A Simple Guide To Lens Coatings

Now that you’ve picked out your new frame, what about your lenses? Have you thought about what lens coatings you want or need? Do you even know what is available and what they do? Choosing your coatings are just as important, if not more important than choosing your frame style, as it will directly impact the look and performance of your new lenses.

Here are some coatings you should consider for your next pair of glasses:

Anti-Reflective or AR Coating

Anti-Reflective coating is a thin coating that eliminates the reflections and glare from the surfaces of your lenses. It will also reduce “halos” around light sources, and glare at night improving your night time vision. AR coatings will also improve the cosmetic appearance of you glasses by making the lenses appear “invisible.”

Not all AR coating are created equal.

If you have gone lens shopping before, you will notice that there can be great price differences in AR coatings from store to store. Here are some major factors that contribute to the price differences:

1. Front side only vs. Front and Back

Only coating 1 side of the lens makes is much less costly and faster to produce. However, there will still be reflections on the uncoated surface which will still allow for the unwanted effects of glare.

2. Single vs. Multi-Layer application

When the lens has 1 layer of AR coating, it is applied in one thicker layer which can cause flaking when dried just like paint can. When it is applied in multi-layers, although it takes longer and is more labor intensive, it produces a much more durable coating because it is applied in thinner layers.

3. Addition of Hydrophobic (water resistant) and Oleophobic (oil resistant) coatings

AR coatings naturally attract oil and dust, making your lenses easily dirty. Higher quality AR coating manufacturers have added hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings to combat this undesirable side effect and make your lenses much easier to clean and stay clean longer.

Scratch Resistant Coating

Scratched lenses are not only distracting but impact the quality of your vision. Lenses are treated front and back with a thin, clear scratch resistant coating. Please keep in mind that nothing is scratch proof, but this coating will significantly reduce everyday wear and tear because they create a much harder surface providing greater durability.

UV Coating

By now, we should all know that too much sun exposure is bad for your skin, but do you know its also bad for your eyes and can contribute to age related eye conditions such as cataracts and macular degeneration. Lenses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays help minimize the damaging effects of UV radiation.

Blue Light Coating

How much time do you spend in front of digital devices such as smartphones, tablets and computers? Most people spend and average of 8 to 10 hours per day, but if you answered more than 2 hours a day you could be experiencing digital eye strain. Some symptoms of digital eye strain include tired eyes, headaches/migraines, blurred vision, dry and irritated eyes, poor night vision and insomnia. If you spend a significant time in front of these digital screens, eye doctors highly recommend a blue light coating that filters out the damaging blue light emitted from these devices.