My Zeiss DriveSafe driving lenses: Review

With these lenses, I found that the glare is much less and the vision is vivid and crystal clear.

BHPian thirdmainroad recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I've had to wear spectacles since they first tested my eyes - when I was in the 5th std, in 1995. I still remember the acute discomfort when I got my first pair of specs - and then the first sense of "Holy, is this what I have been missing seeing all this while?!" once I got used to wearing them.

Started off with about -1.25 and now, in late 2021 - about minus 1.5 and minus 1.75 cylindrical.

Was always a brat - and notorious for breaking specs; if the lenses were made of glass, I'd break them in a few days, if they were made of plastic, I'd scratch them beyond seeing in a few weeks.

But as I grew older, I learnt to care more and I'd always prefer glass lenses over plastic - for they were much clearer, at least back then.

It was in about 2010 that I could afford to wear more expensive eyewear - with the confidence that I would not break them in no time - but I would still stick with cheap glass lenses. It was in 2015ish that I was coerced to pick up expensive plastic lenses - Essilor - I thought they were a complete waste of money before but once I wore them - I was like "Have I been missing all these colours all this while?" Every colour was much more vibrant and just so much more colourful. It was almost like the time when I first wore specs - and wondering WOOSH - what a world of sight there is!

Anyway, since I told the optician that I drive a lot - and I do drive a LOT, cause that's what I am here on earth for - to drive - and so I drive - he suggested that I get the Essidrive lenses - which I thought would be waste of money and I evaded it for a bit, but in 2017, got the Essidrive paired with Signature 5 Photochromic Essilor Lenses. Again, it was a whole new beautiful world. Colours more vibrant - and driving - quite easier - I'd experience less eye fatigue on the highways and all was well and good and God was kind. Except - I'd keep scratching my lenses very often and in about 8 months to a year, I'd have to get new ones, even if my eyesight had not deteriorated enough to warrant a change of lenses. Essilor lenses it was always - for I had seen the best in them and the Essidrive coating was quite good. The damn things were quite expensive - would cost me about 15 k - but hey what's 15k a year-ish for having eyesight? What I'd come to realise is the Essdrive coating is scratch-prone and many scratches I'd get.

Last changed my lenses in January 2021, but I sat on my pair of regular specs the other day - which I had not done really in a while - so it was back to me getting a new pair.

When I checked in at my optician - I am now a favorite customer of his - I was appalled to find out that that though Essilor had upgraded the photochromics to signature 8, it was going to be difficult to get the Essidrive coating on single visions - because apparently not enough customers were going for them! I was in shock and disarray - I'd not be able to drive as comfortably as before ever again - all because of the fact that stupid people here did not realise how good the Essidrive coating was while driving and didn't want to shell out the extra bucks!

BUT - the optician said, Zeiss had a driving lense for single vision but I was now an Essilor fanboy. I had never seen clearer and colours more vibrant. But again, my sole purpose here on earth is to love animals and to drive. Did a quick google search on Essilor Essidrive VS Zeiss DriveSafe and the results were all pro Essilor and how Zeiss sucked and blah, blah. I was left depressed. Sad. Lonely.

But then I thought - you know what - Google and the internet are not right all the time - and Zeiss is great at precision lenses so why not give it a shot.

And I did.

Got Zeiss photochromic with the DriveSafe coating.

And again, I was absolutely stunned. All colours were now a little more vivid. Details better.

Then I started to drive. The lenses are just - Oh my God! Clarity is just woosh. Focusing on objects far and near is just so much better.

Then came the darkness. And with it, the - what can I say - the demons who don't know that there is a low beam - these are people that I regularly get out of my car while in a city road and try to reason with - either oncoming or behind - "Why do you need high beams in the city?"

But with these new lenses - the Zeiss DriveSafe - gosh, I could actually look straight into the high beams and - it was just different - the glare was SO much less, yet everything was SO vivid and crystal clear.

Guys - if you drive, and if you wear specs - Go Zeiss - Go DriveSafe. They are just Super Duper.

These, in my opinion, are the Michelins of eyewear! (Why I will never drive with any tyre other than Michelin)

Here's what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say about the matter:

Haha. Relate with every word, buddy. I have -0.75 cylindrical and got my first pair of basic spectacles in 2009. Sometime in 2011, I upgraded to Crizal lenses. It was like switching from basic cable to HD! After college I stopped wearing glasses on a daily basis, I have been able to maintain my vision at that level with regular eye exercises. But I did get myself a very good pair of sunglasses with power, for driving of course. The optician suggested Essilor Experio lenses, with the greenish-black tint. Man, if Crizal was HD, Experio is 4K on OLED! I’ve sworn by Experio ever since, and have had 3 pairs over the past decade. My optician still says these are the best lenses out there for me.

Moral of the story: Always spend the extra buck for top quality lenses. It is worth it.

Suggestions welcome for better lenses.

Here's what BHPian shancz had to say about the matter:

Thanks for a very useful thread.

Do they have a Polaroid filter? Noob here but asking because I experienced similar with my Polaroid sunglasses but during daytime and figured out that the bluish globe visible on the windshield of the oncoming car was actually the Sun.

Here's what BHPian ike had to say about the matter:

I have been using Drive Safe for a year now. I did not feel any difference until I had to drive with my spare set of glasses at night. Drivesafes are just awesome and once you get used to them very difficult to go back to something inferior.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.