Lens material is one of the most crucial choices consumers make when customizing their glasses. Trivex stands out as a premium option, offering a unique combination of durability, lightweight comfort, and exceptional optical performance.
Trivex is a plastic material commonly used to manufacture protective and prescription eyewear. Let’s discover what sets Trivex apart from other plastic materials.
The military initially engineered the Trivex lens material to create a visual armor for use in personal protective equipment. This technology was further developed and adapted by PPG Industries to provide the optical industry with a high-powered, high-performance plastic material. Trivex now stands as an industry leader when it comes to balancing superior optical quality, protection, and aesthetic appearance.
Trivex offers optimal correction for prescriptions within the range of +2.00 D to -3.00 D, making it well-suited for over 85% of customers. Trivex’s combination of strengths is ideal for a diverse range of applications, including sportswear and protective gear, as well as office and driving eyewear.
Trivex is an ultra-lightweight material, ensuring maximal comfort for the wearer. This versatile plastic material also fits most frame types, including rimless and semi-rimless styles. Trivex lenses are inherently 100% UV resistant, whether clear or tinted. Anti-reflective coatings are encouraged to achieve peak optical quality.
Trivex is an outstandingly resilient material. Scratch-resistant and highly durable, Trivex is perfect for active individuals. Trivex can also tolerate extreme temperatures without cracking or warping.
Their impact resistance makes them popular choices for children, sportswear, and those working in hazardous or high-activity environments. However, their tensile strength benefits lifestyles, protecting eyewear from the unexpected breakage, abrasions, and damage that accompanies everyday activities.
Trivex offers stunning visual clarity with an Abbe value* of 43. Trivex reduces chromatic aberration, minimizing blurring and distortion in peripheral vision and eliminating glowing “halos” around lights.
* Abbe value is the measure of a lens material’s dispersion of light into disparate wavelengths and is used industry-wide as an indicator of optical quality.
Trivex and polycarbonate are two popular, high-quality lens materials. Both are highly durable, UV-resistant materials that are lightweight and comfortable to wear. However, there are distinct differences between the two.
Trivex has an Abbe value of 43, which is far higher than polycarbonate’s Abbe value of 30. This means Trivex gives wearers notably clearer vision than polycarbonate lenses. However, polycarbonate’s refractive index** of 1.586 is higher than Trivex’s index of 1.53. This will result in thicker lenses in high-prescription glasses. Trivex is also more expensive than polycarbonate, though the superior optical quality justifies the cost for many consumers.
CR-39, another plastic lens material, is cheaper than both Trivex and polycarbonate. It also has the highest Abbe value of any plastic material. However, it lacks the impact resistance of the other two materials, making it ill-suited for activewear. CR-39 also has the lowest index out of all plastic materials, resulting in much thicker and less comfortable frames.
** The refractive index indicates how the speed of light changes when traveling between mediums by dividing the speed of light in a vacuum by the speed of light in a specific lens material.
Trivex derives its name from its trio of impressive offerings: its remarkable durability, lightweight nature, and powerful optical performance. Due to its unique balance of quality, protection, and comfort, Trivex is widely considered the premium lens material option.
| 1. | Easier on lab equipment: Trivex offers a high-powered plastic that is far less tough on lab machinery than other plastic materials, like polycarbonate. Trivex is cast molded, while polycarbonate material is injection molded. |
| 2. | High-quality option for active customers: By manufacturing Trivex, your lab offers consumers a high-quality material that matches their active lifestyle. Trivex’s shatter resistance, comfort, and optical precision make it ideal for children, athletes, and on-the-go professionals. |
| 3. |
Versatility and compatibility: Trivex is a material perfect for the majority of applications and prescriptions, including progressives, office, driving, photochromatic, and safety eyewear. Trivex is compatible with many frame designs, including rimless (drill-mount) and semi-rimless (supra) styles.
|
| 1. | Lightweight: Trivex is a naturally lightweight material, making it comfortable for end users. |
| 2. | Optical clarity: Trivex minimizes imperfections like distortions and chromatic aberrations and provides clear and sharp optics. |
| 3. | Tensile strength: Trivex is tailored to be highly impact-resistant and scratch-resistant, and unlikely to shatter, even on high impact. |
Add stylish comfort and reliable durability to your sports lens portfolio with IOT’s Endless Sports Progressive lenses. The performance strengths of Trivex combined with our Sports Progressive’s precise focus and virtually panoramic vision promise unmatched clarity for all your adventures.
Our technology integrates seamlessly with Trivex to deliver lenses that meet modern optical demands, including photochromic and anti-reflective coatings. Contact our team to learn about our industry-leading lens design technologies, all available in Trivex and other plastic materials.