Video calls are unkind to glasses in ways in-person meetings never were. Ring lights bounce off lenses, webcams sit at exactly the wrong angle to catch a reflection, and screen glare from your own monitor adds another layer on top. A few small habits fix most of it.
Deal with the glare first
Most on-camera glare comes from a light source directly behind or above the camera. Angling your desk lamp slightly to the side, rather than straight at your face, removes a surprising amount of reflection without any change to your glasses at all.
Anti-reflective coating earns its keep here
If you’re on video calls often, an anti-reflective coating is one of the more practical upgrades you can make to a pair of glasses. It cuts down the glare that ring lights and monitors create, so your eyes stay visible instead of disappearing behind two bright white rectangles.
Camera height and eye contact
A camera positioned below eye level exaggerates lens glare and makes eye contact look off. Raising your laptop or webcam to roughly eye height helps both problems at once — it’s a webcam issue as much as a glasses one, but the two compound each other.
When to just take them off
If your prescription is mild and the glare genuinely won’t cooperate, there’s no etiquette rule against removing your glasses for a call. Clear vision of the room matters far less on a screen than it does in person.
Want glasses that lift you? Trend Optic is an independent eyewear boutique in Middle Park, Melbourne. Walk in, or book a private 45-minute fitting. We do not do eye tests in Melbourne, so bring a current prescription from your own optometrist.