Is a Poly FT-28 TRANSITION lens available

[ArielJG]

Is a Poly FT-28 TRANSITION lens available, I was told that Poly FT-28 is not avalibel in TRANSITION they dont make it!!! Is that true????
But LifeRx by visions makes it.

Thanks for you help.

[DragonLensmanWV]

Trivex or the highway, my friend.
Of course there is LifeRx, a laminated photochromic that seemingly a lot of people have trouble with.

[ronnie daniels]

They make the life like lensman said but i would not advise putting it in a semi rimless weve had some trouble with them seperating

[jmchapman]

Is a Poly FT-28 TRANSITION lens available, I was told that Poly FT-28 is not avalibel in TRANSITION they dont make it!!! Is that true????
But LifeRx by visions makes it.

Thanks for you help.

This is true, I believe only LifeRx makes a poly ft28 in a photochromatic lens. Never understood why Transitions wouldn't make one though.

[pezfaerie]

The LifeRx has worked great for us even in semi rimless and drill. Haven't had a single issue and been using it for more than a year.

[EyeSeeYou]

Nope, you can't do polycarbonate with transitions in a FT 28 bifocal. You can go 1.54-155 index (X-Cel High X D-28 or SOLA ASL FT 28 Spectralite Volacity), 1.53 index which is essentially trivex, or just plain 1.50 index which is basically CR-39 material. There are LOTS of options with the 1.50 standard index for the lens that you're looking for.

[Mr. Finney]

They make the life like lensman said but i would not advise putting it in a semi rimless weve had some trouble with them seperating

That's a problem that Vision-Ease has supposedly corrected. I've had one lens delaminate since they came out with them, and it was one of the first ones I sold, way back when. IMHO, the LifeRx photochromic works just as well as Transitions, maybe even a little quicker than TR6. So if poly is your choice, use the LifeRx, you won't be disappointed. If you must have a Transitions-brand photochromic, go with Trivex as opposed to any of the "mid-index" options. My $.02

[LENNY]

Is a Poly FT-28 TRANSITION lens available, I was told that Poly FT-28 is not avalibel in TRANSITION they dont make it!!! Is that true????
But LifeRx by visions makes it.

Thanks for you help.

This is a strange question from a wholesale lab!
I think LifeRx gets even darker that T6!

[Mr. Finney]

This is a strange question from a wholesale lab!
I think LifeRx gets even darker that T6!

I agree, on both counts :)

[kat]

Trivex or Life Rx. We havn't had issues with the LifeRx in AZ, and it does get a little darker here in AZ.

[ArielJG]

I agree, on both counts :)

My lab manager told me that I dose not come in Tran, I just wanted to be sure.
& he was right. ( he knows his lenses )

[ArielJG]

This is a strange question from a wholesale lab!
I think LifeRx gets even darker that T6!

My lab manager told me that I dose not come in Tran, I just wanted to be sure.
& he was right. ( he knows his lenses )

[Nickj]

Hello everyone,

I am a Vision-Ease employee and I would like to confirm what several of you have typed.

We are the only lens manufacturer that offers seg poly photo lenses. We have them in FT28, Tri 7X28 and next month in FT35.

These lenses are manufactured in the USA, using 100% renewable energy.

If you would like to learn more, please feel free to contact myself or visit our website at www.vision-ease.com

Thanks to those of you that shared your experiences with LifeRx, both good and bad.

Best Regards,

Nickj

[BMH]

Hi Nickj,

Nice to have someone from Vision Ease here on Optiboard.

I would like to hear (read) your comments on the delamination issue.

I am in central Florida and when LifeRx first came out I jumped on board only to have major issues with delamination. I quit using the product for a while and heard that VE had fixed the issue. I then went to work at Walmart Vision Center and was there about 1 1/2 years and during that time I replaced a dozen or so LifeRx lenses for delamination issues, and most were in rimless grooves. I even was able to peel the photochromatic layer off of the front of the lens. It was about the thickness of saran wrap but still activated in the UV demonstrator.

I am not trying to call you out but, what is VE position on this matter? If I had more confidence in the product I would use it often. I have stuck to Trivex transitions with Ft28 needs but I find Trivex to be darker (almost a 15% grey) indoors. LifeRx is clearer and gets plenty dark but I can't use a lens that "might" delaminate.

BMH

[Nickj]

Hi BMH,

To respond, I would first like to elaborate on how we came about with the LifeRx.

