What is the difference between polycarbonate and CR 39 plastic lenses?
CR-39 refers to the type of plastic that is used to make prescription lenses. This is optical plastic and provides very little distortion .It is more lightweight and thinner than glass making it comfortable to wear. It is more impact resistant than glass, but may still break and shatter upon impact. Therefore, it is not recommended for active sports and motorcycling. It is more scratch resistant than polycarbonate, but will scratch if not properly taken care of. Polycarbonate is an impact resistant material. . It is becoming used more and more today especially for motorcycling and action sports.. Although polycarbonate is impact resistant, it should not be considered breakproof or shatterproof. However, polycarbonate is the strongest material available and will have the tendency to break into large pieces versus small pieces which are not as dangerous. Polycarbonate is the thinnest and lightest of all materials.
