Are Scratch Resistant Coatings Worth It?

Attention all of you who: forget your cases, throw your glasses in your purse, set your glasses on their lenses while you are at work, or leave your fashion frames sitting lens-side-down by your nightstand until bed time…

Your glasses want you to know something. They are not super heroes. They are strong, but not invincible. And, their lenses…well, they like to talk a tough game, but they could really benefit from a suit of armor. They are no match for your nail clippers, pens, car keys, or countertops. But, don’t despair. Your optician knows just what to do. It’s called the scratch-resistant coating.

A scratch-resistant coating is a special process done to both the front and the back of the eyeglass’ lenses during the manufacturing process. What it does, essentially, is make the lens more difficult to scratch by placing an invisible guard over the original lens. Just like you’d get a treatment for your new carpet or couch (sometimes called “Scotch Guard” type treatments) – this is a similar type of process for your lenses.

Once you get lenses that are treated like this, you are often entitled to a special scratch warranty which may entitle you to a new pair of lenses if your old ones get severely scratched during normal wear. Of course, it’s important to note that no lens, ever, is completely scratch-proof. If you try hard enough – even with a coating – you’ll probably be able to scratch a lens.

So, is it worth it to get a scratch-resistant coating on my brand new fashion eyeglasses?

YES!

I can tell you first hand that all of my regular fashion glasses–that I wear daily to see out of– have been treated with this scratch-resistant coating and they’ve all held up very nicely. On the other hand, my sunglasses lenses have not been treated — and they are severely scratched because I’m not always diligent about putting them in my case or keeping them away from little hands that like to try them on and scratch them up!

When I get a new pair of designer sunglasses this season, I’m going to make sure they have the scratch-resistant coating too. You really don’t know how nice it is to have your glasses protected in this way until you see the difference between how a treated pair holds up versus an untreated pair!

If you have questions about this type of coating or any other special lens treatments – ask your optician at your closest America’s Best retailer for all the details!