Anti-reflective coatings: understand and choose the right option

A good lens coating can dramatically improve visual comfort, durability and the look of your glasses. On Visionet, you can choose from several coating levels, from a simple hardened lens to premium anti-reflective and blue-light blocking coatings. This guide helps you compare each option and decide which one best fits your everyday use.

1 Why choose (or not choose) an anti-reflective coating?

A lens without anti-reflective coating sends back a significant amount of light from its surface. The result: annoying reflections, halos around light sources, more visual fatigue, and lenses that look “white” in photos. An AR coating improves:

Visual quality: fewer reflections and better lens transparency.
Comfort: more relaxed vision, especially indoors and at night.
Aesthetics: your eyes stay visible, even under strong lighting.

For everyday wear, we almost always recommend an anti-reflective coating. The “No AR coating” option is mainly suited to a low-budget back-up pair or glasses worn only occasionally.

2 Technical properties of lens coatings

Not all coatings are created equal. Some simply harden the lens, while others add real protection against scratches, smudges and blue light. Here’s what the main properties mean:

Standard hard coat: basic protection against everyday micro-scratches (wiping, fine dust, etc.). Present on all our lenses, even without AR.
Multi-layer hard coat: a reinforced stack of layers, more durable over time (frequent cleaning, intensive use).
Anti-reflective: reduces reflections on the front and back surfaces of the lens, improving light transmission and clarity.
Anti-static: limits the attraction of fine dust, so lenses stay clean longer and are easier to wipe.
Super-hydrophobic and oleophobic: water, fog and fingerprints adhere less. The lens cleans quickly and dries without streaks.
Reinforced UV protection: enhances UV filtering, especially on the back surface (reflected light coming from behind you).
Standard blue-light filter: reduces around 40–50 % of the most intense blue-light wavelengths emitted by screens, usually with a slightly warmer tone that most wearers find comfortable.
“Blue clear” blue-light filter: blocks up to 100 % of the targeted blue light with a very light yellow tint. It offers the highest level of protection for very intensive screen use, but is not ideal for colour-critical work.

For detailed explanations about blue light, its benefits and limits, take a look at our dedicated page: blue-light blocking glasses.

Comparison table of our coatings

The table below summarises which properties are included with each coating. A ✓ symbol means the feature is present.

Property	No AR coating	Standard AR	Spectra UV	Xblue UV	Blue Clear
Standard hard coat	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Multi-layer hard coat			✓		✓
Anti-reflective		✓	✓	✓	✓
Anti-static		✓	✓	✓	✓
Super-hydrophobic & oleophobic			✓	✓	✓
Reinforced UV protection			✓	✓	✓
Standard blue-light filter				✓
“Blue clear” blue-light filter					✓

All our lenses include at least a standard hard coat. Moving to a more complete coating mainly improves comfort (reflections, blue light) and ease of cleaning, which makes a real difference over the lifetime of your glasses.

3 The coatings we offer

All coatings below include at least a standard hard coat. They differ by their comfort, protection and cleaning performance.

1 — No AR coating

A simple standard hardened lens with no anti-reflective coating and no advanced properties. Reflections remain visible and the surface tends to catch more dust and smudges.

Best for : back-up pair, rarely worn glasses, or very tight budgets.

2 — Standard anti-reflective

Our entry-level AR coating: standard hard coat, anti-reflective and anti-static. It clearly improves lens transparency and reduces dust adhesion, without the enhanced hydrophobic effect or reinforced UV protection of premium coatings.

Best for : everyday wear on a budget, student glasses, a second pair that should stay “simple but comfortable”.

3 — Spectra UV

Our premium anti-reflective coating. Spectra UV combines a multi-layer hard coat, high-performance AR, anti-static properties, super-hydrophobic and oleophobic layers and reinforced UV protection.

Lenses stay cleaner for longer and are easier to wipe.
Improved resistance to everyday micro-scratches and wear.
Excellent comfort indoors and outdoors.

Best for : intensive all-day wear, demanding lighting conditions, people who want lenses that are very easy to maintain.

For a detailed presentation of our premium anti-stain coating (layer structure, durability tests, care tips), visit our page anti-stain coating.

4 — Xblue UV

Our blue-light protection option. Xblue UV combines standard hard coat, anti-reflective, anti-static, super-hydrophobic, reinforced UV protection and a standard blue-light filter.

Reduces around 40–50 % of high-energy blue light (LED, screens, neon lighting).
Slightly warmer tone: whites can look a bit “warmer”, without heavily distorting colours.
Very easy to clean thanks to the hydrophobic and oleophobic treatment.
Noticeable bluish residual reflection on the lens surface, which some people may find unaesthetic in face-to-face conversations or in photos.

Best for : long hours on a computer, gaming, frequent evening screen use, for users who are not bothered by a visible bluish reflection.

5 — Blue Clear

Our most advanced blue-light blocking option, designed for very intensive screen use. Blue Clear combines a multi-layer hard coat, high-end AR, anti-static properties, super-hydrophobic and oleophobic layers, reinforced UV protection and a “blue clear” blue-light filter with a very light yellow tint.

Blocks up to 100 % of the targeted blue-light wavelengths, ideal for very intensive screen use.
Very light yellow tint: comfortable for most wearers, but not recommended for professions requiring perfectly neutral colour perception (graphic designers, photographers, dentists, etc.).
Highly water-repellent surface: fewer smudges and almost instant cleaning thanks to the premium hydrophobic and oleophobic layers.

Best for : very intensive screen work and night driving for drivers bothered by halos, provided the slight warmer tone is not an issue for your job.

Thanks to its very light yellow tint and high-end AR coating, Blue Clear can improve comfort when driving at night. However, it is not a substitute for a dedicated night-driving tint or coating in cases of severe glare sensitivity – we also offer specific driving options in our range.

4 Which coating should you choose?

Here are a few typical use cases to help you decide:

You wear your glasses all day long (office, going out, driving): aim for at least Standard AR. For better comfort and lenses that stay clean longer, choose Spectra UV.
You spend many hours on screens or often use a computer in the evening: choose Xblue UV if you want solid protection and don’t mind the bluish reflection, or Blue Clear if you have very intensive screen use and want the highest level of protection, accepting the slight yellow tint and avoiding it for colour-critical jobs.
You need a back-up pair or occasional use (DIY, gardening, reading glasses left at home): No AR coating or Standard AR may be enough, depending on your budget.
You are very sensitive to night-time glare (driving, LED lights): a high-end AR coating such as Spectra UV or Blue Clear already significantly reduces halos. For particularly sensitive drivers, specific night-driving tints and coatings remain the best option.

Need a full overview of lens materials, indices and available options? Discover our complete selection and detailed prices on our prescription lenses.

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