Are Anti-Glare and Anti-Scratch Coatings on Your Lenses Important?

Sometimes you may wonder if the little extras are worth the bother. When you’re ordering a new pair of prescription lenses, they usually ask if you’d like anti-glare or anti-scratch coatings applied to them. You’ve always been careful with your glasses, so you’re not sure you actually need either one. For just a few extra dollars, can they really be all that necessary? Let’s take a look at them to see if they can help you.

An anti-glare or anti-reflective coating, often called AR, will reduce the glare that reflects off your lenses from the sun and other light sources. Without that glare, more light is able to reach your eyes, allowing you to see clearer and sharper images. (Speaking of the sun, don’t forget that having this coating applied to your sunglasses could also be beneficial.)

Lenses Almost Invisible

Today’s AR coatings make eyeglass lenses almost invisible. When people look at you, they won’t see the glare from your lenses, but your eyes and their expressions. They will see you.

By keeping the glare away from your eyes, the anti-reflective coating allows them to relax and thus reduces the strain on your eyes. This can be especially helpful when you’re working at a computer for several hours a day or when you’re driving, either in sunlight or at night with headlights in your line of sight.

About ten years ago, the manufacturers of the AR coatings arrived at a great breakthrough in the way the coating was made and applied to the lens. Before that time, an AR coating was likely to peel away causing you to lose the protection and making them look streaky and cheap. Now, the anti-glare coating is a part of the lens, going through a “thorough and detailed heating process”.

Nothing is Completely “Scratch Proof”

As far as your eyeglass lenses are concerned, there is no such thing as totally scratch-proof. However, having an anti-scratch coating will make them resistant to the scratches that are liable to occur through everyday usage. When not being worn, it would be helpful to keep your glasses in a case with a soft lining and use a microfiber cloth to clean them and wipe away the smudges. Scratches are guaranteed if you clean your glasses with a paper towel or with many types of cloth. The type of glasses frames you choose play a part in how protected your lenses are from scratching as well.

These lens coatings will upgrade the way your lenses perform and the way your eyes respond to them. They will extend the life your eyeglass lenses. They will even save you money because you won’t need to replace them simply due to scratched lenses.

Anti-reflective coatings come in many varieties. You will need to consult with your optical care provider to decide which one suits your lenses the best. Plastic or glass lenses are only two things to take into consideration. Your vision specialist will be able to assist you.

So, if you’re still wondering whether or not the anti-glare and anti-scratch coatings are worth the small, additional price you would pay to have them added to your new glasses, the answer is yes – absolutely. They will improve your vision, get rid of most of your eye strain, allow others to make clear eye contact with you, and will make your lenses resistant to scratches. These “little extras” are a very important and useful investment.

Ensuring you have your eyes examined by your optometrist is essential to keeping your prescription up to date and your eyes healthy. Click here for more about our about our eye exams and optometrist.

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