What Are Plano Lenses?

Do you believe that eyeglasses can double up as a style statement? Have you joined the eyewear x fashion bandwagon? If yes, then plano lenses are exactly what you might be looking for!

In optometry, the term ‘Plano’ means zero or nil. Thus, Plano lenses are lenses without any distance prescription strength. They are simple optical lenses that provide no corrective spherical power.

Fashion is, of course, the primary reason that people wear Plano lenses. However, they have additional benefits, such as blue light protection, UV safety, etc. In fact, you might be in dire need of some Plano lenses yourself! Interested to know more? Read ahead!

Meaning of Plano Lenses

Simply put, Plano lenses are simple optical lenses with no vision corrective capabilities. The word ‘Plano’ is derived from the Latin term - ‘planus,’ which means flat or level. Therefore, in optometry, Plano lenses refer to a lens that is flat and does not provide any dioptric power - either negative or positive.

Plano lenses are widely used in spectacles with zero prescription, such as fake glasses that people wear for fashion, protective eyewear, glasses for blue light protection, etc. However, to better understand plano lenses, it is essential to know the meaning of a plano sphere in a prescription.

What Does Plano Sphere Mean in an Eye Prescription

The word Plano is found in the ‘SPH’ section of your eyeglass prescription. But, what exactly is SPH? For a better grasp, you need to know the basics of a spectacles prescription.

A prescription for eyeglasses has two rows and three columns. The two rows include OD (for the details of your right eye) and OS (for the details of your left eye). Likewise, a glasses prescription has three columns that include Sphere (SPH), Cylinder (CYL), and Axis.

The Sphere column, also known as the degree of power, depicts the single vision correction you need. The Cylinder (CYL) column includes details about astigmatism correction. Lastly, the Axis determines the lens angle needed to amend astigmatism.

If the Sphere column for both OD and OS sections has the words Plano, Pl, or an infinity sign, it means that you do not require any spherical power to correct your vision. However, you may have astigmatism.

Likewise, 0.00 written on the SPH column of an eyeglass prescription is also equivalent to Plano. Thus, no refractive power or corrective power problem persists in your eyesight.

To know more about the nitty-gritty of reading a prescription, you can check out our latest blog!

When To Wear Plano Lenses?

If your eye prescription refers to ‘Plano,’ PL, or ‘0.00’ found under the sphere box (SPH), it means that you do not require nearsighted or farsighted correction. In such a context, wearing Plano lenses comes into the picture.

There are several ways by which Plano lenses can be the right option for you, these include -

1.Fashion or Aesthetic Reasons

Long gone are the days when spectacles were a mere means of vision correction. Nowadays, they have become pertinent style statements. From the latest fashion shows to the hottest celebrities and influencers, everyone is donning non-prescription glasses for fashion. In fact, Plano lenses or fake glasses are a thing among celebrities like Justin Bieber.

So, if you are looking to elevate your fashion game, then frames with Plano lenses or non-prescription lenses will surely be helpful. At Specscart, we firmly believe that you need ‘AFrameforEveryGame.’ Our uber-cool and high-fashion frames are accessible and inspired by the latest runway trends.

2.Blue Light Protection

Another reason to opt for Plano lenses is blue light protection. Our lifestyles have transformed dramatically in the past few years. The use of digital devices has increased and so has the screen time. In such a situation, the blue light rays emitted from digital devices can harm the eyes, causing digital eye strain and other problems.

So, if your screen time has increased dramatically in recent times, and you have been experiencing blurry vision, then Plano lenses can help. You can infuse an anti-blue light coating on the Plano lenses for blue light protection.

3.Eye Health Issues

Thirdly, if you are suffering from pink eye, conjunctivitis, light sensitivity, etc, then glasses with Plano lenses or non-prescription lenses can help. Wearing Plano lenses can keep your eyes safe and prevent contact with dirt, debris, etc. Thus, issues like viral Pink Eye will not exacerbate.

4.Safety Reasons

In certain workplaces, people have to wear protective eyewear as part of safety regulations. These glasses have Plano lenses or non-prescription lenses that solely serve the purpose of eye protection.

5.Anti-glare, Anti-UV and Tints

Last but not least, you can also wear Plano lenses for anti-glare and anti-UV functions. These lenses can be coated with different tints that you can leverage during activities like cycling, running, gaming, etc.

To better understand your visual needs and whether you need Plano lenses or lenses with prescription strength, it is best to get an eye test done. At Specscart, we provide free eye tests that are supervised by professional and experienced optometrists.

What Are Demo Lenses?

As the name suggests, demo lenses are demonstrative lenses. They simply provide a basic idea of what your actual frames will look like. You will usually find demo lenses on display in retail eyeglass stores.

Although demo lenses are also non-prescription lenses with any refractive correction power, they are not the same as Plano lenses. You cannot add anti-blue light coatings, anti-UV coatings, etc, on demo lenses. They exist simply for demonstration. Demo lenses are thinner and sometimes have brand labels printed on them.

Plano Lenses V/S Demo Lenses

The main difference between Plano lenses and Demo lenses lies in their purpose. To begin with, demo lenses are basic lenses fitted into the demo frames at an optical showroom. Their main purpose is to offer a realistic purview of how the frame would look on the wearer.

On the other hand, Plano lenses are good-quality non-prescription lenses that you can wear for fashion, blue light protection etc. These lenses are customisable with different coatings, such as anti-glare and anti-UV. You can also add tints.

Wrapping It Up

So, there we have it, a crisp overview of Plano lenses and Plano Sphere on an eyeglass prescription. Simply put, Plano lenses are lenses without any prescription strength for near-sightedness or farsightedness. They serve as fashion accessories and safety eye gear.