Single vision lenses are the most common type of lens found in prescription eyewear. They feature the same prescription across the entirety of the lens surface and can be tailored for distance, mid-range or close up vision. Bifocal lenses are typically distance lenses that include a distinctively cut semi-circle shaped area for close-range vision. Last, progressive lenses feature all three; distance, mid, and close-range vision, in specific areas across a smooth lens surface.
A Quick Overview
As mentioned above, single vision lenses are the most prevalent lens type and are what most people find themselves wearing when they first start to wear glasses. In fact, most of you won’t need to worry about bifocal or progressive lenses until you are 40 or older, which is a good thing!
When you get close to the age 40 milestone you may start to notice that reading or working on things up close becomes more and more difficult. As you age, you will begin to develop presbyopia which literally means “elder vision.” All that this means is the lens in your eye is starting to stiffen, which in turn makes it harder to focus on subjects closer to your face. This is when you might start to actually hold materials farther away from you to be able to focus on them more clearly.
This is where bifocals and progressive lenses come in. Both of these lenses essentially perform the same task but with a few major differences. Read on for highlights and key differences of single vision, bifocal, and progressive lenses (and links to our favorite brands and retailers for each).
Visual Comparison: Single Vision vs Bifocal vs Progressive Lenses
A Quick Comparison: Single Vision vs Bifocal vs Progressive Lenses
Single Vision Lenses Pros & Cons
Pros
Most affordable lens type.
Used to correct nearsightedness and farsightedness.
Typically no adjustment period needed to get used to.
Cons
Correction for only one vision depth, Either near or far.
Costs can rise surprisingly high depending on lens material & prescription strength.
Best For
Nearly anyone under the age of 40.
Those only needing to correct nearsighted or farsighted vision.
Ordinary over-the-counter reading glasses.
Costs
A broad range from $5 – $500 depending on lens material, index (thickness), lens coatings, and brands.
Bifocal Lenses Pros & Cons
Pros
The 2-in-1 lens provides both close-up & distance vision correction.
Cost effective solution for multiple vision depths.
Relatively cheap, especially compared to progressive lenses.
Cons
Distinct, non-discrete line & half circle shaped near vision lens.
Image jump when transitioning from distance to near vision & back again.
Best For
Anyone already wearing glasses & needing reading glasses as well.
Those that want vision correction for multiple depths at a reasonable price.
Someone who requires reading glasses but doesn’t want to purchase & carry a second pair.
Costs
Typically $20 – $50 more than single vision lenses.
Progressive Lenses Pros & Cons
Pros
The 3-in-1 lens provides near, mid, and long distance vision correction.
Eliminate the need to switch between multiple pairs of glasses.
No visible lines on the lens for a seamless transition between the 3 zones.
Cons
Adjustment period needed to train yourself on using the three different vision areas.
New users can feel dizzy or nauseous until they get used to them.
Considerably more expensive than single vision or even bifocal lenses.
Best For
Anyone that desires discrete vision correction for distance, near, and everything in between.
Those that want a seamless transition, no visible lines in the lens.
Someone who requires reading glasses but doesn’t want to purchase & carry a second pair.
Costs
Typically $50 – $500 more than single vision lenses.
Key Benefits
Benefits of Single Vision Lenses
Single vision lenses are the most common type of corrective lenses found in the world, and their obvious benefit is to help you see better. They are almost always the best choice for anyone under the age of 40 as it is quite uncommon but not impossible, to need reading glasses earlier than that. That said, there is much more to single vision lenses than just vision correction. Many decisions go into choosing the correct lens such as material, index (thickness), and special coatings.
Lens add-ons mentioned above are what can make single vision lenses both incredibly cheap and quite expensive at the same time. If you are someone like me with a relatively strong prescription, you will likely be forced into the higher index (thinner lenses) to keep lens weight and thickness more manageable. However, more durable materials paired with a higher index lens equates to a considerably higher price tag (more on this below).
Regardless, if you are working with a strict budget, and your prescription isn’t extremely strong, you can spec out a trendy pair of prescription glasses from many online retailers for a relatively low cost.
Single vision lenses are virtually always the most suitable choice for anyone under the age of 40. There are instances where young adults in their late 20’s to early 30’s have had the need for bifocals or progressive lenses, but it is extremely rare.
Benefits of Bifocal Lenses
Bifocal lenses represent the first step into the world of multifocal vision correction. What this means is that they provide the necessary vision correction to help you see multiple distances or depths. The regular prescription portion towards the top helps with distance like when driving a car, while the bifocal portion helps with close up vision, such as reading a book or menu.
