Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsIs It Worth It?BenefitsDisadvantagesCost and Insurance
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Is It Worth It?
Benefits
Disadvantages
Cost and Insurance
Anti-reflective coating on eyeglasses costs more, but it may be beneficial in specific situations, such as night driving and preventingeye strainfrom computer use. On the other hand, thelensesare easily scratched and may require replacement.
This article discusses how anti-reflective coating works, the pros and cons of anti-glare glasses, and how much it costs.
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Is Anti-Reflective Coating Worth It?
While it’s not an outright necessity, anti-reflective coating is something you may want to consider if you havesymptoms of eye strainor spend a lot of time in front of a computer.
Anti-glare glasses can also make driving safe, particularly for those who drive at night or do long-distance driving.
Anti-reflective coating is also useful for people who:
Benefits of Anti-Glare Glasses
In the past, anti-reflective coatings were either painted onto the lens or applied to the lens like a sticker. But that’s not the case anymore. Today, anti-reflective coatings are fused onto the lens matrix, a technology first employed with high-powered telescopes and microscopes.
The coating is made up of carefully calibrated layers of metal oxides that are applied to the front and back of the lens and then irradiated with high-intensityultraviolet (UV) lightto enhance their light absorbency. This reduces reflected light and allows more non-reflected light to be transmitted through the lens.
Key benefits of anti-glare glasses include:
Anti-Glare Glasses for Computer Use
The American Optometric Association lists eyeglass lens coatings as one of the more useful solutions for computer vision syndrome.
Anti-Glare Glasses for Night Driving
Glare while driving at night is a common cause of accidents, especially for people withastigmatism. This eye disorder, which affects one in three Americans, can cause visual disturbances like halos and “whiteouts” with approaching headlights.
Anti-glare glasses also may help people who are sensitive to light while driving in the daytime or those boating in bright daylight. AR coatings are available for sunglasses too.
Are Yellow-Tint Lenses Good for Glare?Yellow-tint glassesoften touted to improve night driving vision, haven’t been shown to be all that effective in clinical studies. Anti-reflective coating, on the other hand, does reduce glare and can improve nighttime driving performance.
Are Yellow-Tint Lenses Good for Glare?
Yellow-tint glassesoften touted to improve night driving vision, haven’t been shown to be all that effective in clinical studies. Anti-reflective coating, on the other hand, does reduce glare and can improve nighttime driving performance.
Choosing the Best Sunglasses
Disadvantages of Anti-Glare Coating
Anti-reflective technology has come a long way in recent years, but there are still some cons worth noting:
Eyeglasses Lenses: Types, Features, Replacement
Cost and Ordering
Even so, a higher-end coating can be well worth your money. In addition to the benefits, these lenses tend to have better warranties and may be replaced at no charge if your lenses are scratched within a year.
According to Vision Center, AR coating can add $20 to $150 to the cost of lenses. Insurance may cover some or all of that cost.
AR Lens Options
Some quality brand-name lenses made with anti-reflective coatings include:
It’s worth asking your optician about other available AR coatings. Manufacturers are constantly updating their materials and may offer superior products specifically designed for night driving, sports, or computer use.
Is Walmart Vision Center a Good Choice?
Summary
Anti-reflective coating on eyeglasses is designed to reduce glare, making nighttime driving easier, and reducing eye strain from computer use. The coating is fused into the surface of the lens, giving it a very faint blue or green tinge. Despite their benefits, anti-glare glasses tend to scratch easily and would then need to be replaced.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hedaya MK, Elbahri M.Antireflective coatings: conventional stacking layers and ultrathin plasmonic metasurfaces: mini-review.Materials (Basel).2016 Jun;9(6):497. doi:10.3390/ma9060497American Optometric Association.How to choose eyeglasses for vision correction.Altalhi A, Khayyat W, Khojah O, Alsalmi M, Almarzouki H.Computer Vision Syndrome Among Health Sciences Students in Saudi Arabia: Prevalence and Risk Factors.Cureus. 2020 Feb 20;12(2):e7060. doi:10.7759/cureus.7060.American Optometric Association.Computer vision syndrome.Vitale S, Ellwein L, Cotch MF, Ferris FL 3rd, Sperduto R.Prevalence of refractive error in the United States, 1999-2004.Arch Ophthalmol. 2008;126(8):1111-1119. doi:10.1001/archopht.126.8.1111Hwang AD, Tuccar-Burak M, Peli E.Comparison of Pedestrian Detection With and Without Yellow-Lens Glasses During Simulated Night Driving With and Without Headlight Glare.JAMA Ophthalmol.2019;137(10):1147–1153. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2019.2893Vision Center.Are Anti-Glare Glasses Worth It?
