You may have some of the coolest eyeglasses in town but for how long will the lenses stay as good as new? And are they also capable of shielding your eyes from the harsh rays of the sun? You may want to ask yourself this especially when you’ve paid a bomb for those pricey frames. Whenever you visit an optician next and plan on buying a new pair of eyeglasses, do not forget to ask them about the different types of lens coatings available. Just like lamination prevents your important documents from wearing out, these coatings prevent your lenses from any form of scratches and protect your eyes from the sun.
Apart from that eyeglass lens coatings can also help enhance lens (and eye) performance and can add to the appearance of your new lenses.
Here are five types of lens coatings you should consider
UV Coating
Would you ever consider leaving home without slathering on some sunscreen? The answer to this is a definite no and we all know why. Cumulative exposure to UV radiation can cause not only tanning and sunburns but often skin cancer too. So, if we’re well versed with how damaging the sun can be why do we never consider having UV coating for our eyeglass lenses? Did you know that the harsh UV rays emitted by the sun can be just as harmful to your eyes as to your skin? Yes, you read that right. Continuous exposure to UV radiation is bad for our eyes and can be linked to several age-related problems such as macular degeneration and cataract. Having a UV coating over your clear lenses blocks ultraviolet light. While regular lenses block most UV light, adding this additional layer of protection ensures that you are 100% protected.
Blue Light Protective Coating
Accessing digital devices has become a part of our daily lives today. Constant exposure to devices that distribute blue light, especially before hitting the bed may impact your sleep cycle and pattern. Furthermore, it may also contribute to symptoms such as eye strain. Lenses with blue light coatings or filters can help you avoid eye strain and other symptoms due to prolonged exposure to blue light, both from your digital screens and the environment.
Anti-Reflective Coating
An anti-reflective coating which is also known as the anti-glare coating is a tiny coating over your lenses that eradicates reflections and glare from both the front and back surfaces of your eyeglass lenses. This type of lens coating also helps decrease the halos around light and creates a finer aesthetic appearance, making your lenses nearly invisible. It also boosts light transmission through the lens for night driving and helps photochromic lenses minimize glare in bright sunlight. An anti-glare lens coating is strongly advised for all eyeglass lenses, but particularly for high-index, polycarbonate, and aspherical lenses, which all reflect more light than regular lenses.
Anti-Fog Coating
During the colder months, that is, from November to January, nothing is more frustrating than having your glasses all fogged up. Well, this isn’t it. Did you ever notice your eyeglasses fog up each time you step outside the ATM? We’ve all been there and to be honest, it’s the most annoying thing that could ever happen to anyone. When cold meets hot, this is bound to happen. Sometimes you may even notice your lenses fog up while playing a sport or when you’re sipping on a cup of hot tea or coffee. Switching to anti-fog lens coating helps eradicate all of these problems. This lens coating is designed to eliminate the condensation of moisture on lenses that cause fogging, isn’t that the coolest thing you’ve read today?
Scratch Resistant Coating
The next time to get your lens cleaned take a closer look at it and you’ll notice tons of scratches. Well, no matter how much you look after your spectacles, scratches are bound to happen and this, in turn, can impact your vision. Never use harsh tissue paper to clean your glasses, stick to microfiber cloths, and lens cleansers that are easily available. Water and soap are a big NO. While these are just a few things that you need to bear in mind, it’s best to have a scratch-resistant coating over your lenses. This type of lens coating is highly recommended for kids since they have a higher tendency of getting their eyeglasses scratched.
So, if you’re thinking about purchasing new eyeglasses soon, do not forget to consider some of these exceptional lens coatings we just spoke about. Happy eyes equals happy you so do what’s best for them.
