How Lens Treatments Enhance Sun Lenses |
| Written by Ana Montoya | ||||
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Reprinted with permission from First Vision Media (http://totallyoptical.com) Have you ever thought about all that goes into sun lenses? It’s often the lens treatments that make the lenses as functional and outstanding as the customer wants. Here’s a look at various lens treatments found in sun lenses. HARDCOATING  A quality hardcoat protects the lens from scratching. It is a critical component of any good lens, especially a sun lens because of the on-and-off nature of wearing sunglasses. Hardcoating also acts as a base for additional treatments that may be applied to the lens. That is why it must bond to the lens surface securely, provide a “shock absorber” property, deliver superior scratch resistance, and act as the foundation for all other treatments to follow. ANTI-REFLECTIVE TREATMENT The use of an anti-reflective (AR) treatment is another option that is becoming popular for sun lenses. It is usually applied to the back surface of the lens to eliminate the annoying reflections of the eye and activity and objects behind the wearer. An AR treatment is rarely applied to the front of the lens because the increased transmission of light through the front surface would defeat the purpose of the tint, which is to limit the amount of light passing through the lens. Also, because sunglass lenses are dark, smudges and smearing would be much more obvious on the front surface of an AR sun lens. OLEOPHOBIC Premium AR lenses feature an oleophobic treatment as their outside layer. The purpose of this layer is to repel grease and oil, keeping the lenses cleaner longer and making them easier to clean. This topcoat is also very slick, allowing a cleaning cloth to slide over the lens with virtually no chance of scratching it. HYDROPHOBIC Some premium AR lenses also have hydrophobic properties in their topcoat which makes water bead up on the lenses. This beading is caused by the high surface tension of the hydrophobic layer and allows the water to be shaken off the lenses, making them easy to clean. The hydrophobic/oleophobic treatment seals and protects the AR treatment below and acts as an abrasion-resistant coating, making the lenses more scratch resistant. ANTI-STATIC A very helpful addition to sun lens treatments is an anti-static quality. This property enables the lenses to dissipate the static electric charge that builds up while cleaning the lenses, which is responsible for attracting dust, lint, and other minute particles that adhere to the lens, making it difficult to keep clean. Most sunwear buyers find this property quite appealing. MIRRORS Used on sunwear to make a statement and to help advertise the style and individuality of the wearer, mirror treatments are also useful in reducing light transmission and glare through a sun lens. Mirror coatings can, but don’t always, block ultra-violet, blue, and infrared light. Check with the manufacturer to clarify this. You’ll find mirrors that are recommended for water sports, land sports, snow sports, bright sun, overcast sky, and general wear. A premium base coat makes the lens more scratch resistant and promotes bonding of the mirror coating to the lens. It also makes the lens more durable. A hydrophobic topcoat gives the lens more versatility in function and makes it easier to maintain.
EXAMPLES Bollé’s new Marine Collection for water sports enthusiasts features a hydrophobic coating, which is impervious to sunscreen and skin oils and promotes the dispersion of water off the lenses. All Bollé styles have the company’s proprietary industrial-strength Carbo Glas® hardcoat on both sides of the lenses to protect them from scratching and a backside AR treatment to combat glare and eyestrain. Wiley X Eyewear applies a clear, super hydrophobic mixture, Slick™, to the surface of the lenses to repel water, salt water, and ice, as well as to prevent surface spotting. Smudges and stains are easily removed with the microfiber cloth enclosed with each frame. In addition to the Slick hardcoat, Wiley X applies an extra layer of flexible hardcoat called T-Shell™. T-Shell is added for extra protection and longer life and helps maintain clear vision by keeping the lens from cracking or crazing. Wiley X’s Violet 4™ AR is applied to the backside of the lenses to eliminate back-surface glare. Oakley, Inc.’s optional Iridium lens coating “fine tunes” light transmission for specific lighting conditions. According to the company, super-heated metal oxides are fused to the lens at the molecular level, permanently bonding to create an optically uniform layer. By varying the composition and degree of saturation, the Iridium coating can produce a spectrum of lens hues, adjusting light transmission from 9% to 92%. There are 16 Iridium colors available in Oakley sunwear. Visible color and density vary among the colors. The high-contrast Iridium colors optimize depth perception and the neutral colors offer truer color perception. Oakley also applies a hydrophobic/oleophobic layer that prevents moisture buildup so water beads up and rolls off the lens surface and repels skin oils, fingerprints, and lotions. The coating is also anti-static, preventing dirt, dust, and other particles from clinging to the lens.  Sunwear should be more than just tinted lenses, and with all the lens treatments available, they surely can be functional and fun. Get to know the technology behind the lenses that come with the frames you stock. Be sure to suggest as many of these lens treatments as you can. The more your customers obtain, the more functional their sunwear will be. |
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