasses, allowing you to assess their effectiveness.

spectrophotometer test spectrum report

Test not to use: blue light pen test

While there are many effective at-home tests, we advise you not to use a blue light pen to test your glasses.

The blue light test pen often accompanies blue light glasses imported from China and other local manufacturers.

This test kit typically includes a blue light pen and a small white card. The instructions claim that the pen emits blue light, and when shone on the card, it supposedly appears blue.

However, this test is fake because these pens emit violet light, not blue. Lab-grade spectrometers have confirmed that the wavelength of this light falls between 380-400nm, well within the violet light spectrum, while blue light ranges from 400nm to 500nm.

Glasses that pass the pen test filter violet light but do not block the harmful blue light emitted by LED screens.

Final thoughts

There are many blue light blocking glasses out there and before relying on them, we need to find out if they are really serving their purpose. 

By performing these simple tests, you can ensure that your blue light glasses are providing the protection you need to reduce eye strain and improve your overall eye health.

If you want to learn more about eye health, you can explore our Optical Centre and Lens Hub.