Tried and tested: Anti-fog gel

Steamed up spectacle lenses present a problem which can range from the mildly annoying to the downright dangerous.

Lens coatings marketed as anti-fog offer better performance than untreated lenses but in situations where clear vision is essential stopping lenses steaming up is crucial. Spring and autumn tend to be the worst times for outdoor sports related spectacle steaming so Optician put Dibble Optical’s Progear Anti-Fog Lens Cleaner Gel to the test.

The gel was employed on the editor’s cycle commute to work, coating the lenses on various cycling eyewear styles. Each side of the lens was treated with a thin film of gel which was then buffed off. The amount of gel used and the level of buffing required a little trial and error but once perfected it was effective at stopping the lenses fogging up. The trick is not polish the gel too forcefully but enough to leave the lens clear, which provided protection against fogging. In extreme conditions fogging was still avoided with trapped moisture forming as droplets on the lens.