What do you say when your glasses immediately fog up at the least opportune time? “@#$&*!” Yeah, that’s us too. Nothing is more frustrating (or expletive-inducing) than a pair of glasses that won’t stop fogging up, especially if you simply must wear them.
Whether you’re wearing your specs for vision correction or hazard protection (or both), we’ll clue you in on what’s causing the fog, what fixes it, and how to keep your sanity and avoid a call from HR … Or, you can save yourself the long explanation and just get yourself a pair of Stoggles that come with a dip coating that fights the fog for you.
Interested? Let’s discuss.
What the Fog?
Let’s get a little scientific. The reason your glasses are fogging is due to differences in air temperatures. When the surface of your glasses is cool and your breath is warm, condensation forms. Condensation consists of tiny water droplets that coat the surface of your glasses in a fine mist of fog that makes it impossible to see.
You immediately remove your eyewear, grab a snotty tissue from the depths of your bag or desk, and wipe the fog away. Now your glasses are fog-free but likely need cleaning because of the tissue.
Wearing a mask or face covering can make matters worse. No matter what the temperature differential is between your eyewear and your current location, the warm air of your breath escaping through the top of your mask will instantly create condensation and, thus, fog.
It’s simple, super-annoying science that causes the fog, not your eyewear, out to ruin your day.
Solutions That Work
We understand that by the time you read this article, you’ve probably run the gamut on DIY or at-home remedies for keeping your eyewear from fogging, so we won’t suggest toothpaste, baby shampoo, or sticking tape to the surface of your glasses.
While some of these hacks might provide a temporary solution (at the risk of making your specs yucky), they aren’t a long-term fix. You need a long-term solution to keep your glasses on and maintain your patience.
Here, we’ll cover four ways to prevent your glasses from fogging that really work:
1. Do a Fit Check With a Mask
Glasses that don’t fit are prime candidates for becoming foggy offenders. If your glasses don’t fit securely over the bridge of your nose, they can slip and create a larger area for warm air to penetrate.
In addition to glasses that fit properly, it’s vital that your face mask fits securely. The tighter the fit around the bridge of your nose, the less air can escape. Some masks are available with adjustable bridge pieces that can help you get a closer fit to help combat fog.
If you can’t use a better-fitting mask, try positioning your mask higher on your face so you can place the bottom rim of your glasses over the top edge of your mask. You can also try using tape to seal the top of the mask, but be warned: This could be uncomfortable and cause skin irritation.
2. Just Add Water (and Soap)
Is there anything that Dawn can’t do? It cleans animals in oil spills and can even prevent your glasses from fogging. To use this anti-fog method, wash your glasses with mild dish soap and warm water and allow them to air dry. You can also wipe them dry with a clean microfiber cloth.
It’s important to make sure you check the care instructions for your eyewear to ensure it’s safe to use soap and water on the lenses. If your lenses have protective or specialized coatings, using soap and water could break them down or even destroy them.
How does this work? Glad you asked. Again, it’s science.
The soap leaves behind a trace residue that acts as a protective coating on the lens, which prevents fogging for a short period of time. This is a temporary solution, but one that will last a bit longer than other online hacks you may have seen.
3. Use Anti-Fog Drops
Sprays and drops designed to prevent your glasses from fogging are a good solution in a pinch. These sprays and drops usually last for at least a day or your 12 hours shift. They work by changing the way condensation forms on your glasses.
The chemical contained in anti-fog drops and sprays changes the surface tension of your eyewear, making it impossible for large water droplets to form. Instead, the water vapor settles on your eyewear in a mist so fine you can’t see it.
Take caution when using these drops and sprays; if you have eyewear that has specialized or protective coatings, you could do serious damage by slathering on anti-fog drops.
4. Get Anti-Fog Glasses
The best way to prevent foggy glasses is to buy glasses that have anti-fog lenses. These lenses work because they’ve been treated with anti-fog chemicals at the time of manufacture, which means the lenses are sealed with anti-fog protection that is incredibly long-lasting and durable.
