How to get prescription glasses online

How to Buy Your Glasses Online

At SmartBuyGlasses, you can buy prescription glasses online from the comfort of your home. When it comes to your prescription eyeglasses, extra precaution matters. Follow these simple steps to buy prescription glasses online.

Step 1: Get Your Prescription

The process to buy prescription eyeglasses online still involves a visit to the optometrist (unless you’re looking for plano glasses or reading glasses). Your doctor is responsible for clearly identifying your vision problems, writing a prescription, explaining technical terms, and addressing your eye care needs.

For custom-made eyeglasses, you can also seek the services of opticians. They’re able to measure your pupillary distance (PD) to determine the exact placement of the centre of the lenses for accuracy. Knowing your PD (and getting it verified by a professional) is a key step in getting yourself some prescription lenses that really work.

SmartBuyGlasses’ Revolutionary Lens Scanner App

You can now measure your pupillary distance online with SmartBuyGlasses’ Lens Scanner, available on the App Store and Google Play. This app will help you save time and money when buying a new pair of glasses.

The application allows you to get your current prescription details free of charge within minutes without having to go to an eye doctor. The Lens Scanner is also a pupillary distance measurement app, so you will get all the details you need to buy a new pair of prescription eyeglasses.

Here are a few benefits of using the Lens Scanner app to measure pupillary distance online:

– The application is totally free.

– It’s fast and hassle-free as you can get it done in only 5 to 10 minutes.

– You can get your own prescription anywhere and at any time.

– It’s an FDA listed application.

– You can immediately start shopping for a new pair at SmartBuyGlasses!

Step 2: Get the Right Frame

Frame Shape

The eyeglasses of your choice should complement your face and highlight your favourite facial attributes. Before you buy eyeglasses online, you should get to know your face shape a little better. You’ll know if your face is oval, round, square, diamond, or heart shape by simply looking in the mirror. Then, you can check out this guide – it’s packed full of our recommendations for suitable eyewear!

Frame Size 

While considering eyeglasses frame sizes for fashion, it’s best to determine the correct measurements for your face. Big frames can make your face look smaller, while small frames can make your face look bigger. Too loose, your eyeglasses might slip off, while too narrow might cause improper blood flow and discomfort!

If you have an old pair of eyeglasses that suit you well, you can check the measurements engraved at the temples. It’s worth taking into account that your glasses, over time, will also ‘break in’ and become more comfortable – so don’t be discouraged if that cool new pair that you’ve just bought feels a little small.

Frame Materials

Eyeglasses frames are made of plastic, acetate, metal, wood, and titanium. Well-known brands such as Persol and Tom Ford are known for their premium materials – but that’s not the only route to consider when buying glasses online. We’re talking about SmartBuy Collection or Arise Collective. They’re also made from high-quality materials but come at a much easier price point. Check them out!

Frame Colours

Once you’ve decided on your new frames’ shape, size, brand, and materials, you can proceed to choose the best colour for you. Most of the time, the designs that you know and love are available in a wide range of colours. Have a look at Ray-Ban Wayfarers, for example.

Step 3: Enter Your Prescription to Choose Lenses and Coatings

Once you’ve decided on the frames, you can submit your prescription at checkout. At SmartBuyGlasses, you can do it manually each time you purchase or upload it to our system so we can quickly ship you the glasses you need without you having to worry about tracking those evasive prescriptions

down. Your prescription may mean you must have single-vision or multi-vision lenses. However, you can still decide the lens materials and thickness at checkout. Check out this lens index chart to find out which one is most suitable for your vision correction needs!

Step 4: More Information

At SmartBuyGlasses, there’s a whole world of designer sunglasses, designer eyeglasses, and more available from the comfort of your home. You’ve got a key part of your prescription to hand, meaning you’ll be far more informed when it comes to buying eyewear online. 

Speaking of being more informed, check out our Optical Center. We’ve got hundreds of articles, ranging from contact lens queries to eye care tips- all at your fingertips. We also have a wonderful “Ask The Optician” section where you can ask any burning questions you may have. You can get expert-led advice about a range of topics from our in-house optician team.

Read up on the facts? Good. It’s time to pick up some unreal deals from SmartBuyGlasses. We thought we’d introduce you to a couple of our favorite ranges below.

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.

Simply choose any frames you like, enter your prescription and select Arise Collective™ Clarity for your lens type. Let’s get started!

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 aging 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®.

Sorry, we could not find the following product IDs in our database: 414064. Please check and use correct values.

