BLUE LIGHT PROTECTION
ONE OF the most common questions
that Costco members have regarding
their personal eye health is about the
effects of blue light and whether they
need to protect themselves from it.
Sunlight contains red, orange, yellow,
green and blue light rays. Blue light has a
short wavelength and emits a higher
amount of energy. It is emitted by artificial sources such as digital devices; LED
TV screens; LED lights from iPads, tablets, note pads and smartphones; as well
as metal halide lights used indoors. The
largest source of harmful blue light is the
sun, which is 100 to 500 times more
intense than the light emitted by artificial
sources indoors. Studies suggest that
prolonged exposure to blue light can
damage your eyes.
One way to protect your eyes from
blue light is to wear Transitions photo-chromic lenses or polarized lenses. —AT
tion is surfaced on the front and back
of the lens, improving overall performance for the wearer. The exact science
behind it is proprietary, but the fabrication process involves sophisticated,
state-of-the-art equipment that is
highly computerized and, as a result,
offers an unprecedented degree of precision that is very specific to each prescription. For the wearer, the higher
degree of accuracy and detail that goes
into the lens results in better vision.
What’s more, HD lenses are designed
to provide sharper vision in all types of
lighting conditions and reduce glare
for nighttime driving.
Precision engineering takes your
prescription to a whole new level.
Prescription numbers represent diopters, the unit used to measure the focusing power of your eye. The greater the
number, the more correction is needed.
The switch from traditional lenses
to HD is commonly compared to the
difference between watching analog
TV and switching to high definition.
You think analog is fine (didn’t we all?)
until you see the difference for yourself.
Other aspects that further customize
HD lenses include the angle between the eye
and the back surface of the lens in different
positions (for example, if the wearer is right-or left-handed), the size of the glasses and
the position of the wearer’s pupil within the
frame itself. Frame maximization enables
the lenses to use the maximum amount of
space that a new frame provides. In other
words: better peripheral vision.
The soft transition makes the lenses
easier to adapt to when you first start wearing them. The better the lenses, the easier
the adaptation period can be.
Who can benefit from HD
progressive lenses?
I mention my husband, who wears
glasses all of the time but has to take them
off every time he looks at his iPhone (which
is a lot). Thomas smiles knowingly. “The
day that he finally gets tired of doing this
[he makes a motion of removing his glasses
several times to make his point], it’s time,”
he says.
He points out that my husband probably
doesn’t have a strong enough prescription
to warrant a progressive prescription—yet.
The term for this kind of person is “
emerging presbyope,” someone who is starting to
feel the signs of age, including symptoms
of eye aging such as headaches and strain.
These folks find it more and more difficult
to focus and read small text. There is also a
tendency to delay getting glasses or a stronger prescription. Emerging presbyopes
should talk to their doctors about progressive lenses.
Made in Canada
Need more reasons to visit Costco’s
Optical Centre? Costco’s prescription
lenses are manufactured in Canada, at a
single plant in Laval, Quebec. “We produce
hundreds of thousands of pairs of lenses
every single year and supply every Costco
warehouse in Canada,” says Thomas.
He adds that although the fabrication
process involves some very high-tech digi-
tal engineering, humans are involved in the
process too. Seven different verification
steps are taken in the lab before a pair of
glasses is ready to go. “After every single
step, there’s a human who takes the lens,
checks and measures the output,” says
Thomas. “Then, at the end, after it’s all been
fabricated, there’s someone who does a final
check: Are there any scratches? Are they
clean? Do the hinges work?”
The lab in Laval is open seven days a
week and operates ;; hours a day. It takes
four or five days, total, from order to deliv-
ery back to the warehouse.
Here’s another good reason to visit a
Costco Optical Centre: The optometrists at
Costco are independent, which means they
do not receive a portion of sales. And Costco
staff make no commission, which means
their eye care professionals can provide
members with a clear explanation of the
options, features and benefits of their eye-
Left: Lenses in the manual blocker,
where alloy is applied to hold lenses in
the generator. Below: A Costco Optical
Lab employee operates the Dual Flex
Auto Polisher, which buffs clear the
back of the lens.
for Costco
members, with
no high-pressure sales pitch.
Of course, there is also the
value proposition for which Costco
is known. “We are introducing these new
lenses, with a zero increase in price,” says
Thomas. “Our philosophy is, here’s a new
generation; here’s the newest, best, cutting-edge thing; and, by the way, we’re keeping it at the same price as the old stuff.”
Looks good to me! C
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OUR DIGITAL EDITIONS
Click here for a video about the Optical
Lab in Laval. (See page 7 for details.)