They are typically reserved for, but not limited to, those that are near or over 40 years old. It’s around this age that you may start to experience presbyopia, known literally as “elder vision.” This simply means the lens in your eye is starting to stiffen making it harder to focus on things close up.
Bifocal lenses can be created for your glasses for a rather reasonable price tag. In fact, many online retailers include them as a standard option in place of single vision lenses. It’s equally important to note that many optical quality over-the-counter reading glasses can be found with bifocal lenses and can be purchased without a prescription*.
Benefits of Progressive Lenses
Think of progressive lenses as the Swiss Army knife of prescription glasses. The 3-in-1 multifocal lens eliminates the need for a separate pair of reading glasses while also correcting vision between distance and close up. They work by putting the distance vision (for things like driving) towards the top of the lens, the mid-range (working on a computer) in the middle and close up (reading) at the bottom.
Unlike bifocal lenses which contain a noticeable line and lenses for reading correction, the progressive lenses feature a completely smooth vision transition across the lens for absolute discretion. In other words, they won’t instantly age you because you can’t really distinguish them from single vision lenses.
One of the best things about progressive lenses is they all but eliminates the need for any other type of glasses. You can even find retailers that offer transition progressive lenses, albeit at an increased cost. This means the lens will automatically transition to sunglasses when enough UV light is present, essentially turning your 3-in-1 lens into a 4-in-1 lens.
Winner
It’s difficult to choose a clear winner here as the three lens types are for slightly different demographics. That said, if you are in search of glasses with multifocal vision correction, we think the progressive lenses are worth the added cost. Their seamless, discrete transition and smooth multifocal vision correction simply can’t be touched by bifocal lenses.
Key Drawbacks
Drawbacks of Single Vision Lenses
The key drawback to single vision lenses is right there in their name. They only correct for one vision depth, nearsightedness or farsightedness. For most people, especially the more youthful population, this is the only vision correction they need. However, for anyone else beginning to experience difficulty while reading or working on a computer, you will be forced to find another solution. This usually includes buying a second pair of glasses or new lenses for your current frames.
Furthermore, single vision lenses can be had for very inexpensively if necessary. However, if you are someone that has a strong prescription, astigmatism, or you want ultra lightweight lenses, the costs can ramp up significantly. For example, if you have a strong prescription, your lenses will be much thicker than those with a more mild prescription.
This means you will likely need to go to a higher index (thinner) lens to bring the weight and thickness of the lens to a more manageable size. Skipping this step could lead to severe lens distortion or even make your lens incompatible (too thick) with your frames.
Drawbacks of Bifocal Lenses
The drawbacks of bifocal lenses are also, ironically, their defining feature. They do a great job of helping to correct both near and far vision, but not in the smoothest way. The noticeable line and half-circle sphere of the bifocal portion creates an abrupt transition from distance to reading vision which can take some getting used to.
It isn’t uncommon for new users to need an adjustment period to get accustomed to bifocal lenses and the visual image jump they can cause when transitioning. That said, the adjustment period is typically short and considerably easier than adjusting to progressive lenses.
Last, bifocal lenses will hit your wallet a little harder than single vision lenses. You can expect to spend anywhere from $30 – $50 more for bifocal lenses online compared to single vision lenses and even more from your local optician.
Drawbacks of Progressive Lenses
The smooth transitioning, multifocal characteristics of progressive lenses are genuinely great, but they come with a substantially higher price tag than their two counterparts discussed above. There is virtually no way around this as progressive lenses are, more or less, digitally engineered to provide seamless vision from near to far.
It must be noted, however, that even though progressive lenses provide a clean transition between the 3 separate fields of depths, they aren’t perfect across the entire lens. If you look at the example image of a progressive lens above, you’ll notice that the field of vision narrows considerably as you progress from distance down to reading before it slightly opens up again at the very bottom.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that progressive lenses significantly reduce peripheral vision in the lower right and left portions of the lenses. This is by design, however, as these blurry areas are necessary to achieve their seamless transition down the center of the lens.
It is this specific design that requires users to move their head left to right and up and down to view things at different depths. Getting used to this is what takes time and can actually make some people nauseous until they become accustomed.
Winner
Focusing on Bifocals vs Progressive
Despite fewer features, we think bifocal lenses represent a more sensible choice for most people. Yes, progressive lenses perform better and feature seamless multifocal vision, but they achieve this at a significantly larger cost when compared to bifocals.
