© Courtesy Black Diamond

Black Diamond's Brilliant Lenses eyeglass cleaner has the added benefit of SR-8, a polymer additive that reduces surface tension, leaving lenses with a protective, water-repellent finish.

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Here at Sailing World, you never know what's going to show up in the mail. A few years back, somebody sent us this neoprene-brimmed visor with tie-dyed back flaps. Then there were the sailcloth sailing shoes. I took those on one noisy stroll around the office.

Just as frequently as they flop, however, unsolicited demos win us over. Brilliant Lenses, an eyeglass cleaner with a proprietary, scratch-resistant coating called SR-8, is a perfect example. When the lipstick-sized sample arrived the other day, I sprayed the cleaner on a pair of smudged sunglass lenses, wiped it off with the microfiber cloth (included), and presto! Not only were the lenses spot-free, but, thanks to the SR-8 coating, water beaded up on contact and flew off with the flick of the wrist.

Brilliant Lenses is not a scratch remover, but it does act as a scratch preventer, since dirt and other abrasives have a hard time clinging to lenses treated with SR-8. I sprayed it on my cell phone's glass display, on the surface of my watch, and on the face of my car stereo. Each surface cleaned up nicely, and seems to collect less dust.

$5, www.bdstoneworks.com