It’s important to look past marketing claims and ensure that lens coatings have been validated through rigorous and objective testing. Image courtesy of Hoya Vision Care
As lens manufacturers introduce new technologies designed to improve durability, reduce glare and deliver clearer vision, lens coatings are becoming a bigger part of the prescription-lens equation. What was once largely viewed as an add-on to a finished lens to withstand the wear and tear of everyday use, is evolving into a sophisticated part of today’s lens design. But has the optical industry reached the end of the road when it comes to lens coating innovations?
To answer this and other questions, VMAIL Weekend spoke with several leading lens coating experts who shared their insights into how coatings continue to evolve and what manufacturers are doing to meet the challenges of matching lens performance to the digital, active and visually demanding lives of patients.
A Plethora of Options
With so many coating options on the market today, such as blue-light filtering, anti-smudge, anti-viral and scratch resistance, it can be difficult for ECPs to determine which innovations offer proven clinical or performance benefits for their patients. Jessica Kozak, chief commercial officer, U.S. independent channel at EssilorLuxottica, said the most important considerations when evaluating lens options are the patient’s visual performance needs and the ease of lens care.
Jessica Kozak, chief commercial officer, U.S. independent channel at EssilorLuxottica.
“Most patients seek a solution that provides both the best cosmetic appearance and the sharpest possible vision,” she said. “These two factors are closely connected. A lens that is difficult to keep clean can negatively impact visual performance over time.” For that reason, premium non-glare treatments should offer industry-leading smudge resistance, anti-static properties, and ease of cleaning to help maintain consistently clear vision throughout daily wear, Kozak advised.
It’s also important to review the clinical studies and white papers published by manufacturers to understand how their products were tested and how they performed under the real-world conditions that lenses are exposed to. These scientific evaluations provide the most reliable way to validate manufacturers’ marketing claims and objectively compare product performance, she said.
Improving Lens Aesthetics
Kozak said one of the most significant improvements has been in cosmetic appearance. Modern anti-reflective coatings minimize residual reflections, creating a nearly invisible lens that allows better eye contact and a more natural appearance. By reducing UV light reflected from the back surface of the lens into the eye, these coatings provide an additional layer of protection beyond traditional front-surface UV absorption, supporting long-term ocular health, Kozak said.
Today, patients no longer have to choose between blue-light reduction and the traditional benefits of a premium AR treatment—they can have both, Kozak noted. “Blue light filtering can be incorporated in several ways. One of the most common approaches is to integrate the filtering technology into the lens material itself; a product example is Essential Blue Technology. This allows patients to pair the lens with the anti-reflective coating that best meets their visual and lifestyle needs while maintaining a clear, natural cosmetic appearance,” she said.
Crizal Natural Look is an example of a non-glare lens innovation in the EssilorLuxottica portfolio. Image courtesy of EssilorLuxottica.
In recent years, the conversation has shifted from choosing one benefit over another to selecting the combination of technologies that best fits the patient’s lifestyle.
“While blue light filtering has become an important consideration for many patients, the core benefits of premium anti-reflective coatings, including reduced glare, improved night-driving comfort, enhanced visual clarity, and easier lens maintenance, remain the primary drivers of patient satisfaction and long-term lens performance,” she said, noting that selecting the right non-glare treatment is about more than reducing reflections.
Kozak believes a lens should enhance visual clarity, deliver exceptional cosmetic appeal and provide a hassle-free maintenance experience for the patient. This experience directly reflects on the practice, as patients associate the performance of their eyewear with the expertise and recommendations of their eyecare provider.
Warren Modlin, director, R&D, vision science, at Hoya Vision Care.
Evaluating Lens Coatings’ Performance
Many lens manufacturers will claim their product is the best. Warren Modlin, director, R&D, vision science, at Hoya Vision Care, said it’s critical to go beyond the marketing claims and evaluate coatings based on the strength of the evidence supporting their performance.
“At Hoya Vision Care, we believe meaningful innovation should be validated through rigorous, objective testing, including assessments of reflectance, light transmission, scratch and abrasion resistance, cleanability, adhesion, and resilience to heat, humidity and UV exposure,” Modlin said, noting these evaluations should reflect real-world wear conditions, include meaningful competitive comparisons, and assess the coating as a complete system rather than a single feature.
