As a glasses wearer, I’ve always struggled with my glasses fogging up/ steaming up on cold days. Whereas as my visor stays clear through the use of a Pinlock, there is no obvious solution for glasses, just a multitude of products to squirt on that claim to stop all misting up. But do they really work? In the name of science, I conducted a mini-experiment to compare some popular products to ascertain which were most effective. These best solutions here should also be equally useful to stop visor steaming up too.
The Experiment
I used a number of old pairs of glasses, which I first cleaned and then applied the various products as per their directions. As a control, one pair was left untreated. I then placed the glasses in the fridge to cool to 5℃, to mimic a ride on a cool winter’s day. First I took the glasses out into the kitchen with a humidity reading of 55%, to see how the lenses misted up (or not). Secondly, I repeated by taking the glasses from the fridge to the hot shower room with a humidity reading of 60% to test a more extreme scenario.
The Products
The products tested here are those I have purchased myself for unbiased testing.
Muc-Off Premium Anti-Fog Treatment
A well-known brand, this solution comes in a small 32ml spray bottle. To apply, you just spray it on, then buff it up with a soft cloth. The price is around £9-£10.
MotoSolution FogTech
FogTech is supplied in a 30ml bottle and three small application sponges. To use you just soak a sponge with the solution, wipe on your lenses then leave to dry. The price is around £16.
MotoSolutions RainCoat
Another product from the above company, though technically more targeted as a hydrophobic water repellant. A thick gel that is supplied in a number of sachets to be applied with a supplied sponge, left to dry, and then buffed up.
The Results
Experiment #1 – 55% humidity
The control glasses misted up instantly, however, the Muc-Off Antifog and FogTech pairs remained completely clear. The RainCoat misted up, but worse they remained misted for some time after the control pair naturally cleared up a few minutes later.
Experiment #2 – 60% humidity
The control and RainCoat glasses fogged up significantly. The Muc-Off Antifog and FogTech pairs displayed a minor amount of fogging. However after a few minutes, the control pair naturally cleared, but the Muc-Off Antifog and FogTech pairs remained slightly smeary for some time after.
Conclusion
Neither product here offered a magic bullet perfect solution, but some certainly offered some gains. Clearly, the RainCoat is a bad choice for use on glasses, but then it is a water-repellant rather than a specific anti-fogging solution. The performance of Muc-Off Antifog and FogTech was remarkably similar and difficult to distinguish. Both generally performed better than the no treatment, with the caveat that they don’t prevent glasses from fogging up completely and can take longer to clear when they do finally fog up a little. Considering Muc-Off is much cheaper than FogTech, it gets my recommendation.
Buy Muc-Off Premium Anti-Fog Treatment from SportsBikeShop
Check out our other tips on how to prevent glasses from fogging in helmet here.
