Do I Need Anti-Reflective Lenses?

By Dr. Russel Lazarus
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Tired of photos having a glare reflected from your glasses? Want clearer vision at night?

Anti-reflective (AR) eyeglass lenses reduce glare and reflections that are distracting and affect how well you see. That’s why anti-reflective coatings are one of the most popular lens choices among people who wear glasses.

When ordering a new pair of glasses your optometrist will ask whether you want to customize your lenses.

If you’d like your lenses to have an AR coating, speak to an eye doctor near you.

SEE RELATED: Do I Need Coatings on My Lenses?

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Below we’ve explained how AR coatings work and why they may be a good fit for you.

What are anti-reflective lens coatings?

AR lenses have  a specialized coating that is made of a microscopic layer of metal oxides that neutralize reflections, allowing it to minimize glare from the front and back surfaces of each lens. They aid in the transmission of light through the optical lens and into your eye.

Anti-reflective coatings allow 99.5 percent of light to flow through the lens, compared to 92 percent for regular lenses.

Benefits of AR coatings

1. Reduced glare

Without an AR coating, lenses have noticeable glare, which means light reflects off their surfaces, limiting the quantity of light traveling through the lens. This can make your vision less clear and lower your ability to detect contrasts, especially at night.

2. Improved driving

When you have AR coatings on your lenses, driving at night becomes a lot easier. The halo effect around car lights is reduced considerably.

3. Reduced eye Strain

AR coatings can also help prevent eye fatigue and digital eye strain. Your eyes don’t have to work as hard to capture a quality image since they get more light.

4. Less reflections

Another advantage of AR coatings is that they make your glasses and eyes look better by nearly eliminating distracting reflections and glare that would otherwise bounce off your glasses.

AR lenses allow people to see your eyes clearly, which fosters  better eye contact.

For optimal clarity throughout the day, anti-reflective coatings can be applied to regular optical lenses as well as sunglasses.

LEARN MORE:  Optical and Contact Lenses

If you are interested in getting AR coatings for your glasses, contact an eye doctor near you.