Do you spend a lot of time in front of your computer or smartphone? If so, consider investing in a pair of blue light glasses. Blue light from screens can cause eye strain and fatigue, but these issues can be alleviated with the right pair of blue light glasses. In this ultimate guide to blue light glasses, we will answer all your questions about what they are and how they work. We’ll also discuss their benefits and tell you how and where to buy them. So if you’re looking for an easy way to protect your eyes while using digital devices – keep reading.
Table of Contents
What Are Blue Light Glasses or Computer Glasses?
Blue light glasses are also known as computer glasses, gaming glasses, blue light blocking glasses, blue light filter glasses, anti-blue light glasses, and blue light protection glasses (phew!). They are designed to protect your eyes from potentially harmful blue light. Blue light is a high-energy visible (HEV) light that comes from digital screens like computers, tablets, and smartphones. It has been linked to eye strain, headaches, and even sleep disruption when exposed for too long.
What do blue light glasses do?
Simply put, these glasses have special lenses that block blue light from reaching your eyes. This helps reduce glare and eye fatigue while allowing you to enjoy your electronic device without worrying about potential damage to your eyesight. The lenses also help improve contrast so you can see more clearly on bright screens or in low-light conditions.
Who should wear blue blocking glasses?
Anyone who spends a lot of time looking at digital screens should consider wearing blue light blocking glasses, especially if they experience any symptoms related to overexposure, such as eyestrain, dry eyes, or headaches after extended use. People with pre-existing vision problems may also benefit from wearing them since they can help reduce glare which can worsen existing issues like astigmatism or nearsightedness. Additionally, people who work night shifts or those who frequently travel across different time zones may find it helpful in reducing their exposure to artificial lighting during late hours when natural sunlight isn’t available.
Blue light glasses are a great way to protect your eyes from blue light exposure. To understand why they’re important, let’s look at what blue light is and how it can affect you.
What Is Blue Light, and Why Is It Bad?
What is blue light?
Blue light is a high energy visible light that has a short wavelength. It’s part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which includes radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, ultraviolet rays, X-rays, and gamma rays. Blue light is everywhere – from the sun to your phone screen to LED and fluorescent lights in your home.
Problems with blue light
This part of the light spectrum has a high energy wavelength, which is why it’s been nicknamed “blue-violet” or “HEV” (high-energy visible) light. Scientists believe that high levels of blue light exposure could lead to a whole range of problems, from eye strain and headaches to worsening existing vision issues, such as age-related macular degeneration.
But what makes blue light so harmful? Blue light has been linked to a higher risk of retinal damage over time. This is because blue light tends to interact more with tissues within the eyes than other light spectrum colors. This can cause issues such as difficulty focusing and even lead to cell death in the optic nerves.
And that’s not all, either. The high energy wavelength of blue light can interfere with the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for regulating your body’s natural sleep cycles. When the brain is exposed to large doses of blue light, it produces less of this hormone. This can lead to difficulties sleeping and can even impact your overall health.
A more scientific look
Blue light, or more precisely high-energy blue-violet light, falls between 380nm (nanometers) and 430nm on the visible spectrum—which means it has a relatively short wavelength compared with other colors like red or green—and this makes it more energetic than longer wavelengths like yellow or orange. This also means that when exposed directly to our eyes for extended periods (such as when we are using electronic devices), blue light may cause damage over time, including macular degeneration (the leading cause of blindness).
Blue Light Glasses Benefits
Now that we understand what blue light is and the potential issues it can cause, let’s explore the benefits of protecting our eyes from it.
Digital eye strain
Prolonged exposure to blue light from computer screens, tablets, and smartphones can cause digital eye strain. This is a condition that results in dry eyes, blurred vision, headaches, and other symptoms of eyestrain. Wearing blue light glasses helps reduce the amount of blue light entering your eyes, which can help alleviate these symptoms.
Improved comfort and productivity
Blue-light blocking glasses help improve comfort while working on computers or mobile devices by reducing glare and reflections off the screen that can be distracting or uncomfortable for some people’s eyesight. Reducing eye strain caused by prolonged exposure to blue-light emitting devices can then lead to improved focus and productivity.
Better sleep
Studies have shown that blue light suppresses the production of melatonin, a sleep hormone produced in your brain at night that is essential for quality sleep. By wearing blue light glasses, you are blocking out the suppressing light, allowing your brain to produce melatonin when it should so you can get better rest at night.