Let us explain. Our particular concern would be spending way more to purchase progressive lenses only to find out we could never fully adjust to wearing them. That said, most online retailers and local opticians will allow a warranty or lens replacement period to ensure you are happy with your glasses, but it’s one more thing to deal with.
If your lenses have a warranty and you can handle the heftier price, then we would recommend progressive lenses every time, hands down.
Lens Cost
Costs of Single Vision Lenses
certainly looks scary, but you can routinely find glasses with single vision lenses from $15 – $100 every day. There are numerous online retailers offering their own brands and the top eyewear brands in the industry for very fair prices.
Costs of Bifocal Lenses
Bifocal lenses are actually priced reasonably, given their multifocal characteristics. Most online retailers will swap in bifocals for $30 – $50 more than single vision lenses. Prices will likely climb much higher should you choose to purchase lenses through your local eye clinic.
Costs of Progressive Lenses
Progressive lenses are considerably more expensive than both single vision and bifocal lenses. This is primarily due in part to their unique engineering which creates seamless, multifocal vision across the surface of the lens. You can expect to pay $50 – $300 more for these lenses online and even more from a brick and mortar optical store or clinic.
Winner
Single Vision, Bifocals
Single vision lenses will almost always be less expensive than bifocals, and bifocals will practically always be less expensive than progressive lenses. If you are looking to get into a pair of multifocal glasses as cheap as possible, then we recommend bifocals over progressive lenses. If you desire the very best that multifocal lenses have to offer, then progressive lenses are what you want.
Choosing The Best For You
As you have probably noticed by now, the great lens debate doesn’t exactly begin until you have the need to move on to either bifocals or progressive lenses. Once you get to that point, you will mostly need to make a decision based on the performance of each lens versus their cost.
Once more, bifocals will introduce you to multifocal lenses as inexpensively as possible, while progressive lenses will provide you significantly better performance. Assuming you can get used to wearing them every day.
If you need help getting started, check out the lists of our favorite online eyewear retailers and brands to get you going. We break down some of the industries best brands and hottest upstarts to help you find the perfect pair of prescription glasses that will make both you and your wallet happy!
To learn more, check out our comprehensive guides on bifocals and progressive lenses.
*While it’s possible to purchase over-the-counter (OTC) reading glasses without a prescription, we still recommend getting an annual eye exam to ensure you are maintaining proper vision health.
Also, note that OTC reading glasses should only be used with a lens magnification of +3.00 or less. Anything stronger and we recommend visiting your eye doctor to get their recommendation before purchasing.
High Index lenses are thinner, stronger, and more versatile than standard eyewear lenses. They are made from extremely durable plastic and are regarded as the best lenses you can get for your prescription glasses. Their key benefits include lighter weights and much thinner lens construction which improves fit and clarity. What Are High index lenses? [...]
Shopping for your next pair of glasses or sunglasses can be surprisingly overwhelming. With so many choices, including which brand and price to style and material, the options seem almost infinite. One of the most common questions I encounter regarding eyewear is centered around the frame's material. More specifically, I am usually asked, “What is [...]
Take it from us, wearing the correct goggles when hitting the slopes or launching into your local terrain park can make all of the difference in the world. Choosing snow goggles with the most appropriate features for your specific needs and conditions can not only greatly improve your visibility but also ensure that your eyes [...]
It’s typically something that comes with aging but the need for reading glasses can creep up on all of us faster than we want to believe. Perhaps you have noticed yourself straining to peruse a menu or your favorite book. Maybe you started to develop eye strain more frequently or experience headaches while working on [...]
Single Vision vs Bifocal vs Progressive Lenses – Ultimate Guide 2021
A Quick Overview
As mentioned above, single vision lenses are the most prevalent lens type and are what most people find themselves wearing when they first start to wear glasses. In fact, most of you won’t need to worry about bifocal or progressive lenses until you are 40 or older, which is a good thing!
When you get close to the age 40 milestone you may start to notice that reading or working on things up close becomes more and more difficult. As you age, you will begin to develop presbyopia which literally means “elder vision.” All that this means is the lens in your eye is starting to stiffen, which in turn makes it harder to focus on subjects closer to your face. This is when you might start to actually hold materials farther away from you to be able to focus on them more clearly.
This is where bifocals and progressive lenses come in. Both of these lenses essentially perform the same task but with a few major differences. Read on for highlights and key differences of single vision, bifocal, and progressive lenses (and links to our favorite brands and retailers for each).
