If you’ve been wearing glasses for any period of time, you’ve probably noticed a few inconvenient truths.
- Glare happens. Whether you’re sitting behind a computer screen or dealing with an overhead light, glare can really interfere with your vision.
- Glare ruins photographs. Those shots were going to be Instagram gold until you realized your eyewear reflected the flash from your camera and completely erased your eyes.
Dealing with glare is a part of the eyeglass wearer’s burden, but thankfully, there are ways to deal with it — and one of those ways is by purchasing anti-glare eyewear. We’ll talk about what it is and give you the scoop on what else you can do to protect your eyes.
What Are Anti-Glare Lenses?
The little AG on your eyewear stands for anti-glare. Anti-glare eyewear is more commonly referred to as anti-reflective (AR) eyewear. These types of lenses are designed to keep reflections from the back and surface of your eyewear so that your line of vision has more clarity.
It’s helpful to note the difference between polarized lenses and anti-glare or reflective lenses — polarized lenses minimize glare in bright, sunny outdoor settings, while anti-reflective lenses work to minimize glare in dim lighting indoors and at night.
Anti-glare eyewear allows more light to pass into your eyewear (and into your eye) so that you can see better.
Why Do You Need Them?
If you’ve dealt with glare, you already know it’s a pain. It can make it hard to drive at night, sit in front of a computer, or even play a serious game of cards (because your opponents can see your cards reflected in your glasses).
What Can They Do for Your Eyes?
Anti-glare coating on your lenses can prevent you from squinting, straining, and removing your eyewear to see better. This can be especially helpful if you experience glare due to computer work.
How Are They Made?
AG coatings are made by applying ultra-thin layers of metal oxides onto the lens. These coatings are microscopic and usually made of titanium and silicone. You won’t be able to see them, but they’re there, and the magic is that they effectively bounce light away from your lenses to keep them reflection-free.
How Do They Work?
When light hits your lens, some of it is reflected, and some of it passes through the lens. With lenses that have an anti-glare coating, the surface scatters the light waves that are reflecting, causing them to interfere with one another in a way that essentially cancels them out, making your lens crystal clear and reducing the amount of glare you see in your eyes.
The magic of anti-glare is incredibly useful, but there are pros and cons to wearing these lenses.
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What Are the Key Benefits of Anti-Glare Lenses?
If you’re considering anti-glare lenses and wondering if they are right for you, we can help. We did the dirty work for you and made a list of pros and cons so you can make an educated decision before you hit up your optician.
Some of the benefits of anti-glare lenses include:
- Style. These lenses always appear clear, even in pictures, so you never have to worry about another photo fail.
- No reflections. Anti-glare coating is really good at dispensing glare (obviously). If glare has been driving you nuts, this is one way to reduce it.
- Excellent for night vision. When oncoming headlights approach, you’ll no longer be thrown into temporary blindness from glare.
- Computer work. Many jobs involve hours spent staring at a screen. If your eyeglasses reflect glare from the computer, it might even lead to computer vision syndrome.
- They reduce eye pain. Eye strain and fatigue can leave your eyes feeling dry or watery and seriously uncomfortable. Anti-glare glasses can reduce this sensation and help protect your eye health.
- They’re pretty durable. The anti-glare coating adds a little more durability, making your lenses slightly stronger than uncoated eyewear.
- Anti-glare lenses are good for people with certain eye conditions. If you suffer from cataracts or macular degeneration, these types of glasses can help make it easier for you to see clearly.
Anti-glare coating can be a serious help for people who struggle with glare on their glasses. However, there are some considerations to make.
Cons of Anti-Glare Glasses
Even though they can be a serious help, they aren’t without a few Achilles heels.
- They’re pricey. Any time you start adding specialized coatings to your eyewear, the cost can really add up. Anti-glare coatings are typically more expensive than some other types of eyewear coatings.
- The coating can scratch. Even though the lenses are slightly more durable, the AG coating can scratch, rendering them basically useless.
- Dirt is an issue. The coating of AG glasses tends to make them attract more dirt. You might find you need to clean your glasses more frequently.
- You might still see some glare. AG coating isn’t perfect, so you still might see some glare, especially on the back of your lenses.
That may make you wonder whether or not you should invest in this coating. The answer is a solid maybe. While anti-glare coating is good, there are numerous other options that can help protect your eyes. And that protection is really important.
Anti-glare lenses also come in different color hues, with blue being the most common. However, each color has different levels of AR, so this is something to keep in mind.
Why Is Vision Safety Important?
