Why Do Glasses Fog Up?

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LEARN MORE Book an eye exam HomeKnowledge CenterWhy do glasses fog up? Why do glasses fog up?

Any glasses wearer is familiar with this ordeal, as foggy lenses are a common complaint. Fogging is caused on eyeglasses, athletic sunglasses, and snowboard goggles when condensation forms on the lenses due to a combination of moisture and temperature gradients, and can be enhanced by dirt and grime. Let’s take a look at what condensation is, why it forms on glasses lenses, and how to prevent it.

Glasses Fog Up Because of Condensation

Condensation occurs on eyeglass lenses when water vapor—from your sweat, breath, and ambient humidity—lands on a cold surface, cools, and then changes into tiny drops of liquid, forming a film that you see as fog.

Your lenses will be relatively cool compared to your breath, especially when the outside air is cold. When vapor hits a surface that has less thermal energy, some of its energy goes into that surface. Condensation occurs when the gas, or vapor, doesn't have enough energy to maintain itself in a gas state, so it transitions back to liquid. Particles in a liquid have less internal energy than gas, but more internal energy than particles in a solid.

Warm air hitting cold eyeglasses is a problem, and the science of foggy lenses knows no season. Humid summers combined with your car's air conditioning offer similar troubles, and sports in any season can produce fogged-up lenses. Though treatments made for eyeglasses are your best option, wearers have found creative ways to prevent foggy lenses in winter. The tips below can help provide fog-free lenses and clearer vision any time of year. Unless your lenses include an anti-fog treatment, fog prevention remedies are only temporary, and you must reapply them regularly for the best results.

How to Prevent Your Glasses From Fogging Up (including when wearing a mask)

1. Choose Fog-Free Materials Designed to Keep Your Lenses Fog-Proof

   Glass lenses are more likely to fog, but lens materials like polycarbonate and plastic may resist fogging. Anti-reflective treatments are another good option, and not only reduce glare, but often include a hydrophobic coating that resists water, smudging, and fogging.

   An anti-fog treatment is especially important for snow sports. Most sports sunglasses and ski or snowboard goggles are designed to allow venting and prevent fogging, even when you're breaking a sweat. You can keep your goggles from fogging up when you're wearing a helmet by positioning them where the helmet won't block the vents. And if you remove the goggles when you're riding the lift, place them on the helmet itself instead of on your forehead, where your sweat is likely to create condensation.

   Anti-fog technology is common in sports lenses and can make eyewear safer by preventing vision-obscuring fog on the lenses. Wiley X and Liberty Sport are known for their technologically advanced anti-fog lenses. Prescription glasses that rest further from the face will also allow air to circulate around the lenses to minimize fogging. Contact lenses are another option for avoiding foggy lenses, especially in winter.

2. Wash the Lenses with Soapy Water

   Dirt, smudges, and scratches give condensation more to cling to. Keep your lenses clean, avoid leaving fingerprints on your lenses, and handle glasses gently to prevent scratching. A simple way to clean your glasses is to use a gentle dish soap, which has properties that can reduce fogging.

   Because the surfactants in dish soap reduce surface tension, a thin film of water coats the lens instead of a mist. Though there's still moisture on the lens, it allows light to pass through rather than being scattered in multiple directions.

   A lens cleaner or reusable or single-use anti-fog wipe made specifically for preventing foggy lenses is the safest for your lenses. Similar to dish soap, it contains surfactants. Other treatments not made for glasses, like rubbing alcohol, can harm anti-glare or photochromic coatings and can void any warranties your lenses carry, so you should avoid them.

3. Adjust Your Glasses

   If your glasses keep fogging up, letting more airflow around the lenses can reduce the problem. Adjusting the nose pads or arms slightly can help keep your glasses where they belong. Frames that sit too close to your face may need adjusting by your optometrist, but there's only so much they can do. If fogging is a common occurrence, your glasses frame size may be off. Consider a new frame with more space between the lenses and your face.

4. Make Sure Your Mask Fits Well

   A loose-fitting mask aims to exhale air directly toward your glasses, but a snugly fitting mask directs air out of the bottom or sides of the mask—away from your glasses.

   All About Vision recommends certain features to help achieve a better fit:

   • Masks with foldable pieces around the nose (such as a metal strip)
   • Masks that come in various sizes

   Make sure that your face mask has a snug fit around the nose bridge. The more conformed the mask is around the bridge of your nose, the less of that hot air will end up hitting your lenses.

   If you've crafted your own cloth mask, create a seal around the nose by inserting a moldable item into the upper part of the mask. That could be a paper clip, pipe cleaner, twist tie, or a folded piece of aluminum foil.

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