LENS CATEGORY

ZEISS Single Vision lenses

  • An image of illustrated single vision lenses against a colorful background.
  • UV protection up to 400 nm – even in your clear eyeglasses.
  • Better vision near or far – with optics tailored to your needs.
  • Thin and light lenses for good looks and comfort.

We go beyond the basics.

Single vision might be the most common of all corrective lenses, but they can be optimised to suit your specific needs. See clearly through more of your glasses with ZEISS Single Vision lenses.

Your single vision prescription.

Single vision lenses have one optical prescription to correct vision at one distance. If you’re long-sighted and struggle to see up close, you will have a plus (+) prescription. If you’re short-sighted and need help seeing in the distance, your prescription will contain a minus (-). The strength of your glasses is measured in diopters – the higher the number, the more correction your vision needs.

The + means you require vision correction near. A convex lens is needed with 1.5 diopters of strength will help you see clearly up close.
A plus prescription and a convex lens to bend light
The - means you require vision correction far. A concave lens with 3 diopters of strength will clear things up in the distance.
A minus prescription and a concave lens to bend light
It means you have astigmatism. CYL refers to its severity and AXIS to its position.
A prescription with numbers in the CYL and AXIS column
An image slider showing a conventional lens on the left, with distortions in the periphery, compared to a premium lens on the right that has clear undistorted vision throughout the lens.
An image slider showing a conventional lens on the left, with distortions in the periphery, compared to a premium lens on the right that has clear undistorted vision throughout the lens.
An image slider showing a conventional lens on the left, with distortions in the periphery, compared to a premium lens on the right that has clear undistorted vision throughout the lens.

Forget you’re wearing glasses.

Opt for premium optics.

How can one single vision lens be better than another if they have the same prescription? The answer lies in their optical design and through how much of the lens you’ll have clear, undistorted vision.
Premium lenses offer more points of customisation: Distortions on the side can be minimised without compromising their thickness and weight. Quality optics won’t only make you see better, but you’ll also look and feel better with thin and light lenses.

Any questions?

  • Single vision glasses are the most common lens type. They have only one prescription power throughout the entire lens and correct one field of vision – near or far. They’re prescribed for people who are short-sighted (myopic) or long-sighted (hyperopic), and can also be used to correct astigmatism to see clearly in the distance and close up.   

  • Single vision lenses have just one optical prescription and correct only one field of vision. If you need either distance glasses or reading glasses, your optician will prescribe single vision lenses.

    Progressive lenses have multiple prescriptions in one lens to correct near, intermediate and distance vision. They’re a common choice for people over 45 who have trouble focusing from far away to up close due to the natural aging of their eyes. These lenses, also called varifocals, require you to look through different parts of the lens to see clearly at different distances.   

  • They are! Single vision lenses have either a plus or minus prescription. A plus indicates the need for near vision correction while a minus indicates the need for distance vision correction. In case you wanted to know: Lenses without any prescription are called Plano lenses.

  • For sure! While some people choose to wear their single vision glasses only when needed – like for reading or driving – you can wear them all day. If however you notice any discomfort while wearing your single vision glasses, your optician might recommend a purpose-made second pair like ZEISS Office lenses.

  • There are a few ways to find out.

    1. Look through them: If your vision is the same throughout the lens, they’re probably single vision. If you had varifocal or progressive lenses, some things would look blurry depending on where you’re looking through the lens.
    2. Check your prescription: For single vision lenses the ‘ADD’ column will be blank. (The ‘Sphere’ column will contain numbers and, if you have astigmatism, the ‘CYL’ and ‘Axis’ columns as well.)
    3. Ask your optician: Most optical shops can quickly check your prescription with a device called a lens meter. However, a thorough eye exam is never a bad idea.
        
  • 1

    Based on a visual clarity simulation on a 50 mm diameter lens area for 1.60 index ZEISS ClearView FSV lenses compared to 1.60 ZEISS AS FSV lenses. Average of +5D, +3D, +1D, -1D, -3D, -5D and -7D with and without a cylinder of -2D. Quantitative analyses by Technology & Innovation, Carl Zeiss Vision GmbH, 2020.

  • 2

    94% rate the quality of vision for distance tasks, 93% for intermediate and 91% for near tasks as positive. (percentage of participants who rated‘very good’, ‘good’ or ‘quite good’). External consumer acceptance test on the ZEISS SmartLife Lens Portfolio, n=182 study participants. AstonOptometry School, Aston University, UK, 2019.