Eye Care

Very brief summary: Nice lenses, but not worth the high cost to me.

I finally decided to give it a shot and got new eyeglasses with the Crizal Avance anti-reflective coatings. I went to a local private optometrist this time, but they were covered by my EyeMed insurance plan. This was the first time I went to an optometrist that wasn't associated with Lenscrafters or Costco. I have previously purchased lenses from Lenscrafters (simple plastic CR-39 without any treatments), Costco (polycarbonate with anti-reflective coatings), and Zenni Optical (one pair of polycarbonate with anti-reflective coating and two years later one pair with polycarbonate, anti-reflective coating, and photochromic darkening lenses). I've written fairly thorough reviews of each of those pairs of glasses.

The eye exam with a private optometrist is no different than what I experienced elsewhere, although I did find the issue of retinal imaging interesting.

Retinal imaging vs pupil dilation for fundoscopic exam. When I first arrived for the appointment, the secretary gave me typical paperwork to fill out with my personal information and medical history. In the paperwork was a consent form for retinal imaging, saying that it wouldn't be covered by my insurance, but would cost $25 and they recommend it as a way to not only view the inside parts of my eye but also to have a permanent record for future reference. When I had my first eye exam at Lenscrafters they used a machine called Optomap and they had charged $49 for it. At the time of my first exam, I didn't realize that there was another option which insurance would cover.

I now know that insurance will pay for the eye doctor to do a fundoscopic exam using the traditional method of eye drops to dilate my pupils and then examinging the retina with their equipment. The two times I have had eye exams at Lenscrafters when I declined the retinal imaging, they did go ahead an dilate my eyes and examine them. This was at two different Lenscrafters, so I'm guessing they are more consistent with meeting what I assume are recommended parts of an eye exam.

This time at a private optometrist, and the one time I saw an optometrist at Costco (who is a private eye doctor located within the Costco store) they did not dilate my eyes. I was surprised they didn't do this. Both did do a retinal exam (shining the bright light into the back of your eye as they look with a special lense), but my understanding is that it is very difficult to do a thorough job without dilating the pupils. My guess is that the pupil dilation is time consuming for them (as they have to wait for the eye drops to work) which is why they didn't do it. They also probably figure that I don't have any risk factors for retinal disease (at least I hope if I had risk factors they would have done a more thorough job).

The flip side is - they would not hesitate to charge me for retinal imaging if I agreed to it. I am guessing this is a money maker for them. I'm not saying it is a bad thing to have it done, but it doesn't seem like it is necessary (or else eye insurance would be more willing to cover it).

When I first saw the eye doctor, he took my glasses and checked the prescription in his machine. I actually brought in the written out prescription from my last eye exam at Lenscrafters. He said the glasses I had (from Zenni Optical) did match the written prescription, which was good to know. After my eye exam, he said that my presciption hasn't changed, but that since my insurance would cover a new pair of glasses, I may as well get an extra pair.

They had a decent selection of frames, and I know my insurance covers new frames up to a certain cost. The frames I liked also came with magnetic clip-on polarized sunglasses, which I thought was a nice bonus. I was a bit shocked when I saw the price on the frames was over $216. I figured I would wait to see what the price would be after my insurance coverage. We sit down and she shows me what the price breakdown is for new glasses:

Eye exam - Eyemed co-pay of $10

Single vision lenses $79 - reduced to $10 after insurance
Polycarbonate basic lenses $49 - reduced to $40 after insurance
Crizal Avance Premium anti-reflective coating with UV $154 - reduced to $123.20 after 20% discount
Frames - $216 - discounted to $42.80 after insurance discount

Total of $226 for frames (with magnetic clip-on polarized sunglasses), polycarbonate single vision lenses, and Crizal Avance anti-reflective coating. I didn't notice the UV coating mention until I got my explanation of benefits from EyeMed. They listed the breakdown of charges different, with $139 for the preimum anti-reflective coating discounted to $111.20 and the ultra-violet lens cost of $15. I was surprised there was an extra charge for a UV lens, as my understanding is that polycarbonate lenses are inherently ultra-violet protective. There shouldn't be any need for a UV coating. Looking at the Crizal website, though, it looks like it may just be a part of Crizal AR coatings to include UV protection, whether the lens needs it or not.

