High prescription glasses advice

Magp1es

I have a really high prescription (-11 / -13) and need some new varifocals.

I want the lenses as thin as possible, and was looking at 1.9 glass lenses, but have been told they will be incredibly heavy. My current glasses are 1.74 plastic.

I would really appreciate any advice/experiences regarding 1.9 glass lenses, especially whether they are noticeably heavier to wear?

Many thanks in advance 

Brie

I don't know what grade my glasses are but I do know they are glass - which I get for free through work.  what I stuggle with is not the weight of them per se but the fact that my right and left lenses are different so one is slightly heavier than the other which can mean they tilt ever so slightly no matter how well they  have been fitted.  I also have found it impossible to tolerate frames with nose pad as they start to cut into my nose on the heavier side after a while. 

next time around I won't be eligible for free glasses and will look at going for the lightest ones possible.  as long as the cost isn't completely ridiculous. 

kirtondm

As long as you go for a smallish frame a high index plastic should look fine. Avoid rimless and supras.
If you are varifocal age you might want to consider clear lens extraction , the cost might outweigh the cost of specs over the long term. 
1.9 Glass will be expensive and heavy and not  really offer much benefit over a 1.74 plastic for this rx. 
Be warned plastic is not quite so optically crisp and requires more cleaning and scratches more easily
I am a similar prescription as well as being an optometrist and I have 2 pairs of plastic and 1 of glass ( I got it made up during 1st lockdown to see if would be any better for misting - it wasn't ).

sillyvixen

The other thing to take into consideration is the way glass and plastic lenses react to to impact - a fall or airbag deployment in a car accident for example. Glass shatters in a way plastic does not. When i started dispensing glasses 20 odd years ago - we would ask people wanting glass lenses if they had airbags in their car and try and persuade them to go for plastic if the answer was yes. Now all cars - unless very old - have airbags fitted! Also we now do very few glass lenses. 

kirtondm

PS -11/-13 is not horribly high it is not unusual to get -18/-20 rx's in their is a more a case for 1.9 glass then.
Get them to run the calculations for edge thickness not sure would be much difference for a -11 in a smallish frame.