From stepping inside a cosy shop after being in the cold or sipping on a hot cup of tea to opening the oven to check on dinner or wearing a mask at work, there are several reasons why our glasses fog up. With each being as frustrating as the next!
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, mask-wearing has become a normality for many, whether wearing them out of choice or necessity. Optically, it’s not always convenient or feasible to wear contact lenses instead of glasses to avoid steaming up and experiencing foggy lenses. That said, when we should be making every effort not to spread bacteria and infection, touching and removing glasses repeatedly throughout the day to rectify foggy lenses is far from ideal.
So, what’s the solution to stop your glasses lens from fogging up? Well, say hello to anti-fog lenses!
What are anti-fog lenses?
Anti-fog lenses are like having your very own superpower because you can walk into any environment without being inconvenienced by your lenses slowly clouding up and blocking your line of sight. Anti-fog lenses have a chemical treatment built into them to eliminate any reaction to the external conditions that cause fog and steam. Lensology uses proven, military-grade technology to manufacture anti-fog lenses, eliminating any need for cloths, wipes or sprays.
How do anti-fog lenses work?
The material for anti-fog lenses tends to be polycarbonate. But for the lens to repel fog, it is applied with a protective hydrophilic layer, which works by minimising the surface tension on the lens. This results in a non-scattering film of water where water drops cannot formulate or stay present on your lenses. Anti-fog lenses also tend to be slim, light, UV-protected and impact-resistant for viewing comfort. One for the pub quiz!
Is it worth buying anti-fog lenses?
This all comes down to your lifestyle and how often you wear your glasses. For example, if you only require glasses for reading and tend to read in the comfort of your home, you probably don’t need anti-fog lenses. However, if you require glasses for distances or wear bifocal or varifocals and therefore wear them most of the time, you might regularly fall victim to foggy glasses. In this instance, anti-fog lenses will provide a more comfortable viewing experience without the frustration of persistently de-fogging your glasses.
You can invest in anti-fog sprays, cloths, or wipes that are reasonably cheap, but you need to keep them on your person at all times to be effective. You’ll also need to buy these temporary measures regularly, remember to keep them with you, and be careful not to damage your lenses when using them. This is irritating at the best of times, but even more so if you are wearing a mask and having to wipe down your lenses several times a day due to fog.
Benefits of Anti-Fog Lenses
Many elements can cause your lenses to steam up: weather, temperatures, masks, etc. But with anti-fog lenses, you benefit from:
- No disruptions to your vision
- Guaranteed clear lenses in every environment
- Comfortable viewing when wearing a mask
- No blocked vision from steamed-up lenses
- It can be applied to any style of glasses frame
- A cost-effective investment
- Saving money on anti-fog lens products
How to stop your lenses from fogging up
When you’ve worn glasses for several years, you learn how to cope, resolve and prevent lenses from fogging up, especially at the most inconvenient times! Some of our top anti-fogging tips include:
- Remove your glasses when moving from cold to warm environments
- Hold your lenses in your hands for a moment to warm up
- Use a cloth or wipe to clear the fog away
- Wear a well-fitted mask
- When wearing a mask, breathe through your nose
- Invest in anti-fog lenses
Why do face masks cause foggy lenses?
You know when it’s cold outside, and you can see your breath in front of you, this reaction results from the warmer air of your breath hitting the cold atmosphere – creating tiny droplets of water that we can see as steam, fog, or mist, whatever you like to call it.
The same principle applies to your lenses. Not exclusive to being outside, the lenses are cooler in temperature than your breath hitting them, creating the perfect environment for condensation. Your mask pushes that air up when you breathe, where you ordinarily breathe out in front, and so filters up to your lenses, causing fog. The droplets of water form on your lenses, distorting your vision, which results in cloudiness, making it hard to see.
There are ways to try and alleviate this – making sure your mask is tight, consciously breathing downward or through your nose, for example – but these are temporary solutions, somewhat unreliable, and generally uncomfortable.
Anti-fog lenses for PPE and front-line workers
More than an inconvenience, front-line workers, heavy PPE wearers, and drivers going in and out of trucks and buildings will be finding lens fog an increasingly problematic side effect of mask-wearing – impacting comfort, working practices, and time. Suppose a medical practitioner has to remove their glasses and touch their mask due to steaming up. In that case, they will likely have to replace all of their PPE afterwards — a neither practical nor time-effective scenario for the wearer.
So, with all this in mind, Lensology anti-fog lenses are a sound and highly cost-effective investment for your long-term visual comfort. If you are updating your lenses anyway, anti-fog comes as an option within a Lensology lens, and so is absorbed within the price and highly competitive with the high street.
The coating itself provides built-in accidental anti-scratch elements and full UV protection, and Lensology has several anti-fog options available on single-vision and varifocal lenses to suit many prescription types. Chat with the team today or order your free postage pack to order your anti-fog lenses and live steam-free!
Switching to anti-fog lenses
Adding an anti-fog coating to your new glasses lens will not impact your prescription, type of lens or any other lens coatings you wish to add. Anti-fog lenses can also be fitted into any shape, size, style or brand of glasses or sunglasses, making them an effortless switch! To upgrade your glasses to anti-fog lenses, request a pack, and we’ll send you everything you need.