“Most importantly, the results should translate into benefits patients can experience every day, such as clearer vision, fewer distracting reflections, easier lens care, enhanced durability, and long-lasting performance,” he said. By taking this evidence-based approach, ECPs can be more confident in their recommendations and help ensure consistently high levels of patient satisfaction, he advised.
Modlin believes the most meaningful advances in lens coatings in recent years have come from improving the core functions of anti-reflective (AR) technology: reducing reflections, maintaining cleanability, increasing scratch resistance and enhancing long-term durability. He said the first and most immediate benefit is visual clarity. Advanced AR coatings reduce surface reflections, increase light transmission and minimize ghost images, helping patients experience clearer vision and reduced visual distractions.
Coatings help extend the life of the lens and protect it against damage such as scratching and UV exposure. Image courtesy of Hoya Vision Care
Lower reflectance can also improve lens aesthetics and reduce glare, particularly in challenging situations such as night driving.
“The second key benefit is clarity that lasts. Hydrophobic and oleophobic topcoats help repel water, oils, and fingerprints, making lenses easier to keep clean. However, real innovation lies in maintaining those properties over time. A coating that retains its cleanability after years of daily wear delivers a more consistent visual experience and greater patient satisfaction,” he said.
Resistance to scratches, abrasion, heat, humidity and UV exposure helps preserve both lens appearance and optical performance over time. More durable coatings can reduce the need for replacement lenses and help patients feel confident that their eyewear will continue performing as expected.
“The most productive patient conversations focus on comfort, visual experience, and individual needs rather than suggesting blue light is the sole cause of screen-related symptoms,” Modlin said. “Ultimately, the coating technologies that deliver the greatest patient value are those that provide measurable improvements in visual clarity, ease of maintenance, and long-term durability, with performance that remains consistent throughout the life of the lenses.”
New lens coating technology allows eyecare providers to address specific patient concerns such as glare and digital eye strain. Source: Warren Modlin
The largest advances in coating technology are coming from systems engineering across the complete coating stack, rather than simply making the outermost layer harder. “This is an important shift. Durability should not mean simply ‘hard to scratch.’ It should mean that the coating retains its optical clarity, cleanability, adhesion and appearance throughout the expected life of the lenses,” he said.
“The next frontier in lens coatings should be defined by better patient outcomes, not by adding more features that increase cost without improving vision, comfort, protection, or product life,” he said, noting that the most valuable innovations will help patients see more clearly in changing light, experience less glare and fogging, keep lenses cleaner with less effort, and maintain optical quality for longer.
He pointed to areas such as adaptive light management, durable anti-fog performance, self-cleaning surfaces, improved scratch recovery, personalized coating selection and more sustainable manufacturing as promising, but only if they deliver measurable benefits in real-world use.
“The technologies that succeed will be those that improve visual performance, protect
the lens and the wearer, reduce everyday frustration, and provide value that patients can
clearly recognize over the lifetime of their eyewear,” he said.
Francisco Briegas, vice president of product at IOT.
Meeting Patient Needs
When informing a patient about their lens coating options, Francisco Briegas, vice president of product at IOT, said ECPs should consider a combination of independent clinical research, standardized laboratory testing, manufacturer data and real-world patient feedback when assessing different solutions.
“Over the years, technologies such as anti-reflective coatings, UV protection, scratch resistance, and advanced hydrophobic or oleophobic treatments have consistently demonstrated meaningful benefits in terms of visual comfort, lens durability, and wearer satisfaction,” he said. Other innovations, including blue light filtering and antimicrobial coatings, may offer value in specific situations or for particular patient groups, but their suitability should be assessed in the context of the patient’s lifestyle, visual demands, environment and expectations, Briegas advised.
Ultimately, there is no single coating solution that is ideal for every wearer, he said, and the best outcomes are typically achieved when ECPs match the available technologies to the individual needs and priorities of each patient, while still considering the scientific evidence available for each option.
“Anti-reflective coatings remain the benchmark. They consistently improve visual comfort, reduce glare, enhance contrast sensitivity, and improve night time vision. These benefits are noticeable to patients and supported by a substantial body of evidence,” he said.
