To state the obvious, what we want from our glasses is optimal clarity of vision. Taking for granted that the accuracy of our prescription has a lot to do with the final result (and the variable here is the optician and instruments doing the measuring), there are improvements that can be made to the lenses before they come within an inch of your face.

Every manufacturer of quality lenses is sure to have some version of the coatings I describe here. If you use Essilor or Hoya or Nikon, you’ll find equivalent treatments to the Zeiss examples listed here.

             Let’s start with AR — Anti-Reflective coatings. 

Every manufacturer will have their version of the Zeiss coatings I’m going to discuss here, from basic quality to premium quality. The differences might be in how effective the coating is for repelling oil, water and dust, to very subtle changes in residual tint, Zeiss offers options in their line of DuraVision coatings: Platinum UV, Gold UV, and specialized sunglass treatments. These multi-layer treatments combine hard layers, anti-reflection stacks, anti-static properties, and clean-coat repellent top layers.

ZEISS DuraVision Platinum UV: For my customers who prefer Zeiss lenses I recommend this coating for its scratch resistance, and like most Zeiss coatings DuraVision also offers full UV protection. UV protection is important for eye health whether in sunglasses, clear lenses, tints or photochromic. DV Platinum retains a faintly bluish hue, not a tint, but very attractive, when light hits the lens from certain angles.

• ZEISS DuraVision Gold UV: This is the newest version of their protective coating, apart from its anti-reflective qualities and UV protection, optimized color purity, for easier cleaning DV Gold sheds water even more effectively than DV Platinum, resists smudges and dust, and shows a subtle, elevated gold residual hue.
• Other Reflections: For fashion’s sake, you might also choose Silver, Chrome, Blue, Burgundy and Violet variations designed to match personal aesthetic preferences with distinct residual reflection tones, from Zeiss or other high quality manufacturers like Hoya, Nikon and Essilor. Remember that each manufacturer will offer slightly different hues of each of their colours. For instance, Hoya’s blue is inkier and more subtle than Zeiss’s slightly more vibrant blue.

If you primarily want to coat sunglass lenses, you can opt for a Specialize Sunglases and Fashion Coating. For Instance:

• ZEISS DuraVision Mirror UV: Full-surface intense mirror look available in finishes like silver, bronze, and strong blue.
• ZEISS DuraVision Flash: Subtle, pearly reflex colours such as Diamond (silver), sapphire (blue) or ruby (deep red) with lower residual reflection.
• ZEISS DuraVision Sun UV: Anti-reflective treatment applied to the back surface of tinted prescription sunglasses to eliminate rear glare without altering outer style. This is an important point. Flash coatings inevitably result in ‘visual echoes’ or faint reflections on the back of the lens that you will notice. The annoyance level will depend on your tolerance for the minor distraction. If it’s more important to you to reflect more light for the sake of shaded vision (say when driving or sitting on the beach), you may be less bothered by these reflections. On the other hand, if you are easily distracted by this sort of interference in your field of view, I would recommend avoiding flash coatings.

Every new pair of glasses these days will feature what we call ‘core layer technologies’. In other words, here’s the bare minimum you should expect to find:

• Hard Layer: Cured lacquer base matching the lens material to enhance its resistance to scratches.
• Anti-Static Layer: Patented technology, like Zeiss’s DuraVision Gold, that resists dust and lint.
• Clean Coat: Super-hydrophobic (water repellent) and oleophobic (oil repellent) top layer making smudges bead off easily, also qualities of Zeiss’s DV line.

 It’s always a good idea to double-check that the lenses you are buying meet the essential modern standards of quality and functionality, as any lens I offer most certainly will do. Don’t be backward in coming forward with any questions. I’m always standing by to answer them.