Improve eye health
Blue blocking glasses may help lessen the risk of some severe eye problems like macular degeneration. Research has proven that high-energy blue light can damage our retinas, the light-sensitive tissue that lines the back of our eyes. This light can penetrate the macular pigment in our eyes and weaken that protective layer. That leaves our eyes much more vulnerable to the blue light that we face, and it can lead to cell degeneration. So, opting to put on a pair of good blue light glasses could help keep our eyes safe.
Blue light glasses can help reduce eyestrain, headaches, and other physical symptoms associated with prolonged exposure to blue light. To learn more about the effectiveness of these glasses, let’s take a look at “Do Blue Light Glasses Really Work?”
Do Blue Light Glasses Work?
As discussed above, a good pair of blue light glasses can offer numerous benefits. But how do we know if it works? To answer this question, we must understand the science behind these glasses and how it works.
A quick way to tell if the glasses work
These glasses work by filtering out high-energy blue light emitted by your digital devices. An effective pair of blue light glasses will have a slight amber tint on the lens. This is because the complementary color of blue-violet is yellow-amber. The complementary yellow-amber color becomes visible when blue-violet light is filtered out/absorbed. So, if you can see a slight amber tint on the glasses, that means the lens is doing its job of reducing the amount of blue light that enters the eyes. Clear glasses with barely any tint mean not much blue light is being blocked and are generally less effective.
Blue light glasses test
A more definitive test can be carried out with a blue-violet laser pen. Simply shine the laser at the lens and see how much light is blocked through the lens. If not much light is blocked, the glasses may not be as effective as expected.
Online blue light glasses tests
It should also be noted that it is not possible to use online color strip tests as they are only designed for “sleep glasses” with orange lenses. These glasses throw a heavy tint over your eyes, turning your entire vision orange. While they can block out blue light completely, they are not suitable for daytime and general usage because of the heavy color distortion. Blue light blocking glasses are designed to filter only the highest energy rays to maximize protection while minimizing color distortion, and therefore won’t work with these tests.
Finally, when can users expect to feel a difference? This will depend on how much harmful light is blocked and how long a user wears these glasses. Generally, blue light glasses should be worn whenever you use a digital device, and it can take a few days to feel any significant effects.
Choosing the Best Blue Light Blocking Glasses for You
Let’s explore the three main factors in choosing the right blue light blocking glasses: Selecting the right lens, Selecting the right frame, and Setting your budget.
Selecting the right lens
The lens is the most critical part of any pair of glasses, and choosing the right lens will make all the difference. Here are some of the factors you should consider when selecting a blue light blocking lens:
Usage considerations and Percentage of blue light blocked
The most important thing to consider is the usage or protection level needed. Are you in front of a screen all day or just looking at your phone from time to time?
If you spend 4-8 hours of screen time per day (which is almost the minimum for people these days), consider something lighter such as our Low Color Distortion (LCD) lens. At a 52% overall blue block rate, these are particularly good for people who work in design or general work, as your eyes are being protected while color distortion is minimal.
If you’re in front of a screen all day (say more than 8 hours), you’ll want to look for lenses that provide more substantial protection, such as JandS Vision’s High Definition (HD) lens. At a 62% overall blue block rate, these are great for gamers and coders who often sit in front of a screen for hours on end and are not super sensitive to more color shifts.
While the overall blue block rate for the LCD and HD is 52 % and 62%, respectively, they block 90% of the most harmful high-energy blue light at 380-430nm. These are the most harmful blue light rays within the overall blue spectrum. By focusing on this portion of the spectrum, we have achieved superior protection while letting through the less harmful portion of the blue light to reduce color distortion.
Then there are the orange-colored sleep lenses. They block almost the entire blue light spectrum. These are often worn by people undergoing sleep treatment just before bedtime and are not suitable for general usage as your entire vision will turn orange.
Be wary of blue light glasses that don’t show a visible tint or claim that they have a “clear” lens. When the high-energy blue light is filtered out, the lens will appear with a slight amber tint as the complementary color of blue is amber. Based on the laws of science, a clear lens means you’re likely not getting much blue light protection.
Note: many vendors, especially ones selling clear lenses, do not provide the overall blue block rate (because it will be low) and will make ambiguous claims “like blocks 100% harmful light” instead.
Selecting the right frame
Once you have a good idea of the type of lens you need, it’s time to select a frame that suits your style and application. Choosing a frame style can be tricky depending on your main purpose; are you looking to use your glasses as a fashionable item, do they need some unique features (for example, be compatible with gaming headsets), or are they just to protect your eyes?