So the Crizal Avance coating cost an extra $154 from a prviate optometrist.

Now - on to the performance.

I have to say that I am very underwhelmed. The properties that all the marketing touts is not only effective anti-reflective properties, but also resists smudging, fingerprints, water, and dust. I have tried comparing them side-by side to both my Costco lenses and the lenses from Zenni Optical with their $4.95 anti-reflective coating.

First - as far as anti-reflective properties. Almost all anti-reflective coatings these days have residual glare. The colors of the residual glare vary based on the treatment. My original Zenni glasses had a fairly dark green residual glare. The glasses from Costco had a much softer residual glare as did the newer Zenni glasses I got last year. The residual glare on my glasses with Crizal Avance are a soft light pink color. The residual glare is definitely most noticeable with my old Zenni glasses, but the ones from last year are and the Costco lenses are minimally different from the Avance lenses.

Second - as far as staying clean. Perhaps they attract less dust than my other pairs of glasses, but I can't tell any difference. Compared side-by-side to my other glasses, they all seem to be about the same at repelling water and wiping clean. The only lenses I can clearly tell are different from my new ones are my original plastic CR-39 lenses without any anti-refectlive treatment and the original Zenni anti-reflective lenses which have a noticeably darker green hue for residual glare. I can't see any noticeable differences between the newer Zenni lenses (they did not yet offer the hydrophobic or oleophobic lenses when I placed the order - so these are the $4.95 anti-reflective coating) my Costco lenses from 2 years ago, and these polycarbonate lenses with Crizal Avance.

Actually - after writing up this long review, and re-reading all of the great marketing materials on these Crizal lenses, I am going to try calling the optometrist next week to make confirm that they really did use Crizal Avance on these lenses.

Bottom line - while there isn't anything wrong with Crizal Avance, I can't see any reason to justify spending extra money over the basic anti-reflective lenses from Zenni Optical (if ordering online) or getting Costco's glasses if you want to have the advantages of a physical store with great customer support for their products. I have to say - I'm very disappointed after spending so much time reading about all of the differences in anti-reflective technologies. It seems the average consumer won't notice any of the claimed benefits - or at least this average consumer couldn't tell the difference.

I just got the crizal lenses in my new glasses, the girl just raved about them.my previous glasses were from LensCrafters and not sure what they were but they did have a green anti glare coating on them. These new glasses have a blue anti glare coating which she insisted I get. Everything is fuzzy around the edges no clear sharp edges. Everything has a gold tint and the glare seems to be magnified. She insists I need to get used to them, I just think the new lenses are not for me and they need to be redone. They are very expensive! Did you notice any of this with yours? I am very disappointed.

Hdj,

Are your glasses single vision, bifocals, or progressive lenses? If things are blurry around the edges, I'm wondering if you have progressive lenses. The anti-glare coating shouldn't make things blurry and I've never noticed any kind of tint from the anti-glare coating. I only see the anti-glare coloring when I take my glasses off and look at an angle. I have no idea why things would seem to have a gold tint. I assume you didn't get any type of transitions lens or tint on the lens?

Do you know which specific Crizal coating you have on your lens?

I'm wondering if it is the Crizal Prevencia. It is a newer coating that also filters out blue light, and they claim it has health benefits for your eyes. I'm not experienced enough to know if the claims are true, but I believe there is some controversy amongst eye health professionals. I believe the Prevencia has a blue-violet anti-reflective color, so that may be what you have. People do report that the Prevencia can make white colors look a little more yellowish, and people may notice the purple reflection off of the lenses.

I am guessing the blurriness is one issue (possibly progressive lenses?) different from the anti-reflective coating. If you got the Prevencia coatings, I'm guessing that is why you are experiencing the color differences.

I would definitely tell your eye doctor you are not satisfied, especially if you do have the Prevencia lenses and they didn't warn you about the color differences. Prevencia lenses are not cheap!

I just returned my lenses with the prevencia coating. Although I saw very clearly, there definitely was a purple tint to my glasses. I teach first grade and my students kept telling me my eyes were purple. This was too funky for my taste. I returned to my optician and they are putting another anti glare coating. I was disappointed with prevencia.

