Once you’ve chosen your favorite frame for your eyeglasses, your optician may ask you if you would like to get any coating for your lenses. Let’s discuss the various types of lens coatings.

What is lens coating?

Lens coating is a treatment done on the lenses of your eyeglasses to enhance durability and performance.

What are the various types of lens coatings available?

1. Anti-reflective coating/Anti-glare coating
2. Blue cut coating
3. Scratch Resistant coating
4. UV Protective coating
5. Anti-fog coating
6. Photochromic coating
7. Polarized coating
8. Tinted lenses
9. Mirror Coating

Now let’s discuss each one of these in detail.

1. Anti-reflective coating (AR coating)

This is a thin, multilayer coating that eliminates glare due to reflection of light from the front and back surfaces of your eye glasses. These lenses are best for night driving, and provide clear vision for reading and computer use.

AR coating is recommended for all eye glasses as it enhances the clarity of vision by cutting down unwanted glare. This type of coating is particularly needed for certain types of lenses such as high index lenses or polycarbonate lenses which reflect light more than usual glass or plastic lenses. For best vision in all lighting conditions, anti-reflective coating goes best with photochromic lenses.

2. Blue cut coating

Blue cut coating has recently become popular, especially due to increased digital screen use.

Let’s understand what blue cut coating is and how it is different from anti-reflective coating. Anti-reflective coating, as discussed above, cuts down glare and improves clarity, while blue cut coating is specifically designed to cut out blue light reflecting from digital screens.

If you are already experiencing digital eye strain, you will experience relief in your symptoms with blue cut lenses.

However, these lenses cause increased color distortion and scattering of light, therefore they are not recommended if you don’t primarily work with digital screens.

3. Scratch resistant coating

Glasses with scratches can be a nightmare for spectacles users! Imagine all that unclear vision and glare! There is an easy-peasy solution to this problem. Get a scratch resistant coating for your glasses! As the name suggests, this type of coating protects your lenses from scratches.

Polycarbonate lenses are often lighter than glass lenses but are also prone to scratches. A scratch resistant coating applied to the front and back surface of your glasses makes them harder and scratch proof. This coating is especially useful for children.

But even after getting a scratch resistant coating, make sure you follow these steps to take good care of your glasses, to improve their durability.

4. UV protective coating

We all know how harmful UV rays are for us. Not only do they cause sunburns and predispose to skin cancer, they also harm your eyes by accelerating the development of diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration.

High index lenses and sunglasses usually have a built-in UV protection. However, other types of lenses may need an additional UV protective coating so that they can block UVA as well as UVB rays.

5. Anti-fog coating

Fogging of glasses is an annoying problem for spectacles users, especially during winters. And now, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, due to continuous use of masks, the problem of fogging has increased further. This is not just annoying, but can also be a safety concern as it compromises your vision.

Fogging of your glasses takes place when tiny droplets of moisture condense on your glasses. Anti-fog coating doesn’t let these tiny droplets settle onto your spectacle lenses, thus giving you a clear vision even during winters days or while wearing a mask. This coating is also beneficial for women who cook and for people who are active in sports.

6. Photochromic coating

Lenses that have undergone a photochromic treatment change color on exposure to sunlight and become tinted, and become clear again once you move back indoors. Awesome isn’t it?

These type of lenses come in handy when you need to be outdoors often and don’t want the hassle of carrying separate sunglasses. You’ve got your spectacles and sunglasses in just one frame with a photochromic coating.

7. Polarized coating

This is a special type of coating. Polarized lenses have a polarized coating pressed between two layers of glass. Polarized lenses are designed to be used outdoors. They cut out excessive glare due to sunlight from natural surfaces such as water and sand. They are also good for night driving.

However, polarized lenses cannot be used for digital screens as they distort the screens. Therefore remember, if you spend most of the time working on a digital screen, polarized coating is NOT for you.

8. Tinted lenses

Lens tint coatings are available in various shades and gradients. Not only tinted coatings make your glasses look stylish, certain types of tints help improve contrasts and reduce eye strain.

9. Mirror coating

This is a purely cosmetic coating that gives a stylish look to your glasses. This coating completely blocks your eyes from the view of other people. Other people will be able to see their own reflection in your glasses like that in a mirror.

Mirror coating comes in various shades such as silver, gold and blue.

I hope I have helped you understand the various types of spectacles coating through this article. So now you are ready to order your new pair of glasses customized as per your needs!

If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment below or email me at neha.pednekar1489@gmail.com

I’ll meet you soon in my next blog. Till then take good care of your eyes and stay healthy!