4 May 2015
 Categories: , Articles

Americans don't have the best eyesight — 64% of all Americans wear eyeglasses for vision correction. Eyeglasses are a more convenient alternative to contact lenses, as they do not need to be replaced or cleaned as often. They also come in many more varieties and designs. After picking out a frame that suits your face, consider whether you want to add a lens coating to your eyeglasses for a more enhanced experience. The 4 most common lens coating offered by optometrists include anti-reflective, scratch-resistant, anti-fog and UV lenses.

Reducing Distortion with Anti-reflective Eyeglasses

Have you ever worn eyeglasses and found that the lenses have distorted your eyes? This can negatively impact your natural appearance, but worry not because anti-reflective lens coatings may be the solution that you need. Anti-reflective coating eliminates reflections to the front and back surface of the lenses in the eyeglasses using a specialized microscopically thin multilayer coating. 

This special coating is able to make the lenses in your eyeglasses basically invisible, so that the lenses do not distort how your eyes look, and do not reflect any glare. Anti-reflective eyeglasses are perfect for night owls, as they offer better night vision. This lens coating is highly recommended for high-index and polycarbonate lenses, which generally tend to reflect more light in comparison to other alternatives. Anti-reflective coating is also highly recommended for aspheric lenses, as they tend to have flatter curves, which cause them to reflect more light.

Anti-reflective coating can also be applied to the back of the lenses in order to eliminate "bounce-back" reflections as well. It really depends on the curve of your lenses and the environment that you reside in.

Increasing Durability with Scratch-resistant Coating

Are you fairly active? Do you participate in a lot of sports or recreational activities? If you want your eyeglasses to last, then you should highly consider opting for lenses that have a scratch-resistant coating applied overtop. The scratch-resistant coating will ensure that the lenses have a much harder surface that will be more resistant to scratches. Most eyeglasses automatically have a scratch-resistant coating applied overtop; however, you also want to check with your eyeglass provider to make sure. You also want to determine whether there are any changes in the warranty plan for eyeglasses with and without the scratch-resistant coating.

Scratch-resistant coatings are not only recommended for athletes, but also for children. Children tend to be less careful with their eyeglasses and may not always clean them properly. Lenses with a scratch-resistant coating will last much longer.

Protecting Your Eyes with UV Coating

Last but not least, protect your eyes with eyeglasses that have a UV coating overtop. Your eyes are perhaps the most sensitive part of your body, and are highly susceptible to damages. Exposure to UV rays can lead to premature aging, and even encourage the development of cancer. UV lens coating over your eyeglasses will make sure that you are always protected regardless of whether you are out in the sun or not, as 40% of UV exposure actually happens when you are not in direct sunlight. 

The UV coating will not affect how the lenses look although some people prefer a slight tint. Some eyeglasses, such as high-index plastics and polycarbonate lenses, already have UV blocking properties built-in.

Conclusion

When you are finalizing how you would like your eyeglasses to look, you want to make sure that you understand what type of lens coating is applied overtop. It is well worth the money to invest in having these lens coatings added to your lenses, as they can significantly increase the durable and protection that your eyeglasses can offer you.