There are marked differences in the popularity and market positioning of 1.56 index lenses across different countries and regions.
Generally speaking, 1.56 index lenses are highly popular in Asia primarily because they achieve an excellent balance between optical performance, wearing comfort, and price, making them particularly well suited to the mainstream needs of Asian consumers. However, they have become increasingly marginalized and are close to being phased out in developed Western countries such as the United States and Europe.
First, let’s take a look at the background behind the development of 1.56 index lenses.
I. The Origin of 1.56 Refractive Index Lenses
1. Background: The “Middle Ground” Between CR-39 and High-Index Materials
In the 1990s, China’s optical industry faced two major challenges:
• CR-39 material:
This classic resin material offered an excellent Abbe value of around 58 and superb optical clarity. However, its relatively low refractive index made lenses thick and bulky, especially for higher prescriptions – often resembling “bottle bottoms.”
• High-index materials:
Materials with refractive indexes such as 1.60, 1.67, or even 1.74 produced significantly thinner lenses, but their prices were too high for many ordinary consumers.
At that point, optical lens manufacturers came up with the idea of creating a “middle option” – a lens slightly thinner than 1.50 lenses, yet much more affordable than 1.60 high-index lenses.
2. Birth of 1.56 lens: Korean Formula + Chinese Manufacturing
The core technology behind 1.56 lenses originated from Korea’s KOC company. Essentially, it involved small amounts of benzene-ring chemical compounds into the CR-39, increasing the refractive index from 1.50 to 1.55–1.56.
Because the modification was relatively minor, the material retained many of CR-39’s advantages, including:
• Easy processing
• High Abbe value
• Good optical performance
At the same time, the lenses became noticeably thinner than traditional CR-39 lenses.
Next, let’s focus on the performance of 1.56 lenses in specific regional markets
II. Why 1.56 Lenses Became So Popular in Asia
1.56 lenses are very popular in Asia, particularly in developing countries such as China, Southeast Asia, and South Asia.
1. Reasons Why 1.56 Index Lenses Are Popular in China
1) Excellent Cost-Performance Ratio
The advantages of 1.56 lenses include:
• Around 10%–15% thinner than 1.50 lenses, offering a more aesthetically pleasing appearance.
• Affordable pricing suitable for mass-market consumers
• Better toughness than CR-39, making them more impact resistant and less prone to cracking
After their introduction, Chinese lens manufacturers rapidly adopted the technology, and 1.56 lenses became widely popular after the early 2000s.
2) China Has a Large Population with Mild to Moderate Myopia
China has a massive population of people with myopia, the majority of whom have mild to moderate myopia. 1.56 index lenses are ideal for these users because they provide:
• Clear vision with moderate edge thickness
• A lighter and more comfortable wearing experience
• Better cosmetic appearance without looking excessively thick
3) Mature Technology and Good Optical Experience
Modern 1.56 aspheric lenses utilize aspheric or free-form designs to effectively reduce peripheral distortion and expand clear viewing zones, allowing you to see objects more realistically and naturally.
Combined with advanced coatings (Hard Multi-coatings, blue-light filtering coatings and photochromic coatings), these lenses further improve light transmission, durability, and visual comfort, making them especially suitable for modern lifestyles dominated by prolonged screen use.
4) Abundant Supply and Convenient Distribution Channels
1.56 lenses have become a standard entry-level product in China’s optical market, with extremely strong supply chains both online and offline.
Consumers can easily access:
for eye exams, lens customization, and purchases.
If you are looking to purchase or wholesale 1.56 lenses in or around your location in Danyang, Jiangsu, you are in the right place. Jiangsu Province is a massive global hub for optical lens manufacturing, with major production and trading centers located right in Danyang. As a professional optical lens manufacturer in Danyang, H&C Optik can offer high-quality 1.56 lenses at competitive prices.
Industry data shows that even today, 1.56 lenses still account for more than 60% of China’s domestic lens market share, making them the undisputed “sales champion.”
2. Performance of 1.56 Lenses in the Southeast Asian and South Asian Markets
1.56-index lenses hold a unique and pivotal position in the markets of Southeast Asia and South Asia (primarily India).
1) Market Performance in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, etc.)
The eyewear market in Southeast Asia is enormous and faces a significant vision correction gap (approximately 65% of the population requires vision correction, although the actual prescription eyewear penetration rate was previously low and is now rapidly catching up).
• The main driver of “free eyewear” in fast-fashion optical retail:With the rise of local fast-fashion eyewear brands in countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia (similar to the JINS and ZOFF model), “fixed-price package deals” have become the dominant business model. Within basic packages priced under around 1,000 RMB equivalent, the default lens included is almost universally a 1.56 single-vision hard-coated lens.
• A carrier for functional upgrades:The younger generation in Southeast Asia shows extremely strong demand for blue light blocking and photochromic lenses, driven by intense UV exposure and heavy reliance on mobile devices. Because 1.56 material has extremely low base cost, manufacturers (such as those in China’s Danyang supply chain) have developed 1.56 blue-cut and 1.56 photochromic variants. These add-on features are very easy to promote in Southeast Asia, as consumers only need to pay a minimal additional fee to upgrade.
2) Market Performance in South Asia (with India as the core market)
India’s eyewear market is in the mid-to-late stage of transitioning from traditional glass lenses to resin/polymer lenses, and 1.56 has played a key disruptive role in this shift.
• A bridge from glass to polymer resin lenses:Historically, a large proportion of Indian consumers still used heavy and fragile mineral glass lenses due to price constraints. However, 1.56 resin lenses, with their extremely competitive industrial-scale low cost, have enabled mass adoption at near price parity, prompting many consumers to switch away from glass lenses and achieve a major leap in safety and wearing comfort.
• A standard solution for digital eye strain:India has a strong IT industry and a large urban youth population, leading to a surge in myopia caused by prolonged screen exposure. Major Indian D2C optical retailers (such as LensKart and other leading brands) have opened thousands of modern retail stores nationwide. In their entry-level online and offline traffic-driving products, 1.56 anti-fatigue / blue light blocking lenses are a core best-selling item.
III. Why 1.56 Lenses Are Less Common in Europe and the United States
1. Different Material Classification Standards
International optical markets typically divide lens materials into three categories:
The 1.56 index sits awkwardly between categories. It is neither considered a standard low-index lens nor a true high-index lens, it’s naturally marginalized by the mainstream supply chain.
2. Legal and Safety Standards (United States)
The U.S. FDA enforces extremely strict impact-resistance requirements for optical lenses, including the Drop Ball Test. Traditional 1.56 standard resin lenses are relatively brittle and have weaker impact resistance (they are more prone to shattering). As a result, it is difficult for them to meet the safety standards required for rimless or semi-rimless eyewear after processing.
3. Market Positioning Conflicts
Consumers in Europe and the United States have long adhered to the principle of “you get what you pay for” when selecting lenses:
For them, the “middle option” offered by 1.56 lenses often lacks a compelling value proposition.
IV. Conclusion
The 1.56 refractive index may not carry the glamour of cutting-edge optical technology, but it solved one of the biggest pain points in Asia’s eyewear market in the most practical way possible: allowing people with stronger prescriptions to enjoy thinner, lighter lenses at a much lower cost.
Media ContactCompany Name: Danyang H&C Optical Glasses Co., LtdEmail: Send EmailCountry: ChinaWebsite: https://www.hcoptik.com/
