favorite anti-reflective AR

[skirk1975]

What is your favorite brand of AR and why???

[LENNY]

I am sory but i think you should add CHEAP brand to your poll!

[myodisk]

Yep... the mainstream and financialy feasable!

Essilor... REFLECTION FREE

[sandeepgoodbole]

myodisk said:
Yep... the mainstream and financialy feasable!

Essilor... REFLECTION FREE

*********
Yesterday..A customer insisted that I must give him Free of cost Reflections he thought he would be getting on Buying ARC !! , Like he gets a Spectacle Case and a cleaning cloth !!!!

:bbg:

[jofelk]

As of yet I do not have a favorite AR. I have been patiently waiting for the big AR's to produce equipment that is inexpensive enough for the small lab. This would allow AR to be mass produced and maybe become more affordable to the eyeglass wearing public.

[Joann Raytar]

On custom coated surface jobs I voted for Crizal because we see very few returns for defects or scratching. There is little hassle regarding returns because you don't have to send the product to be stripped and recoated; the lens is just replaced.

For factory coated finished single vision lenses we feel that Crizal, Surpass, UTMC, Reflection Free, Optima's Hyper Index and Resolution ARC lenses and Real Eyes perform equally well. One distributor we use has and AR called Triumph that we try to avoid.

[Eddie G's]

I am AMAZED at the (new) Zeiss CARAT XT arc!!!

I LOVE IT!!!

XT only for me!

:cheers:

[LaurieC]

Because I also think a less expensive or "other" should be included. For a moderate price point, I like Fusion Five by I-Coat.

[Rick Strong]

UTMC and CHC here.

[Jedi]

I use lot's of UTMC or Nikon HCC. I can't wait to use Teflon Easycare, I love the minimal reflections, the blue color, and the ease of cleaning. I just recieved a sample of Nikon Ice (half ice, half HCC), very well done, I think many patients who found regular AR showing to many finger prints or smudges will change their minds.

Jofelk, I disagree with your very last statement, if the patients find VALUE in a product then it's always affordable. I feel strongly about the VALUE of AR coated lenses.

[Eddie G's]

I was a bigtime UTMC user in the past but I stopped after having sooooooo many problems with the coating on the VISIO 1.66 with UTMC. That was my NIGHTMARE lens! It peeled and scratched like crazy.

Now I use the Centoptic 1.67AR & 1.74AR stock lenses and for half the price they are really good. Apparently they are made in the same factories as the Nikon Lenses (rumour).

I just wish Zeiss Carat XT's were available in stock 1.67's,
Eddie G's

[Shutterbug]

Crizal carries a two year warranty, and that has to be considered in the overall cost. Cheaper is usually just that :D

Zeiss gets my vote for second place for what it's worth.

shutterbug

[Rick Strong]

ps:

I also have a couple of pairs of Nikon Ice. I think is the best thing to hit the market in years. Its a tad pricey but quality costs.

Rick

[Oha]

I think this is a great poll question, and am amazed that only 34 people out of almost 400 have voted.

As for my favorites - I have to vote for Zeiss, but I have been using more and more Crizal, and am very pleased.

[aaron]

I think that the only reason that more people haven't picked Teflon is that it is such a new coating and its availability is limited. But it is definetly a wonderful coating. I prefer it to all others if available. The Zeiss Carat is also very impressive.

For a "standard" A/R I use a local company called I Coat and the Fusion 5 coating.

I also have a lab down here that does an in House version they compare to the Teflons and Crizals. They offer a lifetime warranty and if for any reason the patient is dissatisfied with the coating they will personaly refund the patient the full retail amount they paid for the coating in my office which is about 90$. Can't beat that with a bat!

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[hcjilson]

because they are doing the most to sell my customers. When someone comes in asking for Crizal I KNOW their message is being heard.