How to Buy Your Glasses Online


At SmartBuyGlasses, you can buy prescription glasses online from the comfort of your home. When it comes to your prescription eyeglasses, extra precaution matters. Follow these simple steps to buy prescription glasses online.

Step 1: Get Your Prescription

The process to buy prescription eyeglasses online still involves a visit to the optometrist (unless you’re looking for plano glasses or reading glasses). Your doctor is responsible for clearly identifying your vision problems, writing a prescription, explaining technical terms, and addressing your eye care needs.

For custom-made eyeglasses, you can also seek the services of opticians. They’re able to measure your pupillary distance (PD) to determine the exact placement of the centre of the lenses for accuracy. Knowing your PD (and getting it verified by a professional) is a key step in getting yourself some prescription lenses that really work.

SmartBuyGlasses’ Revolutionary Lens Scanner App

You can now measure your pupillary distance online with SmartBuyGlasses’ Lens Scanner, available on the App Store and Google Play. This app will help you save time and money when buying a new pair of glasses.

The application allows you to get your current prescription details free of charge within minutes without having to go to an eye doctor. The Lens Scanner is also a pupillary distance measurement app, so you will get all the details you need to buy a new pair of prescription eyeglasses.

Here are a few benefits of using the Lens Scanner app to measure pupillary distance online:

– The application is totally free.

– It’s fast and hassle-free as you can get it done in only 5 to 10 minutes.

– You can get your own prescription anywhere and at any time.

– It’s an FDA listed application.

– You can immediately start shopping for a new pair at SmartBuyGlasses!

Step 2: Get the Right Frame

Frame Shape

The eyeglasses of your choice should complement your face and highlight your favourite facial attributes. Before you buy eyeglasses online, you should get to know your face shape a little better. You’ll know if your face is oval, round, square, diamond, or heart shape by simply looking in the mirror. Then, you can check out this guide – it’s packed full of our recommendations for suitable eyewear!

Frame Size 

While considering eyeglasses frame sizes for fashion, it’s best to determine the correct measurements for your face. Big frames can make your face look smaller, while small frames can make your face look bigger. Too loose, your eyeglasses might slip off, while too narrow might cause improper blood flow and discomfort!

If you have an old pair of eyeglasses that suit you well, you can check the measurements engraved at the temples. It’s worth taking into account that your glasses, over time, will also ‘break in’ and become more comfortable – so don’t be discouraged if that cool new pair that you’ve just bought feels a little small.

Frame Materials

Eyeglasses frames are made of plastic, acetate, metal, wood, and titanium. Well-known brands such as Persol and Tom Ford are known for their premium materials – but that’s not the only route to consider when buying glasses online. We’re talking about SmartBuy Collection or Arise Collective. They’re also made from high-quality materials but come at a much easier price point. Check them out!

Frame Colours

Once you’ve decided on your new frames’ shape, size, brand, and materials, you can proceed to choose the best colour for you. Most of the time, the designs that you know and love are available in a wide range of colours. Have a look at Ray-Ban Wayfarers, for example.

Step 3: Enter Your Prescription to Choose Lenses and Coatings

Once you’ve decided on the frames, you can submit your prescription at checkout. At SmartBuyGlasses, you can do it manually each time you purchase or upload it to our system so we can quickly ship you the glasses you need without you having to worry about tracking those evasive prescriptions

down. Your prescription may mean you might be required to have single-vision or multi-vision lenses. However, you can still decide the lens materials and thickness at checkout. Check out this lens index chart to find out which one is most suitable for your vision correction needs!

Step 4: More Information

At SmartBuyGlasses, there’s a whole world of designer sunglasses, designer eyeglasses, and more available from the comfort of your home. You’ve got a key part of your prescription to hand, meaning you’ll be far more informed when it comes to buying eyewear online. 

Speaking of being more informed, check out our Optical Center. We’ve got hundreds of articles, ranging from contact lens queries to eye care tips- all at your fingertips. We also have a wonderful “Ask The Optician” section where you can ask any burning questions you may have. You can get expert-led advice about a range of topics from our in-house optician team.

Read up on the facts? Good. It’s time to pick up some unreal deals from SmartBuyGlasses. We thought we’d introduce you to a couple of our favourite ranges below.

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.

Simply choose any frames you like, enter your prescription and select Arise Collective™ Clarity for your lens type. Let’s get started!

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 aging 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®.

Sorry, we could not find the following product IDs in our database: 414064. Please check and use correct values.

