Both polarized lenses and anti-reflective lenses enhance vision clarity and comfort by managing distracting glare, though each has a different purpose and use. Simply put:
- Polarized lenses minimize glare in bright, sunny, outdoor settings
- Anti-reflective lenses minimize glare in dim lighting indoors and at night
If you’re wondering which type of lens is right for you, our knowledgeable and professional optometrists can guide you in the right direction.
Book a consultation with us today for eyewear and prescription sunglasses in Calgary, and read ahead to get a better understanding of the differences between polarized lenses and anti-reflective lenses.
Anti-Reflective Lenses
Anti-reflective coatings decrease the amount of light reflecting from the front and back surfaces of your eyeglass lenses. Reflections from the many light sources in the scene before you “crowd out” the picture of the things you want to see in a haze we call glare. Glare can be very distracting when we are driving or when we are working on a computer, for example.
The most annoying glare is from reflections off the surface of our own eyeglass lenses from light sources behind and beside us. It’s terribly annoying to see a reflection from something you’re not even looking at overshadowing the scene you need to pay attention to. A good quality anti-reflective coating allows light to pass through the lenses without bouncing towards your eyes. This way you see the object you want to look at without all the distracting reflections. Most eyeglass wearers report that they perceive things to be more clear with less or no glare.
Cosmetically, a good anti-reflective coating eliminates the glare on your lenses so that when people look at you, they see your eyes and not the reflection on your lenses. In order to help you See Sharp, Look Sharp and Love Your Glasses, Doig Optometry offers quality anti-reflective coatings with all our prescription and non-prescription lenses, from our premium lenses right down to our package lenses.
Polarized lenses
We’ve just learned how distracting reflections can be. Still, there are times when the reflections aren’t coming from the surface of our eyeglass lenses. Sometimes, the reflections come from the environment we want to see. For instance, light can reflect from the surface of the road, the water, the snow, or even from water vapour, smoke, or dust in the air. This reflected light can cause glare that distracts us when we are on the road, participating in water sports, winter sports, or other outdoor activities. That’s where polarized sunglass lenses come in.
Light travels in a spiral. Initially, all the light is spiraling in the same direction but light spirals in the opposite direction when it reflects from any surface. This mixed light gives a confusing message to the visual system that we perceive as glare.
Polarized lenses allow only the normal light to pass through and not the light spiraling in the opposite direction, minimizing the experience of glare. This is very soothing for the eyes and allows the wearer to see past the reflections on the surface of the water or on a windshield, for example. This is one of the main reasons why polarized lenses are very popular among drivers, boaters, and anglers.
Expert Tip: Digital screens emit polarized light, so polarized sunglasses block out parts of the image and are not ideal for digital devices. Also, polarized lenses eliminate reflections from the surface of a puddle on the road, creating a risk for motorcyclists and cyclists. Elite golfers who judge the lay of the green by the reflection of the surface of the blades of grass will notice that this is more difficult shile wearing polarized lenses that eliminate these reflections.
Get Eyewear & Prescription Sunglasses in Calgary at Doig Optometry
Both polarized lenses and anti-reflective lenses enhance visual clarity and sharpness by managing glare. This is what makes them both soothing and comfortable, they automatically reduce eye strain and fatigue.
To learn more about the best options for your eyes, schedule an eye exam with Doig Optometry in Calgary.