Featured Topics:
A Visual Comparison: Single Vision vs Bifocal vs Progressive Lenses
Pros & Cons: Single Vision vs Bifocal vs Progressive Lenses
Benefits of Single Vision, Bifocal, & Progressive Lenses
Drawbacks of Single Vision, Bifocal, & Progressive Lenses
Costs of Single Vision, Bifocal, & Progressive Lenses
Choosing The Best Lens For You
Visual Comparison: Single Vision vs Bifocal vs Progressive Lenses
A Quick Comparison: Single Vision vs Bifocal vs Progressive Lenses
Single Vision Lenses Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Best For
Costs
Bifocal Lenses Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Best For
Costs
Progressive Lenses Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Best For
Costs
Key Benefits
Benefits of Single Vision Lenses
Single vision lenses are the most common type of corrective lenses found in the world, and their obvious benefit is to help you see better. They are almost always the best choice for anyone under the age of 40 as it is quite uncommon but not impossible, to need reading glasses earlier than that. That said, there is much more to single vision lenses than just vision correction. Many decisions go into choosing the correct lens such as material, index (thickness), and special coatings.
Lens add-ons mentioned above are what can make single vision lenses both incredibly cheap and quite expensive at the same time. If you are someone like me with a relatively strong prescription, you will likely be forced into the higher index (thinner lenses) to keep lens weight and thickness more manageable. However, more durable materials paired with a higher index lens equates to a considerably higher price tag (more on this below).
Regardless, if you are working with a strict budget, and your prescription isn’t extremely strong, you can spec out a trendy pair of prescription glasses from many online retailers for a relatively low cost.
Single vision lenses are virtually always the most suitable choice for anyone under the age of 40. There are instances where young adults in their late 20’s to early 30’s have had the need for bifocals or progressive lenses, but it is extremely rare.
Benefits of Bifocal Lenses
Bifocal lenses represent the first step into the world of multifocal vision correction. What this means is that they provide the necessary vision correction to help you see multiple distances or depths. The regular prescription portion towards the top helps with distance like when driving a car, while the bifocal portion helps with close up vision, such as reading a book or menu.
They are typically reserved for, but not limited to, those that are near or over 40 years old. It’s around this age that you may start to experience presbyopia, known literally as “elder vision.” This simply means the lens in your eye is starting to stiffen making it harder to focus on things close up.
Bifocal lenses can be created for your glasses for a rather reasonable price tag. In fact, many online retailers include them as a standard option in place of single vision lenses. It’s equally important to note that many optical quality over-the-counter reading glasses can be found with bifocal lenses and can be purchased without a prescription*.
Benefits of Progressive Lenses
Think of progressive lenses as the Swiss Army knife of prescription glasses. The 3-in-1 multifocal lens eliminates the need for a separate pair of reading glasses while also correcting vision between distance and close up. They work by putting the distance vision (for things like driving) towards the top of the lens, the mid-range (working on a computer) in the middle and close up (reading) at the bottom.
Unlike bifocal lenses which contain a noticeable line and lenses for reading correction, the progressive lenses feature a completely smooth vision transition across the lens for absolute discretion. In other words, they won’t instantly age you because you can’t really distinguish them from single vision lenses.
One of the best things about progressive lenses is they all but eliminates the need for any other type of glasses. You can even find retailers that offer transition progressive lenses, albeit at an increased cost. This means the lens will automatically transition to sunglasses when enough UV light is present, essentially turning your 3-in-1 lens into a 4-in-1 lens.
Winner
It’s difficult to choose a clear winner here as the three lens types are for slightly different demographics. That said, if you are in search of glasses with multifocal vision correction, we think the progressive lenses are worth the added cost. Their seamless, discrete transition and smooth multifocal vision correction simply can’t be touched by bifocal lenses.
Key Drawbacks
Drawbacks of Single Vision Lenses
The key drawback to single vision lenses is right there in their name. They only correct for one vision depth, nearsightedness or farsightedness. For most people, especially the more youthful population, this is the only vision correction they need. However, for anyone else beginning to experience difficulty while reading or working on a computer, you will be forced to find another solution. This usually includes buying a second pair of glasses or new lenses for your current frames.
Furthermore, single vision lenses can be had for very inexpensively if necessary. However, if you are someone that has a strong prescription, astigmatism, or you want ultra lightweight lenses, the costs can ramp up significantly. For example, if you have a strong prescription, your lenses will be much thicker than those with a more mild prescription.