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Prescription Safety Glasses Buying Guide

Prescription Safety Glasses Buying Guide

Prescription safety glasses are a brilliant way of protecting yourself and your vulnerable eyes on the go. We’ve compiled a guide to the ins and outs of prescription safety glasses, as well as given a couple of pointers for where to buy them.

How Do Safety Glasses Work?

Safety glasses are built on a fairly simple concept: protecting the eyes as much as possible. This is generally done by covering or sealing the areas surrounding your eyes (like with wraparound prescription safety glasses or prescription safety glasses with side shields). Usually made from polycarbonate or other durable plastics, safety glasses are a brilliant way to defend your eyes from irritants like chemicals or sawdust. While they’re usually seen in laboratories or factories, the recent pandemic has created a new level of demand, allowing for a more diverse, competitive range of safety glasses on the market, e.g. prescription bifocal safety glasses.

Prescription Safety Glasses for Work

Different jobs have different requirements for personal protective equipment (PPE). Some activities may require side shields, goggles or even full face protection. In every country, there will be regulations in place to help determine which type of safety eyewear is most appropriate. As a rule of thumb, jobs like carpentry, plumbing or machine work will require face protection; if you need a prescription anyway, purchasing prescription safety glasses is really important for your own (and your colleagues’) health and safety.

Prescription Safety Glasses for Sport

If you’re a prescription glasses wearer and you regularly take to the field, you should really consider prescription safety glasses like these from Progear. Having your full vision available could be key to winning a match or event – plus, there’s no risk of them falling off and breaking; the vast majority have elasticated head straps. If they were good enough for professional sportsmen like Edgar Davids, you can bet they’ll help you out in games.

Prescription Safety Glasses: COVID-19

Since the start of 2020, people have rightfully been paying more attention to protective gear in casual or public settings. To slow the spread of COVID-19, the prevailing advice is to cover your ‘mucus membranes’ – i.e. your mouth and nose – with a face mask. However, your eyes are still a very accessible point of entry for coronavirus. By switching from regular prescription glasses to prescription safety glasses (or even just using safety glasses that fit over prescription glasses like these), you can further take measures to protect yourself in high-risk settings.

Safety Glasses and Face Coverings from SmartBuyGlasses: Best Prescription Safety Glasses

Now that you’ve read about the necessity of safety glasses for different purposes, it’s important to know where to get prescription safety glasses online. At SmartBuyGlasses, we sell a range of cheap prescription safety glasses and face masks – you can see if there’s anything you like by clicking here – we recommend these Salice safety glasses.

If you’re interested in knowing more about protective eyewear, read our guide to face shields here. Or, browse our selection of eye health content here.

Sorry, we could not find the following product IDs in our database: 414064. Please check and use correct values.

Prescription Safety Glasses Buying Guide

With lockdowns being lifted around the world, millions of prescription glasses wearers will be eager to spend more time outside in the coming weeks. As well as wearing masks, prescription safety glasses are a brilliant way of protecting yourself and your virus-vulnerable eyes on the go. We’ve compiled a guide to the ins and outs of prescription safety glasses, as well as given a couple of pointers for where to buy them.

How Do Safety Glasses Work?

Safety glasses are built on a fairly simple concept: protecting the eyes as much as possible. This is generally done by covering or sealing the areas surrounding your eyes (like with wraparound prescription safety glasses or prescription safety glasses with side shields). Usually made from polycarbonate or other durable plastics, safety glasses are a brilliant way to defend your eyes from irritants like chemicals or sawdust. While they’re usually seen in laboratories or factories, the recent pandemic has created a new level of demand, allowing for a more diverse, competitive range of safety glasses on the market, e.g. prescription bifocal safety glasses.

Prescription Safety Glasses for Work

Different jobs have different requirements for personal protective equipment (PPE). Some activities may require side shields, goggles or even full face protection. In every country, there will be regulations in place to help determine which type of safety eyewear is most appropriate. As a rule of thumb, jobs like carpentry, plumbing or machine work will require face protection; if you need a prescription anyway, purchasing prescription safety glasses is really important for your own (and your colleagues’) health and safety.

Prescription Safety Glasses for Sport

If you’re a prescription glasses wearer and you regularly take to the field, you should really consider prescription safety glasses like these from Progear. Having your full vision available could be key to winning a match or event – plus, there’s no risk of them falling off and breaking; the vast majority have elasticated head straps. If they were good enough for professional sportsmen like Edgar Davids, you can bet they’ll help you out in games.

