I have been wearing glasses for as long as I remember, probably five years old. I know this because I remember being the only one in my kindergarten wearing spectacles. And in Primary One, I was one of three kids who had glasses on in the primary school class photo. In those days, myopia was less prevalent among children than today.
So you can say I have lived with shortsightedness for a long time and I know glasses and contact lenses very well. Well, these days, I also have to contend with age-related longsightedness, or Old Flower Eyes, and I have been wearing progressive glasses for some years too.
When Essilor, the makers of Crizal lenses asked if we would like new glasses for the whole family, I said sure thing, because both the younger two kids finally needed glasses and the wife also finally admitted to needing reading glasses too. Faith, my oldest, has perfect eyesight at the moment (phew!).
As a family, we visit our family optician at Crystal Optics nearby so that's where we went. I don't optician-hop because it's important to work with folks who know your needs beyond your prescription.
Max, who works there, knows us very well now and takes really good care of us.
I am not new to Crizal lenses. I have used them for my most recent progressive glasses and they are awesome. Scratch-, dust-, water- and smudge-resistant, and significantly reduced glare… what is not to like? I also found out they had UV protection, something I have been concerned with as I ride my bicycle to work in the sun often, and I don't wear sunglasses.
It seems that dark tinted sunglasses do not necessarily block out ultraviolet (UV) rays better than light tinted lenses, and that our eyes are still susceptible to harmful UV rays indoors.
As with most parents, I had used cheaper glasses for my kids because we think A) they always lose or spoil them and B) their prescription changes often. But this time, we were going to try better lenses with better coatings, especially for UV, for them.
We have never done glasses for the whole gang at one go before so it was quite an adventure. Usually, it's just one of us who came to make glasses. So it took a while longer than usual as we picked out frames that suit our faces and that we liked. Each of us also had a full eye test, particularly important for me because I was making progressive lenses that can help me see both far and near.
Nothing makes a man feel more uncle than having to make progressive lenses but hey, at least they don't have lines anymore.
I am told my Crizal progressive lenses are the latest generation, with better optics for near field vision. On a daily basis, I look at all kinds of stuff, from the computer (that's one distance), to an iPad (another distance), to an iPhone (the smallest of the lot and the nearest I read). So a pair of glasses had better be designed to help me shuttle between these reading distances.
I also wear the same glasses to ride outdoors, sometimes in the rain. Again, water running off the lenses help with the vision, and at night, reduced glare is my best friend.
So you can understand how much I appreciate a good pair of glasses and why I am always willing to pay a little more for quality. I have another pair of glasses being made for home/office use too. This other pair of Nikon progressives are designed for medium to near field use, like from iPhone to computer. Maybe I will share that with you when they are done.
I think the family is pleased with the new glasses. Now my mission is to ensure the kids know how to take care of their eyes better, and their new glasses too.
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Sponsored message:
Essilor has launched a campaign to support UNICEF’s work in detecting and addressing the needs of children with disabilities, including vision impairments, and will donate $1 for every Essilor Crizal UV lens sold by all optical shops in Singapore participating in the "Essilor supports UNICEF operation".