This means you will likely need to go to a higher index (thinner) lens to bring the weight and thickness of the lens to a more manageable size. Skipping this step could lead to severe lens distortion or even make your lens incompatible (too thick) with your frames.
Drawbacks of Bifocal Lenses
The drawbacks of bifocal lenses are also, ironically, their defining feature. They do a great job of helping to correct both near and far vision, but not in the smoothest way. The noticeable line and half-circle sphere of the bifocal portion creates an abrupt transition from distance to reading vision which can take some getting used to.
It isn’t uncommon for new users to need an adjustment period to get accustomed to bifocal lenses and the visual image jump they can cause when transitioning. That said, the adjustment period is typically short and considerably easier than adjusting to progressive lenses.
Last, bifocal lenses will hit your wallet a little harder than single vision lenses. You can expect to spend anywhere from $30 – $50 more for bifocal lenses online compared to single vision lenses and even more from your local optician.
Drawbacks of Progressive Lenses
The smooth transitioning, multifocal characteristics of progressive lenses are genuinely great, but they come with a substantially higher price tag than their two counterparts discussed above. There is virtually no way around this as progressive lenses are, more or less, digitally engineered to provide seamless vision from near to far.
It must be noted, however, that even though progressive lenses provide a clean transition between the 3 separate fields of depths, they aren’t perfect across the entire lens. If you look at the example image of a progressive lens above, you’ll notice that the field of vision narrows considerably as you progress from distance down to reading before it slightly opens up again at the very bottom.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that progressive lenses significantly reduce peripheral vision in the lower right and left portions of the lenses. This is by design, however, as these blurry areas are necessary to achieve their seamless transition down the center of the lens.
It is this specific design that requires users to move their head left to right and up and down to view things at different depths. Getting used to this is what takes time and can actually make some people nauseous until they become accustomed.
Winner
Focusing on Bifocals vs Progressive
Despite fewer features, we think bifocal lenses represent a more sensible choice for most people. Yes, progressive lenses perform better and feature seamless multifocal vision, but they achieve this at a significantly larger cost when compared to bifocals.
Let us explain. Our particular concern would be spending way more to purchase progressive lenses only to find out we could never fully adjust to wearing them. That said, most online retailers and local opticians will allow a warranty or lens replacement period to ensure you are happy with your glasses, but it’s one more thing to deal with.
If your lenses have a warranty and you can handle the heftier price, then we would recommend progressive lenses every time, hands down.
Lens Cost
Costs of Single Vision Lenses
certainly looks scary, but you can routinely find glasses with single vision lenses from $15 – $100 every day. There are numerous online retailers offering their own brands and the top eyewear brands in the industry for very fair prices.
Costs of Bifocal Lenses
Bifocal lenses are actually priced reasonably, given their multifocal characteristics. Most online retailers will swap in bifocals for $30 – $50 more than single vision lenses. Prices will likely climb much higher should you choose to purchase lenses through your local eye clinic.
Costs of Progressive Lenses
Progressive lenses are considerably more expensive than both single vision and bifocal lenses. This is primarily due in part to their unique engineering which creates seamless, multifocal vision across the surface of the lens. You can expect to pay $50 – $300 more for these lenses online and even more from a brick and mortar optical store or clinic.
Winner
Single Vision, Bifocals
Single vision lenses will almost always be less expensive than bifocals, and bifocals will practically always be less expensive than progressive lenses. If you are looking to get into a pair of multifocal glasses as cheap as possible, then we recommend bifocals over progressive lenses. If you desire the very best that multifocal lenses have to offer, then progressive lenses are what you want.
Choosing The Best For You
As you have probably noticed by now, the great lens debate doesn’t exactly begin until you have the need to move on to either bifocals or progressive lenses. Once you get to that point, you will mostly need to make a decision based on the performance of each lens versus their cost.
Once more, bifocals will introduce you to multifocal lenses as inexpensively as possible, while progressive lenses will provide you significantly better performance. Assuming you can get used to wearing them every day.
If you need help getting started, check out the lists of our favorite online eyewear retailers and brands to get you going. We break down some of the industries best brands and hottest upstarts to help you find the perfect pair of prescription glasses that will make both you and your wallet happy!
To learn more, check out our comprehensive guides on bifocals and progressive lenses.
Related Posts
High Index Lenses & Glasses – Ultimate Buyer’s Guide 2021
Acetate Glasses vs Plastic Glasses – Ultimate Guide 2021
Ultimate Ski & Snowboard Goggles Buyers Guide 2021
How to Know if You Need Reading Glasses – Signs & Symptoms