Stop and think about the last time you heard a customer refer to an AR coating by name. I can't speak for your practice......but I can for mine. It just doesn't happen. I became a believer when my 92 year old mother in law asked me to put a Crizal coating on her lenses. I almost fell over. Her TV viewing habits include only three channels. PBS, C-Span, and CNN.The first 2 are non commercial so I know where she found out about it. Crizal supports me, I support Crizal.

hj

[Specs]

I think the two best are Hoya HiVision and Crizal. They are comparable to each other. I almost never have any type of problem with either.

[call me al]

There should be more of a selection if we are expected to vote on our favorite. I vote for Icoat's Vivix and Fusion 5.

[JSBell]

We used the Zeiss products until Crizal became available. We still offer Zeiss for a cheaper, I mean less expensive A/R. Hands down, the Crizal is much better and patients don't mind spending a little more to get a better product. We have just seen the demo for Alize, ask Pete Hanlin about it, and it will probably "blow" away all other A/R products!

[aaron]

What the heck is Crizal Alize? How is it differant from Crizal?


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[Susan Henault]

In a word -- Crizal Alize (pronounced: Ah-lee-zay') is AWESOME. I was blown away when first seeing it (I recently started with ELOA, my first week was in Dallas where I got to see this stuff first hand). This new coating treatment is so "slick", a leap pad won't stick to it! Engineering a way to edge uncuts coated with it was an adventure -- but the results have been terrific. Seriously -- nothing sticks to it, so the lenses rarely get "dirty" and cleaning is a dream. I know! I know! I sound like a commercial ;-D But I REALLY can't help it.

Right now Crizal Alize is being test marketed in the SE United States -- from Kentucky, South to Texas and East to the coast. Essilor hopes to go with a national release of the product shortly after our National Sales Meeting (which is in January).

[icmor]

We use only zeiss et and now, mostly zeiss carat. Total
satisfaction from the product and the fast turn around from
our lab (zeiss coater on premises).

We don't like the idea of sending work to central labs (essilor)
and slower turn around times associated with it.

80% of our orders are zeiss a/r. We are very quality conscious
and cheap a/r just won't do! We don't try to make a lot of profit
on a/r, but we make up for it in volume.

With 6 MD's and 2 OD's on staff, we don't have time to worry
about poor a/r quality issues.

[Pete Hanlin]

I've dispensed Zeiss AR in the past, it is a good AR coating.

Regarding turnaround time, I believe >90% of current Crizal orders are being shipped next day. Crizal is available through four primary ELOA centers, as well as through several other ELOA laboratories and independent labs around the country.

Alize, which- as Susan noted- is currently in a limited market (SE USA), has a hydrophobic coating that makes the lens almost "smudgeproof." That's right, touch the lens with your finger, and you won't leave a fingerprint (or only a slight one at most, if your fingers are very oily). Basically, water, oil, and dirt just don't stick to the lenses!

[slate83]

We are currently using the new Crizal Alize'. I have had a pair done for myself and it is the best AR I have seen thus far.

It stays clean, easier to clean (no special cleaning cloths), and is very durable. It is pricy ($57.00 wholesale). I sell it for $100.

In my opinion it is worth every penny and every pair of glasses should have it.

I am not an Essilor rep!!!

[keithbenjamin]

In a word -- Crizal Alize (pronounced: Ah-lee-zay') is AWESOME. I was blown away when first seeing it (I recently started with ELOA, my first week was in Dallas where I got to see this stuff first hand). This new coating treatment is so "slick", a leap pad won't stick to it! Engineering a way to edge uncuts coated with it was an adventure -- but the results have been terrific. Seriously -- nothing sticks to it, so the lenses rarely get "dirty" and cleaning is a dream. I know! I know! I sound like a commercial ;-D But I REALLY can't help it.

I've heard this "slickness" which is actually the hydrophobic coating wears off after about 3 months of normal wear and cleaning, then your left with what you would have with plain Crizal. Anyone had a pair this long yet?