Thanks to various advancements in technology you can customize your lenses to whatever you desire from the diverse options of coatings, lens material, and much more available.
Anti-glare coating has come a long way as one of the best options for your lenses. From being nothing but a varnish that peels and comes off lenses to be a vital part of the lenses applied through a detailed process. Today, anti-glare coating lenses are one of the best choices you could make when it comes to eyewear or prescription glasses.
However, don’t be deceived by how simple getting anti-glare coating lenses sound. There are variations to this coating option and this guide provides all you need to make the right decision.
What it is and how it works.
You can check out our previous article here to get the full gist on anti-glare coatings lenses.
Anti-glare or anti-reflective coating are coatings that allow more light to pass through the lens, giving you better vision and removing reflection. The reflection or glare in question includes those you get when driving or in the presence of any source of light. These glares are both dazzling and annoying, limiting your ability to see properly. In addition, wearing lenses that cause light to bounce off their surface draws attention away from your eyes.
With anti-glare coating lenses, 99.5% of light can enter the eyes through the lenses for better vision. This is in contrast to regular plastic lenses which reflects about 8% of light leaving only 92% or less for vision.
The benefits of anti-glare coating lenses include;
- Better and clearer vision all day and even at night when driving.
- Comfort when using the computer for long hours. With less glare and blue light protection, anti-glare coating lenses helps reduce eye fatigue or eye strain from computers and other digital screens.
- It’s easy to maintain.
- Anti-glare coating lenses are durable and help extend the lifespan of your lenses.
- They enhance appearance by removing reflections and letting your eyes take the center stage.
- Anti-glare coating lenses help to protect your eyes from UV rays.
How is an anti-glare coating for lenses applied?
Like we said earlier, technology, science, and advancements in various areas have made a lot of things possible, including the better application of anti-glare coating for lenses.
The application of this coating requires a technical process using vacuum deposition technology. The lenses are first cleaned and inspected for defects. This is a critical step as a defective lens would lead to a defective AR coating. Next are a thorough cleaning and decontamination of the lenses along with drying to prep the surface for the coating process.
The lenses to be coated are then loaded in metal racks and the racks loaded in a coating chamber. The chamber itself is immediately completely sealed to create a vacuum.
At this stage, the racks begin to rotate within the vacuum and the coating material which consists of metal oxides are vaporized in the chamber. In their vaporized form they adhere or stick to the surface of the lenses. This creates evenly coated lenses with a thin and microscopic optical layer.
Who needs anti-glare coating lenses?
- Those who work under UV rays or bright sunlight.
- Those who spend long hours with screens like computers, phones, and so on.
- People who drive regularly, especially at night.
- Anyone who wears glasses.
In conclusion, anti-glare coating lenses are ideal for anyone and everyone because of their benefits for all everyday situations.
What are the options within anti-glare coating lenses?
It’s safe to say that not all anti-glare coating lenses are the same. Aside from the fact that each manufacture of these lenses or coating has their specific formula, all anti-glare coatings have multiple layers of metallic oxides that alternate high and low index of refraction. Each of these layers influences different wavelengths of lights.
Hence, the more layers there are on a lens, the more light can pass through and reflections eliminated.
So, anti-glare coating lenses differ in quality and premium brands can have up to 7 layers which optimize their quality.
Formulas manufacturers like to apply include formulas for reducing smudges, preventing scratches or making lenses easier to clean. What you would notice is that with different brands or manufacturers, anti-glare coating lenses do much more than reducing light reflection.
The standard coating has two distinct layers which are;
- Scratch-resistant layer
- Anti-reflective layer
The premium brands or coatings go further to include the following layers;
- Colorless anti-reflective layer
If you have seen or used a standard anti-glare coating lens, you might have noticed the greenish color on the lens. While this has never prevented these standard options from removing reflection, premium versions that eliminate the greenish hue reduce even more reflection and give an enhanced view.
- Blue light protection layer
We are only just beginning to uncover the health issues associated with blue light. Research shows that the average adult spends over 10 hours a day on a digital device which means long-term exposure to blue light from the device. Health issues like sleep disorders and eye strain have been associated with blue light and premium anti-glare coating lenses can reduce the exposure by up to 20%.
- Scratch-resistance layer (an improved version)
Improved scratch resistance is applied with a protective layer known as SR booster. Scratch resistance is a vital part of anti-glare coating lenses to ensure anyone can use them for day-to-day wear. It contributes to the durability of these lenses.
- Oleophobic layer to reduce fingerprints
It’s almost impossible to avoid touching your lenses in a day. Unconsciously our hands rub the lenses, leaving prints and smudges behind. The oleophobic layer of premium anti-glare coating lenses makes it easy to wipe off these smudges and oils and go about your day unfazed.
- Hydrophobic layer for repelling water
As you might have guessed, the hydrophobic layer on anti-glare coating lenses helps to prevent fogging or water stains. It’s easy to wipe the water off the lens and this feature comes in handy for those often exposed to rain, snow, or similar elements.
- Anti-static layer to repel dust
Regardless of what you do or where you go, dust can easily find its way to the surface of your lens. The most common occurrence is when static charges from wiping the lens attract dust particles. Having an advanced anti-static layer helps to reverse this charge and repel dust.
- UV protection layer
UV protection included in premium anti-glare coating lenses helps to protect your eyes from UV rays. This layer does this by causing UV light to bounce off the front surface of the lens and pass through the back surface of the lens.
What brand is suitable for me?
From what we have discussed above, you are better aware of the variations that exist within anti-glare coating lenses. Most times, when your lens is prescribed by an optician, he/she might suggest suitable and specific brands of anti-glare coating. This will be based on your lifestyle and needs.
Here are some popular brands and types you can find in stores and what they offer.
The Standard anti-reflective coating offers the primary features stated above and is easily available across stores. It contains the scratch-resistant and anti-reflective layers. It is suitable for those who don’t mind the extra maintenance and are more concerned about anti-glare quality.
On Rx-able, our Standard AR Coating lenses comprises 4 layers.
If you don’t mind a soft blue-green reflection color and you are looking for hydrophobic and advanced scratch-resistance quality, the Premium AR Coating is highly suitable for you. On Rx-able, our Premium AR Coating lenses consists of 6 layers per side and 99.5% anti-reflection quality.
For protection from blue light and comfort, while using computers and other devices for long hours, a suitable brand is Crizal Prevencia. It comes with every other layer.
The top value that includes advanced hydrophobic and oleophobic layers, smudge resistance, and UV protection layers all at a great price is presented in the Crizal Alize lens. Crizal Avance also offers these benefits with advanced scratch resistance and anti-static layer.
If you are also looking for the best of everything such as advanced anti-glare coating, hydrophobic and oleophobic layers, smudge resistance, anti-static, and UV protection layers, Crizal Sapphire offers it all.
Maintenance for your anti-glare coating lenses is as simple as wiping them with a wet soft cloth. Avoid using lens cleaners with harsh chemicals as they may damage the anti-reflective coating.