Not worth the money unless you need a new hobby, ie, cleaning your glasses. I have clean them 3 x's a day they smear so badly. I haven't notice a speck of difference in control so I would not buy glasses again with that coating. I do get the transition treatment and like that, but I'll skip the crizal option next time

I'm about to have my second set of Crizal lenses put in. Not because I want to, but because they are still under warranty and this is the second time the little cleaning cloth has scratched them. I can barely see out of them. They smudge constantly, any small speck of dust on the cleaning cloth scratches the lenses, and I've noticed no difference in the clarity from my old pair. As I wear tri-focals, I wouldn't be replacing these lenses if I had the money to buy a new non-Crizal pair. As soon as I can afford it though, these Crizal lenses are going in the trash!

libbylou wrote:I'm about to have my second set of Crizal lenses put in. Not because I want to, but because they are still under warranty and this is the second time the little cleaning cloth has scratched them. I can barely see out of them. They smudge constantly, any small speck of dust on the cleaning cloth scratches the lenses, and I've noticed no difference in the clarity from my old pair. As I wear tri-focals, I wouldn't be replacing these lenses if I had the money to buy a new non-Crizal pair. As soon as I can afford it though, these Crizal lenses are going in the trash!

Everything Libby says!!!

I don't understand how anything can me as misrepresented as Crizal lenses and continue to do so?? I'm on my second set, first replaced under warranty, and was hoping my replacements would be "as advertised" but no, they are no better!

They smudge worse than any lenses I've ever had going back a half century, wow, that makes me OLD!!!I've taken as good a care as possible if them, trying not go clean them as often as needed (smudges) to keep from scratching them further. I keep clean microfiber or terrycloth towels handy, washed regularly but nothing helps. Never again!

I keep taking my Costco Glasses back because they are constantly SMUDGED, they keep telling me to use their cleaner, I got them cleaned again last night with their cleaner and today they are so nasty looking dirty and smudge, I don't have time to clean every minute. NEVER had I ever had glasses that smudge so bad, even my $5 cheater which are thrown in my purse without a case do not get that dirty............

CLopez,

I'm not sure if I should move your comment - and then if I do I'm not sure which thread. This could fit in with the Costco eyeglass thread, the anti-reflective coatings thread, or the how to clean my eyeglasses thread. While this is meant to be a thread to discuss the Crizal coatings, I think the discussion is still relevant here even though you are talking about Costco eyeglasses. I'll leave the post here for now.

Based on my experience, there isn't much difference between all the different anti-reflective brands. I personally haven't had any issues with smudging on my lenses, regardless of which anti-reflective treatment I had. I know that Crizal and some of the other "premium" brands promote that they have an "oleophobic" layer as part of their lens treatment, which is meant to repel oils. Obviously that isn't working for you.

I find it interesting that several people have commented on this problem. While I don't have the issue, it is clearly a real problem for many people. The only thing I experience is that because anti-reflective lenses are so clear when they are clean, even tiny specks of dust will be noticeable to me. I'm sure smudges would be even more distracting. Because of my issues with dust, I always wash my glasses first thing in the morning, and sometimes during the day if they happen to get dirty.

Do you find that the smudges are hard to get rid of, still being present even after cleaning your lenses? I'm curious how the smudges get there in the first place. I'm careful (and assume most people are) not to touch the lenses with my fingers. I only hold my glasses by the frame. If I touch the lens, I fully expect the oils from my hands to leave a smudge. But I find they are fairly easy to clean - rinse with cool water and then wipe with a microfiber cloth. On the very rare occasion where I was still left with a smudge, I rubbed a bit of dishwasher detergent on the lens and made absolutely sure that my drying cloth was completely clean.

I wish I had an answer for you. Hopefully someone will come along with a solution, but I'm not counting on it.

Just wanted to chime in about the Crizal Avance coating. As far as performance, I don't notice the difference between it an other coatings I have had. What I absolutely love about it is how easy it is to get the lenses perfectly clean in less than one minute. I use a drop of clear dishwash soap, wet my fingers, and gently rub both sides of the lenses. Then I run the lenses vertically through a stream of water from the faucet, and all of the water runs right off, leaving just a couple of microscopic drops of water which I dab off with the corner of a paper towel. Dab the water off the edges, and I'm done. The lenses are perfectly clean in less than a minute without any wiping or smearing. Love it.

