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October 3, 2026Myopia control for children · October 2026
MiYOSMART iQ Lenses in Abu Dhabi: HOYA’s Newest Myopia Control Lens for Children
MiYOSMART iQ is the latest generation of HOYA’s myopia control spectacle lenses. It builds on the well-studied MiYOSMART lens with a stronger, wider and better-placed “slow down” signal for the growing eye. It is now available at Optic One on Hamdan Street, Abu Dhabi.
- What it is: a glasses lens for short-sighted (myopic) children. It corrects their vision and helps slow down how fast their myopia gets worse.
- What is new: HOYA’s Triple Enhanced Design. The treatment segments sit closer to the centre, have a higher defocus power, and cover a larger area of the lens.
- The results so far: in a 12-month trial of children aged 4 to 12, 9 out of 10 children showed no clinically relevant increase in their myopia.
- Where to get it: Optic One, Hamdan Street, Abu Dhabi. Lenses are ready in about 2 weeks.
What is myopia control?
Myopia (short-sightedness) means distant things look blurry. In children, it usually happens because the eye grows too long. As long as the eye keeps growing, the myopia keeps increasing, and the glasses get stronger every year.
Ordinary glasses fix the blur, but they do nothing to slow down that growth. Myopia control means using a treatment that both corrects vision and slows down the eye’s growth. The aim is a lower prescription when your child grows up.
That matters for more than convenience. High myopia in adulthood raises the risk of serious eye problems later in life, such as retinal detachment, myopic macular damage and glaucoma. HOYA estimates that around half of the world’s population could be short-sighted by 2050, so slowing myopia in childhood is one of the most useful things parents can do for their child’s long-term eye health.
The main options are myopia control spectacle lenses (like MiYOSMART iQ and Essilor Stellest), special myopia control contact lenses and orthokeratology lenses worn overnight. For most young children, glasses are the simplest place to start: nothing touches the eye, and they are easy to wear every day. See all the myopia control options at Optic One.
Why MiYOSMART from HOYA?
HOYA is a Japanese lens maker with decades of experience in spectacle lenses. MiYOSMART was developed together with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and is based on their D.I.M.S. (Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments) Technology.
Here is the idea in simple terms. A MiYOSMART lens has two parts:
- A clear centre with your child’s normal prescription, so they see sharply through the middle of the lens.
- A treatment zone around it made of hundreds of tiny segments in a honeycomb pattern. These segments focus part of the light in front of the retina. This “myopic defocus” acts as a signal that helps the eye slow down its growth.
Because the segments are built into a smooth lens surface, MiYOSMART looks very much like a normal glasses lens. In 2018, MiYOSMART with D.I.M.S. Technology won the Grand Prize at the 46th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva.
The research behind MiYOSMART
Few myopia control lenses have been studied for as long as MiYOSMART:
- Two-year clinical trial: in a randomised trial in Hong Kong with children aged 8 to 13, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology (2020), children wearing D.I.M.S. lenses had on average 52% less myopia progression and 62% less eye growth than children in ordinary single-vision lenses.
- Six-year follow-up: a long-term study published in Scientific Reports (2023) found that the myopia control effect continued over six years of wear, with no rebound effect seen after stopping.
- Eight years and counting: HOYA reports that the original MiYOSMART lens is now supported by eight years of clinical data.
This long track record is the foundation MiYOSMART iQ is built on.
Introducing MiYOSMART iQ: the latest generation
MiYOSMART iQ is HOYA’s most advanced myopia control spectacle lens. It keeps the proven D.I.M.S. Technology and adds a Triple Enhanced Design (DIMS TED), so the treatment signal is stronger and reaches more of the eye.
The Triple Enhanced Design, in plain words
- Activated: the defocus segments start closer to the centre of the lens. This keeps the signal reaching the area just around the centre of the retina, which HOYA calls the “Smart Zone”. It is thought to be the part of the retina that responds best to the signal.
- Powerful: the segments have a higher defocus power, which gives the eye a stronger “slow down” signal.
- Extended: the treatment zone is larger (about 41 mm, compared with about 33 mm on the original MiYOSMART). More of your child’s side vision receives the signal, even in larger frames.
What the new research shows
MiYOSMART iQ was tested in a 12-month randomised controlled trial with 196 short-sighted children aged 4 to 12 in Hong Kong. The results were presented at the ARVO 2026 conference:
- 9 out of 10 children showed no clinically relevant myopia progression in the first 12 months of wear. HOYA defines this as a change of less than 0.50 D in a year.
- On average, myopia did not progress in the first 12 months, and average eye growth was minimal.
- From age 4: it is HOYA’s first spectacle lens with reported clinical evidence of myopia control in children as young as 4.
To be clear: these are first-year results, reported by HOYA. Results vary from child to child, depending on age and how fast their myopia was changing to begin with. No lens can stop or reverse myopia for every child, which is why regular check-ups matter.
What has improved compared with MiYOSMART
| Feature | MiYOSMART | MiYOSMART iQ |
|---|---|---|
| Technology | D.I.M.S. | D.I.M.S. with Triple Enhanced Design |
| Position of the segments | Around a clear centre | Closer to the centre, to keep the “Smart Zone” active |
| Defocus power | Standard | Higher, for a stronger signal |
| Treatment zone | About 33 mm | About 41 mm, covering more of the side vision |
| Youngest age studied | 8 years (original trial) | 4 years |
| Coating | Easy-clean multi-coating | New S.P.A.R.K. coating |
| Thinner option | — | MiYOSMART iQTF with FreeForm back surface |
A tougher, easier-to-clean coating: S.P.A.R.K.