Prescription Safety Glasses: COVID-19

Since the start of 2020, people have rightfully been paying more attention to protective gear in casual or public settings. To slow the spread of COVID-19, the prevailing advice is to cover your ‘mucus membranes’ – i.e. your mouth and nose – with a face mask. However, your eyes are still a very accessible point of entry for coronavirus. By switching from regular prescription glasses to prescription safety glasses (or even just using safety glasses that fit over prescription glasses like these), you can further take measures to protect yourself in high-risk settings.

Safety Glasses and Face Coverings from SmartBuyGlasses: Best Prescription Safety Glasses

Now that you’ve read about the necessity of safety glasses for different purposes, it’s important to know where to get prescription safety glasses online. At SmartBuyGlasses, we sell a range of cheap prescription safety glasses and face masks – you can see if there’s anything you like by clicking here – we recommend these Salice safety glasses.

If you’re interested in knowing more about protective eyewear, read our guide to face shields here. Or, browse our selection of eye health content here.

Sorry, we could not find the following product IDs in our database: 414064. Please check and use correct values.

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Ask now

Anti-glare Glasses

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Anti-glare Glasses

anti glare glasses

Did you know that standard lenses transmit around 91% of light to the eye? The rest is lost due to surface reflections. Anti-glare glasses help solve that problem. 

If you didn’t know the role played by reflection when wearing prescription glasses and are not sure whether or not to get anti-glare glasses, this article will help you understand better.

What are anti-glare glasses?

Lens coatings are significant because they are vital in providing durable and long-lasting lenses for your eyeglasses. 

Unfortunately, not everyone knows the different types of lens coatings you can choose from; or worse, some don’t even know such protective layers exist.

Lens coatings enhance the lens performance of your glasses whether you wear single-vision, bifocal, or progressive lenses.  

One of the lens coatings you can choose from is anti-glare coatings, also called anti-reflective coating. 

These lenses are provided with a microscopic multilayered coating that eliminates glare and reflections from the back and front of your eyeglass lenses. As a result, it helps with clearer vision.

What does anti-glare do on glasses?

Thanks to the coating, anti-glare glasses reduce the light reflecting off the lenses, resulting in more light passing through and having more clarity. 

Not only will you be able to see better, but the glasses will also help with surface reflections and give you greater visual performance

Anti-glare glasses benefits

There are more benefits to anti-reflective glasses than you might think; here are some of the advantages of choosing anti-glare coatings: 

  1. Improved vision while driving at night, which results in being more aware and in control while driving.
  2. Better clarity when working in front of a screen.
  3. Less visual fatigue caused by reflections. 
  4. Your eyes are more visible, which helps with eye contact and looking better in photos. 
  5. If you wear glasses all day every day, anti-reflective coating gives the most natural visual experience and places less strain on your eyes.

Disadvantages of anti-glare glasses

There are also a few disadvantages when getting anti-glare glasses, including the increased need for cleaning. After getting your pair of anti-glare glasses, you might want to clean them more often because anti-glare glasses highlight dirt or dust. 

This also happens with scratches, which means glasses must be handled with extra care. To learn more on how to properly take care of your glasses, check out our tutorial below.

benefits and disadvantages

Do I need anti-glare on my glasses?

Anti-glare coating is not mandatory, but it is advised as it enhances the overall performance of your glasses. Not only will you have clearer vision, but you will also look better and struggle less while doing your everyday activities.

Can you add anti-glare to glasses after purchase?

No, anti-glare cannot be added to your lenses after the purchase. 

If you need to decide whether or not to add anti-glare coatings to your glasses because of the price, remember there are many affordable online options that let you add an anti-glare coating to your lenses without breaking the bank.

Are anti-glare and blue light glasses the same

No, anti-glare and blue light glasses are not the same, as they are two types of coatings and are designed for different purposes. 

AG coatings are designed to increase the amount of light passing through the lenses, while blue light glasses are designed to block the blue light coming off screens. 

Blue light block can be added as an additional coating to your lenses when purchasing your glasses.

How to care for glasses with anti-glare coating

As mentioned above, anti-glare glasses might need to be handled with more care than regular glasses. To make sure your glasses are always cared for properly, remember to: 

  • Store the glasses in their protective case when you’re not wearing them.
  • Always use a microfiber cloth during the cleaning process.
  • You also might want to use an optical spray.

Remember to avoid cleaning your glasses with shirts or chemical cleaners, as this might be damaging to your glasses.

Digital Eye Strain

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How to Recognise and Prevent Digital Eye Strain

eye strain

In today’s world, our lives revolve around digital screens. We spend hours a day looking at them. Whether it’s working online, studying, watching TV or scrolling through Social Media, our eyes hardly ever get a break. 

