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Essilor Stellest: Myopia Control Lenses for Children

Written by Alvin · Manh Long Optical, 147A Le Duan, Cua Nam, Hanoi · Updated 11 September 2026

The question isn't today's prescription. It's next year's.

Parents bringing a child in for glasses usually ask one thing: will these glasses stop my child's eyes getting worse. Honestly, no. Glasses correct vision while worn; they don't shorten the eyeball.

The more useful question is how many diopters your child will gain next year. Childhood myopia progresses because the eyeball's axial length keeps growing during development. The longer the axis, the higher the prescription, and a high prescription in adulthood is linked to a higher risk of certain retinal conditions later in life, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

That's the problem myopia control lenses are built for. Not curing short-sightedness, slowing how fast it advances.

How H.A.L.T. works, in plain terms

An ordinary single-vision lens focuses the image correctly on the retina, and that's all it does. The eyeball's axis keeps stretching at its own pace regardless.

Stellest uses Essilor's H.A.L.T. technology, Highly Aspherical Lenslet Target. The lens surface carries hundreds of tiny lenslets arranged in concentric rings around the central viewing zone. The centre still gives a clear image like an ordinary lens, so the child sees normally. The lenslets around it create a signal that sits in front of the retina.

Essilor says that forward-placed signal is what slows the axial stretching. In short: the centre is for seeing, the periphery is for sending a signal. Essilor states the design is the result of more than 30 years of research before it reached the market.

The 67% figure, and the condition most people skip past

Essilor states Stellest reduces myopia progression by an average of 67% compared with single-vision lenses, citing a randomised clinical trial published in JAMA Ophthalmology in 2022.

The fine print next to that number matters just as much: it applies when the child wears the lenses 12 hours a day or more.

We say this plainly to parents before recommending anything, for three reasons:

• It's the manufacturer's figure, citing a published study, not a promise from this shop.
• It's an average across a study group. Your child could do better, or worse.
• If the child only wears them for homework and takes them off afterwards, the 12-hour condition isn't met, and the figure no longer applies.

The only way to know whether it's working for your child is to re-measure every 6 months and compare the prescription over time. There's no way to know in advance.

Why the children's version uses Airwear 1.59

Airwear is Essilor's name for its polycarbonate material, index 1.59. Three properties make it suit children's glasses more than adults':

• Impact resistance. Polycarbonate holds up to knocks better than standard CR-39 plastic. For a child who runs around, that matters more than lens thickness.
• Light weight. Heavy glasses get taken off, and taking them off breaks the 12-hour condition.
• UV blocking. Built into the material itself rather than a surface coating, so it doesn't wear off over time.

Index 1.59 is also thinner than a 1.50 lens at the same prescription, but for children, durability is usually the bigger consideration.

Crizal Rock: the coating, and why it matters more for kids

Crizal Rock is Essilor's scratch- and smudge-resistant coating. It reduces fingerprints, dust and water marks, so lenses wipe clean faster and need less rubbing.

For adult glasses that's a convenience. For children's glasses it's different: most kids' lenses get replaced not because they expire, but because the surface scratches until vision blurs. A scratched lens makes a child squint, and a myopia-control lens sitting in a desk drawer controls nothing.

It isn't compulsory. But it's worth asking the price difference before the lens is already scratched, not after.

When Stellest isn't necessary yet

This is the part we want to be upfront about, because it runs against the usual sales instinct.

For a child newly diagnosed with mild myopia and no sign of fast progression, an ordinary single-vision lens is still a common and reasonable choice. What matters most with any lens is the correct prescription and regular follow-up checks.

The group where Stellest is worth considering most is children aged 6 to 18 with a history of fast progression across previous check-ups, where the family can commit to re-measuring every 6 months. Without that check-up rhythm, most of the value of choosing this lens is lost, because no one can tell whether it's actually working.

At Manh Long Optical

A refraction test for a child takes 20 to 30 minutes, free, even if you haven't decided to buy. We test, discuss the results with the parent, and refer complex cases to a specialist eye hospital before talking about lenses at all.

Lens prices, from the counter price list dated 11 September 2026:

Upgrading from the standard Crizal Rock coating to Crizal Prevencia: add 900,000d. The Tint version comes in 6 tint colours. Frame price is separate, depending on the style your child chooses. Free lifetime re-testing and frame adjustment, come in any time the glasses feel loose.

The shop also carries ZEISS myopia control lenses at a lower price point, from 4,600,000d a pair. We compare both against your child's prescription and wearing habits rather than defaulting to one brand.

Bring the old prescription and prior measurement records, since the rate of change between visits is what actually decides whether a control lens makes sense.

Common questions

Is Stellest guaranteed to stop my child's prescription from increasing?

No. This lens is designed to slow the rate of progression, not stop it completely, and the effect varies by child. The only way to know if it's working for your child is to re-measure regularly and compare the numbers over time.

What does the 67% figure mean?

It's Essilor's published figure, citing a study in JAMA Ophthalmology from 2022, comparing Stellest with ordinary single-vision lenses. It comes with one important condition: the child must wear the glasses at least 12 hours a day. Wear less than that, and the figure no longer applies.

What age is it suitable for?

Essilor designed Stellest for ages 6 to 18. Under 6, or for complex cases, we refer to a specialist eye hospital first.

Is 12 hours a day of wear realistic?

For a child at school, usually yes, once you count class time, homework and play. But to be honest: if the child only wears them for study and takes them off otherwise, the result will differ from the study's numbers. This is worth thinking through before deciding, not after.

Why does Stellest use Airwear 1.59 material?

Airwear is polycarbonate, more impact-resistant than standard CR-39 plastic and lighter at the same prescription. For an active child that's a more practical reason than lens thickness. Index 1.59 is also thinner than a 1.50 lens at the same power.

What is Crizal Rock, and is it required?

It's Essilor's scratch- and smudge-resistant coating. Not required, but worth considering for children's glasses, since most kids' lenses get replaced due to scratching rather than expiring.

How often should the prescription be re-checked?

For a child using a myopia control lens, every 6 months. This isn't a formality: if the prescription keeps increasing fast after two check-ups, both the wearing habit and the lens choice need a second look.

How much does it cost?

Counter price list as of 11 September 2026: Stellest Clear with Crizal Rock coating 7,200,000d a pair, Stellest Tint with Crizal Sun XProtect 7,500,000d. Upgrading the default Crizal Rock coating to Crizal Prevencia adds 900,000d. Frame price is separate. Eye test is free, even if you haven't decided to buy.

Sources

• Bao J, Huang Y, Li X, et al. Spectacle Lenses With Aspherical Lenslets for Myopia Control vs Single-Vision Spectacle Lenses: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Ophthalmology. 2022;140(5):472-478..
• American Academy of Ophthalmology — Myopia Control in Children..