CLopez,

If you are following this thread still, I started a new thread as I came across the same problem with smudges on my Costco glasses. You can see what I found was causing the problem in this thread on smudges and streaks.

I have had glasses for over 60 years, my first with Crizal lenses......NEVER again !!! The worst ever experienced. I got everything on these lenses, thought I deserved the best after all these years.
WRONG...scratch protection ( lenses scratched)....smudges ( constant wiping )...anti-glare ( nothing different than normal ). I have had these glasses ~6 months.
Do not waste your money. I could have afforded two pairs of glasses for the price and would have gotten better usage.

I just got my $400 Crizal Prevencia progressives with an anti-glare coating, screatch resistant and purple tint. I have to say I'm a very dissapointed.... what a huge let-down to say the least. The lenses smudge and smear real easy and I have to clean them 3- 4 times a day... very annoying! But, the most annyoing thing is during night time outside walking, driving or in a movie theatre I get a prism/rainbow glare around the outer edges of my lenses. This is very distracting. It would be interesting to know there is nybody else with the same issue? The optometrists told me I would get used to it over time...
hmmm What?!
I have say I expected a lot more after shelling out over $400 because they are definitely NOT worth the price.
Now I'm glad I kept my old progressives as a back up.

I am so surprised to see all these negative comments about Crizal lenses. I got Crizal lenses about 5 years ago and there still isn't a SINGLE scratch on them -- they are as pristine as the day I first got them. These are also the first lenses I've had that don't constantly need cleaning off of makeup/skin oils or smudges. Also, my vision through the Crizal lenses (progressive lenses) is the sharpest I've ever had. I personally feel my Crizal lenses exceeded my expectations and were well worth the extra cost. One thing I'm noting from the various posts, though -- my eyeglasses were made with Crizal LENSES, not just a Crizal coating on another manufacturer's lenses. Could that be the difference?

My new Crizal progressive lenses do get smudged quickly but other than that, I'm very happy with them. They are sharp, antiglare and seem to be just fine after a couple of weeks. They are also lighter than my last pair but I see that as a plus, particularly since I finally chose larger frames and my prescription is quite strong.

Michele,

Crizal is typically referring to the company that makes the anti-reflective coating used on a variety of lenses. My understanding is that Crizal is a branch of one of the largest lens manufacturers, Essilor. Essilor is mainly known as the maker of lenses while Crizal is who provides the coating. Essilor is also the maker of Varilux, one of the premium brands for progressive lenses. So I'm really not sure what lens is used for your "Crizal lens" progressives, but I'm guessing it is a high quality Essilor progressive with the Crizal anti-reflective coating.

I'm not sure if the Crizal Avance coated lenses I bought two years ago were Essilor lenses (mine were single vision at that time) or some other brand. To be clear (no pun intended), I have nothing negative to say about the quality of the Crizal coated lenses I owned. My criticism is that the cost is MUCH higher than what seem to be just as functional anti-reflective coatings I've had on other pairs of glasses. I was really hoping there would be a more noticeable benefit as far as the lenses staying clean. I think the hydrophobic and oleophobic benefits are more hype than anything practical. I've been wanting to take all of my glasses over the years and make a video where I test each of these properties side by side so everyone can see the little difference. I'm not sure anyone really wants to see it, as it is probably more a personal fascination than anyone else's.

I have worn glasses for 53 years, and decided to splurge on Crizal lenses. Huge mistake! They are green, my vision feels obscured, and they are constantly smudged and covered with every bit of dust that comes near them. The worst, really the only bad set of lenses I have ever had. They are still warranty and after over a year of complaints to my optician, I want them replaced with ANYTHING else. Don't buy them!

<removed duplicate content that was posted in the smudged lens thread>

Also you can't buy Crizal coatings unless it is going on an Essilor lens... who makes Crizal.

As far as eye exams, everyone does it different, but I dilate everyone as it is part of a normal exam and believe all practitioners should for at least their first examination of a patient. We do have dilation refusal forms that you probably sign if you don't get your eyes dilated that obsolves doctors of responsibility in the event something was missed, even if you didn't refuse. The only time I would recommend getting a picture of the back of your eye is if you do not want to be dilated. The "picture" is taken by an Optos machine which is a scanning laser ophthalmoscope and isn't truely what is viewed as the image is distorted and color is not accurate, but has no affect on its diagnostic value. If you're getting dilated and getting that image, you're only paying for someone's machine unless you have pathology, in which case they would do imaging after dilation, unless it is a known problem.