Over 50% of the population, including menwomen and children, suffer from digital eye strain and screen fatigue. 

There’s no denying that our world is shifting to even more screen time with work and school moving online. As adults and children now spend an average of 8 hours a day looking at digital screens, it’s our job to take care of our eye health. 

Unfortunately, there is no avoiding this issue, but there are things we can do to prevent eye damage and strain. 

It’s essential to take our eye health seriously, just like we do for our physical and mental health. If you’re worried about your vision or someone close to you, keep reading to find out more about digital eye strain, the symptoms and ways to avoid it.

What is digital eye strain?

Digital eye strain, also known as Computer Vision Syndrome, is an unfortunate eye and vision issue caused by digital screen use. Over the last few decades, these issues have become more common. 

If you use a computer or digital gadget for an extended amount of time, you most likely suffer from symptoms whether you realise it or not. Digital eye strain is common in children and adults and can lead to severe effects if left untreated. 

Digital eye strain can be caused by concentrating on reading text on a computer screen or digital device, which causes more strain than reading a book. Other causes of digital eye strain include: 

  • Screen glare
  • Inadequate lighting in your external environment – either too bright or too dark
  • Inadequate lighting on your digital screen itself
  • Poor posture while using a digital device
  • Using a digital device too close or far from your eyes
  • Uncorrected/detected eye vision needs
  • Less frequent blinking than usual when using a digital device
  • Extended exposure to blue light emitted from digital screens 
  • Infrequent breaks from your digital devices

Digital eye strain symptoms

Computer Vision Syndrome and digital eye strain can be highly unpleasant, resulting in painful physical symptoms. The good news is that if you take the necessary steps to address the problems, you’ll be able to improve them quickly.

The symptoms of digital eye strain can include any of the following:

infographic symptoms

Digital eye strain treatments

Changes in your everyday behaviours and environment are generally enough to treat digital eye strain. To improve or eliminate your eyestrain symptoms, try the recommendations listed below. 

  • Find the correct prescription glasses or contact lenses that fit your needs

Prescription glasses or contact lenses suggested for general use may not be adequate for computer work. Prescription lenses to match your visual needs for computer viewing may be required. You can use unique lens designs, lens powers, tints and coatings to improve your eyesight and comfort.

  • Rest your eyes with the 20-20-20 rule 

Follow the 20-20-20 rule to give your eyes a well-deserved rest. The 20-20-20 rule is an easy exercise that you can implement everywhere. 

Every 20 minutes, give your eyes a 20-second rest by focusing on something 20 feet away. Repeating this throughout the day will help with eye fatigue and soreness. 

  • Make sure your posture and computer position is correct

If your job is computer-based or you study online, ensure you have the ideal posture and computer position. Your screen should be 4-5 inches below your eyesight and 20-28 inches away from your eyes. 

Sitting upright with a well-supported back is vital. Add a footrest to support your feet and back to increase comfort. 

infographic position
  • Ensure your lighting works for you

Brightness and glare from direct sunlight can affect what you see on your screen. Try to relocate your monitor, close your curtains or shades to fix these issues and experiment with your screen settings. 

Increasing your font size and adjusting your screen to the warmer end of the colour spectrum can help alleviate the effects of Computer Vision Syndrome. 

  • Try some blue light blocking lenses

Add blue light blocking lenses to your prescription glasses. What are blue light glasses, you ask? These lenses can be added to any glasses easily and will help reduce eye strain and fatigue caused by digital devices. 

But how do blue light glasses work? The blue light glasses work by blocking the amount of harmful blue light rays emitted from your digital devices. By wearing a pair of these glasses, you’ll improve headaches, eye strain and even your sleep. 

Use your digital devices with ease

Now that you know what digital eye strain symptoms to look out for and how to treat your screen fatigue at home, you’ll be able to use all of your digital devices pain-free. Make sure you get regular eye checkups to keep your eye health in check. 

For more information, you can always ask our optician any questions you may have when shopping online with us at SmartBuyGlasses.

Strabismus

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Strabismus or Crossed Eyes

strabismus

Strabismus, or crossed eyes, is a condition where one of your eyes is misaligned – i.e. it looks in the wrong direction. 

There are multiple forms of strabismus; one eye can be inward (esotropia, “crossed eyes” or “cross-eyed”), outward (exotropia or “wall-eyed”), upward (hypertropia) or downward (hypotropia).

Strabismus can be constant or intermittent. The misalignment might always affect the same eye (unilateral strabismus), or both your eyes may take turns being misaligned (alternating strabismus).

