Anti-Reflective Coatings
Lose the Glare With Anti-Reflective
Coatings
Anti-reflective coatings reduce glare and "ghost images" from lights, as well as
reduce eyestrain caused by overhead lighting. To improve both the vision through
the lenses and the appearance of the glasses, an anti-reflective coating (also
called AR coating) is applied. AR coatings are similar to the coatings found on
microscopes and camera lenses. They consist of several layers of metal oxides
applied to the front and back lens surfaces. Because of the layering effect, AR
coatings sometimes have a hint of green or purple color — depending on the
individual manufacturer's formula.
Each layer is scientifically calculated to block reflected light. The result is that you'll see a reduction in glare, annoying reflections and halos around lights. This is a great safety benefit when you're driving at night.
Also, anti-reflective coating reduces both
internal and external reflections on the lenses themselves, creating a nicer
cosmetic appearance. Internal reflections appear as rings that make lenses look
thick. External reflections mask your eyes from a clear, complete view when
someone is looking at you. So with an anti-reflective coating, eyeglass lenses
appear thin or non-existent, and your eyes look more natural.
Anyone on TV or whose photo is taken often
benefits tremendously from the coating, but really, all eyeglass wearers would
benefit from an anti-reflective coating from a cosmetic point of view. If you
have a strong prescription, you can use the AR coating in conjunction with high
index lenses to make your glasses look and feel as thin as possible.
With sunglass lenses, an AR coating is better applied only to the back surface of the lens (the surface nearest the eye). Because sunglass lenses are so dark, the AR coating can wind up looking smeary on the front surface. But coating the back-side helps reduce the reflections of light that enter from behind you and bounce off the surface into your eyes. A back-side coated sunglass lens is much more comfortable than an uncoated sunglass lens.
To summarize, antireflective lenses make you:
| Feel better at work |
Long hours in front of a computer screen and harsh fluorescent lighting can really make for tired eyes. In clinical studies, antireflective lenses were proven to dramatically reduce eye fatigue caused by light reflections that cause glare. |
| Feel better driving at night. | With ordinary lenses, headlights from other vehicles and street lights create distracting double images that can wear on your eyes. |
| Feel better about looking good. | Another great advantage to wearing antireflective lenses is how they make you look. People can clearly see your eyes, without all the reflections. And the better you look, the better you feel. |
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