I have a theory that eyeglass companies switched to polycarbonate lenses from glass, not because of weight or safety concerns, or because polycarbonate was better, but because polycarbonate scratches easily, so you have to replace your glasses more often.

Even with coatings, they just suck in my experience. I scratch up my polycarbonate lenses a couple months after getting them, without fail. I know I’m hard on them, but it’s still annoying.

Most local shops and labs don’t even offer glass lenses anymore. But I found out recently that eyeglasses.com still sells actual glass lenses. So I sent in my existing pair of Warby Parker frames and had them replace the lenses with real glass. Took about two weeks total to send them in and get them back, but they are awesome. $150, reasonable if you ask me.

A little more weight, but the acuity is a lot better and they’re supposed to have the highest scratch resistance of any material. We’ll see how they hold up.