To prevent double vision (also known as diplopia) from genetic and childhood strabismus, the brain ignores the misaligned visual input, which typically leads to amblyopia or “lazy eye” in the affected eye.

Strabismus symptoms

The primary sign of strabismus is a visible misalignment of the eyes, with one eye facing in, out, up, down or at an oblique angle.

Typically, constant strabismus does not cause symptoms like eye strain and headaches as there is practically no attempt by the brain to straighten the eyes. 

Because of this, large-angle (extreme) strabismus usually causes severe amblyopia in the misaligned eye if left untreated.

Less noticeable cases of small-angle strabismus are more likely to cause disruptive visual symptoms, especially if the strabismus is intermittent or alternating. 

In addition to headaches and eye strain, symptoms may include an inability to read comfortably, fatigue when reading and unstable vision. If small-angle strabismus is constant and unilateral, it can lead to significant amblyopia in the misaligned eye.

Newborns often have intermittent crossed eyes due to incomplete vision development, but this usually disappears as the infant grows and the visual system continues to mature. 

Most types of strabismus, however, do not disappear as a child grows.

What causes strabismus?

Each eye has six external muscles, called the extraocular muscles, that control eye position and movement. For normal vision, the position, function and control of these muscles for both eyes must be coordinated perfectly.

Strabismus occurs when there are problems that interfere with the control and function of the extraocular muscles. The problem may originate in the muscles themselves, or in the nerves or vision centers in the brain that control binocular vision.

Genetics can also play a role: If you or your partner has strabismus, your children have a greater risk of developing strabismus as well.

What to expect after strabismus surgery

Your eyes will be red and somewhat sore after strabismus surgery. You will probably see some blood in the surgical area, usually toward the corners of the eye. This is to be expected and is equivalent to a small bruise.

Any broken blood vessels in the eye and general eye redness should fade within two to three weeks. You may feel like there is something in your eye, but this sensation will subside. Usually you can resume normal activities within a few days.

Children younger than 10 will very likely need a second or third strabismus procedure to maintain the best possible eye alignment. 

In some cases, eyeglasses or special lenses (prisms) placed in a pair of glasses may help to coordinate the way the eyes work together.

How long does double vision last after strabismus surgery?

During the first few days after surgery, eye alignment is a good indicator of the final outcome. 

However, more permanent results may not be known until a few weeks after surgery. You may experience double vision throughout this period, but it should not persist after a successful operation.

Folding Reading Glasses- No More Bulky Specs Cases

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Folding Reading Glasses - No More Bulky Specs Cases

folding glasses

Folding reading glasses merge the convenience of folding glasses and the benefits of reading glasses. Let’s take a deeper look into how they make our lives easier.

Folding glasses are designed to fold in half at the nose bridge for convenient storing. If you have small bags or are looking to keep your glasses in your car, then foldable glasses are a great option. 

Foldable glasses also make for a great pair of backups. No one wants to drag around two pairs of glasses in case something happens to their original pair. However, with a pair of foldable glasses, being extra cautious is no longer an inconvenience. 

You can be sure that you are always prepared without dealing with your second pair taking up extra space. 

Reading glasses can help the wearer to see or read objects in close range such as small text, mobile phones, and computer screens. As one approaches the age of 40, they may develop symptoms of presbyopia. 

This is when the crystalline lenses in your eyes become less flexible and hence, make you struggle to focus on text up close. 

 Now, you’ll be able to read small texts and see small objects without having to squint or feel self-conscious in social contexts. 

Folding reading glasses are especially convenient to have around. Often, those who wear reading glasses don’t wear them all the time. Typically, cheap reading glasses are used for reading small print or text on the computer. 

Whether you wear traditional reading glasses or computer reading glasses, you could benefit from having a conveniently transportable pair. After all, you never know when you might need them. 

Who needs folding reading glasses?

With foldable reading glasses, you don’t have to carry around a bulky case just for reading a menu at a restaurant or reading a text from your phone screen. You want to be able to pop your glasses on and off without having the carry-around hassle. 

That’s where folding reading glasses come in. They are easily considered the best reading glasses by some simply for their practicality. 

After all, the whole point of over-the-counter reading glasses is that they’re a convenient alternative to prescription glasses

What strength reading glasses do you need?

Since presbyopia is of a progressive nature, we suggest starting out with low powered reading glasses for patients in their 40s and high powered lenses for those in their 60’s.