Bottom line go to someone you trust. If they are good they did their research and are looking out for your best interest with the highest quality products that work under ALL CONDTIONS not just ideal condtions. This is something you may not be able to appreciate unless under the right conditions (which is where we hear the most complaimts, ie glare while driving at night, amongst others).

Thank you so much! I have no insurance and the price quoted for Crizal plus everything else was prohibitive. A $$$$ pair of glasses would end up in my safety deposit box! Saw your review which was very thorough and believable and it stopped me dead in my tracts. I had gotten so desperate trying to find glasses that don't instantly scratch no matter how they were cleaned, that I was going to just buy Crizal lenses because of the hype. Thanks again. I'll wait for the next generation from this or any company and look for your review again.

I spent the extra $80 for the Crizal Prevencia progressives in some new Oakley frames. I'm shocked at the negative reviews that I've read here. I simply love my new glasses and lenses. Yes, they have a blue reflective tint that can be seen from the outside under some lighting conditions (much more noticeable in fluorescent lighting). This doesn't bother me a bit because I don't see any of the blue when looking out through the lenses. It's good to know that they are doing the job of reflecting the blue-violet light. My eyes feel much better after working outside for several hours each day as a lineman. I notice a slight tint of grey/green when working in front of my computer screen, but it is such a minimal amount, that it's no bother to me at all. The advantages of no glare and increased sharpness when working with the glasses on for hours far outweigh any other issues. I plan to get a second pair to keep as a back-up because I'd hate to be without them if they were to get damaged/crushed on the job. I'm glad I didn't read the negative reviews before making my purchase or I might have put it all off. Yes, they are expensive, but in the grand scheme of things, my eyes are worth it and I have no regrets now that I can see better than ever. I haven't had them long enough to say they won't scratch, but so far, no scratches and they are wonderful to work with in the pouring rain. They do fog up if I come out of a air conditioned/refrigerated room at 28F directly into 95F temps, but the fog is minimal and goes away in a few seconds. I think any glasses would do that anyway. Sorry for the long book of text. Peace to all.


Steve E.

I also had this "wonderful" anti-smudge, anti glare, anti-waterspots..but I now am anti-Crizal! I have never seen so many smudges in my lifetime wearing glasses, and every time it rained and they got drops on them, they didn't run off..instead dried and left spots. The micro soft cloth used to clean them is also not worth using. I have to find glass cleaner and a tshirt rag to clean them correctly. The commercials definitely make it appear that you never have to worry about dirty glasses when it's quite the opposite . It's definitely not worth the money to me!

Stay away from Crizal coating! I have never fought so hard to keep my lenses smudge free and clean. Will neve again pay an enormous fee for such worthless upgrade.
Not happy at all and stuck!

I just recently got my second pair of Glasses with Crizal Avance coated lenses. The first pair were Transirions Varilux bifocals with Crizal Avance coated plastic lenses and only had a couple minor peripheral scratches after 2-1/2 years. New glasses were needed due to a prescription change. My new glasses are the same except the lens material is Trivex. In my experience, Crizal Avance has been more scratch resistant than the several earlier Crizal formulations. I am not sure if it is the Avance coating or the New HD lens sculpting, but my last couple pair of glasses have had noticeably sharper resolution.

My experience with the smudging/cleaning problem is this: I think the oleophobic property of the Crizal coatings does decrease oil, grease, and dust pick up, but what does end up on the lens is more prone to smearing because of the slickness of the coated lens. I find that a drop of Dawn and some warm water cleans things very well, rinse well, shake off the water, and dry gently with clean cotton cloth. Problem solved. Additionally, I think the dust attraction problem is because people are not using detergent and residule oil on the lenses attracts and retains dust. Detergent also removes the oil and grease from your frames and nose pieces at the same time.

