Can You Add Anti Glare to Glasses After Purchase?

Posted by Mitch Gantman on

If you are getting new glasses and have selected a frame, you are often offered many optional extras by your optician. One of these extras is anti-reflective coating, often known as an anti glare coating. This coating aims to reduce the amount of light reflecting off your glasses that can impact your vision. But can this coating be added to your glasses after the point of purchase? We have all the advice you need. 


What Are The Benefits Of Anti Reflective Glasses?


If you consider whether to add anti-reflective coatings to your lenses, it is important to know how they could benefit you. Some of the benefits of anti-glare glasses include:


  • Improved vision – as your eyes do not experience glare and intense light reflections
  • Better appearance – as the light is not reflected off your glasses' front, it is easier to see your eyes, particularly in photos. 
  • Reduced eye strain – as more light gets through your lenses instead of being reflected, the eyes do not need to work as hard. 
  • Water repellant – anti-reflective coating also repels water, meaning that it will not dry and smudge on your lenses. 
  • Blue light blocking – blue light from computers and technology is also reflected, meaning your eyes are less damaged. 
  • Your glasses last longer – anti-reflective coating reduces eye fatigue, meaning that the pace of your eye degeneration slows. This will mean your current prescription will last for longer, saving you money in the long run.

Can You Add Anti-Reflective Coating After You Purchase Your Glasses?


It is possible to add an anti-reflective coating to your lenses after you have purchased them. However, it is essential to understand that this can only happen if your lenses are still in good condition.

There are a number of factors to consider when looking at the condition of your glasses. Firstly, The glasses cannot be oily, especially with oils from the skin, as this can end up limiting your visibility once an anti-reflective coating is added on. This is because anti-glare technology traps the oil between the lens and the coating leading to a reduction in visibility.

Secondly, the glasses cannot be scratched as the coating needs to be applied on a smooth surface. Anti-reflective coating on glasses with significant blemishes can, in fact, lead to a reduction in your lens efficiency.

Many high street retailers will not add coating on glasses lenses after purchase, even if you meet the conditions above. However, experienced optical experts can take your glasses, clean them properly to prepare them, and add an anti-reflective coating after purchase. 

If your glasses do have scratches and blemishes on them, your optician will be able to identify this and advise you on your next steps. This may include purchasing new lenses with anti-reflective coating and fitting them to your existing frames. Rx-able.com is experienced in this process and can deliver your new lenses, set perfectly within your current frames straight to your door. 


At Rx-able.com, we can add an anti-reflective coating to your lenses, allowing you to see clearly. The only type of lenses that we can not add the coating to is lenses that already have anti-fog technology, as the two coatings cannot be applied together. 

Anti-reflective Coatings

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