In 1995 we were the first major player to come out with a poly PZ Rx lens, SunRx. SunRx lenses were developed by taking a poly lens with a "polarized sandwich" on the front surface. The encapsulation technology provides several benefits over other manufacturing processes. It was and is quite successful as we have never had 1 of these lenses separate and many other lens manufacturers use the same process and pay us a royalty to do so today.

Then we decided we wanted to develop our own photo lens. We set out to use the same technology as SunRx, but instead of polarized film we would use photo film and dye. LifeRx was developed over 10 years and was finally launched in 2005.

The product launch was quite successful, with over 5 million sold in the first year. Then we began to receive defects where the front surface began to separate from the lens. We immediately allocated significant resources to analyze and resolve the problem. Through the studies we found that there were 2 factors contributing to the separation: frame stress & environment.

The separation occurred in rimless and semi-rimless frames, where there was opportunity for both stress and for particles to effect the lamination. Another aspect that we noticed, but was a smaller factor, was that a lot of lenses were separating in areas close to the ocean.

We ran tests for months trying to replicate and analyze the separation issue, while concurrently developing new formulas for the laminate. Once we found a laminate structure that was physically (like physics) much stronger than the previous formula, we put it to the test and setup real world simulations to try to get the new formula to separate. The tests simulated high heat, dropping the glasses, dragging them over and over, etc.

We went to market with an enhanced manufacturing process for maximum durability as well as rebranded LifeRx with the new chameleon and green packaging. However, when we went to market we were not able to take the old product off of every shelf in America. Let alone the millions of pairs we had already sold.

We do have a way to identify the new vs older formula and we do test each separation that we get back. I cannot say the new product has not ever separated; however I can say with confidence that a significant portion of the separations coming back today are of the old product.

That said, just like Transitions has had many generations, we do plan on continuously improving our product. We take a lot of pride in our photo performance, as it is one of the clearest and fastest lenses on the market. We plan on keeping our technology as one of the best in the world, to do that we cannot get complacent and must continue our work.

We cannot guarantee that our product will never separate, just like any other lens can have a defect; however Vision-Ease will stand by our product and our warranty on LifeRx lenses is a 2 year patient warranty covering front side coating and film defects.

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Best,

Nickj

[LENNY]

Is technology the same in making LifeRx and your Polarized lenses?
Do you have the same % of delamnations?

[Nickj]

The technology is very similar. We have never experienced a delam with SunRx in the 15 years it has been on the market.

[LENNY]

The technology is very similar. We have never experienced a delam with SunRx in the 15 years it has been on the market.

So what makes them delaminate?
Constant wear?

[Mr. Finney]

My lab manager told me that I dose not come in Tran, I just wanted to be sure.
& he was right. ( he knows his lenses )

I would just like to point out, that while LifeRx is not Transitions brand, it is every bit as good of a product as Transitions. So while your manager may technically be correct, there is a perfectly suitable option available.

Disclaimer: I am not an employee of Vision-Ease, I am merely a satisfied user of their products.

[BMH]

Another aspect that we noticed, but was a smaller factor, was that a lot of lenses were separating in areas close to the ocean.

I think you may have given me the reason why I've seen a higher number of them. I am on the east coast of Florida, less than 20 minutes from the ocean. We see lots of eyewear issues that I associate to sea salt corrosion.

Thanks Nick for a clear no BS kind of answer, that goes a long way with me.

BMH

[LabOni]

Trivex or the highway, my friend.
Of course there is LifeRx, a laminated photochromic that seemingly a lot of people have trouble with.

ack hiss no ... liferx bad .... it hurtsss.... it hurts

[EyeGurl]

It is not true. Hoya and Bristow carry it, we got little inserts in our boxes. Just within the last couple months. No brown yet though :( Life Rx seems to get darker faster than transitions but get lighter a little slower, just in my opinon. We use alot of kodak products and I like the life rx better then the varilux with trans. Even though they did have that prov with poly delamination.

[EyeGurl]

Is technology the same in making LifeRx and your Polarized lenses?
Do you have the same % of delamnations?

We had the same prob, mostly in grooved but a few in full metal. Seems solved now.

[RT]

It is not true. Hoya and Bristow carry it, we got little inserts in our boxes.

I can't spead for Bristow, but Hoya does not have ST28 Poly Transitions. Hoya does now have ST28 Phoenix Transitions in both Gray and Brown. Hoya Labs are able to provide the Vision Ease LifeRx product in Poly.

[skirk1975]

Three Rivers Optical in Pittsburgh has poly round seg transitions!!!