Short answer: anti-reflective (AR) coating cuts glare and reflections for clearer vision and better cosmetics; blue block coating filters a portion of high-energy visible light from screens; and photochromic lenses darken automatically in sunlight and clear back up indoors. They solve three different problems and are frequently combined on the same lens, not competing options.
Uncoated lenses reflect roughly 8% of the light hitting them, which shows up as visible glare in photos, distracting reflections under office lighting, and reduced contrast when driving at night against oncoming headlights. AR coating is a multi-layer film applied to both lens surfaces that cancels out most of that reflected light, letting more light through to the eye and making the lens appear nearly invisible in photos rather than showing a visible glare. It's the single coating that benefits nearly every wearer regardless of lifestyle, which is why most premium lens packages include it as standard rather than an optional add-on.
Blue block (or "blue light") coatings filter a portion of the high-energy blue-violet wavelengths emitted by digital screens and LED lighting. The research on whether typical screen exposure actually causes lasting eye damage is genuinely mixed — the stronger, better-supported benefit is comfort: many heavy screen users report less eye strain and better sleep when reducing blue light exposure in the evening, likely tied to blue light's effect on the body's melatonin cycle. It's a reasonable option to offer anyone who spends long hours on screens, but it shouldn't be sold as a medical necessity — the evidence doesn't support that framing.
Photochromic lenses contain molecules that react to UV light — clear indoors, and progressively darker in sunlight, typically reaching full tint within about a minute outdoors and clearing back to clear within a few minutes back inside. They're genuinely convenient for customers who move between indoor and outdoor environments frequently and don't want to carry a separate pair of prescription sunglasses. The trade-off worth mentioning: most photochromic lenses don't darken meaningfully behind a car windshield, since windshield glass already blocks much of the UV that triggers the reaction.
These three aren't mutually exclusive — a photochromic lens with AR coating and blue block is a completely standard combination, and increasingly the default recommendation for a customer's primary everyday pair. The main reason to skip a coating is cost sensitivity or a genuinely single-purpose pair (e.g., dedicated computer glasses that don't need photochromic behavior), not a technical incompatibility.
AR coating should be treated as close to standard across your Rx lens range given how broadly it benefits every wearer. Blue block is worth offering as a clearly optional upgrade rather than bundling it into every pair by default. Photochromic is best positioned as a premium single-pair convenience option for customers who'd otherwise be buying two pairs of glasses.
Browse Salvador Eyewear's Blue Block lens range or explore the full Rx & Stock Lenses collection.