When it comes to improvements in lens coatings, Briegas feels modern hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings have significantly improved the user experience by making lenses easier to clean and maintain. UV-protective coatings also provide a clear preventive health benefit, while selected blue-light filtering technologies may improve visual comfort for some patients with prolonged digital device use.
“Evidence for blue light filtering is generally stronger for comfort than for disease prevention,” he said, and blue light filtering certainly increased patient awareness of lens technologies, but it has not replaced the core value of AR coatings. While patients may initially ask about blue-light protection because of media exposure or digital lifestyle concerns, Briegas believes they often experience the greatest day-to-day benefit from traditional AR performance.
He feels that the industry is increasingly positioning blue-light management as a complementary feature rather than a substitute for AR. As a result, many premium coatings now combine glare reduction, blue-light management, UV protection and easy-clean properties within a single package. “The conversation has shifted from individual features toward overall visual comfort and lens performance,” he said.
Coatings offer protection against a combination of common risks including scratching, sun protection and blue light filtering. Image courtesy of IOT
A Clear Picture
The biggest advances in lens coatings have come from improvements in multi-layer coating stacks, deposition technologies and surface treatments. Modern premium coatings are significantly more resistant to scratching, cleaning damage, humidity and environmental stress than previous generations. Advanced hydrophobic and oleophobic top layers help prevent smudges and make cleaning easier, while improved adhesion technologies reduce the risk of peeling or crazing over time, he said.
“Manufacturers are also investing heavily in process consistency, ensuring that coated lenses maintain performance throughout the lens lifetime rather than only when new,” he said.
Looking ahead, Briegas predicts the future development of lens coatings is likely to focus on delivering broader functionality alongside traditional optical performance and protection. This includes areas such as enhanced anti-fog solutions, particularly for applications where comfort and consistent vision are critical. Additional functional benefits, including antimicrobial or other specialized surface treatments, are also expected. This area continues to receive ongoing research and continued evaluation of effectiveness and potential applications, he said.
Patient-Focused Coating Technology
Simrit Chahal, product development manager, VSP Optics.
With so many coating options on the market today it can be challenging for ECPs to determine which innovations offer proven clinical or performance benefits for their patients. Simrit Chahal, product development manager, VSP Optics, said ECPs should start with one question: Will this make a noticeable difference in a patient’s everyday life?
She said the most effective innovations and technologies address real-world needs like helping reduce glare, improving visual clarity, resisting scratches, and keeping lenses cleaner for longer.
“You also can’t have great performance without solid quality. That’s why it’s important to choose an AR coating backed by a warranty and proven quality controls,” she said. “At Unity Distributor Labs, we follow strict product specification processes, conduct ongoing testing, and perform regular performance audits, giving ECPs and their patients confidence in our products.”
To ensure the best patient outcomes, Chahal said the most impactful lens coating technologies are the ones that improve everyday comfort, clarity, durability and cleanability. “As anti-reflective coating technology has continued to evolve, advancements have led to premium AR coatings like TechShield Elite, which uses multiple layers of thin films to minimize reflections and maximize light transmission, resulting in high-quality visual performance, improved lens aesthetics, and lasting durability,” she said, noting there is a continued focus at VSP Optics on patient-centered benefits reflected across premium anti-reflective (AR) products.
Coatings offer ECPs a value added product to give patients a custom lens while boosting revenue streams. Image courtesy of VSP Optics
Chahal said coatings are a vital tool for ECPs looking to differentiate their practices, and the key to growing the business is effectively communicating the value they provide to patients.
“A lens is only as good as its AR coating. Without it, smudges, scratches, and reflections take away from your patient’s vision. Premium lens coatings help ECPs personalize eyewear recommendations based on a patient’s unique needs and lifestyle,” she said, adding whether addressing nighttime glare, outdoor activities, lens maintenance, or durability concerns, they help patients get more from their eyewear.
By focusing on real-world benefits rather than technical features, ECPs can better demonstrate the value of an AR coating and help patients understand how these coatings can improve comfort, convenience, and overall visual performance, Chahal concluded.
