Adding Anti-Glare Coating to Lenses

Adding anti-glare coating, also called anti-reflective coating, to your glasses is not a do-it-yourself job. You must take your lenses to an optician to have the coating added, if you decide the extra expense is worth it. Anti-glare coating can improve vision and enhances the appearance of your eyes by making the lenses nearly transparent, but it also has a few drawbacks, cost among them.

Instructions

• 1

  Determine whether anti-glare coating will work well with your lenses. In the United States, between 12 and 15 percent of glasses have anti-glare coating, compared to 65 percent in Europe and 95 percent in Japan, according to OpticalCourse.com. Part of the reason is that more people in the United State have plastic lenses; it's harder to reduce glare on plastic lenses compared to glass. If you have aspheric lenses, which have a flatter curve than regular lenses, glasses made from polycarbonate or high-index lenses, you may experience more glare than other lens wearers; anti-glare lenses may have particular benefit for you.

• 2

  Consider the possible drawbacks as well as the benefits. Although newer anti-glare lenses have reduced some of the concerns, this type of coating can make lenses harder to clean and prone to scratching. On the other hand, anti-glare coating can significantly improve your night vision by reducing halos around lights and may also reduce eye strain if you work in an office with bright lights. Anti-glare coating will increase the amount of light from an average of 92 percent to 99.5 percent, according to OpticalCourse.com.

• 3

  Decide which type of coating to purchase for your lenses. Prices are determined by the type of coating. Paying for the mid-price or high-end coating may give you a better product and could be worth the extra expense in the long run. High-end anti-glare coating may reduce the risk of scratching. Insurance generally will not cover the cost of adding anti-glare coating.

• 4

  Take your glasses in to have anti-glare coating added. This may take several days, depending on whether the work is done on the premises or if it must be sent out.