Prescription Eyeglasses

We can fill prescriptions with a sphere (SPH) value between -18.00 and +6.00. High-index lenses are recommended in some instances and required if the sphere (SPH) value on your prescription is stronger than -4.00. You may add these lenses to your order at checkout or we will follow up with you if they’re recommended.

If you have astigmatism in either eye, you will have a cylinder (CYL) value in your prescription. We can fill prescriptions with a cylinder (CYL) value within ±6.00. High-index lenses are recommended in some instances and required if the cylinder (CYL) value on your prescription is ±3.00 or stronger. You may add these lenses to your order at checkout or we will follow up with you if they’re recommended.

We can fulfill progressive lens prescriptions with ADD powers between +0.75 and +3.50 and a combined sphere (SPH) and cylinder (CYL) value between -18.00 and +6.00. High-index lenses are recommended in some instances and required if the combined sphere (SPH) and cylinder (CYL) value on your prescription is stronger than -4.00. You may add these lenses to your order at checkout or we will follow up with you if they’re recommended.

OD

This abbreviation stands for “oculus dexter,” which is “right eye” in Latin.

OS

This abbreviation stands for “oculus sinister,” which is “left eye” in Latin.

Sphere (SPH)

Sphere indicates how strong your lenses need to be. This will be accompanied by (+) or (-), which indicates whether you’re farsighted or nearsighted.

Cylinder (CYL) 

Cylinder is the correction for astigmatism. Astigmatism means that the shape of your cornea prevents you from seeing with perfect sharpness.

ADD

This is used when you require a prescription for both distance and reading in your glasses. It can be shown as an ADD value with a plus (+) sign with a number and indicates that you may need progressive or multifocal lenses.

AXIS

Axis is the number on your prescription that determines the direction of your astigmatism correction. The cylinder and the axis always go together

PD

PD is the distance between your pupils, and it's used to help center a focal point correctly in your frames.

A few additional terms on prescription:

Base Curve (BC)

For contact lenses, the base curve helps the lens fit properly. This usually is a number between 8 and 10 that measures the curve of a contact lens.

Diameter (Dia)

This is the width across a contact lens in millimeters. Most contact lenses are 13–15 mm wide.