Abstract: A protective coated object comprises an object having a surface and a coating on the surface. The coating comprises a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer, each layer comprising a metal oxide or a nitride. The coating may be substantially transparent relative to the surface. A method of coating an object with a protective coating comprises placing the object in an atomic layer deposition (ALD) reactor; depositing a first layer comprising a metal oxide or a nitride on a surface of the object by ALD; depositing a second layer comprising a metal oxide or a nitride on the first layer by ALD; and depositing a third layer comprising a metal oxide or a nitride on the second layer by ALD, thereby forming the protective coating on the object. The produced coating may be substantially transparent relative to the surface.