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hedaya MK, Elbahri M.Antireflective coatings: conventional stacking layers and ultrathin plasmonic metasurfaces: mini-review.Materials (Basel).2016 Jun;9(6):497. doi:10.3390/ma9060497American Optometric Association.How to choose eyeglasses for vision correction.Altalhi A, Khayyat W, Khojah O, Alsalmi M, Almarzouki H.Computer Vision Syndrome Among Health Sciences Students in Saudi Arabia: Prevalence and Risk Factors.Cureus. 2020 Feb 20;12(2):e7060. doi:10.7759/cureus.7060.American Optometric Association.Computer vision syndrome.Vitale S, Ellwein L, Cotch MF, Ferris FL 3rd, Sperduto R.Prevalence of refractive error in the United States, 1999-2004.Arch Ophthalmol. 2008;126(8):1111-1119. doi:10.1001/archopht.126.8.1111Hwang AD, Tuccar-Burak M, Peli E.Comparison of Pedestrian Detection With and Without Yellow-Lens Glasses During Simulated Night Driving With and Without Headlight Glare.JAMA Ophthalmol.2019;137(10):1147–1153. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2019.2893Vision Center.Are Anti-Glare Glasses Worth It?
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Hedaya MK, Elbahri M.Antireflective coatings: conventional stacking layers and ultrathin plasmonic metasurfaces: mini-review.Materials (Basel).2016 Jun;9(6):497. doi:10.3390/ma9060497American Optometric Association.How to choose eyeglasses for vision correction.Altalhi A, Khayyat W, Khojah O, Alsalmi M, Almarzouki H.Computer Vision Syndrome Among Health Sciences Students in Saudi Arabia: Prevalence and Risk Factors.Cureus. 2020 Feb 20;12(2):e7060. doi:10.7759/cureus.7060.American Optometric Association.Computer vision syndrome.Vitale S, Ellwein L, Cotch MF, Ferris FL 3rd, Sperduto R.Prevalence of refractive error in the United States, 1999-2004.Arch Ophthalmol. 2008;126(8):1111-1119. doi:10.1001/archopht.126.8.1111Hwang AD, Tuccar-Burak M, Peli E.Comparison of Pedestrian Detection With and Without Yellow-Lens Glasses During Simulated Night Driving With and Without Headlight Glare.JAMA Ophthalmol.2019;137(10):1147–1153. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2019.2893Vision Center.Are Anti-Glare Glasses Worth It?
Hedaya MK, Elbahri M.Antireflective coatings: conventional stacking layers and ultrathin plasmonic metasurfaces: mini-review.Materials (Basel).2016 Jun;9(6):497. doi:10.3390/ma9060497
American Optometric Association.How to choose eyeglasses for vision correction.
Altalhi A, Khayyat W, Khojah O, Alsalmi M, Almarzouki H.Computer Vision Syndrome Among Health Sciences Students in Saudi Arabia: Prevalence and Risk Factors.Cureus. 2020 Feb 20;12(2):e7060. doi:10.7759/cureus.7060.
American Optometric Association.Computer vision syndrome.
Vitale S, Ellwein L, Cotch MF, Ferris FL 3rd, Sperduto R.Prevalence of refractive error in the United States, 1999-2004.Arch Ophthalmol. 2008;126(8):1111-1119. doi:10.1001/archopht.126.8.1111
Hwang AD, Tuccar-Burak M, Peli E.Comparison of Pedestrian Detection With and Without Yellow-Lens Glasses During Simulated Night Driving With and Without Headlight Glare.JAMA Ophthalmol.2019;137(10):1147–1153. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2019.2893
Vision Center.Are Anti-Glare Glasses Worth It?
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