According to CBS News there are currently more than 149 million adults who wear eyeglasses. Most non-eyeglass wearers assume that this means people usually have one pair of prescription glasses, but this isn’t necessarily so. Actually, as many as 50 million people needing prescriptive eyewear carry multiple pairs of glasses: one for reading, another for driving, for sun protection and still another for performing everyday tasks.
Usually this need for multiple eyewear prescriptions is the result of a condition known as presbyopia, which occurs to people over 40. This condition starts when you slowly lose your ability to see up-close and then you hit 40 and you can’t see farther away either – or vice-versa. The usual solution has been to carry more than one pair of glasses strapped around your neck or placed conveniently on a coffee table. Of course, you can always get bifocals too. But now all-in-one eyewear technology is on the horizon.
Superfocus Glasses
This is the real sci-fi of the eyeglass industry; an innovation that hit the market last year. This is a product where the user can change the strength of their lenses through the switching of a tiny adjustable lever located on the eyeglass frames. Superfocus models have been on the market for a year now. However, consumer response to the superfocus glasses has been somewhat lukewarm; users love the functionality but believe the style is a little too sci-fi, making the wearer look like a modern-day hobbit. Even so, innovation isn’t going to stop with the superfocus glasses.
What will Other new Trends be?
This year, eyewear will get even more innovative with the new empower dynamic lenses that can auto-focus on objects or areas off in the distance. This brings the augmented reality of the high-tech gaming industry to real life, and will change the way we actually ‘see’ things over the next five years.
This is big news to professionals in the industry, as these type of products will solve many different vision issues. For instance, the new empower glasses function when a little electrical impulse is sent to a certain area of the lens, allowing it to change focus. This multifocal electrical charge is activated with the touch of a hand, the tilt of your head or other small gesture. The tiny power supply is built into the eyewear frame and the battery charge is meant to last for a couple of days.
Style
The style of new eyewear is also changing. New augmented reality lenses can be cut into a variety of shapes and sizes, giving wearers better styling options.
The Lighter Weight of The New Legacie
Besides functionality, consumers are also looking for lighter weight. Some people don’t wear glasses even when they need them because they find them too heavy and uncomfortable. This is where companies like Legacie come onto the scene. Legacie in its determination to find the solution to long-lasting durable eyewear that is also light, has decided to use a new alloy called Xandium to fabricate their eyewear frames. These new frames are so light that consumers say it’s like having lenses floating over your face; you can barely feel the eyeglasses.
Cost
These new innovations are priced a little higher than standard eyewear, as much as 30 percent higher. Even so, for many consumers these new trends are well worth the extra cost, as they offer comfort and functionality previously unknown, and in the end, prevent the need to buy several different styles and types of prescriptive eyewear.
Bottom Line
Eyewear technology is advancing as fast as technology in general. These new trends are certainly giving consumers more options as to their eye-care preferences, where once, surgery may have been the only alternative to wearing two or three different pairs of eyeglasses for comfort and functionality.
About the Author:
Jennifer Moore is an 8 year experienced health care, and education writer. When Jennifer isn’t contributing to college resource site DegreeJungle.com, she covers new trends and technologies within the healthcare industry, which is a fascinating area of interest.
Article References:
CBS News – “Superfocus” Other Eyeglasses Debuting
Refractive Eyecare
Trendhunter.com – Auto Adjusting Glasses
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