No matter your purpose, the most important factor when selecting a frame is fit. If a frame is too tight or narrow, it can press against the temples and cause headaches after some time. If a frame is too loose or wide, the glasses can fall off easily or need constant pushing back up.
You can generally get an idea of how a frame fits by checking out the measurements provided by the vendors. An easy way to do this is to find any pair of glasses around you. It can be sunglasses, safety glasses, or something else. It doesn’t really matter. Measure the width, length, high, and put them on. This gives you a reference point to consider when looking at the new frame measurements. For example, if the glasses on hand feel a bit tight, you’ll want to find a new frame that measures slightly wider.
Some frames come with spring-loaded temples, which significantly increase the glasses’ tolerance and flexibility, allowing them to fit a wide range of faces. This is why all JandS Vision glasses and sunglasses come with spring hinges to ensure maximum comfort.
Setting your budget
Now that we’ve discussed lenses and frames let’s discuss the costs of blue light glasses. Blue light glasses can range anywhere from cheap $5 pairs to expensive $200+ models. Generally, a pair of good quality glasses with blue light blocking and anti-glare features can be had for around $25-$30, offering good value for money. Anything more than $50 is typically just extra costs associated with branding and marketing. At JandS Vision, we focus on providing quality blue light glasses at reasonable prices so that you can benefit from their protective properties without breaking the bank.
Now that we have some ideas about the type of lens and frames to consider, let’s explore where we can buy a suitable pair of blue light glasses.
Where can I Buy the Best Blue Light Glasses?
After you know what type of blue light glasses best suit your needs, you can start looking at where to buy them. Let’s look at the pros and cons of buying blue light glasses on Amazon, online, and from a local shop.
Buying blue light glasses on Amazon
Shopping for blue light glasses on Amazon is a great way to compare prices and read reviews from other customers who have purchased the same product. Plus, with their fast shipping times, you can get your new glasses in no time. There are many cheap options from $5 a pair and some higher priced options at $70 a pair. The safest bet is finding something in between at around $25-$30. That being said, there is no way to guarantee that the glasses you buy will be up to your standards in quality or comfort, so you should always read customer reviews before buying.
Buying blue light glasses from online stores
Online brand stores offer a great selection of blue light glasses with unique styles and even customization options. Prices can vary but are often more expensive at $60-$200 a pair, as you often pay for the branding and corporate management overheads. And then there are hybrids like JandSVision.com, where we can offer designer-quality glasses at an affordable price ($25-$28) because we sell through Amazon to reduce costs while providing faster shipping.
Buying blue light glasses from a local shop
Nowadays, blue light glasses are available in many physical shops as well. Shopping at a physical store gives you the opportunity to try on each pair of glasses before you decide which ones to buy. You can also talk to someone in person if you have any questions. If you need prescription glasses, it’s important to go to a licensed optometrist or optical shop so that you can get your blue light blocking lenses with an accurate prescription. Unfortunately, local shops usually have higher prices than online stores, so this option may cost you more in the end.
At JandS Vision, you can buy some of the best blue light glasses and computer glasses online to suit your needs at a reasonable price. You can also buy directly from our brand store on Amazon for fast shipping and easy returns.
Lastly, let’s look at some frequently asked questions about blue light glasses in the next section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Now, let’s go on and answer some of the frequently asked questions about blue light glasses:
Are blue light blocking glasses really effective?
Yes, blue light glasses are effective when it comes to protecting your eyes against harmful blue light. They block out most of the harmful high-energy blue light that comes from digital screens and ambient lights, which can lead to eye strain and disturb sleep.
What are the benefits of wearing blue light glasses?
Blue light glasses can reduce the harmful effects of blue light on our eyes and body, such as headaches, sore and dry eyes, poor sleep, and even serious eye disease such as macular degeneration.
Blue light glasses and computer glasses – are they the same thing?
Yes, blue light glasses, blue light blocking glasses, blue light filter glasses, computer glasses, and gaming glasses are different names for fundamentally the same thing. They are designed to protect your eyes by filtering blue light from the high-energy visible light spectrum. How they are called really depends on whom they are marketed and designed for. i.e., “computer glasses” for the office people and “gaming glasses” for the gamers crowd.
Where can I use blue light glasses?
Blue light glasses can be used in any environment with digital screens and a potential source of blue light, such as offices, classrooms, and at home. Some lesser-known sources of blue light include fluorescent lights, light bulbs, LED lights (especially those super bright white ones), and even light from the sun.
