Stellest, Optimee or MiYOSMART: how the three myopia control lenses for kids actually differ

If your child's eye grade is climbing and their optometrist has raised the subject of myopia control, you have likely already heard three names: Essilor Stellest, Shamir Optimee and Hoya MiYOSMART. All three are available at Vision Express, all three are designed to slow how fast a myopic child's prescription progresses, and none of them is simply "the same lens with a different label." Here is what actually separates them, and why the choice is the optometrist's call, not a parent's guess from a product page.

What myopia control lenses are actually for

Before comparing brands, it helps to be precise about what this category of lens does and does not do. Myopia control lenses are designed to slow the rate at which a child's myopia progresses over time. They are not a cure, they do not reverse existing myopia, and they are not the same category as amblyopia, or lazy eye, treatment, which corrects a weaker eye by giving it a clear image rather than managing how fast a prescription is changing. If your child has been told they have lazy eye rather than a rising myopic prescription, this article is not about their lens. A myopia control lens is worth discussing only when an optometrist has confirmed your child's myopia is progressing and recommends managing that progression.

Essilor Stellest

Stellest is Essilor's myopia control design, built around a lens surface with hundreds of small lenslets spread across the front of the lens outside the central clear zone your child looks through. The idea is to change the way light focuses at the edge of the retina while keeping the center of vision clear and sharp for everyday seeing. Essilor is the French brand on the Vision Express lens menu, with the shortest general lead time of the group, though myopia control lenses are ordered and fitted individually and timing should always be confirmed in-store.

Shamir Optimee

Optimee is Shamir's entry into the same category, using its own optical design to manage peripheral defocus while preserving central visual clarity. Shamir is the Israeli brand on the menu, known across its lens range for made-to-measure precision tailored to the individual wearer, and Optimee follows that same philosophy applied to a growing child's eye rather than an adult presbyope's.

Hoya MiYOSMART

MiYOSMART comes from Hoya and uses a different structural approach again, built around a defocus incorporated multiple segments design across the lens. It is one of the more widely studied myopia control lenses globally, with a design that has been in commercial use for several years across multiple markets, the Philippines included.

Why the optometrist chooses, not the parent

All three lenses pursue the same broad goal through different optical designs, and none of them has a universal "best" answer independent of your child's specific eyes, prescription, lifestyle and how quickly their grade has been climbing. This is genuinely a clinical decision, and it should stay one. Be cautious of any source, this one included, that hands you a progression percentage for any of these lenses: results vary by study, by child, and by how consistently the glasses are worn, and a specific number quoted outside a clinical setting is not something Vision Express will put in front of you. What the optometrist can tell you, after examining your child, is which of the three designs suits their eyes and their daily life, and how the lens should be monitored over time.

Book a Vision7 exam and bring the questions

Start with Vision Express's Vision7 comprehensive eye exam, which checks case history, visual acuity, refraction, how your child's eyes work together and their overall eye health before any myopia control conversation begins. Ask the optometrist directly which of Essilor Stellest, Shamir Optimee or Hoya MiYOSMART fits your child, and ask what monitoring schedule they recommend once your child is wearing one. Every pair carries a 1-year warranty, free lifetime ultrasonic cleaning, and free lifetime custom fitting and adjustment, which matters more for a child's glasses than almost any other pair in the household.