Spherical vs Aspherical Lenses: Which One Is Better For You?

Optometry is a challenging job but I love doing it. I’ve been in this business for over 25 years now and take it from me - there’s nothing more delightful than giving someone the gift of vision.

I get to meet new people every day, hear their stories, observe their lifestyle and craft lenses that improve their quality of life. And when I hand over someone their first pair of glasses and see that it makes such a big difference to their lives, it fills my heart with joy.

Not only do I enjoy the beautiful experience but I also get to work with new technology to create better products for customers. Not many people understand the science behind lenses or that there are different types of them.

That's why I am here to discuss - spherical and aspheric lenses. Knowing about the different types of lenses will help you make a better decision next time you buy glasses.

What are Spherical and Aspheric Lenses

While the frame is important for your look and comfort, it’s the lenses that correct your vision. With so many lens types and coatings available in the market, it’s normal to get confused about which one you should go for.

Conventional spherical lenses have a singular curvature throughout the front surface, much like a cricket ball. However, aspheric lenses have a rather complex front surface with various flatter curves that change shape from the centre to the outer edge of the lenses.

Spherical Lenses

The design of spherical lenses triggers vision distortion when you look away from the optical centre of the lens in a different direction.

If you are farsighted or have hyperopia, the curve of these lenses will lead to the unwanted magnification of the objects in front of you. Not only this, but they will also make you look bug-eyed. I think it's safe to say that these lenses are not the right choice from the fashion point of view.

On the contrary, if you are nearsighted, these lenses will make the images and your eyes appear smaller.

Aspheric Lenses

With the help of modern optical technology, aspheric lenses are created with flatter curves that gradually change from the centre to the edge.

These lenses are thinner than spherical lenses and have a more attractive profile. The modern design of these lenses wipes out the distortion and gives you a wider field of view with an enhanced peripheral vision. This is why the best and the most expensive cameras have these lenses. Also, they make your eyes appear natural and just the size they are.

No matter if you want blue light filter glasses or a pair of ready readers, if you are farsighted, you can dig the most benefits out of aspheric lenses.

Aspheric Lenses: Sleeker Profil

Have a strong prescription? Afraid that you may need to wear those bulging lenses that are just too ugly? Worry not, my friend!

As I have discussed aspheric lenses are slimmer and lighter, I forgot to tell you that they could be used for all prescriptions. And for the folks with extreme farsightedness (anything over +5 dioptres) - nothing could be better than these lenses.

The thing with farsightedness is that the stronger the prescription, the thicker the lenses get in the middle. And that doesn’t make for an alluring lens profile.

From prescription glasses to transitions lenses, having an aspheric design on your lenses will always pay off.

Aspheric lenses are made with flatter curves so that they don’t bulge forward from the middle. This is what gives aspheric lenses a slimmer and sleeker profile.

Another difference between spherical and aspheric lenses is their shape when correcting myopia. Spherical lenses are thinnest in the middle with thick edges whereas the aspheric lenses have less thick edges.

Aspheric Lenses vs High Index Lenses

If you are aware of the fact that high-index lenses are better than standard lenses, you must be thinking “how do they differ from aspheric lenses”?

To put it simply, high-index lenses are related to their thickness while the spherical and aspheric lenses are related to their profile.

Here’s the science - the refractive index indicates the lens’ capability of bending light. The higher the index, the more efficiently it bends light and the thinner the lens is. For instance, high-index lenses with an index of 1.67 will be slimmer than standard lenses with a 1.5 index.

I hope I didn’t make it too complicated for you.

Spherical and aspheric signify the profile of the lens. Where spherical lenses use a single curve, aspheric lenses have varying flat curves.

Aspheric and high-index are generally combined to form slim lenses. For instance, high index 1.5 lenses will be slim but aspheric high index 1.5 lenses will be even slimmer.

Just remember, the stronger your prescription is, the higher the index you will need.

Aspheric Lenses: Advantages & Disadvantages

In a nutshell, aspheric lenses have the following advantages:

• They provide a thinner profile
• They are lightweight and comfortable
• They could be fit into most frames so you have a wide choice of styles
• They have a more natural and pleasing appearance
• They don’t make your eyes look too big or too small
• They provide better peripheral vision by eliminating distortion

Coming to the disadvantages of aspheric lenses, they are slightly more expensive than your regular lenses. But, this is not the case when you buy glasses online from Specscart.

Whether you want single-vision lenses or progressives, you can get them in aspheric designs from us. And since they are thin and lightweight, you get to choose from the 1000+ options we have on our website. Have fun finding your next frame.

Double Aspheric Lenses Benefits

Double aspheric lenses are specifically created for those who need strong minus prescriptions. These lenses use flat curvatures on both the front and back surfaces.

Double aspheric lenses provide an even larger field of view with minimum distortion towards the edges. Due to the double aspheric lenses benefits, they cost a little bit more than single aspheric lenses but are thinner and more lightweight.

If you want low-cost glasses with thin and comfortable lenses, come to us. We are always happy to help you with your vision.