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Lens coatings: anti-reflective, hard coating, CleanCoat, etc.

What lens coatings are there? How do they differ in quality? What are the benefits of the various lens coatings?
20 November 2022

Lens coatings provide extra protection for your lenses and transform modern plastic lenses into strong visual aids. Sadly, we often don’t give due consideration to the importance of lens coatings when purchasing a pair of glasses. The decision about coatings is usually left to the optician. In order to help you choose between anti-reflective, hard, CleanCoat and other coatings, we’ve put together a guide that explains the different options. After all, the choice is yours!

  • Lens coatings: anti-reflective, hard layer, CleanCoat, etc.

1. Anti-reflective coating: The classic choice for seeing and being seen more clearly

Many people choose the classic, anti-reflective coating.
Benefits of an anti-reflective coating

Benefits of an anti-reflective coating

It helps you see more clearly, without distortions, makes your glasses more attractive and allows you to see clearly and without reflections.

Lenses without anti-reflective coating have a big disadvantage:  They reflect a lot of light, which can distract the wearer. These reflections are particularly annoying on wet roads or when driving at night, but also when the person you’re talking to can see themselves in your glasses.

Without anti-reflective coating
With anti-reflective coating

How can you tell if lenses have an anti-reflective coating?

Anti-reflective lenses can be recognized by the residual reflection. Regardless of the material used for the lenses, they have a characteristic color when you hold the glasses at a slight angle against a white background. This is highly practical for the wearer: the optician can identify the anti-reflective coating and even offer the same high quality if a switch to another material is desired.

The residual reflection is usually green. The modern Duravion®  Premium lens Coating  from ZEISS has an attractive, bluish residual reflection. The barely perceptible bluish residual reflection increases the amount of light the lens transmits to your eyes. And not only that – the blue is less visible to the eye. This means lenses with this residual reflection have the advantage of making your eyes look clearer to other people and have fewer reflections. Your eyes look more natural, almost as if you’re not wearing glasses at all.

So why not talk to your eye doctor about the anti-reflective coating options today! Ask for their tips about what you need to look for to ensure your coating lasts as long as it ought to.

2. The hard coating: particularly important for plastic lenses

Without hard coating
Without hard coating

For plastic lenses you definitely need a hard lacquer coating. While plastic lenses are easy to wear, the material used is softer and more prone to scratches than glass lenses (a.k.a. mineral lenses) – at least if untreated.

Special coatings with a hard lacquer matched to the material not only enhance the scratch resistance of the lenses, they also ensure constant visual quality and extend durability. Thanks to the DuraVision® Platinum coating, ZEISS offers a solution that is three times harder than the previous generation of hard (AR) coated plastic ZEISS lenses and 35% harder than AR coated mineral (glass) ZEISS lenses. This is made possible by the way ions seal the lens when the coating is applied.

3. Does CleanCoat mean never having to clean your glasses again?

Without CleanCoat
Without CleanCoat

Unfortunately, no coating will mean never having to clean lenses again. However, lenses can be coated in such a way that impurities are less likely to adhere to the lens. CleanCoat makes the lens surface smooth, making it more difficult for dirt and dust to adhere. This simplifies lens care tremendously. The smoother the lens surface, the better.

Just like a lotus leaf, water beads right off thanks to the wetting properties of the coating. A great bonus, particularly for anti-reflective lenses, because you’re more likely to notice dirt through improved reflection reduction than on lenses without such a coating.

Another coating level with antistatic function can also help keep your glasses cleaner: fluff – from clothes, for example – adheres to these lenses much less.

All-in-one coating package

Lens manufacturers want to make it easy for their customers to select a coating, which is why they offer packages for different coatings. And ZEISS is no exception: with the  DuraVision®  Premium lens coatings, you receive a complete package comprising top anti-reflective, hard, antistatic and CleanCoat coatings.

Just ask your optician. Choosing the right coating also matters if you’re buying children’s glasses or a second pair for yourself – so don’t leave this important decision to chance!

Special coatings for better vision

More relaxed vision in the digital world: protection against blue light

More relaxed vision in the digital world:

protection against blue light

Our vision has changed enormously now that we use digital devices such as smartphones, tablets, and modern illumination through LEDs and displays. We are subjected to more blue light than ever – all day long, in fact. High-energy blue light is also believed to have a negative impact on vision over the long term.

One thing’s for sure: Light has a considerable effect on managing our internal body clock, and thus our sleep patterns. Strong light in the early evening tells your body to stay awake for longer. When you look at the screen on your computer or another digital device, you subject your eyes to large quantities of blue light, causing such things as reduced contrast sensitivity. Focusing on a screen can also be strenuous for you and your eyes, and contribute to digital eye strain.

Lenses can help protect your eyes against blue light thanks to a special filter, making it easier to work at a computer or use digital devices. Thanks to DuraVision® BlueProtect from ZEISS, you receive a premium lens coating together with a blue light filter, which is great for all wearers who are often indoors and find that the light emitted by LED light bulbs, TVs or computer monitors makes them tired or uncomfortable. It is therefore advisable to opt for this lens coating, even for glasses you need for work or when watching TV.

Exceptional comfort and more safety on the road: Premium coating designed for drivers

Exceptional comfort and more safety on the road:

Premium coating designed for drivers

We’ve all been there: Unpleasant glare from oncoming traffic or street lights impairing our vision. This is tiring for drivers and can even become dangerous.

A premium lens coating can help, one that’s integrated into the  ZEISS DriveSafe lenses. This reduces the subjective sensation of glare1 – e.g. from oncoming vehicles with LED or Xenon headlights – and effectively protects your lenses from both scratches and the adhesion of dirt particles.

How can you recognize the ZEISS DriveSafe coating?
The ZEISS DriveSafe coating is evident from a slightly violet residual reflection on the lens, which is barely visible and therefore not distracting.

Great sun protection and a fabulous accessory

Lenses that darken in the sun

Lenses that darken in the sun

Self-tinting lenses are a great idea for anyone who doesn’t want to change their glasses in the sun as these lenses incorporate a special technology which adapts to the sun – e.g.

Sun protection – with stylish tints to suit your look

Sun protection – with stylish tints to suit your look

It’s all about protecting your eyes from the sun and glare when you’re outdoors. You and your eye doctor can create your ideal sunglasses in terms of both color and style. Colored coatings for sunglasses are available for plastic and mineral lenses. A wide selection of lens tints – from single colors and gradient tints to dual color or even special tints for medical purposes – feature in the range of sunglasses from ZEISS. So your glasses, whether single vision or progressive lenses, will become your favorite accessory that also delivers first-class protection against the sun.

All the rage: sunglasses with a mirror coating

All the rage: sunglasses with a mirror coating

Formerly only needed when the sun was shining brightly, sunglasses with a  mirror coating are now very much in vogue – and they’re available in your prescription! Talk to your optician today to see the wide range of colors and functions available for sunglass coatings.

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    With DuraVision DriveSafe, 64% of wearers tested said they experienced fewer problems with glare thanks to the new coating compared to other premium anti-reflective coatings. Source: Internal wearer trial (CZV employees in Germany), external wearer trial (eye care professionals and consumers in Spain)