Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate became a popular choice in the 1980s with its light weight design, thinness, superior impact resistance and built-in UV protection. Polycarbonate lenses should always be recommended for children, teenagers and individuals with active lifestyles, for safety and sport eyewear. Its natural UV filter is another reason why polycarbonate lenses should be recommended for children. Offering UVA/UVB protection to children has been shown to help prevent vision problems in the future, such as cataracts and macular degeneration.

Advantages

• 25% thinner than plastic
• Impact resistant
• Absorbs 100% of UVA/UVB
• Standard for drilled rimless frames

Disadvantages

• Does not lend itself to tinting as well as CR-39 lenses
• Lower ABBE value can result in chromatic aberration which causes fringes of color around an image. Proper fitting and choosing an aspheric design can minimize this effect. Anti-reflective coatings can also minimize this effect.