Children’s glasses get dropped, wiped on shirts and covered in fingerprints. The new S.P.A.R.K. coating is made for that:
- Up to 50% more scratch-resistant than the previous MiYOSMART generation
- Repels fingerprints, smudges and dust, with up to 5 times better water resistance
- Designed to stay easy to clean for nearly 3 years of typical daily wiping
- Anti-reflective, for less glare and fewer reflections
- Blocks 100% of harmful UV from the front of the lens
MiYOSMART iQ versions
MiYOSMART iQ Clear
The everyday clear lens. It looks just like a regular glasses lens, so other children won’t notice anything different.
MiYOSMART iQTF
Adds a FreeForm aspherical back surface for clear vision when looking in all directions. Its flatter curves can make the lens edges up to 10% thinner, which helps with stronger prescriptions.
MiYOSMART iQ Chameleon
A light-reactive version that darkens outdoors and clears indoors, with the same myopia control technology. In the UAE sun, it saves children from switching between two pairs of glasses at school and outside.
Why MiYOSMART iQ needs an in-store visit
A MiYOSMART iQ lens has a clear centre with the treatment segments arranged around it. The centre must sit exactly in front of each pupil. If it is a few millimetres off, your child may look through the segments instead of the clear centre, and the treatment signal will not reach the eye evenly. That is why these lenses cannot be ordered online with a simple pupil distance.
How we measure: digitally, eye by eye
- Your child wears the chosen frame, adjusted so it sits level and comfortably.
- We take a few quick photos with a tablet-based digital measuring system while your child looks naturally ahead. It only takes seconds, which suits young children.
- The system finds the centre of each pupil and measures each eye separately: the distance from the nose (pupil distance) and the height in the frame (fitting height).
- It also measures how the frame sits on the face, including its tilt and its distance from the eyes, so the treatment zone lands where it should.
- We check the result on screen before ordering, and repeat it in seconds if your child moved or blinked.
The frame matters too. It should not be wider than your child’s face, the eyes should sit near the middle of each lens, and it should stay in place during play. We help you choose from our kids’ eyeglasses, including flexible frames from NanoVista and Miraflex.
Getting MiYOSMART iQ at Optic One, Abu Dhabi
- Prescription: bring your child’s current prescription from their eye doctor.
- Frame choice: we help your child pick a frame that suits MiYOSMART iQ and that they will happily wear all day.
- Digital measurements: each eye is measured precisely in store.
- Production: MiYOSMART iQ lenses are made to your child’s prescription and measurements. They are usually ready in about 2 weeks.
- Fitting and handover: we check the centring, adjust the frame and show your child how to wear and care for the glasses.
- Aftercare: come back any time for adjustments. HOYA recommends a follow-up within 6 months to check progress.
MiYOSMART iQ should be your child’s main glasses, worn all day, every day. Most children get used to them within one to two weeks. Encourage at least 2 hours outdoors a day (in the cooler hours here in the UAE), regular breaks from screens and close-up work, and keep up with eye check-ups.
Ask us about MiYOSMART iQ for your child
- Now available at our DOH-licensed store on Hamdan Street, Abu Dhabi.
- Precise digital measurements of each eye, taken in store.
- Ready in about 2 weeks, fitted and adjusted by our team.
Next to Jawhara Jewellery, near Big Mart Hypermarket, opposite WTC Mall, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Street, Abu Dhabi.
Common questions about MiYOSMART iQ
What is MiYOSMART iQ?
MiYOSMART iQ is HOYA’s newest myopia control spectacle lens for children. It corrects short-sightedness through a clear centre, while a ring of tiny segments around it sends a “slow down” signal to the growing eye. It uses D.I.M.S. Technology with a new Triple Enhanced Design.
What is the difference between MiYOSMART and MiYOSMART iQ?
MiYOSMART iQ adds HOYA’s Triple Enhanced Design: the segments sit closer to the centre, have a higher defocus power, and cover a larger treatment zone (about 41 mm instead of about 33 mm). It also has the new S.P.A.R.K. coating and has been studied in children from age 4.
Does MiYOSMART really work?
The original MiYOSMART lens slowed myopia progression by 52% and eye growth by 62% on average over two years in a randomised trial, and the effect continued over six years of follow-up. For MiYOSMART iQ, HOYA reports that 9 out of 10 children aged 4 to 12 showed no clinically relevant progression in the first year. Results vary between children.
Is MiYOSMART lens worth it?
For a short-sighted child whose prescription keeps increasing, a lens that both corrects vision and helps slow myopia can mean a lower prescription and lower long-term eye risks in adulthood. It works best when worn all day, every day, and is checked regularly by an eye doctor.
How to control myopia in kids?
The main options are myopia control glasses such as MiYOSMART iQ, myopia control contact lenses, and orthokeratology lenses. Your child’s eye doctor will advise which suits them. Simple habits also help: at least 2 hours outdoors a day, regular breaks from screens and close-up work, and regular eye check-ups.
