Ten tips for choosing the right lens coating

Coatings put the perfect finishing touch to your lenses. They turn your spectacles into a masterpiece of technology that will help you enjoy outstanding visual comfort. Lenses with the right prescription for your needs are not enough to guarantee optimum vision. BETTER VISION now has 10 useful tips on the subject of lens coatings – which ones are best for your requirements, and what aspects should you consider when buying your new spectacles?

Every lens surface reflects light – an inevitable fact of life that can often prove to be very irritating. But a remedy is at hand. A high-quality AR coating not only ensures that you look better by enhancing the visibility of your eyes, but it also eliminates most distracting reflections. AR coatings considerably facilitate night driving or reading. And anyone looking at you also benefits from an AR coating: as there are hardly any reflections on the front surface of the lens, they have unhindered visibility of your eyes. A high-quality AR coating consists of various layers that interact to provide the optimum effect. In this way, reflections caused by light of various wavelengths and from different directions are minimised, also reducing eye fatigue.

Tip: New lens coatings from ZEISS can now help you enjoy better vision. Thanks to its innovative technology, the DuraVision® Platinum coating reduces irritating reflections by an additional 20 percent.

These days, most customers opt for plastic lenses. However, these lenses are not as hard as lenses made of glass, and they are less resilient and more sensitive to scratching. Therefore, a special hard coating is definitely recommended to increase their durability. This makes the surface less sensitive to the scratches that can impair your vision.

The new ZEISS DuraVision® Platinum coating package is a combination of an anti-reflection coating and an extremely durable hard coating. This coating protects AR-coated plastic lenses by making them so hard that their performance equals or even surpasses that of glass lenses: studies have shown that lenses coated with DuraVision® Platinum are up to three times harder than current generations of plastic lenses*!

_{*ZEISS lenses with DuraVision® Platinum technology 1.67 compared to LotuTec 1.67.}

Yes. Lenses featuring DuraVision® Platinum technology are made up of nine ultra-thin layers. These layers have four tasks to perform: first, the base material receives a hard coating, followed by various anti-reflection coatings and then finally by the Clean Coat layer. This topmost layer seals the lens and creates a perfectly smooth surface. As a result, dirt and moisture simply bead off the surface and the lenses stay clean longer. And when they do have to be cleaned, this can be done much more easily and conveniently.

Yes. First, lenses provided with these coatings display excellent anti-static properties, which means that they become dirty much less quickly and attract considerably less dust and fluff. Second, the water and oil repellent layer ensures easy cleaning: the lenses can be conveniently cleaned with ZEISS lens wipes – or you can simply hold them under running, lukewarm water and shake off any remaining water droplets. As a rule, you do not even need to rub them with a microfibre cleaning cloth because liquids simply bead off the surface, a phenomenon you will be familiar with from lotus leaves.

Please do not use your T-shirt, shirtsleeve or handkerchief to clean your lenses – tiny dirt particles could cause scratching. The result: goodbye clear vision! A large number of small scratches can cloud the surface of your lens. So, don't clean your lenses with articles of clothing, paper handkerchiefs, etc.

We recommend running, lukewarm water or ZEISS cleaning spray and a microfibre lens cleaning cloth for day-to-day cleaning. In between times, you can use ZEISS lens wipes, which do not harm the coating. These wipes are packed individually, are ready to hand at all times and have a lasting effect: they ensure both better vision and a longer lens life.

Yes, there are many! Dropping them, scratches resulting from improper handling, or subjecting them to excessively low or high temperatures can all damage your lenses. The heat generated in a car on a hot summer day, for instance, is also smething to be avoided. The same applies to the sauna or putting them on the radiator at home: spectacle lenses were simply not made for this kind of environment. Frequently, wearers underestimate the danger posed by the dirt particles lurking on the lens itself or on handkerchiefs or clothing used to clean it. This can all lead to scratching. A modern hard coating is the remedy to this problem: it makes your lenses more scratch-resistant and extends their service life.

AR coatings are very important for children – when they start school at the very latest. These coatings are very reasonably priced. Simply ask your optician if you want to know more. And, of course, a hard coating is an absolute must for children's spectacles. Only then can they stand up to the knocks and bumps of a child's everyday life. Important: You should choose an optician who is used to dealing with the special needs of children. The right optician will perform a complete, child-friendly examination of your son's or daughter's eyes to ensure that they receive precisely the spectacles they need for their personal requirements.

Brown, green, grey – the colours normally associated with sunglass lenses aren't exactly exciting. And yet the world is a very colourful place! Depending on their planned field of application, a subtle tint can enhance the quality of your vision, lift your spirits and create a unique, fashionable style. Names like "Spicy Red" and "Pretty Pink" say it all! Or maybe you want something more elegant? The high-end "Black tint" offers up to 95 percent light absorption and a series of different absorption levels designed to reflect contemporary styles. On request, your optician can offer you lenses in all fashionable colours – with single, graduated and trendy bicolour tints. It's important to tell your optician on what occasions and in what situations you intend to wear your tinted lenses: for everyday use, as sunglasses or for special (sports) activities? Your optician will be pleased to advise you.

Tinted lenses have many benefits: they not only give your appearance a very personal touch, but also enhance contrast perception, lift your spirits, reduce the glare caused by artificial light, help hide wrinkles and improve your overall visual comfort. However, they must also match your hairstyle, make-up and clothing. If you're not exactly a fan of loud colours, then pastel tints are just the thing for you. Tip: Your spectacles should be matched to your hairstyle and the shape of your face first - and then to your clothing. Almost all tints are suitable for blond and dark hair. Pink and violet are perfect for redheads. And don't forget about your complexion – it's also very important. Vibrant colours are best for pale complexions.

Please also ensure that the tint of your lenses and frame doesn't go unnoticed due to overly dominant eye make-up. Eyeliner and mascara are excellent options, of course, to accentuate your eyes. Lipstick is definitely a must to ensure that your mouth and eyes are a perfect match. In this way, tinted lenses will give you precisely the look you are looking for – whether exotic or elegant. The general rule is: the more conspicuous your spectacles, the simpler your outfit should be. In other words, use jewellry and other accessories sparingly when you are wearing tinted lenses! Incidentally, you can order lenses in any colour from your opticians. Simply give them a colour sample (e.g. your favorite handbag) and they will order matching lenses. More info on the ZEISS colour range…

Self-tinting lenses for many different situations in our everyday lives. If you wear prescription lenses and frequently move between indoor and outdoor situations in normal sunlight conditions, then you might benefit from switching to an alternative sun protection solution in the form of modern self-tinting lenses such as ZEISS PhotoFusion X. They react considerably faster to changing light than previous generations of self-tinting lenses, adapt to their darkest tint in sunshine and clear almost completely again in just a few seconds when you go back indoors. The speed of the clearing process is particularly important to ensure, for example, that you don't remain "in the dark" when you go into a shop from bright summer sunshine. PhotoFusion X lenses also guarantee 100 percent UV protection at all tint levels and offer exactly the same high standards of optical quality. ZEISS Photofusion® X self-tinting lenses are available in all the lens colours and designs that people in the know will definitely be wearing this season! Whether casual, stylish, elegant or for kids. More information on the new self-tinting lenses from ZEISS...

Have you noticed yourself squinting even in moderately bright room lighting? Self-tinting lenses are also recommended for these situations. They adapt smoothly to whatever light conditions you experience and ensure relaxed, comfortable vision at all times.