After the age of 40, when our eyes start to lose their ability to focus on near objects (known as presbyopia), single-vision glasses can be used to help with reading and close-up tasks

Are single-vision glasses right for me?

If you only need glasses for one type of vision, your optician may prescribe single-vision glasses to you. People under 40 usually have this type of lens as they’re more likely to have just one type of visual requirement.

If you’re presbyopic, you may need to have separate glasses for separate things, such as one pair for seeing far away, like when you’re driving, and one pair for close-up tasks, like reading.

Your optician will be able to recommend the best lens option to suit your needs.

What does single vision distance mean?

Single vision distance means that the lens only has one focal length.

So for example, if you couldn’t see the TV from the sofa on the other side of the room, you’d need a pair of glasses that had a single-vision prescription for distance vision in it so that you could see it clearly. 

Or if you find your vision is blurry when you’re reading a book, you’d need a single-vision prescription for near distance to make your up-close vision clearer.

Can you wear single-vision glasses all the time?

If you’re comfortable, then there’s no reason why you can’t wear your glasses as much as you want. There are some myths about this, with some people believing that wearing glasses all the time will damage your eyes, making them worse when you take them off – but this is just a myth. This is the same for all vision types, including glasses for long-sightedness, short-sightedness and astigmatism.

There are times when it’s better to take them off, like sleeping or high-impact sports, and for extra UV protection, you might want to try out some prescription sunglasses or reactions lenses to help keep your eyes protected when you’re outdoors

FAQs

How do single vision lenses work?

Single-vision lenses have one uniform prescription across the entire surface, precisely shaped to correct your vision for a single focal distance (long-sightedness or short-sightedness), ensuring light focuses sharply on your retina for clear sight at that specific range.

What is the difference between single-vision and progressive lenses?

Single-vision lenses correct vision for one distance only across the entire lens. In contrast, progressive lenses (also known as varifocals or multifocals) offer multiple vision corrections seamlessly blended into one lens, providing clear sight at distance, intermediate, and near ranges without lines.

What is the difference between single-vision and varifocal lenses?

Single-vision lenses provide a correction to only one vision type, whereas varifocal lenses are lenses that have multiple corrections within the one lens, in different sections. Varifocal lenses are suitable for people with presbyopia (typically over the age of 40)

What is the difference between single-vision and bifocal lenses?

Single-vision lenses have one prescription. Whereas bifocal lenses have a distinct line in the lens where the two prescriptions vary – the upper part is to correct distance vision and the lower part is to correct close vision. Bifocal lenses are suitable for people with presbyopia (typically over 40) who need a separate prescription for reading.

What is the difference between single-vision and occupational lenses?

An occupational lens is a generic name given to a lens that holds different vision types (usually two that can be used for a person’s job or lifestyle. They’re more suited to people over the age of 40, who are starting to experience presbyopia (a natural change in the eyes that makes it harder to focus on close things). Single-vision lenses only have one lens power and are more suited to people under 40, who are more likely to struggle with just one vision type

Bifocal lenses
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Varifocal lenses
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SuperBoost lenses
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SuperSingle vision lenses
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