 Glasses with +1.00 power are considered to be of low strength and have relatively lesser magnification, whilst those with +3.50 are considered to be high power lenses.

If you’ll be using reading glasses primarily while using the computer, we advise choosing a lower reading glass power. A lower reading glass power is used when the viewing distance is longer. 

In contrast, if you’ll be using reading glasses to see objects that are very close or very small, you’ll need stronger strength lenses with higher magnification than what the age-based reading glasses power chart would recommend.

Generally speaking, if there are two reading glasses between which you can’t choose, it’s better to select the ones with lower power because more often than not, reading glasses that are too strong may cause more discomfort than the weaker powered ones.

Best folding reading glasses

When it comes to ordering prescription reading glasses online, the process is rather simple. With SmartBuyGlasses you can shop from over 180 designer brands and match your frames to your personal prescription.

If top-notch quality and timeless sleekness are what you’re after, check out folding reading glasses by Porsche Design. Crafted with stainless steel and high tech polyamide, these reading glasses are tough on durability and light in weight.

If you like the idea of convenient foldable reading glasses, you’ll love foldable sunglasses! 

Like reading glasses, most people don’t wear their sunglasses all day and they spend the majority of the time taking up space in your car or bag. 

However, just like reading glasses, there are endless benefits of wearing sunglasses and when you need them, you need them. 

That’s why foldable sunglasses are just as great as folding reading glasses! Read more about Persol lens technology here.

Men’s folding reading glasses

With SmartBuyGlasses you can also search our prescription folding reading glasses by Persol, a leading designer brand. 

When you order the Persol PO9714VM folding reading glasses all you have to do is add your reading glasses’ prescription at check out. 

It’s really as simple as that! And now you have your prescription folding reading glasses ready to be delivered directly to your door. What’s more, these are the ultimate mini folding reading glasses that are so sleek that they’ll fit in your pocket!

Order Kids Glasses Online

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What Do You Need in Order to Buy Kids’ Glasses

kids glasses

When buying kids eyewear it is especially important that you choose the best possible design and quality in order to assure optimal eye health and comfort to your child. 

However, buying glasses online can always feel a little like a lottery, you haven’t tried them on so you aren’t sure if they will fit or suit your face shape, and without holding them in your hands you can’t get a feel for their weight or robustness. 

For this reason, we have put together a series of tips that you will need to take into consideration when buying your kids glasses online, to ensure that you get the best glasses for your child.

How should glasses fit on a child?

A child’s glasses frame should fit right into the eye socket from top to button and shouldn’t expand down the kid’s cheek. If a child is wearing a frame like this, it will cause unnecessary weight on the nose.

However, it’s no secret that children are growing. In relation to buying kids glasses and fitting glasses, this means that there may be a problem with kids glasses frames sliding down their noses. 

This can cause exasperation and discomfort for your child. The solution to this is to either buy kids glasses with metal frames and adjustable nose pads or plastic kids’ glasses frames with specifically moulded bridge parts.

Plastic has always been the traditional option as it is viewed as more durable and less expensive. 

However, modern metal children glasses frames now offer similar levels of resistance for comparable prices, as well as the extra feature of offering cable temples, which are sturdier and reduce the chances of kids glasses sliding or falling off.

The PD or pupillary distance

The PD is the distance between the centre of each pupil. It’s crucial when fitting glasses correctly as it affects the way your child’s glasses lenses are positioned in their frames, and so will impact the accuracy of your child’s vision correction. 

In some extreme cases, not having the correct PD measurement can result in dizziness, headaches, and blurred vision.

All opticians measure this distance so it will most likely be noted on your child’s prescription. If it is not however, then you can either, revisit the optician and ask him to take the measurement for you.

Lens thickness and materials

The thickness of the lens is dictated by the strength of your child’s prescription glasses. The higher the prescription (ie. the more vision correction needed), then the thicker the lenses will be. 

Your optician is best placed to advise you on the optimum lens thickness for your child’s prescription glasses. Be aware that due to recent advances in technology, many lens makers can now “slim down” lenses that once needed to be very thick.

The material of the lens should also be carefully considered. Traditional glass lenses have now given way in the most part to high quality plastic and polycarbonate lenses. 

Whilst you can still buy glass lenses, they are not advisable for children’s glasses due to obvious safety reasons, as well as being a much heavier material. 

For children, trivex and polycarbonate lenses are usually recommended as they are lighter than plastic or glass lenses, and much more durable and impact-resistant. This allows for longer lasting comfort. 

So when buying kids glasses online always make sure you know the material of the lens you are purchasing.