You rely on your vision more than any other sense. 80% of our impressions come from vision. Each year, more than 700,000 eye-related injuries occur at work. Half of all eye injuries happen at home or during recreational activities. Your retinal cells don’t regenerate, so when they become damaged, a portion of your vision could be lost for good.
The good news is that experts believe 90% of all eye-related injuries are preventable with proper eyewear.
How To Keep Your Eyes Safe
Trust us, at Stoggles, we know safety. We also know that you don’t want to look like a tool when you’re keeping your vision safe. We appreciate both style and safety, which is why our Stoggles eyewear works. In every pair of Stoggles, you find swoon-worthy stylistic features coupled with safety features that protect your vision while you’re at work or play.
Here’s a rundown of the safety features.
ANSI Z87.1-2020 Certification
It’s not just a fancy title, it’s an insurance policy against shattering. The ANSI Z87.1-2020 certification means your eyewear has been tested to ensure it doesn’t shatter when impacted with pellets, rocks, fists, or flying saucers (hey, we believe).
High-velocity impact doesn’t just happen on a firing range or within eye-shot of a nail gun. You can also take a strike or a scrape from lawn equipment or home improvement tools. With Stoggles, you’re protected whether you’re on the range or in the house.
Side and Top Shields
Safety eyewear needs to protect your eyes at every angle. You might think your eyes are safe with your sunglasses or regular eyeglasses, but that’s simply not true. Regular eyewear leaves gaps near the top of the frame and the sides (near your temples). The Stoggles solution is top and side shields.
Some safety eyewear relies on wraparound lenses for protection, but if you need prescription vision correction, wraparound styles typically aren’t available.
Side and top shields to the rescue. These little, low-profile shields protect your eyes on all sides, shoring up your sight safety and giving you peace of mind against splashes, splatters, spills, and spits (ew).
Light Protection
It’s not just about UV light any longer. Even though protection from UV rays is important, you’ve also got blue light to think about. Blue light is also emitted from the sun, but it comes from your computer, smartphone, and LED television too. Our exposure to blue light is somewhat continuous, which makes it concerning.
Researchers aren’t 100% sure about the level of damage blue light might be doing to our eyes, but what we do know is that it can impact your circadian rhythm and affect your sleep/wake cycles. It also contributes to computer vision syndrome, which can lead to extreme eye pain, fatigue, and strain.
Stoggles are made from polycarbonate material, which is naturally UV-blocking. We also inject all of our eyewear with blue-light-blocking compounds, so you can check two boxes with one seriously stylish pair of specs.
Anti-Fog
If your eyewear continually fogs, you probably won’t wear it. It can be frustrating to continually remove your eyewear to wipe down fog, especially if you wear a mask for work or are exposed to changing temperatures every day.
Stoggles are coated with an anti-fogging compound at the time they’re made. While no anti-fogging compound is permanent, ours is seriously long-lasting, so you can forget the fog and focus on the task at hand.
What To Look for in Protective Eyewear
In addition to safety, we give you options. Who wants safety eyewear that is standard when you can have safety eyewear that is extreme? No matter what you need, we’ve got your eyes covered.
Sun Polarized
You asked, we delivered. You can now get your favorite protective eyewear with the shade you want and a polarized coating to make it easier to see. Our Sun Polarized Stoggles have a dark gray tint and the same UV protection you depend on from original Stoggles. They’re also polarized to ensure serious vision clarity.
Prescription Ready
If you need corrective lenses, we’ve got you covered. You simply upload your prescription to our website, and we’ll take care of the rest, creating a pair of stylish Stoggles for you with your custom vision prescription so you can see and stay safe. It’s a winning combination.
Dimmers
Want the convenience of eyewear that transitions from clear to shaded when exposed to UV light? No problem. Stoggles Dimmers have UV-responsive lenses that transition to a dark gray tint when exposed to UV light and return clear when you head back indoors or away from UV rays.
Style That is Unmatched
Seriously. We dare you to find another pair of safety glasses that even comes close to Stoggles. With numerous different frame styles (like cat eye and aviator) and a cornucopia of colors, it might be hard to pick just one pair. In that case, we recommend two (or three). We also offer limited edition style options like monochromes and fades. No matter your style, we can help you keep it, even when you’re protecting your eyes.
No Glare Zone
When you’ve got glare, you need vision protection. But anti-glare lenses are just the beginning. For total eye safety (with a style that helps you keep your reputation), it’s gotta be Stoggles. So go ahead, grab a few pairs, and keep your eyes safe and on-trend.
Sources:
Best Glasses for Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) - American Academy of Ophthalmology
Preventing Eye Injuries|Prevent Blindness.org