The best glasses cleaners of 2023

Dust, oil, hair, and other types of grime are a normal part of everyday life, but nobody is more constantly reminded of the inconvenience they can cause than people who wear glasses. If you or someone you care about is burdened by the constant cycle of smudging and cleaning that comes with owning a pair of glasses, turn to one of the best glasses cleaners on the market to lessen the ache of spectacle maintenance.

Keeping glasses clean is the only way to ensure that they’re doing their job, so it’s important to choose a spectacles cleaner that will be suited to your routines and activities without causing undue damage to your sensitive lenses. Glasses wearers who intermittently reach for a pair of readers or who only put them on at specific times can benefit from a simple solution like glasses cleaner wipes or sprays, while long-term wearers or folks who engage in physically demanding activities may want to opt for a more robust cleaning solution like a microfiber or ultrasonic glasses cleaner. Below, we’ll break down a few types of the best eyeglasses cleaners available to help you find the right option for any situation.

• Best cleaner clip: Peeps Carbon Klean Eyeglass Lens Cleaner
• Best anti-fog: Optix 55 Anti-Fog Spray
• Best cloth: MagicFiber Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
• Best wipes: Zeiss Lens Wipes
• Best ultrasonic: iSonic-D2840 Ultrasonic Cleaners
• Best budget: BCP Mini Eyeglass Cleaning Brushes

The best glasses cleaners: Reviews & Recommendations

Best cleaner clip: Peeps Carbon Klean Eyeglass Lens Cleaner

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The Peeps glasses cleaner is small, making it easy to stow in a pocket or bag. It features two carbon microfiber pads situated at the top of the clip opposite one another for quick and easy cleaning as well as a brush end for disposing of dust and hair. The unit comes with a cover to keep the pads clean during storage and prolong their useful life as well.

Best anti-fog: Optix 55 Anti-Fog Spray

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Users searching for the best anti-fog glasses cleaner will appreciate that this glasses cleaner spray from Optix 55 is effective at preventing the formation of fog on a variety of optical products including binoculars and swimming goggles. Simply spray to apply, spread it evenly with your finger, let it dry for one minute, and then wipe clean with a microfiber cloth for easy glasses fog-proofing. It’s hypoallergenic as well, so you can feel good about using it near your face, but be aware that it’s not made for use on AR-coated eyeglasses.

Best cloth: MagicFiber Microfiber Cleaning Cloths

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These MagicFiber glasses cleaner cloths are the perfect solution for every day glasses wearers who prefer a familiar and affordable way to clean their glasses. The glasses cleaner measure 6 x 7 inches each and come in packs of multiples for long-term convenience. Since they fold up flat, they’re great for storing in glasses cases without adding extra bulk, and they’re hand-washable so you can get the most bang for your buck.

Best wipes: Zeiss Lens Wipes

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Zeiss Lens Wipes are pre-moistened with an alcohol-based cleaner and come in a package of 200 wipes, making these some of the best glasses cleaner wipes for getting consistent results. Zeiss is a longstanding company that’s well-known for its high-quality optical products including camera lenses and binoculars, so these wipes are designed to be extremely gentle on the most sensitive surfaces. These wipes are guaranteed to leave eyeglasses streak-free and contain no harsh ammonia-based products or fragrances.

Best ultrasonic: iSonic-D2840 Ultrasonic Cleaner

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The iSonic D2840 is one of the best ultrasonic eyeglass cleaners on the market, delivering thorough performance and deep cleaning unparalleled by cloths and sprays. The unit sports a 1.6-liter tank and includes an interior basket for safe cleaning of your small items. A digital timer that ranges between 90 and 480 seconds allows for precise and controlled operation, and a blue interior LED indicates when the unit is running for peace of mind. This isn’t really a portable solution when compared to the others on this list, but it’s still the best option for getting dust and grime off of every square inch of your glasses.

Best budget: BCP Mini Eyeglass Cleaning Brushes

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The simple design of this glasses cleaner tool allows it to perform at a high level on a budget. Two microfiber pads sit at the ends of each arm, which attach at a ringed base that allows users to stow the cleaner on a keyring or lanyard. While the microfiber quality combined with the friendly price point make this one of the best cheap glasses cleaners money can buy, this model doesn’t include any form of carrying case, so it’s likely that it will collect dust and debris faster than other systems, which may necessitate more frequent replacement.

What’re the best glasses cleaners for you?

The best glasses cleaners come in a variety of forms suited for different environments and lifestyles. Some are portable and built for reusability, while others are disposable and designed primarily for consistency. From glasses cleaner cloths to ultrasonic eyeglass cleaners, here are some of our favorite glasses cleaners currently on the market.

Microfiber glasses cleaner clips

Glasses that are put through low-impact to moderately messy daily activities usually collect a good deal of dust and dirt both from being worn on the face as well as being stored outside of a case. Some of the best eyeglasses cleaners for managing the most common forms of surface oil and grime come in the form of compact reusable microfiber eyeglasses cleaner clips. These utilize a portable and easy-to-handle design that allows users to clean both sides of the lens at once while keeping a firm grip on their glasses.

When shopping for a microfiber glasses cleaner, it’s important to choose a design that comes with a cover to keep the cleaner from passively collecting dust and dirt when not in use. A cover keeps the delicate microfiber durable, but it also keeps other harmful debris from lodging in the cleaning pads and potentially scraping your lenses during cleaning. Some models of cleaner clips also include soft brush attachments, which can aid in removing loose powders from glasses in situations where microfiber may spread it around.

