Glasses cracked in sauna

jonolewis

I've recently bought some glasses with anti-reflective coating/thin lenses from Glasses Direct. I go to the sauna once a week and have always taken my glasses in with me (though put them down by my side).

I've noticed these new glasses start to get a kind of 'crazy paving' in the coating. It steadily got worse. I googled and found out it saunas can cause this. But it was too late, the damage was done.

I contacted Glasses Direct and they said it was not covered by guarantee as it was my fault for exposing them to heat.

Fair enough, but I had no idea there would be a problem, and nowhere on their site can I find any warnings about this.

As saunas are quite common for many people, I would have thought a warning a reasonable safeguard against this.

Have I any rights here? The glasses didn't fulfil my requirements, which are quite normal, so I think they should at least share some responsibility.

Or do I have to accept that I am responsible for the damage and/or should have known the risks?

powerful_Rogue

jonolewis wrote: »

I've recently bought some glasses with anti-reflective coating/thin lenses from Glasses Direct. I go to the sauna once a week and have always taken my glasses in with me (though put them down by my side).

I've noticed these new glasses start to get a kind of 'crazy paving' in the coating. It steadily got worse. I googled and found out it saunas can cause this. But it was too late, the damage was done.

I contacted Glasses Direct and they said it was not covered by guarantee as it was my fault for exposing them to heat.

Fair enough, but I had no idea there would be a problem, and nowhere on their site can I find any warnings about this.

As saunas are quite common for many people, I would have thought a warning a reasonable safeguard against this.

Have I any rights here? The glasses didn't fulfil my requirements, which are quite normal, so I think they should at least share some responsibility.

Or do I have to accept that I am responsible for the damage and/or should have known the risks?

Theres nothing on their site about putting glasses under a wheel of a car and driving over them either.

I think exposing glasses to temperatures of 90c+ for a sustained period of time is asking for trouble. Personally I wouldnt say wearing glasses in a sauna is "quite normal". I use a sauna very regularly and everyone always leaves their glasses outside.

Unless you specifically asked Glasses Direct whether the glasses could be used in a sauna, you have no case.

George_Michael

jonolewis wrote: »

As saunas are quite common for many people, I would have thought a warning a reasonable safeguard against this.

There is no way that their website would be able to warn people about the many things that are quite common for many people but which could damage their glasses.
Swimming is a very common pastime but I certainly wouldn't consider wearing glasses in a chlorine or salt laden environment.

You made the choice to take glasses into a very hot, very humid environment without first checking if those glasses were suitable and as such, the outcome is your responsibility alone.

bris

So what warnings should be compulsory do you think?


Saunas are a harsh environment, steam will rip grease and grime of an oven or a car engine, what do you expect it do to a thin coating on a pair of specs.

neilmcl

Is this thread serious?

If it is, I think a bit of good old common sense is required.

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

I hope the kids are safe

dacouch

If this happened to me, I'd be steaming

sheramber

beware of taking things out of a hot oven when wearing glasses.

The heat from the oven can damage the coating.

ThumbRemote

I've worn glasses numerous times when swimming and never had a problem, and have often seen others wearing them in a pool too.

I've worn them in a sauna and steam room too without problems (except the frame gets hot against the skin), albeit infrequently and not for too long.

daytona0

jonolewis wrote: »

I googled and found out it saunas can cause this. But it was too late, the damage was done.

I love how you googled AFTER taking them into the sauna, and not before....

The glasses would be expected to function within a reasonable environment. A sauna is an extreme one. You can't expect the company to be liable if you aren't using them in reasonable environments (or if you aren't conducting research beyond such assumptions!).

As a side note but the last time I went into a 'sauna' was at my local gym to get through to the changing rooms. The sauna comprised of wrinkly old 60+ men who had no shame in letting everything hang out; I wish I wore glasses so that I could promptly take them off (and leave them at home)!

C_Mababejive

If it helps and the lenses are plastic, you can easily remove the coating with armor etch and have sparkling clear lenses again, ive used it,,it works beautifully.