Learn all about anti-reflective coating and what is has to offer to ensure that you have the best visual experience.
As everyone knows, glass reflects light, sometimes blindingly so. Many other materials, such as metal and some plastics, do the same. Sun glare is when sunlight reflects off something outdoors and gets into your eyes. Your eyeglass lenses are no exception to this, and it can lead to more than one problem. For instance, standard plastic lenses reflect back eight percent of the light that hits them. That’s eight percent less light entering your vision, and it can make things more difficult to see. Even worse, reflected light can create that blinding glare we’re all familiar with. This is most pronounced with light coming from behind you and being reflected off the lenses and right into your eyes--to an extent defeating the purpose of sunglasses.
An anti-reflective coating is something that can be applied to lenses to allow more than 99 percent of light to pass through, nearly eThis modern anti-reflective coating is made of a hard, thin film which is layered on top of the lens. It’s made of a material that has an index of reflection (which indicates how light bends when passing through it) between air and glass. This leads to the amount of light reflected from both its inner and the outer surfaces to be just about equal. When this coating is applied in the correct way, the reflections from each side just about cancel each other out, minimizing glare. This is more often done to the rear of lenses, but can also be applied to the front to eliminate what’s often called “hot spot” glare from reflecting off the lenses, eliminating the glare caused by light reflecting off of them.
This modern anti-reflective coating is made of a hard, thin film which is layered on top of the lens. It’s made of a material that has an index of reflection (which indicates how light bends when passing through it) between air and glass. This leads to the amount of light reflected from both its inner and the outer surfaces to be just about equal. When this coating is applied in the correct way, the reflections from each side just about cancel each other out, minimizing glare. This is more often done to the rear of lenses, but can also be applied to the front to eliminate what’s often called “hot spot” glare from reflecting off the lenses.
Anti-reflective coating can be applied both before, and after purchasing a pair of glasses.
Generally speaking, it is ideal for anti-reflective coating to be added as early as possible. This allows it to be integrated into the manufacturing process, making it more integrated and cost-effective.
However, it is completely possible to apply this after purchase, though it is a bit more of a process. First you must check to ensure it does not already contain this coating. You can do this by looking at your lenses from different directions to try and spot any glare. If you are lacking the coating, the glare will share the color with the light it’s reflecting, and those reflections will be very strong and obvious.
If you determine your glasses do not have this coating, there are two other things you must check first.
If these conditions are met, the coating can be applied, though in many cases it will cost more at this point, and will likely be of a lower quality than similar coating applied during the manufacturing process. So, as mentioned above, it is advised to get glasses with this feature built in.
There are a few things you should be aware of regarding the cleaning of your anti-reflective coated glasses.
First, use only optician-recommended products, as lens cleaners with harsh chemicals can damage the coating.
Additionally, be sure to wet the lenses before cleaning them. Using a dry cloth on dry lenses can lead to scratches, which will stand out more of coated lenses than on uncoated ones.
Ultimately, anti-reflective coating for your lenses is absolutely worth the extra expense, especially if applied before your purchase. Eliminating glare will lead to a much better experience when you’re out and about with your glasses or sunglasses, and, perhaps more importantly, will limit the amount of UV rays that make it into your eyes. If you have any more specific questions about the types of anti-reflective coatings, the application process, or whether your glasses already have such a coating, ask your eyecare professional.
Contact the listed practice to learn more about anti-reflective coating for your glasses. You can reach out to them via a call or in-person visit.