Anti-fog-treated lenses work similarly to anti-fog drops. They change the surface tension of the water vapor that collects on the glasses and causes it to collect in a super-fine, invisible mist instead of large water droplets that create fog. We spent nine months creating the perfect anti-fog dip mixture. It goes on so smooth and long-lasting that it basically belongs in one of those “aesthetically pleasing” TikToks. Unlike the spray mixtures, our recipe would hold up in whatever the eyewear version of the Great British Bake Off is.
Hands down, this is the best and most reliable solution for keeping your glasses fog-free and making sure they stay firmly affixed to your face. Keeping your glasses strapped on your head is important, especially if you’re wearing safety glasses.
Fog-Free Safety
All eyes deserve fog-free lenses, and all eyes deserve safety, even eyes that aren’t actively working with patients, blood samples, chemicals, or welding equipment. Simply sitting behind a computer screen all day exposes your eyes to blue light, which can penetrate your cornea and reach your retina.
You’re not wearing protective eyewear? Let the team at Stoggles drop some knowledge on you.
Is Eye Safety Really a Big Deal?
Yes, yes, one hundred times yes. There are more than 2,000 eye injuries sustained daily in the U.S. alone, and out of those, about one-third require medical treatment. If that statistic isn’t enough to convince you of the need for protective eyewear, consider the structure of the human eye.
The retina, located at the back of your eye, is a structure that contains specialized cells. These cells take the light collected from the cornea and pupil and transform it into electrical signals. These electrical signals are then sent to the brain via the optic nerve, and the brain interprets the signals as the sights we see.
These are the only cells in your body that can do this task, and they don’t regenerate. That means if they are damaged (by impact, splashes, splatters, or harmful light), a new retinal cell doesn’t come along to replace the damaged one. This can lead to permanent vision loss.
Now time for the awesome news: Experts agree that nearly all eye-related injuries are completely preventable simply by wearing protective eyewear. It’s that simple.
Fog Off, Safety On
Stoggles are a new hybrid line of eyewear that delivers fog-free protection for eyes in every industry. Here’s how we’re helping keep your eyes safe.
ANSI Z87.1-2020 Certification
The gold standard in impact resistance is the ANSI Z87.1-2020 certification. This certification means your eyewear has been impact tested to resist weighted blows and high-speed impact.
When you see the Z87 marking, you can rest assured your eyewear is safe. No need to buy a paint gun and try to test it on your own at home. Seriously. Don’t.
Blue Light Blocking
Our exposure to blue light is virtually continuous. It comes from the sun and from devices like tablets, computers, smartphones, and LED light bulbs. The continual exposure means our eyes are getting more and more blue light. Blue light can reach the retina and potentially cause damage.
Blue light-blocking lenses, like the ones that come standard in every pair of Stoggles, filter out blue light to keep your eyes safe.
UV Protection
Sometimes you’re exposed to UV light indoors, and sometimes you’re exposed to it outdoors. Either way, your eyes need protection. Stoggles are crafted from lightweight polycarbonate material that is naturally UV-blocking but light as day and crystal clear.
Anti-Fog
When we make our Stoggles, we dip them in a special anti-fog chemical that creates a semi-permanent barrier on the lenses. This prevents your lenses from fogging and keeps you from losing your shiitakes over foggy glasses ever again. It’s a simple solution that keeps your glasses on, which equates to more safety and better eye protection.
Prescription Friendly
What’s a pair of safety eyewear if they can’t offer you the vision correction you need? Not worth it, in our option. That’s why we make every pair of Stoggles prescription friendly.
You upload your prescription via our website, and we’ll customize a pair of seriously stylish Stoggles that are vision-correcting and eyeball-protecting.
Forget About Fog
If you're fed up with fog, it’s time to get a solution that really works. Ditch the at-home solutions and level up your eyewear game by grabbing eyewear that has been treated with anti-fog coatings.
You can trust the specs that have been put to the test — literally. We’ve tested Stoggles endlessly and have thousands of reviews backing up the science. It’s sort of like the peer reviews that came from your actual peers.
Stoggles offers the only safety eyewear that keeps you fog free and incredibly stylish at the same time.
Sources:
How to Keep Your Glasses From Fogging Up While Wearing a Mask | Cleveland Clinic
How to stop your glasses from fogging up when you wear a mask | CNN
How blue light affects your eyes, sleep, and health | UC Davis