Digital lenses, anti-glare and blue filter: Price and opinion

Leaving aside the matter of the materials used to make lenses or glasses for glasses, plastic or glass, there are a couple of additional topics that you may be interested in knowing: the way of manufacture and the treatments that can be applied to those lenses, something that can directly influence how you see through them.

As for the manufacture of lenses or moons, there appear to be two ways: the traditional and more popular for its cost and speed of manufacture, and the digital, which uses “computer controlled equipment and is much more accurate.” Thanks to this second technique, so-called digital or “high definition” lenses have been manufactured.

The treatments that are applied to the surface of the lenses is another matter and is something that you can optionally add to improve your viewing experience. For example, an anti-glare or blue light filter, which can help you if you spend a lot of time in front of your cell phone, tablet or computer.

I recently bought digital lenses and applied a ‘premium’ treatment, both from the French brand Essilor, and share a bit of what I found out, including prices and specifications.

Digital lenses

Also known as high definition. These lenses are made from precise laser or computerized ‘carving’. In theory they should offer vision up to “six times” sharper or clearer (based on at least one reference), better peripheral vision, at night and better contrast. You should also be less affected by reflections and glare from lights.

If the equipment is available in your country (in Ecuador it seems that it does not exist), you could even obtain lenses with the exact measurement or graduation that your eye requires. Traditional lenses, due to the limitations of measurement and manufacturing tools, can only be designed in steps or steps of 0.25 diopters. With “digital” technology you could be measured and get a digital lens with 0.01 diopter steps. Surely that way you could adapt immediately and feel 100% comfortable with those lenses. If your exact measurement were 0.60, you wouldn’t have to force your eye to adapt to a 0.50 or 0.75 lens, which would be your only two options on a traditional lens.

The downside is that these types of lenses are more expensive. At the very least, you should pay at least 25-30% more than normal glasses, when it comes to “generic” digital lenses. If they are brand name, the cost goes up much more.

For example, I bought “Eyezen” digital glasses from Essilor for $ 130. In Ecuador, conventional lenses are usually around $ 30. These Eyezen lenses include a basic anti-glare coating, a “Light Scan” blue light filter, and “Eyezen Focus”, an “enhancer that helps to focus well and reduce eyestrain.” Additionally, the optometrist was able to tell me that this “digital” benefit applies only to the lower part of the moon or “comfort zone.”

Treatments, Layers or Filters

Whether you’re buying regular or digitally-cut lenses, you can add an anti-reflective coating, a blue light filter, or both, treatments that are applied to the surface of the lenses.

In this case there are also layers of this type “generic” or brand. In my country I can apply both generic coats, anti-glare and blue light filter, for around 60 dollars. A “premium” treatment can easily go up to $ 100 (just the treatment, without the lenses or moons themselves).

For example, Essilor offers three variants of these treatments, with multiple protective layers: Crizal Easy UV ($ 79), Crizal Avance UV ($ 89) and Crizal Prevenzia UV ($ 100). These Crizal protections can only be put on digital lenses. You must ask for them when ordering the lens. They cannot be attached to a used lens afterwards. Or so the seller told me.

In this case, I was able to verify the difference between a generic treatment and that of Crizal. At least when it comes to anti-glare, Crizal is far superior. At first glance you could tell that Crizal eliminates double or triple the reflections of artificial light than a basic anti-reflection.

Concludedones

To be honest, for several years I have used conventional lenses, with a basic or generic anti-glare and have never felt the need to look for something better. Now that I needed to update my lenses to a new size, I took the opportunity to test this new option and see if everything that is said about digital lenses is true. In addition, the sincere experience of the seller influenced me a bit, who pointed out that since using them he had reduced his discomfort and fatigue after several hours in front of the computer.

As for the Crizal Avance UV protection that I added, I was especially interested in its anti-glare which was much superior to my normal lenses when viewed against the light and its other protections, which I considered important for those expensive digital lenses. Also, I already had references on this particular brand. I assumed the blue filter of the superior Crizal Prevencia UV product was not necessary due to the filter already integrated in the digital Eyezen lenses. In addition, according to the vendor, the Crizal Prevencia UV blue filter generates purple spots that are seen from outside the lens when lights are reflected on it.

In total, my investment was 130 + 89 dollars for the lenses and protection (apart from the cost of the frame). If you work intensively in front of electronic devices, it may be worth it. However, I recommend that you first inform yourself well about the prices in your country for this type of lenses and alternatives. For example, I have read that a more convenient and high quality lens brand is Gunnar. In the case of the blue filter, I am not sure if it is necessary, since there are many applications and programs for mobile phones and cell phones that allow you to add a blue filter to the screen.

References: AllAboutVision, VSPDirect, Eyezen, Reddit, Lifehacker

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