JandS Vision’s blue light glasses filter out blue light, but they also come with added 100% UV filters, so you are protected from the UV light from the sun as well if you wish to wear them outdoors.
Why is there an amber tint on the glasses?
When filtering out high-energy blue light, the lens will appear with a slight amber tint, as blue and amber are complementary colors on the color wheel. This means that blue light is absorbed, and the amber color is reflected, giving the lens an amber hue. Be wary of brands that market “clear” lenses. The lenses are clear because the majority of visible blue light isn’t being blocked.
How do you test blue light glasses?
As mentioned above, a slight amber tint in your blue light glasses means that blue light is absorbed/reflected, causing the complementary color to appear.
As the blue light blocked by our computer glasses sits on the high energy end of the visible light spectrum (close to the UV light spectrum), it cannot be easily visualized with the naked eye (hence why online tests don’t work).
A more definitive way to test these glasses is to use a blue-violet laser pen like the one below:
(You can get a cheap one from Amazon for $7~10)
When you shine the blue laser at our J+S computer glasses, the blue light waves will be blocked, creating a shadow behind the lens.
This means blue light is blocked, and the computer glasses are working as intended.
Can I test the glasses using “online tests”?
Unfortunately, it’s not possible. These online tests are designed for orange-colored sleep glasses only. Orange sleep glasses work by blocking blue light almost entirely, turning your entire vision orange (as it is the complementary color). Blue light glasses such as JandS Vision’s Blue Light Shield, on the other hand, are designed to reduce blue light by blocking the most dangerous parts of the spectrum while allowing the less hazardous light through to minimize color distortion and make it easier to view in natural colors.
Is it OK to wear blue light glasses every day?
Yes, wearing blue light glasses every day is generally safe and beneficial for protecting your eyes from blue light emissions. Blue light is everywhere around us, and a good pair of blue light filtering glasses will protect you from artificial blue light (screens, fluorescent lights, etc.) as well as natural blue light from the sun (yes, blue light is part of the sun’s visible spectrum). As long as you find a comfortable pair, you can wear them anytime you like.
Can blue light blocking glasses work for all screens?
Yes, these glasses will work with any digital devices that emit blue light (or light in general), including computers, tablets, and smartphones.
Blue light glasses for fluorescent lights?
Yes, blue light glasses can be used in any environment with artificial fluorescent lights, LED lights, etc., such as office buildings, classrooms, cafes, bedrooms – you name it.
Do blue light blocking glasses look like normal glasses?
Yes, most blue light glasses are designed to look like conventional glasses, with frames and lenses in a variety of styles.
Can you get blue light blocking prescription glasses?
Yes, you can get blue light filtering lenses for both prescription and non-prescription glasses. For people who wear prescription glasses, you can get prescription blue light lenses from most opticians and eyeglasses providers. You can request to have blue light glasses features as an add-on option on top of your regular prescription eyewear.
On the other hand, if you prefer wearing contact lenses, you have a much wider range of non-prescription blue light glasses that are usually much more budget-friendly.
Can you get blue light reading glasses?
Yes, some blue light glasses providers also offer reading glasses with blue light blocking capabilities. Like most off-the-shelf reading glasses, you don’t need a prescription for these unless you need some unique setup. It is a good idea to try some out to make sure you select the right magnification for your needs. The easiest way is to drop by your local pharmacy, try a few different reading glasses at various magnifications, and see which one works best.
Why do blue light glasses make me sleepy?
Melatonin is a naturally produced hormone. It helps regulate sleep-wake cycles and is often used as a sleep aid. It is also used as an antioxidant, to protect the body from free radicals, and for various other health benefits.
Blue light suppresses melatonin production, which naturally occurs at night. So by wearing blue light glasses, you are unsuppressing the production of melatonin, allowing you to sleep better and earlier – just like in the good old days without digital devices or artificial lights.
Is there an adjustment period?
For most people, as long as you find a frame that fits well, there is little to no adjustment period. However, some may need a few days to get used to it, especially if they’re not used to wearing any glasses or the frame doesn’t fit well. During this period, symptoms such as headache and dizziness may occur, but they tend to get better once you get used to them.
It is crucial to go with a brand like JandS Vision with a satisfaction guarantee behind the products. If in the case where the glasses don’t work for you, you can simply return the glasses, absolutely risk-free.
Are glasses with blue lenses… Blue light glasses?
No! Glasses with blue lenses does the exact opposite, it fills your eyes with blue light instead of reducing your exposure to blue light! A pair of quality blue light glasses should give off a slight amber tint as the blue light is absorbed/reflected.
