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Is it worth it? I've always just got it on any specs I've bought for the last 20 years but can't honestly tell whether its worth it. Any advice?
If you are ever out cycling or driving at night, yes. Otherwise you get starbursts from all of the streetlights or headlights, rather distracting.
The coating shouldn't add much to the cost. But most opticians are a rip-off.
Last eye test I had, they said that I might need glasses for driving in the future.* Then had a consultation with one of their salesmen.
"Do you use computers?"
Only every waking hour, yes.
"Right, then you'll want our special anti-reflective anti-UV coating."
I don't use a computer in the car.
"We've got this water-repellent coating..."
It doesn't rain inside a car.
"Right, well, we've got (another coating I can't remember the name of)." *proceeds to scribble on two pieces of glass with a marker pen*
I don't stick pens in my eyes when I'm driving.
Etc etc.
(* - That is to say, in the future, I might need glasses. I don't drive a DeLorean.)
They really help driving at night. I've not noticed that they reduce glare from the computer monitor but they do seem to reduce glare from the rubbish flouro tube lights in the office
Without the coating, in certain light conditions you can see the reflection of your own eyes in the lenses. It also makes a difference to what people can see of your eyes in conversation so I like the coating because my job consists of selling to people in Africa who are naturally suspicious as they are so often cheated and ripped off by their suppliers and I have to convince them I'm honest.
The coating may make a difference but I've just had to replace my lenses after three years because the coating started to come off. A quick £370...and I was very careful with cleaning, etc. Seems very expensive for what it does, but I haven't got an uncoated pair to compare against.
Have it on my reading glasses and all I bloomin' well do, at least 3 times daily, is clean them.
Skimped on it once, never again. utterly worth it if you actually want to be able to use the glasses
Have these on most of my current lenses, but as I haven't had any lenses without coatings for about 15 or 20 years I couldn't say what its like without them.
The main issue I have with lenses at the moment is that its currently fashionable to polish the external circumference so I get noticeable internal reflections within the lenses.
This thread has reminded me to book an eye test once more, i read penis in eye whilst driving, who could do that i thought ? Im not sure about any coating almost 20 years since 30 second sizzling under a laser headlights are always dazzling to me
An AR coating isn't that great a part of the overall cost of a lens, I've just had an old pair of frames reglazed with a clear single-vision prescription, AR coated, and they cost me £12, via my contact lens contract discount, and I'm having another pair of the same frames done with a sunglasses single vision, AR coated, for a bit more.
I think they would be about £40-50, otherwise.
Compare those with a pair of Shamir multipoint varifocal lenses, with DriveWear photoreactive and AR coating which cost me £260 in my own frames around six years ago!
The current frames had a cheap varifocal in, as a trial to see how I got on with them, then they had reading lenses put in, so they've been well used.
All Specsavers, apart from the fancy Shamir lenses - thing is, my eyesight is now mono-vision, it's improved to the point I could almost dispense with glasses, except I drive long distances, and I don't quite feel comfortable driving without glasses at the moment.
Perhaps by this time next year.