What are blue light glasses?
Blue light glasses are special glasses that manufacturers say can filter out blue light from the sun. The glasses usually have anti-scratch surface coatings or filtering elements on the lens that effectively block some of the blue light.
These glasses may be recommended to people with presbyopia, age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, or to people with certain eye problems such as strabismus or crossed eyes. Some of these conditions require that people wear protective eye gear even when they’re not outside because the sun’s UV rays can easily damage their eyesight.
So wearing these glasses when outdoors may be an option. However, researchers who believe that their vision and eye symptoms are caused by blue light exposure can wear them for several hours each day to reduce their exposure.
Pros and Cons of Blue Light Glasses
Well, let’s start with the good side. Research has shown that there are two major benefits of blue light glasses.
One is that it improves color perception. The human eye is capable of adjusting to certain colors better than others. Certain colors, such as blue, help sharpen your eyesight and improve your visual acuity. There are some blue light glasses specifically designed to improve night driving by decreasing glare. They can also reduce the effects of cataracts and macular degeneration.
The other is that it improves eye function by reducing glare.
But it has also been proven that light blue glasses have some significant drawbacks as well.
One of the many disadvantages of blue light glasses is that they make your eyes work less efficiently. You need to read more in order to make use of your peripheral vision, which in turn makes your eyes move more awkwardly while you’re reading. This makes it harder for you to focus on the text, photos, or computer screens.
Some eyeglass wearers also experience eye strain due to focusing on a small part of the screen. This can lead to headaches, eyestrain, and fatigue.
How do blue light glasses work?
Well, the technology is similar to LCD or plasma screen technology. It utilizes a series of filters to provide just the right amount of light for our eyes. In order to provide just the right amount of light, our glasses must be transparent. They must also be coated or tinted in order to reduce or stop harmful violet, blue, and ultraviolet light from entering our eyes.
Some people claim that wearing light blue glasses will reduce the number of symptoms that develop as a result of age-related eye problems. These symptoms include dry eyes, blurred vision, headaches, nausea, and pain. These symptoms are not caused by the sun but are rather our own internal reaction to age.
Our bodies are getting fewer nutrients and can go into “firing mode” in order to conserve energy. This overworked and stressed-out body stops everything until it is ready to shut down and rest.
Wearing blue light filter glasses can actually help reduce these symptoms because they work against our own overworked and stressed-out bodies. The filtering elements in the glasses block out harmful rays and allow only the healthy rays through.
These rays are required in order to make us healthy and stop the symptoms we are experiencing. In fact, some of the most common prescription eye strain treatments are based on this very same theory.
Even though some people may object to the benefits of wearing these glasses, they cannot deny the fact that they are effective. The health benefits of these glasses are becoming more widely known and accepted each day.
They are also a much less expensive alternative than many traditional eye care remedies and are often just as effective. You can take advantage of these benefits by wearing light blue glasses at your office, shopping, or anywhere you need some extra light during the day.
In fact, many health professionals such as the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommend the wearing of these glasses as the best preventive measure for anyone’s vision.
The Bottom Line
In the most common of cases, blue light glasses are also used by individuals who use their computers for a long period of time, such as office workers and students. Devices, such as computers and cellphones, emit blue light, which often has a negative effect on our eyes. It can cause strain, dry, and irritated eyes. Wearing blue light glasses reduces these negative effects.
Top 5 Recommended Blue Light Glasses
Take better care of your eye with these blue light glasses.
Taylor Blue Light Round Glasses
While eyeglasses of any kind are primarily used for its function, it has grown quite as a fashion aesthetic following. This pair of Urban Outfitters glasses definitely does just that. It has round frames lined with muted colors of metal with minimal tint. And it pairs nicely with any outfit in three color choices – rose, gold, and tortoise.
They’re delicate, lightweight, and very comfortable to wear. Although it sits higher than most glasses and the nose bridge is comparably wider which may be an issue for some. Its delicate and super thin arms can be considered top-tier aesthetic for some as it looks nearly invisible on the face but it can also pose an issue in terms of durability. Nevertheless, it can be stored in a hard-shell case for extra protection when not in use.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Minimalist, aesthetic design | Very delicate |
| Thin and lightweight |
You can shop this at Urban Outfitters for $18.00.
Customer Reviews:
“I was struggling to find blue light glasses online that didn’t have ridiculous oversized frames. These look great and fit great! Definitely recommend if you’re working at home or staring at a computer all day.” -Lydia Balle
“I’ve been using these for my online classes and for whenever I need to use my laptop for work. I’ve noticed a huge difference and my eyes don’t feel strained at all after looking at a screen for long period of time!!” -aseq327
SOJOS Cat Eye Blue Light Blocking Glasses
This cat eye design definitely adds a little flair to the minimalist, wire-framed glasses of Sojos. It comes in five-color reinforced metal frame options – black, rose, gold, black & gold, and black & silver – with nearly colorless lenses.
