Escaping the Plastic Reality: How to Find Real Glass Eyeglasses

It seems like everywhere you turn, you are surrounded by plastic. Plastic chairs, plastic tools, even plastic jewelry is becoming increasingly common. You can’t escape the encroaching plastic reality even if you seek out things specifically named for other materials like silverware, leather anything, wood floors, and eyeglasses. Every one of these items is now much more commonly found made out of plastic rather than their namesake materials. We live in a world where plastic is used to imitate almost anything.

Our couches and handbags are now made of ‘pleather’ or, more trendily named, ‘vegan’ leather. Our floor boards are either linoleum made to look like wood, wood-colored plastic panels that click together like children’s toys, or particle board so thickly laminated as to be nearly indistinguishable from pure plastic. They’ve even found a way to chrome plastic so that it looks like metal without the weight and durability that makes metal objects valuable. Unless you have a keen eye for genuine materials, it has become increasingly difficult to source even the most basic items made from something other than plastic that aren’t sold as overpriced ‘luxury’ goods like solid oak desks and crystal dishes.

Almost all of our most commonly used items and much of everything else is slowly being replaced with plastic replicas of the real thing, and this is especially true for glasses. Since the development of plastic lenses began back in the 70s and 80s, fewer and fewer lenses are being made of real glass which still beats its plastic competitors for both clarity of vision and scratch resistance. In fact, most optometrists and opticians won’t even ask, they will simply assume you want plastic lenses because it has become the standard. Fortunately, glasses with real glass lenses, along with your other favorite items made from their original intended materials, can still be found. You just have to know where to look. 

Antique Malls

One of the most obvious places to look for real materials is in an antique mall or shop in which most of the items were created before the ‘plastic revolution’. Antique malls are wonderful places to find solid wood furniture, old records, and tableware made from real porcelain and silver. You will also usually find at least a few adorable old toys made from a combination of cloth, natural stuffing, porcelain, and glass. It’s even possible to find an old pair of reading glasses made in the days before every pair was fitted with new ‘improved’ plastic lenses. Of course, it’s also fairly unlikely that any glasses found in an antique mall will suit your prescription, but it’s an interesting place to start for souvenirs and the occasional perfect find.

Ask Your Optician

Most people order their glasses either from the little frames shop connected to their optometrist’s office or at a separate shop that builds glasses based on your brought-in prescription and in-house choice of frames. Either source usually provides you with standard plastic lenses for any order without bothering to ask anything except the kind of special coatings you’d prefer like anti-reflection or scratch-resistance. Not all locations are willing or able to offer you glass lenses, but you can actually request them during the ordering process and decide whether or not to buy frames from the venue based on their answer.

Finding Online Sources

While browsing antique malls and performing spot-checks at your local frame and lens vendors are ways to find real glass eyeglasses, your best bet will always be to find your source online. While the modern era has brought with it the plastic-everything policy, it has also opened up markets to the whims of consumers. Anything that people ask for loudly enough, someone on the internet will find a way to offer it. Of course, when it comes to eyeglasses with real glass lenses, people never stopped wanting them so the demand has remained, if hidden, a consistent source of motivation for certain producers to continue offering these valuable items. Some of us have been wearing real glass lenses for longer than there have been reliable plastic lenses and don’t see the need to switch while others are simply fed up with constant scratches and replacements of their plastic glasses. Whatever your reason, you can find the solution through online ordering.

Your Ideal Glass Eyewear

Where exactly online should you look? It’s true that many businesses that sell glasses online are just as dedicated to plastic lenses as your optometrist and local frames vendors, but one source truly stands out as an opportunity to get high-quality glass lenses set into an attractive selection of frames. Rx-Safety specializes in providing easy to order eyeglasses with real glass lenses. Whether you need a separate prescription for each eye, astigmatism correction, or high indexes for slim, attractive lenses, we can make the exact right lenses for you using your exact prescription crafted from real, clear, and wonderfully genuine glass.

If you’re ready to throw off the plastic reality and live a life surrounded by items made from real materials rather than plastic imitations, Rx-Safety there with you. While you can always order plastic lenses for sports or children, we offer lenses made of real glass for adults who want the finer things and would like to see the world through clear, beautiful glass that is cool to the touch and delightfully scratch-resistant. Contact us today to find the perfect glass eyewear for you.

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