The answer to fogged glasses when wearing a mask? Contact lenses!

Medically reviewed by Jakub Odcházel, DiS., Chief Optician, on 4 Feb 2021. Written by Lentiamo

Wearing a face mask remains a part of our lives in 2021. Whether in shops, on public transport or at the doctor's – your mask has to come along. What is great protection on the one hand, becomes a downfall for some people on the other. Especially for people who wear glasses.

The moment when your glasses fog up while you are putting on your mask is very familiar to you. You might have even tried all kinds of anti-fog sprays and coatings – it still happens again and again. You just can't get rid of the problem.

So what can you really do to prevent foggy vision? Wear contact lenses!

How and why do your glasses fog up?

Before we demonstrate the alternatives to glasses during the pandemic in cold temperatures, let us clarify how fogged eyeglasses lenses occur in the first place.

Fogging is caused by condensation. Water vapour (e.g. from exhaled breath, hot tea or a boiling pot of water) cools when it touches your glasses. The cold lenses then turn the steam into a liquid. This forms a film on your lens, which you see as fog.

This process doesn't only occur when entering a warm room after being outside in the cold, but also when wearing a protective mask.

This makes wearing glasses in winter even more difficult than it already is. But foggy vision can also have serious consequences. It is very risky if you operate high-maintenance machinery, provide emergency assistance or drive a car with fogged-up spectacle lenses.

So what's the best way to prevent your glasses from fogging up?

There are several ways to reduce excessive condensation. Read our blog article on the 5 tips on how to stop glasses steaming up when wearing a mask. In this article here, we'd like to share with you one trick in particular that could make your everyday pandemic life a lot easier.

How to fold the mask so that the glasses don't fog up

Grab an ordinary surgical mask
Fold it lengthwise in the middle
Tie the straps on both sides
Pull the mask apart again
Turn the corners in
Now put on the mask. Shape the nose so that the mask fits snugly against your face

The best alternative to foggy glasses? Contact lenses

Yes, we know you love your glasses. We love them too. But after testing several anti-fog sprays, we can say with certainty that none of them can completely and permanently prevent your lenses from fogging up.

Lentiamo's customer advisors have therefore asked many of you for your solutions. In the process, they have found that the temporary replacement of glasses with contact lenses seems to offer you the best vision and the least effort.

With contact lenses, you get rid of the problem of foggy vision once and for all. But not only that. Daily disposable lenses are an extremely hygienic and clean visual aid. They are taken out of their 100% sterile blister whenever you need them, inserted into the eye and removed and disposed of at the end of the day. Due to this regular replacement, virtually no germs can settle and multiply on the lens.

We recommend contact lenses especially to medical staff and people who wear masks or protective clothing for a large part of the day. That's why Lentiamo works with hospitals in Italy, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, to whom we provide free lenses for medical staff fighting on the front lines of COVID-19.

How to switch from prescription glasses to contact lenses?

If you are considering wearing contact lenses temporarily or permanently, all you need to do is read your spectacle prescription and convert your sphere to contact lens diopters.

Please note: In most cases, the dioptres of glasses match the dioptres of contact lenses up to +/- 3.50. Please bear in mind that spectacles are further away from the eyes than contact lenses. Therefore, for higher diopters, optometrists use so-called conversion tables that determine by how much the diopter on the spectacles corresponds to the diopter on the contact lenses. +4.50 diopters in spectacle lenses means +4.75 in contact lenses, –9.00 diopters in spectacles means –8.00 in contact lenses. Tip: Conversion tables are not omnipotent – we know from practice that these are guide values. The so-called subjective refraction during the eye examination is particularly important.

Can't find your glasses prescription? No problem. Simply make an appointment with your ophthalmologist or optometrist and have your vision tested.

Once you've identified your dioptres, it's time to find suitable contact lenses. Of course, you want to make sure that you choose a lens that offers optimal vision and a comfortable visual experience. Similarly, you should take your sensitive or dry eyes into account when choosing the right contact lens.

Feeling overwhelmed now? No need. Just take a look at Lenjoy contact lenses. The high-quality contacts combine astounding visual performance, long-lasting comfort and optimal eye health. With their biologically compatible hydrating technology, non-slip surface, UV protection and light blue tint for easier handling, Lenjoy 1 Day Comfort daily lenses are a smart choice for beginners and advanced users. Order the affordable starter pack of 10 lenses and get 25% off your first purchase.

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How to apply contact lenses correctly?

You have selected a contact lens and ordered a pack with your prescription? Great! Then there's only one more thing to do: Learn how to insert your new contact lenses correctly.

The videos below will explain in a simple way how you can't go wrong with contact lens handling.