Tired of squinting at the computer screen through your glasses? Do your plain old glasses hinder your vision instead of making it better? As if the strain of working on the computer was not enough, now you have to deal with the annoying glare! Or maybe not! With a pair of anti-glare glasses for computer use by your side, you can easily improve your vision.
Say goodbye, sayonara, adios to all symptoms of eye strain!
How?
Well, it is pretty easy! Read ahead and find out how to wield this valuable weapon!
What Are Anti Glare Glasses?
Anti-reflective glasses are a special type of glasses that help reduce and relieve the symptoms of digital eye strain. These glasses enhance your visual abilities while you stare at a computer screen.
These glasses are coated with a special kind of Anti-glare coating that does not reflect light and hence improves your vision tenfold. Thus, it is much easier to stare at the screen for a longer time without any eye strain.
So, you might be wondering: “How are anti-glare glasses any different from computer glasses?”.
Well, anti-glare glasses may or may not be used for reading off a digital device. This is because computer glasses include extra tints and blue light filters that make it easier for you to stare at a computer. Anti-glare glasses, however, only control the light reflection.
Anti-glare glasses can be used for general-purpose use as well.
Why Do You Need Them?
Vision-related problems are one of the biggest health-related issues among office workers. These problems can occur because most workers tend to spend more than 8 hours staring at the screen. Reading on a digital screen can cause a lot of eye strain due to glare, blue hues, and flickering.
According to The Vision Council:
“Around 60.5% of all Americans report symptoms of digital eye strain.”
These symptoms include:
- Dryness
- Blurred Vision
- Itchiness
- Headaches and neck pain
- Eye fatigue and so on
The symptoms can be easily countered with proper eye care and eye rest. Anti-glare glasses can serve you very well for this purpose. They can reduce the reflection on your computer and can allow you to read comfortably without having to squint!
So, why is it that these conditions are seeing a drastic increase even though they can be treated so easily?
The answer is that most sufferers are not even aware that they are exhibiting any symptoms.
The Vision Council concludes:
“71% Americans do not discuss their eye strain problems with their ophthalmologist!”
But here’s the real kicker: 73% of Americans do not even know digital eye strain can be relieved through special eyewear or glasses.
How Do They Work?
Antiglare glasses make use of an Anti-reflective coating to reduce glare from the screens and external light sources. The coatings are of different types where some may be cheaper than others because they compromise on quality.
An accomplished optometrist, Dr. Paula Gorlin explains:
“Some lenses are dipped into the coatings. These coatings are more likely to be scratched or peeled off easily. Others are baked or ionized on the lens during the lens making process.”
It should be obvious that the baked or ionized ones serve better and longer than the coated ones.
This coating is matte and does not allow any light to reflect back. This means you can see clearer and will not have to strain your eyes as much.
Each pair of anti-glare glasses is coated with a different formula. However, the most general formulation includes multiple microscopic layers consisting of metallic oxides that alternate between a high and low index of refraction.
Each layer affects different wavelengths of light which means the more the layers the less light is reflected back. Most glasses have 7 layers.
How is the Anti-Reflective Coating?
The whole coating process is very precise and meticulous process that uses vacuum deposition technology. The process is intense; however, the end product is the perfect anti-glare lens that will help you goodbye to CVS and other vision-related problems.
The process includes the following steps:
- Clean the lenses using washing and rinsing baths as well as ultrasonic cleaning.
- Check for defects such as a tiny scratch or a smudge.
- Air dry and then heat the lens to remove any moisture or gases.
- Load the lenses onto metal racks and secure them into the coating chamber.
- Create a vacuum inside the chamber.
- A small beam of electrons is bombarded at the coating materials.
- These materials vaporize and stick to the surface of the lens.
This method yields the most uniform surface coating. These glasses may be applied to both lens surfaces or they can be applied to one side only.
These coatings are thin and only about 0.2 or 0.3 microns thick. Or about 0.02 % of the thickness of a standard eye lens.
Benefits of Anti-Glare Glasses
So, yes they stop reflections and prevent glare, but how exactly are they beneficial?
Well, let us go back to how they can stop reflections. With no reflection, more and more light can pass through into your eyes instead of being reflected off. This results in a better vision at night and while using a computer.
These lenses exhibit an enhanced effect when used with high index lenses as these reflect more light than the newer plastic versions.
