There are several extra coatings you can have added to your eyeglasses purchase. Anti-scratch and UV protection, just to name a few, are great additions to your new glasses. However, while just about all of the protective coatings are recommended, the Anti-Reflective (AR) coating is almost essential for most optical needs. The anti-reflective coating, often referred to as ‘Anti-Glare’ coating, can help your vision significantly – especially when working with any type of glass or screen in front of you.
On another note: whenever you need a thinner, or specifically a high-index lens, anti-glare coating is in essence required as light tends to reflect much worse than your typical lens. As a general rule of thumb: the higher the refractive lens – which often also includes the higher the prescription needs – the more light that will be reflected. Therefore, the AR coating becomes more and more of a necessity.
Besides affecting your vision outward, an anti-reflective coating also affects your overall appearance – i.e. how others see you. The coating allows people to see through your lenses without an intruding glare blocking your eyes. It will allow you to have photos taken without needing to remove your eyeglasses as the flash will not disturb your specs. Sunglasses need AR coating as well. Because the coating is usually applied to both sides of the lenses, if the sun is coming in behind you, your anti-glare coating will insure that your eyes don’t get bothered by shine bouncing off the inside of the lens.
Any kind of eyeglasses that allow you to use, or be around glass windows or screens – like computer or driving glasses – are basically particularly specified by the anti-reflective coating. It is actually fairly common for people who do not require any kind of vision correction to wear a pair of computer glasses while at work in order to protect their eyes from Computer Vision Syndrome; these glasses would contain clear, plano lenses with anti-reflective coating added. It is also fairly common for more complex lenses to be created with anti-reflective coatings already containing the coating. This is because, as stated before, high-index, as well as thinner lenses, basically require the AR coating.
When checking out your next pair of prescription eyeglasses, if it’s not already added into the lens, be sure to add the anti-reflective coating; you won’t regret it! Not only is this protective coating basically imperative for everyday living in modern times, it isn’t a large added expense, and is absolutely worth the extra buck! If you decide to search for eyeglasses online, you not only save a ton of money on the eyeglasses and frames themselves, but also on the addition coatings!Anti-reflective coatings can be found for under twenty dollars when you buy glasses online!! Protect your eyes, and enjoy your vision correction experience with the proper protective coatings!
Hillary Glaser is the Director of Marketing and Special Projects for GlassesUSA – the easiest way to buy glasses online. She over sees day-to-day operations for all marketing and promotions of eyeglasses for the company.