Alcohol is tough on the types of plastic used in lenses and frames, micro crazing and cracking which grow and grow. Additionally, when you wipe your lenses with alcohol, that little bit of alcohol that remains has some of the dissolved oil you were removing and as it evaporates, it redeposits that oil on the lens. There is no rinsing action to flush dirt and oils away with Alcohol wiping. Same problem in window cleaning.

Wash your Crizal cleaning cloth and/or microfiber cloth periodically, so you aren't wiping the dust and oil they absorb back onto your lenses.

Much of this comes from experience with laboratory glassware and plastics.

I am really glad that I stumbled upon this site. I had Lasik about 15 years ago and while I was ecstatic about being able to see without glasses, I was left with halos and starbursts, especially at night. I feel that as I am getting older, either its getting worse or my tolerance for it is. I was considering the Crizal since I am due to get new glasses, but the cost of them has deterred me somewhat. It was interesting to read that the Crizal isn't much different than the other anti-glare products available. My current glasses have anti-glare, but living in the city and driving at night with all the stop lights, compound that with rain and I am a mess. I'm still stuck now wondering what can be done.
Again, I appreciate all the conversations about the Crizal.

Crizal lenses are a waste of money. They do not do all of the things that they claim. They DO smudge, get dusty, moisture does stick to them, they do scratch, etc. I don't know which lens coating I have, no one told me there were different kinds. But I don't see any tint so I'm assuming mine are the cheapest lens they make. I had to have them made FIVE times before they were done right. The first pair were delivered to me with a scratch, the next pair had a blurry flaw in the lens, and so on. Finally got them right on the 5th pair. But to me, they are nice as to how they look without the light bulbs reflecting in them, but that's about all I can say in favor of them. I don't drive much at night, but the few times I did, I didn't notice any big difference. My main complaint is that the reasons I wanted Crizal was to eliminate dust, smudges and wet lenses and they don't live up to that claim.

My optometry shop sold me on Crizal Prevencia coatings for my new glasses. I am very disappointed in the coating, it seems to make distant objects less crisp, especially in high contrast situations (delicate tree branches against crystal clear sky). The night vision performance is also terrible with glowing smeared halos around every bright object. This is my second pair, the first glasses were so bad I thought they had messed up on the prescription. Everything was double checked and was fine except they found they had messed up in the near vision prescription so that's how I got the second pair.

The old glasses without the Prevencia coatings are far better for high contrast crispness and for night driving.

So, so glad I came across this posting!!! I was seriously considering throwing the extra money at the Crizal coating extras which, obviously, won't be happening now. As far as daily cleaning, "Cruisecontrol" method works very well for me also. I start with a rinse first and take the time to rinse/soap/rinse everything. Still coming in at less than a minute with five+ star results.

I was just on line checking out Crizal lens and was delighted to find this posting.I am thinking about getting new glasses and need all the unbiased information possible.l am 75 years old.I had surgery for cataracts in Nov.and Dec.2006.My prescription has not changed since Apr.2007 thankfull.Thanks to this article I think I will get the $5. coating and take my lovely wife for a weekend in the mountains with the rest of the money.

I've just returned my new glasses with Crizal Prevencia. I'm a programmer. I used for more then 10 years the Essilor computer filter "soft" that was discontinued. Essilor told my optics shop that Prevencia was the most suitable treatment for computer usage. Nevertheless I could not get used to the reflex from the lens towards my eyes. I could see my eyes reflection in the lenses. Maybe I'll buy Gunnar prescription lenses.

TexasTon wrote:

libbylou wrote:I'm about to have my second set of Crizal lenses put in. Not because I want to, but because they are still under warranty and this is the second time the little cleaning cloth has scratched them. I can barely see out of them. They smudge constantly, any small speck of dust on the cleaning cloth scratches the lenses, and I've noticed no difference in the clarity from my old pair. As I wear tri-focals, I wouldn't be replacing these lenses if I had the money to buy a new non-Crizal pair. As soon as I can afford it though, these Crizal lenses are going in the trash!

Everything Libby says!!!

I don't understand how anything can me as misrepresented as Crizal lenses and continue to do so?? I'm on my second set, first replaced under warranty, and was hoping my replacements would be "as advertised" but no, they are no better!

They smudge worse than any lenses I've ever had going back a half century, wow, that makes me OLD!!!I've taken as good a care as possible if them, trying not go clean them as often as needed (smudges) to keep from scratching them further. I keep clean microfiber or terrycloth towels handy, washed regularly but nothing helps. Never again!

