Tokai: No Reflection Coating
Tokai’s No Reflection Coating (NRC) is specifically crafted to enhance the attractiveness and clarity of eyes seen through lenses across various settings like digital meetings, hybrid work environments, presentations, filmography and photography. The multiple anti-reflection technology of NRC improves visibility by reducing surface reflections dramatically when compared to Tokai’s Super Power Shield (SPS) coating.
Furthermore, NRC offers ultra-water and oil repellent properties, ultra-scratch resistance (up to three times more than SPS), and anti-static features. Tokai says individuals wearing spectacles experience significantly higher levels of comfort and convenience.
Essilor: Crizal Drive 
Crizal Drive from Essilor is a premium anti-reflective coating that offers clarity of vision by adapting to the light waves that the eye is sensitive to, during the day and night. The lens is said to reduce reflections when night driving, compared to a lens with a hard coat, and protects lenses from all barriers to clear vision, including scratches, smudges, water, dust and UV rays.
The coating is now available on a wider range of Essilor lenses to help even more patients benefit from improved visual acuity and comfort during the night, including Varilux XR series, Varilux Physio 3.0, Varilux Comfort Max, Eyezen Start and Eyezen Boost Single Vision.
Alan Pitcher, commercial director for wholesale lenses at EssilorLuxottica, says: ‘As the nights draw in, Crizal Drive offers a sensible driving lens solution to recommend to patients for more comfortable vision and improved visual acuity.’
Hoya: Hi-Vision MeiryoHoya describes Hi-Vision Meiryo as its most advanced premium lens coating ever, delivering exceptional clarity and durability. Meiryo is constructed using nine separate layers that are said to provide exceptional resistance from scratches, dust, moisture and UV as well as making lenses up to five times easier to clean and 56% less reflective.
Hoya says Hi-Vision Meiryo marks the culmination of more than 60 years’ research and development into high-performing coatings. The coating has also been rigorously tested using Hoya’s unique LongLife Index – a series of five tests that are more rigorous than the industry standards, to provide eye care professionals and patients with a guarantee of high performance and long-lasting quality.
Optimum Rx Lens Specialists: OptiPure+
OptiPure+ from Optimum Rx Lens Specialists is said to stand out among other coatings due to its innovative and unique formula, developed with the knowledge and expertise of over 20 years as a coating specialist. With 99% light transmittance, OptiPure+ has unparalleled clarity and transparency, ensuring maximum acuity and superior aesthetics. With enhanced hydrophobic and oleophobic properties due to unique ingredients, the lenses are said to stay cleaner for longer, even in harsh environmental conditions.
As well as improved water run-off and reduced fingerprint and perspiration smudging, an additional layer providing dust resistance has been included to ensure particles are not attracted to the lens during cleaning. With the highest level of scratch resistance, OptiPure+ has been created to ensure the added value benefits do not deplete with age and wearers can expect the same performance from day one until their next eye exam, alongside a two-year no quibble guarantee.
Jai Kudo: Honeycomb
The Honeycomb coating from Jai Kudo Lenses (part of Millmead Optical Group), is said to enhance visual clarity and reduces eye strain, offering greater comfort for prolonged use.
Its innovative matrix of hexagonal cells, inspired by the natural honeycomb structure, minimises light scatter and glare, delivering crisp, sharp vision across various lighting conditions. This even light distribution ensures a clear and comfortable visual experience, making it particularly advantageous for patients dealing with artificial lighting, night driving and prolonged screen use.
For optical practices, the Honeycomb coating’s Hydro+ feature aims to simplify maintenance by making lenses easy to clean, reducing returns and enhancing patient satisfaction. The coating’s UV protection up to 360nm and scratch resistance provide durable, long-lasting lenses, while anti-reflective properties minimise reflections, to improve visual aesthetics.
The super-hydrophobic layer repels water and oils, ensuring lenses remain clear and functional, ultimately offering a premium experience that can enhance patient loyalty and practice reputation.
Eye Index: Kleencoat Plus
The stand-out coating from Eye Index is from its Kleencoat range which, through innovative technology, is said to offer a number of
benefits and flexible choices for practices.
Kleencoat Plus is a hard coating with anti-reflection, hydrophobic, oleophobic and anti-static properties that comes with a two-year scratch resistance guarantee. Its extra layers create an ultra-smooth surface.
Benefits from this advanced coating include protection for screen use, anti-reflection and general exposure to daylight where this is a problem. The lenses are also said to be easy to clean.
DSW Optical: DSW Blue
Adding a coating to a lens, notes DSW Optical, can improve it cosmetically and optically, and offer long term health benefits. Furthermore, modern coatings can allow over 99% of visible light to pass through the lenses and are far more durable than previous generations.
The company offers semi-molecular bonded coatings that are said to improve the clarity and lifespan of lenses, with antistatic and hydrophobic layers to make them easy to live with.
The lab’s coating products are also designed to work with the needs of modern lifestyles. DSW Blue is designed to benefit the wearer in challenging conditions, by reducing unwanted wavelengths of light. DSW notes that using coatings for cosmetic reasons is becoming more common, the choice of colour is used to complement the frame choice, often combined with fashion tints to further enhance the effect.
Caledonian Optical: Intero
Caledonian Optical says its Intero anti-reflection coating is a breakthrough solution for managing reflectance issues in high-index lenses.
This advanced coating absorbs UV rays hitting the back surface of the lens, providing the best all-around UV protection for users.
Standard anti-reflection coatings can reflect up to 50% of UV rays from the back surface of high-index lenses into the eyes. However, Intero coating absorbs these UV rays, ensuring comprehensive UV protection.
Spectacle lenses incorporating a UV absorber, and an enhanced back surface anti-reflective coating provide the best protection from UV radiation up to 400nm.
For optical practices, Caledonian says, this means offering a superior product that promotes eye health and improved patient satisfaction, potentially leading to increased patient loyalty and a stronger reputation for using cutting-edge protective lens technology.