Anti-fog glasses cleaner for clearer lenses while masked up

While eyeglasses get their name straight from one of the most common materials to ever exist, most lenses are actually made of a type of specialized plastic that’s better suited to optical use than traditional glass. Besides being lighter in weight, plastics and polycarbonates are more resistant to shattering from impacts than glass, and they bond much easier with anti-glare coatings. Despite all this, plastic is no less susceptible than glass to collecting moisture, and there’s never a safe or convenient time for your vision to be blocked by unwanted fog. Treating your glasses with an anti-fog glasses cleaner ensures that your lenses will stay sparkle-clear and perform as intended for sustained periods in any weather.

There are many varieties on the market to choose from, but the best anti-fog glasses cleaners generally form a coating on the lens over a period of multiple uses and are applied as a liquid directly to the plastic before being allowed to sit for some time. When shopping for an anti-fog glasses cleaner, you might opt for a model that comes in a spray bottle for ease of portability and quick application. Unlike normal water or alcohol compounds, anti-fog eyeglass cleaners make it harder for moisture to collect in humid environments and ensure that eyewear users can enjoy uninterrupted vision.

The classic solution: A glasses cleaner cloth

When cleaning glasses, not just any traditional cloth or fabric material will do; it’s crucial to select a cloth that’s designed specifically for eyewear to avoid irreversible damage from scratching and abrasion. Cleaning cloths come in many sizes and varieties, but the best glasses cleaner cloths are made from microfiber, an incredibly fine material made of polyester or nylon. A dense construction or weave allows microfiber to wick away grease, hair, and dirt of even the smallest sizes from sensitive and smooth surfaces like eyeglass lenses, making microfiber cleaning cloths an economical and simple solution for keeping glasses free of debris.

Another benefit of well-made microfiber cleaning cloths is their reusability, which makes them cost-effective and a good long-term solution for everyday glasses wearers. Though they are sensitive, many models can withstand hand washings, which can extend their effective life. Glasses cleaner cloths are a good choice for travelers due to their inherent portability, but they may attract dust and debris when stored improperly. For this reason, they work best if you’re open to washing them from time to time.

Take-anywhere glasses cleaner wipes

For fans of a disposable form factor, one-use glasses cleaner wipes are a fantastic way to get lenses sparkling clean quickly. Choosing glasses cleaner wipes over reusable products like microfiber cloths or clip cleaners is ideal in situations where you absolutely have to ensure that the cleaning product is free and clear of dirt and abrasive materials during each use. Because of their disposable nature, the best eyeglasses cleaner wipes will deliver a consistently streak-free finish in a very portable package.

Most spectacle cleaner wipes are folded cloths made of fine tissue that’s been treated with an alcohol-based cleaning solution free of harsh chemicals. It’s important to choose a wipe that’s designed specifically for critical applications over a generic alcohol wipe to prevent accidental scratches or other types of damage to arise during cleaning. Some of the best cleaning wipes on the market can be used for camera lenses, binocular lenses, and other sensitive optical surfaces, and the disposable format further ensures that users achieve the best results every time.

For heavy-duty cleaning: Ultrasonic eyeglass cleaners

Users who want to put their glasses through one of the most thorough and high-tech cleaning processes available should consider adding an ultrasonic eyeglass cleaner to their eyewear arsenal. Ultrasonic cleaning incorporates high-frequency sound and liquid solvents to disrupt and absorb a wide variety of surface contaminants, making it very useful for cleaning eyeglasses as well as jewelry and other everyday wearables. While this may be the priciest option on the list, ultrasonic eyeglass cleaners are still surprisingly affordable considering that they provide an unparalleled level of clean for every surface and nook on a pair of glasses in addition to the lenses themselves.

When shopping for the best ultrasonic eyeglass cleaner, it’s important to make sure it includes a plastic basket or stand to keep your glasses elevated inside the compartment. Doing so prevents pitting from occurring and ensures that every area on the surface of the glasses is fully cleaned. Some models of ultrasonic cleaners also come with a proprietary solvent that promotes the dissolution of oils and dirt, so take note of the specific solvent type when it’s time to buy a refill.

Buy in bulk to get clean for less

Glasses cleaners are a relatively affordable category of product considering their usefulness, but that fact comes down to their simplicity in design above all else. If you’re looking for a way to clean your glasses on a budget, there are many good options to choose from, but there are some factors to take into consideration. When shopping for the best cheap glasses cleaner, make sure that the model in question doesn’t skimp on softness; cutting corners in cost often makes certain details imprecise, and it’s imperative that your cleaner doesn’t accidentally scratch your lenses by using coarse material. You may have to sacrifice reusability when going for an affordable way to get streak-free glasses, which may also be a limiting factor if you are concerned about creating waste.

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Final thoughts on the best glasses cleaners

Using the best glasses cleaners available ensures that your vision remains crystal clear every step of the way, and can even prolong the life of your lenses. There’s no one right way to clean your glasses, but using a mix of microfiber cloths and wipes, anti-fog sprays, ultrasonic cleaners, and microfiber clip cleaners can ensure that both you and your lenses are safe.

Related: How to clean glasses (and other surfaces) safely