Wow I've been getting Crizal coatings for the past 5 years and I absolutely love them. I haven't had any of the issues a lot of you are dealing with. Maybe they are charging you for the coating and giving you something else. idk but my lenses last forever and crystal clear. Even the pair that I work in, I had some ink splash on my lenses and it just rolled right off and wiped away easily. I usually don't get anything lower than the avance with scratchguard. maybe that has something to do with it

Not sure which Crizal product I have but my lenses have been replaced twice since April 2016 due to crazing in the lenses. I am careful with my glasses (no alcohol cleaners, use microfiber cleaning cloths etc). Has anyone else experienced this problem? The effect is my lens seems smudged but when you hold it up to the light you can see what looks like hairline scratches in the lens. At night, lights are very distorted. I have had glasses with Crizal for many years and have never had this kind of problem before. It's very discouraging.

Weird and unfortunate. I've heard Crizal and other quality coatings usually won't craze, but lower quality coatings will when exposed to heat, such as running under hot water. When you rinse your glasses before wiping them, you should use room temperature water. Is it possible they got exposed to heat or hot water? I would expect Crizal lenses to withstand that. It sounds like a defect in the process. Maybe the lens material or the particular lab is having problems. What you report is not typical for any of the higher quality coatings.

Not happy with them. Finger prints are more prominent, do not cut down glare and dirt same as if non crizal lenses. Will nor spend the xtra money for them again.
TV commercial is deceiving as far as I'm concerned.

To each their own. I decided to go with Crizal two pairs of glasses. I do computer programming and stare at screens all day. Prior to these lenses, my eyes would be so tired by the end of the night that any digital screen I looked at had large fuzzy halos around them. I have yet to have that issue since using these lenses. They clean easy and are some of the clearest lenses I have looked through. The coating is really hard to ruin and will last many years. Some of my prior lenses had a problem with the coating wearing off by the end of the first year. Not with these, two years and the coating is still perfect. Again, to each their own. For me, I will be using these until something better is available.

I got my first pair with Crizal lenses today and I'm not sure how I feel about them. I see blue outlines around anything white - like lines in the road - and other places. I feel like I am looking at something 3D without the 3D glasses. As someone else mentioned, things like tree branches and leaves are blurry. They were great when driving at night though. I'm looking forward to wearing them to work tomorrow since I do stare at a computer all day. I'm just wondering if I can get used to the things I notice that bother me or if I should request different lenses. Maybe I'll give them a few days.

The hype about smudge proof, etc. is just that. The slight difference between Crizal and other lenses is LITTLE and NOT worth the difference in COST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brad

I recently bought glasses with Crizal Pevencia, and have major issues with the lenses. The coating was applied to both the front and back of the lenses, and the purple back glare is constant, and obstructs my vision at the outer edges of the lenses. Not sure if the application was done improperly, but what I do know is its a reflective coating vice a filter (absorber), so by its very nature it creates glare; the very glare that is supposedly reduced by most if not all Crizal coatings. This coating, at least applied to the inside, does exactly the opposite of what it's supposed to do. I work in the imaging and optics industry, and have a solid understanding on light, it's interaction with various media, and the difference between absorption, transmission and reflection. Bottom line, the Crizal Prevencia coating reflects the harmful blue light it's touted to protect you from, directly back into your eyes. Good job, Crizal. Thanks, optician for pushing an expensive gimmick coating that harms my eyes and degrades and obscures my vision.

Guest7 wrote:Not sure which Crizal product I have but my lenses have been replaced twice since April 2016 due to crazing in the lenses. I am careful with my glasses (no alcohol cleaners, use microfiber cleaning cloths etc). Has anyone else experienced this problem? The effect is my lens seems smudged but when you hold it up to the light you can see what looks like hairline scratches in the lens. At night, lights are very distorted. I have had glasses with Crizal for many years and have never had this kind of problem before. It's very discouraging.

I had the Prevencia lenses and had to have them replaced after 3 weeks, little scratches everywhere. They told me they will crack if you open the oven door and let the 'blast" hit your face. I am so sorry I got these lenses. I am afraid to wear them now.'