drivewear vs coppertone

**tolpuppy** · 08-14-2008, 08:58 AM

Hi all,

One of my Docs wants to replace his old blue blockers (high index plastic tinted amber). I want to try either the coppertone lens or drivewear. Does the drivewear lens block blue light / hev? I know the coppertone lens is not photochromic and the drivewear is. Any other plusses or minuses to either? Must be a progressive. Does one come in a better progressive than the other?

Thanks in advance for your help and opinions!

**For-Life** · 08-14-2008, 09:03 AM

Originally Posted by tolpuppy

Hi all,

One of my Docs wants to replace his old blue blockers (high index plastic tinted amber). I want to try either the coppertone lens or drivewear. Does the drivewear lens block blue light / hev? I know the coppertone lens is not photochromic and the drivewear is. Any other plusses or minuses to either? Must be a progressive. Does one come in a better progressive than the other?

Thanks in advance for your help and opinions!

Yes, drivewear does block blue light.

The one negative I have with drivewear is cosmetic. When driving or when out on a warm day, you can see the person's eyes. With that said, visually they are a stunner. In the weakest condition, they make things clearer. In the best condition, they block the sun.

I love them for golf, because I tend to play after summer and they will lighten up as dusk comes.

**Ginster** · 08-14-2008, 09:57 AM

Coppertone blocks blue light as well, and will be darker out side and in the car. The drive wear is a little lighter out side but, you can wear them in the winter as well and on overcast day's with great visual clarity, I would find out what the Doc wants from his new lenses, tell him the pros and cons about both, give him some literature, so you both can choose the best lens for him. Chances are , he will also want to discuss his lens choice with his patients, $$ more sales...

Regards Ginny :)

**EyeFitWell** · 08-14-2008, 10:55 AM

What I love about my DW lenses is that I can run inside for an errand and see better than I would if I had kept regular sunglasses on. Plus, they look KEWL! ;-)
Honestly, I adore the DW for visual clarity even when the sun starts to set.

**Barry Santini** · 08-14-2008, 11:10 AM

IMHO

Barry

**DragonLensmanWV** · 08-14-2008, 11:18 AM

With my cataracts, the Drivewear provides superior comfort. Since my Rx is so high, I use them in a magnetic clip-on. That said, the Coppertone might be better in a car than the Drivewear, but not as versatile in lower light situations.
I wish for Drivewear II, that they will boost the visible light sensitivity, since mine don't change at all in my car because of the window tint. They will redden up nicely IF they are held directly in the sun coming through the window, otherwise they stay their inactivated color. Which is still very effective.

**I-Wear** · 08-14-2008, 12:10 PM

I have a pair of DW that I absolutely love. Put on a backside AR and its great. My doctor also just got her pair today which she is raving to all the customers about.

**Chris Ryser** · 08-14-2008, 12:17 PM

Actually whatever lens blocks blue light is doing a favour to the patients, because of the better contrast and also to help prevent macular degeneration, and there is an interesting article every optician should read:
Blue Light and Macular Degeneration

from Macular Degeneration--The Complete Guide To Saving And Maximizing Your Sight
by Lylas G. Mogk, M.D. and Marja Mogk

at : http://www.mdsupport.org/library/blulight.html

**tolpuppy** · 08-14-2008, 03:05 PM

Thanks for the replies!

So to recap, both products block blue/hev light - one is photochromic and the other(coppertone) is a true sunglass lens that would block more light transmission. Both are polarized. Did I leave anything out?
Sounds like both are great products depending on the intended use.

thanks again, you guys are great!:cheers:

**Ocular Dexter** · 08-15-2008, 12:09 AM

Originally Posted by tolpuppy

Hi all,

One of my Docs wants to replace his old blue blockers (high index plastic tinted amber). I want to try either the coppertone lens or drivewear. Does the drivewear lens block blue light / hev? I know the coppertone lens is not photochromic and the drivewear is. Any other plusses or minuses to either? Must be a progressive. Does one come in a better progressive than the other?

Thanks in advance for your help and opinions!

1. Both block blue light.
2. DriveWear uses the Image where as Coppertone uses the Illumina. The Image according to Sheedy rates high on DV. The Illumina not as high. In my opinion VE would have been better off using the Outlook.
3. DW is available in poly and plastic. Coppertone is available in poly.

**cocoisland58** · 08-15-2008, 07:36 AM

Originally Posted by Barry Santini

IMHOBarry

Maybe so. Other than Drivewear sounds fairly cool and Coppertone brings to mind a toddler butt and a dog. Is it just me or does a product name influence a visual and mental choice? Teflon = frying pan. Alize' = ooooh it's French.

**Fezz** · 08-15-2008, 07:53 AM

Originally Posted by Ocular Dexter

1. Both block blue light.
2. DriveWear uses the Image where as Coppertone uses the Illumina. The Image according to Sheedy rates high on DV.

You can also get the Shamir Autograph II free-form lens in Drivewear. You could probably get the Autograph in Coppertone as well. You could probably get the Seiko Succeed in either. I know that you can get the Kodak Unique done in Drivewear. I bet they could do it in Coppertone as well! Heck, you could even get a round seg in either material too!

:cheers::cheers::cheers:

**Barry Santini** · 08-15-2008, 08:28 AM

"INDO" (spanish free-form), has a Distance-priority iterated free-form progressive design called "Drive", that my free form lab can execute in "Drivewear".

That's Drive in Drivewear (?!?)

Barry

**tolpuppy** · 08-21-2008, 01:07 PM

Just thought I'd let everyone know that I ordered the Coppertone lens for my Dr. and he loves them. I have ordered the Drivewear for myself with a backside A.R. so I can try them out. thanks again for all the help!

**Barry Santini** · 08-21-2008, 02:24 PM

Originally Posted by Fezz

You can also get the Shamir Autograph II free-form lens in Drivewear. You could probably get the Autograph in Coppertone as well. You could probably get the Seiko Succeed in either. I know that you can get the Kodak Unique done in Drivewear. I bet they could do it in Coppertone as well!

Keep this in mind: even though you can specify a SV lens material for your favorite, custom, iterated free-form progressive design, these designs can be compromised by the specific base curves available (or that you choose to select, for instance, in a *wrap* job). I've found that sometimes my digital lab cannot execute a chosen design on a specified base curve, because that company's design algorithym indicates that it will not lie within the "favorable parameters" for that design (ex: Autograph II), lens shape, size and Rx.

Zeiss Individual is better in this way, since they'll first select the optimal curve to execute the design (non-wrap).

FWIW

Barry