According to a study:
“Plastic lenses reflect 8% of the light back while high refractive index glasses reflect almost 50% of the light.”
However, when modern anti-reflective lenses are used, they can eliminate almost all reflection, allowing 99.5% of all light to pass easily through!
One of the most important benefits of the anti-glare glasses is that they can make prolonged computer use comfortably for the eyes. As they reduce glare, you do not have to squint or refocus to read what is written! These lenses result in sharp vision as well as clarity.
Don’t believe us? Hear it from an expert!
As Dr. Bazan, a member of The Better Vision Institute states:
“Anti-reflective coating glasses can help your vision remain sharp and clear. They do so by preventing dust, fingerprints from accumulating on the lenses. A good option is to consider a lens with a small bump that will make text look larger. They will help you focus properly on the computer screen. All these factors can help you in decreasing eye strain and relieving many symptoms of Digital eye strain.”
Still dubious about its effects?
A Survey by New York University suggests that:
“Out of 121 patients, sixty-nine percent of them chose AR-coated glasses rather than non-coated ones.”
They can reduce problems caused by harsh lighting in the office and can boost contrast on the screen. This makes it easier to read on the screen.
Contact lenses wearers generally complain of dryness around the eyes. This dryness may be generated due to the heat from a screen. The anti-glare glasses can act as a barrier and make viewing the computer much easier.
Apart from combatting digital eye strain, anti-glare glasses can help eliminate glare from the sunlight or any other external light sources. They can be used with sunglasses as well.
Another benefit is that these Anti-glare glasses can enhance your appearance. How? Well, since they eliminate the reflections, the lenses look almost invisible. This helps you make better eye contact and people can see your facial expressions more properly. They can make you look your best in all kinds of lightings.
Most of these glasses are hydrophobic, oleophobic, or a combination of both. This makes the lenses easier to clean as these surfaces repel water and grease.
So, what’s the bottom line? If you frequently experience symptoms of digital eye strain or use computers for a long time, using a pair of anti-glare glasses becomes a necessity.
How to Choose the Most Suitable Anti-Glare Glasses?
As we mentioned before, each pair of anti-glare glasses for a computer are coated with a different formula than others.
Lifestyle
However, to effectively battle digital eyestrain and other vision-related problems, you must choose one that suits your specific lifestyle the most.
For example, if you spend a lot of time working on the computer, you might want to buy ones that come with a blue hue filter. This will help you reduce blue light, which can cause eyestrain as well. Other ways to reduce blue light includes using software or changing the temperature settings of the device.
Durability
Another factor to consider is the durability of the formula. As we stated before, the older dip-coated lenses tend to crack or peel off. On the other hand, the modern ones are embedded into the matrix and thus are more durable. Ensure your eye care doctor gives you the latest coating.
Price
Cheaper glasses tend to be dip-coated or they might be of poorer quality. Most of the cheaper ones are sourced from China. You might be inclined to buy one for temporary use.
However, it is better to avoid these as they can create further hindrance in your vision causing more strain. We recommend going for branded ones that are recommended by your ophthalmologist.
Thickness
Thin lenses are lightweight and more comfortable to wear, however, they usually have a higher refractive index. This means more and more light is dispersed through these thinner lenses.
Thus we recommend for going with the standard CR39 lenses that are light as well as having a lower refractive index.
How to Care for These Anti-Glare Glasses?
We recommend following these tips when caring for anti-glare glasses:
- Use only those products that your optician advises.
- Do not use harsh chemicals that may damage the lens.
- Always clean these lenses by wetting them first as using a dry cloth could cause lens scratches.
- Do not use ammonia-based solutions to clean your glasses as they can remove the coating.
Drawbacks of the Anti-Glare Glasses
Like all things, it has to have a dark side:
- They can look dirtier than your average non-coated ones as they are clearer and any dirt is immediately visible on them.
- You may have to clean your lenses more frequently due to the frequent accumulation of dirt.
- Their coating can peel off quite easily.
However, when compared to the numerous benefits, these drawbacks are insignificant!
Wrap Up
Anti-glare glasses are a revolutionary product that can help you battle the symptoms of eye strain caused by prolonged use of a computer. They can result in sharper and clearer vision which can help you see better.
So here’s the deal: anti-glare glasses are not only intended for computer use, they can be used in a wide variety of situations. Its benefits are countless and when compared to the cost? We think you would agree that it is definitely worth it!
