If you wear prescription glasses, you probably already know that there are different types of lenses you can get for them. You may have had a staff member from your local glasses shop or your eye doctor’s office ask you if you wanted to enhance your lenses for extra protection. But maybe you weren’t exactly sure why you would need lens enhancements, commonly referred to as lens coatings.
Whether or not you choose to add lens coatings to your personal lenses is entirely up to you. The important thing is for you to understand the different types of lens coatings and what they do, so you can make the best decision for you. Keep reading to learn about the most common types of lens coatings for glasses.
Anti-Reflective Lens Coating
Anti-reflective coating does just what it sounds like—prevents and minimizes reflections. It does this in more than one way. First, it reduces the glares you might see at night when driving, for example. It is common for glasses-wearers to see halos around traffic lights, car lights, and other light sources. Anti-reflective coating reduces these glares so you can see better at night.
Secondly, anti-reflective coating eliminates glares coming off of your own glasses, such as when you are on a Zoom meeting. If you wear glasses and frequently attend virtual meetings, you’ve probably experienced the annoyance of your glasses reflecting on the screen and oftentimes hiding your eyes. Anti-reflective lenses prevent this from happening.
Scratch-Resistant Lens Coating
Scratch-resistant glasses are pretty self explanatory. They have an extra layer of protection to prevent your lenses from getting scratched. While this type of lens coating is ideal for everyone, we especially recommend it for children and teenagers who may not be as careful with their glasses. But accidents happen no matter how old you are, and scratch-resistant coating can keep your lenses in better condition longer.
Ultraviolet (UV)-Protective Lens Coating
Too much exposure to UV rays can cause long-term damage to your eyes, in the form of macular degeneration and cataracts. While it’s impossible to completely avoid UV rays, since the sun is the main source of them, there are steps we can take to protect our eyes from too much exposure. Sunglasses, as long as they are UV-resistant, are the most obvious way to protect our eyes from UV light. But did you know that you can add UV-protection to your everyday prescription glasses? You can!
UV-protective coating does not change the color or look of your lenses; it just gives your eyes an extra layer of protection from harmful UV rays.
Anti-Fog Lens Coating
There are few things more annoying than foggy glasses. Whether you’re walking inside on a cold day or just draining your spaghetti noodles in the sink, foggy glasses are not only an inconvenience but also a hazard. If you can’t see with your glasses because they’re fogged, and you can’t see without them, that can be a problem. Anti-fog coating prevents your glasses from fogging up so you can live your life without foggy interruptions.
Now that you know about the different types of lens coatings for glasses, you can make the best decision when it’s time for your next pair of lenses. If you have specific questions, don’t hesitate to ask the specialist assisting you; he or she will be able to answer your questions and recommend which coatings might be beneficial for you. If you’re in the Austin area, visit our optical shop, 4207 Optical. We’d love to answer your questions and find the best lenses for you.