What are Crizal Lenses? Pros, Cons & Costs

Key Takeaways

Crizal is an anti-reflective coating added to eyeglass lenses to reduce glare, protect against UV rays and blue light, and resist scratches and smudges.
They're an additional cost for regular eyeglass lenses.
The benefits of Crizal lenses include improved night vision, reduced glare for outdoor activities and photographs, and more durability than regular lenses.
The drawbacks of Crizal lenses include their need for frequent cleaning, their price, and that they can’t be used as reading glasses.

What are Crizal Lenses?

Crizal is an anti-reflective (AR) coating applied to eyeglass lenses' back or front. They reduce glare and protect against:

Scratches
Dust
Smudges
Water
Harmful effects of UV rays and blue light

Crizal coating is a brand name developed by Essilor, which specializes in creating lens innovation solutions for eye health.

Pros of Crizal Lenses

Crizal lenses provide complete protection and the most precise vision depending on your lifestyle and activity level. These glasses offer the following:

Best-in-class blue light and glare reduction
Smudge resistance and scratch protection
Overall UV protection
AR coatings that make your eyes look clearer with less glare
More durability than regular lenses
Reduced eye fatigue at work
Improved night vision
Superior protection

Cons of Crizal Lenses

Negative aspects of anti-glare Crizal lenses include:

Price
The need for frequent cleaning
Inability to be used as reading glasses
Lenses that can’t be repaired if damaged

Who Needs Crizal Lenses?

Crizal lenses reduce the amount of light reflected on eyeglasses. This improves visual clarity, comfort, and transparency.

Anti-reflective glasses can benefit people who:

Work long hours in front of a computer
Have trouble with night driving
Are photographed often
Work under bright lights
Spend long hours doing outdoor activities
Have undergone laser eye surgery

Types of Crizal Lenses

Depending on consumer needs and desired protection, several types of Crizal lenses exist. They range from enhanced, best-in-class protection to standard anti-glare reduction.

Types of Crizal lenses include:

Crizal Sapphire. It provides enhanced glare and UV protection but not blue light protection
Crizal Prevencia. Selectively filters blue-violet light from computers, tablets, and smartphones
Crizal Rock. Uses High Resistance Technology to reduce scratches and smudges from dust and water
Crizal Easy Pro. It is designed to be smudge resistant and stay clean longer
Crizal Easy. Ideal for smudge, glare, and scratch resistance

How Do Crizal Lenses Work?

Compared to ordinary lenses, Crizal coating uses 360° Multi-Angular Technology. This technology reduces the amount of reflective light hitting the lenses resulting in less:⁴

Backside reflections
Optical diffusion caused by scratches and smudges
Ghost images induced by multi-reflections

The 360° Multi-Angular Technology changes the way light interacts with eyeglass lenses. It manipulates light’s wavelengths, intensity, and direction to create less glare and protect the eyes from UV rays and blue light.⁴

How to Clean Crizal Lenses

Because Crizal lenses are transparent, they are more likely to look dirty than regular eyeglass lenses and require more frequent cleaning.

The steps to clean Crizal lenses include the following:

Rinse the lenses under warm water to remove dirt and debris
Clean with mild dishwashing soap to remove facial oils
Rinse with water
Dry with a soft cotton cloth
Polish with the provided Crizal microfiber cleaning cloth (can also be used to touch up lenses throughout the day