Its nose pads are made of soft silicone designed to adapt to different nose shapes and help reduce burden on the bridge of the nose as well. It also prevents glasses from slipping when sweaty. It’s lightweight and durable with adjustable temples and nose guards. It also has super thin arms that extend longer than most glasses making it easy and comfortable to wear.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Minimalist, aesthetic design | Film-like quality lenses and could be foggy |
| Thin and lightweight | Thin wireframes |
| Durable | |
| Nose pads with anti-slip tech | |
| Packaged with repair kit |
You can shop this at Amazon for $19.99.
Customer Reviews:
“Pros: Super cute and stylish!
Blocks blue light without having an obvious, ugly tint.
Lightweight, comfortable
You can wear them anywhere
Cons:
A little flimsy, so don’t be too rough.
It blocks light so well that it glares (not that big of a deal, though. Just don’t wear them while driving).
Overall, I love these!! My doctor recommended blue light glasses. I wanted them to be cute. I know there’s some out there that block blue light more because the lenses are completely yellow, but I didn’t want to look like an idiot since I wear them when I use the computer at work. I notice after wearing them during computer or phone use, I don’t feel super groggy/heavy eyed when I look away. I always felt that way after prolonged screen time without blue light blocking glasses.” -Tori
“Love these!! I tried 3 different brands before deciding on this one. They definitely block blue light, and they are high quality (which was not the case with other brands). Got them in black also, as well as another style. I can tell my eyes strain less when I wear them and I fall asleep better at night. :)” -Dark Star
Tijn Classic Nerd Square Blue Light
This Tijn Classic glasses give off the vintage vibe with its square frame available in eight different colors and 2-pack deals on Amazon. The frame is equipped with a spring hinge to adjust and adapt to all face shapes and allows comfortable wearing for long periods of time. The flexible spring design also reduces pressure or squeezing feeling to the head.
Its lenses are coated with an orange tint and provide 100% UV protection on top of the blue-light lenses to help protect your eyes while working all day long in front of the computer and other gadgets.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Vintage design | None that we could find |
| Comfortable | |
| UV protection |
You can shop this at Amazon for $16.99.
Customer Reviews:
“LOVE these!! I plan on buying these again in a different color because I love them so much. I keep them at work and wear them to prevent headaches while staring at the computer all day. I have not gotten a single headache since starting to wear these. They also look great and I have gotten a bunch of compliments. I will say that if you have a smaller face, the large frames might not compliment your face shape. Also, as other reviews have mentioned, they are pretty reflective.”
“So far I’ve been impressed with these, especially for the price! I do ultrasound, so I work in the dark a lot, staring at my ultrasound machine, a computer, or my phone… my eyes have been so tired and blurry it’s been hard for me to focus in anything. I’ve only worn these for a day or two but I feel like they really have helped my eye fatigue. They seem to be pretty durable, slightly larger than I wanted (I have a fairly large face for a female) but still stylish.” – Courtney
Spektrum Prospek Arctic (Reading Model)
This blue light glasses strays away from the minimalist, aesthetic design and sticks to the classic but still stylish design. It’s equipped with different magnification levels from none to 3x as well as anti-fatigue, and anti-glare features.
This sleek slender frame is one of the lightest in the Prospek arsenal. Its lenses also have reflective coating and more layers of protection to guarantee comfort and satisfaction. They are quite expensive than most bluelight glasses but with its features, they can be considered a steal.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Magnification options | Pricey |
| Anti-fatigue and anti-glare features | |
| Water, dust, smudge, scratch-resistant lenses |
You can shop this at Amazon for $44.45.
Customer Reviews:
“I tried 4 different pairs of blue blocking computer glasses from the cheapest but best rated to mid range to these. By far and wide, these are absolutely the best. There is a HUGE difference in a good way with the lack of distortion that is very noticeable with the cheaper glasses – and this is why they are CHEAPER glasses. You do get what you pay for when it comes to glasses/sunglasses and these are no exception. I have started suffering from some eye strain/macular degeneration with the years, so I tried ordering these with the .5% magnification since I primarily work with a 32″ 4k screen at about 24″ from my face. These are PERFECT and take the strain off and the glare. Worth every penny! Thank you for a great product!” -Michael K.
“These are so comfortable that I forget that I have them on. I have tried cheaper glasses and was not satisfied.” -TX Christian
