If you drive, have astigmatism, or spend a lot of time in front of a computer screen, you may be interested in anti-glare or anti-reflective (AR) glasses. This type of eyewear is designed to reduce unwanted reflections on the surface of eyeglass lenses, to improve clarity and comfort.
AR glasses can be helpful in some situations, such as night driving and looking at screens. While they may incur an additional cost, they are considered durable and easy to clean.
What Are Anti-Glare Glasses?
Anti-glare or anti-reflective (AR) coatings are applied to eyeglasses to help reduce disruptive glare. People who wear glasses often experience back-glare, which is when light hits the back of the lens and then into the eyes.
Today, modern technology allows anti-reflective coatings to be merged directly into the lenses. This coating contains metal oxides that are treated with UV light. The aim of anti-reflective coatings is to minimize reflected light while allowing non-reflected light to come through the lens.
“Anti-Glare” vs. “Anti-Reflective”
“Anti-glare” and “anti-reflective” are often used to mean the same thing, but there is technically a subtle difference between these terms. In this article, we’ll use “anti-glare” and “anti-reflective” to mean anti-reflective coatings that allow non-reflected light to pass through the lens.
If you’re confused about which product is best for your eyes, talk to an optometrist. They can recommend a suitable product based on your unique eye health and lifestyle needs.
How Anti-Glare Glasses Can Help
Clearer Vision While Driving
Driving at night can be especially difficult with reduced visibility and glare from headlights, especially for people with astigmatism. Anti-glare glasses can make night driving easier and safer. They can also be helpful incorporated into sunglasses and help people drive more comfortably during the day. For boaters, anti-glare glasses can help reduce the glare from water.
Help with Digital Eye Strain
Today, much of our work and hobbies take place on screens. Unfortunately, this can cause computer vision syndrome, which includes uncomfortable symptoms like dry eyes, blurry vision, headaches, and pain in the neck and shoulders. Anti-reflective coatings, especially those with blue light filtration, can help those with digital eye strain.
Support for Eye Health Conditions
Eyeglasses with anti-reflective coating can be helpful to people with certain eye health conditions like cataracts and dry eye. They are also helpful for those with astigmatism. Astigmatism is the term used to describe an eye that is focussing light in two places, rather than one.. This refractive condition can make driving at night more difficult due to the presence of halos or streaks around streetlights and oncoming headlights.
Other Features of Anti-Glare Glasses
The most commonly cited benefits of anti-glare glasses are for night driving and screen use. However, there are other benefits to anti-reflective coatings. These include:
- Clearer details: Anti-reflective coatings can help you see small print and detailed patterns more clearly
- Photography perks: Thanks to less glare, AR coatings can make your eyes look clearer behind eyeglasses—an advantage when it comes to getting photographed!
Caring for Anti-Glare Glasses
- Care is important: While durable, once damaged, anti-reflective glasses cannot be fixed. They must be replaced, so it’s important to take good care of them if you want to protect your investment.
- Use a microfibre cloth: AR coatings are prone to scratches. Avoid cleaning your anti-reflective lenses with the corner of a shirt. Using a little water or anti-reflective lens cleaner with your microfibre cloth is also recommended to help prevent scratches.
Explore Anti-Glare Glasses & Prescription Eyewear in St. Thomas
For many people, prescription eyewear is an everyday necessity. Anti-glare or anti-reflective coatings may be suitable for people who wear eyeglasses every day, especially those who drive at night or work long hours at a computer.
Our team at First Optometry is passionate about eye care and we value trust, compassion, knowledge, and kindness. Our services include:
- Comprehensive eye exams for patients of all ages, from children to seniors
- Dry eye treatment
- Contact lens fittings
- Laser eye surgery consultations
- An extensive frame gallery with many brands to choose from
We primarily use Optik K&R lenses in our eyewear, which include LuxAR coating. LuxAR offers a variety of coating types, including an easy-to-clean coating and a blue light protection option. To learn more about prescription eyewear in St. Thomas, book an appointment at First Optometry today.