Warranties

Many online optical retailers have warranty plans in place that cover damaged or broken eyewear at little to no cost. 

If your child is very young, or a first time glasses wearer, it’s recommended that you look into the warranty plans of each provider before you decide to buy. 

Check that it includes all the services you are looking for, e.g. lens replacement or free scratch repair. It could save you a lot of money in the future.

Spring hinges

A lifesaver for those whose children are slightly more “rough and tumble”. Spring hinges are glasses whose temples are fitted with springs at the hinges in order to provide more flexibility when the temple is moved back and forth. 

They increase resistance and durability and minimize expensive temple repair costs. They ensure flexibility in the arms of the glasses and don’t snap and break as easily as regular hinges.

Back up pairs

There is always the possibility that the worst happens and your child’s glasses break beyond repair (even beyond a “scotch tape and string” job). 

Therefore it’s highly recommended to have a pair of back-up kids glasses that are stored away and used only when necessary. 

Many optical companies offer great value with their in house brands, which means that an extra pair of glasses doesn’t have to be an expensive option. SmartBuyGlasses has a wide range of low priced, quality frames in their SmartBuy collection.

Single Vision Glasses

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Which Glasses are Best for Single Vision?

single vision lenses

If errors in the refractive power of your eyes have led to vision problems, single vision lenses may be the solution. 

This type of lens has one single lens power across the whole surface of the lens, and allows the light refraction to be redistributed correctly, resulting in clear vision. This is the “typical” type of glasses, opposed to bifocals, trifocals or multifocals. 

What are single vision lenses?

For glasses wearers that are still young, single vision lenses will correct the vision of those who are nearsighted or farsighted. However, a common vision development with age is presbyopia. 

If you have this condition, you will most likely require glasses for both long and short distances. This means that either two pairs of glasses with single vision lenses or one pair with multi-focal lenses is necessary. 

Single vision lenses typically have a constant curvature throughout the interior surface, which means that peripheral vision is negatively affected. 

However, with the introduction of aspheric single vision lenses, which reduce peripheral vision distortion, this problem is much less severe.

When do you need single vision lens glasses?

This type of lens is used for a range of activities, for instance reading or driving if you have farsighted or nearsighted vision. 

If you feel your natural vision is getting blurry, it may be time to consider prescription glasses or contact lenses. For an official diagnosis, you should consult a specialist.

Seasonal Allergies

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How to Deal with Seasonal Allergies and Itchy, Puffy Eyes

seasonal allergies

Seasonal allergies, also known as “hay fever,” are allergies that pop up during certain times of the year, usually due to increased amounts of pollen in the air. 

Symptoms of hay fever include sneezing, runny nose, itchy throat, ear congestion, and watery and puffy eyes. Wearing a pair of glasses while outdoors, eyedrops, and finding contact lens alternatives could help to prevent some of these symptoms.

Best sunglasses for hay fever

Having the right pair of glasses could result in hay fever relief. The best sunglasses that you can wear for hay fever treatment are wrap around glasses frames. This is because the wrap-around lens stops pollen from getting into the eyes from all angles.

Another pair of sunglasses that could help with your hay fever allergy are over-sized frames. Over-sized sunglasses cover more surface area, protecting your eyes from pollen and other particles in the air that cause seasonal allergies.

Finally, you might also want to consider titanium-frames if you suffer from allergies. Titanium is a hypo-allergenic metal that will be more delicate on people with sensitive skin.

What helps contact lens wearers with hay fever

Sometimes, people may get anti-allergenic eye drops to help protect against seasonal allergies. However, many soft contact lenses don’t allow for this form of hay-fever treatment. 

One way to fight this is to consider daily-disposable contact lenses. With daily-disposable lenses you are wearing a fresh pair every day, to ensure no pollen or other harmful substances have remained on your lenses.

Another solution for contact wearers who suffer from hay fever is to switch to prescription sunglasses while outdoors. This will ensure that you are still getting optimal vision while also protecting your eyes from pollen in the air.

When working or playing sports outdoors

If you have seasonal allergies and work outdoors, especially in the garden, you should consider wearing a pair of safety goggles. Safety goggles are one form of hay-fever treatment that protects your eyes at all angles with a tight seal.

When playing sports outdoors, you should always wear protective sports sunglasses or sports goggles. Sports sunglasses will protect your eyes while outdoors and can also be fit with your prescription to offer optimal vision. 

If you suffer from hay fever, always make sure that your sunglasses have a proper UV coating, as sun rays can make symptoms of seasonal allergies worse.