If you’re reading this, chances are your eyes are aching from squinting into a bright screen (like your computer or phone) for way too long. You’re right to take your tired eyes seriously since prolonged screen exposure can lead to digital eye strain and dreaded conditions such as macular degeneration.
Blue light exposure from those screens can be taxing on your eyes and even negatively impact your sleep — and that’s where blue light blocking glasses come to the rescue. With these handy spectacles, at least some of the potentially problematic blue rays coming from your digital screen are filtered through a special lens to better protect your peepers from harmful blue light.
The latest science suggests blue light might actually affect sleep less than yellow, but there’s still evidence that staring at digital screens all day can inhibit melatonin production and mess with your circadian rhythm, which can prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep. Even if you’re not sure if the hours staring at a screen are to blame for your eye fatigue and insomnia, mitigating some of that blue light exposure with blue light blocker glasses can’t hurt.
So if you stare at a computer screen all day and want to block as much harmful blue light as possible, let’s find the right blue light computer glasses. As soon as you pop blue light glasses on your face, you’ll begin to minimize eye strain, take better care of your circadian rhythm and will have that melatonin pumping come bedtime. I promise, getting the right pair of blue light protection glasses is much easier than getting prescription glasses or even reading glasses. There are a lot of options out there too — blue light blockers with a clear lens and plastic frame are plentiful, so you’ll look good while wearing your blue light protection.
I’ve put together a list of the best blue light blocking glasses out there today and each option is stylish and comfortable. You should purchase a pair ASAP so you can minimize blue light exposure as you half-watch three hours of Netflix while mindlessly scrolling Instagram. Oh, what a time to be alive!
Peepers’ blue light glasses are affordable (under $30) and with magnification, they can double as reading glasses. The company claims its blue light technology can filter 40% of harmful rays from the blue light spectrum — ideal for when you’re trying to avoid the pitfalls that come with overexposure to artificial light from a computer screen and prevent digital eye strain. These super-trendy tortoise square frames instantly caught my attention. If, like me, you’re not looking to always be super-extra, these blue light glasses also come in neutral tones like black and cream, so you look trendy while minimizing light exposure.
Prive Revaux
“Prive Revaux” sounds like I’m about to convince you to buy $300 glasses, but in reality this swanky-named brand sells blue light blocking glasses for under $35. Its lenses have blue light filters along with an anti-glare coating to reduce eye strain.
Not only does the name of these blue-light filtering glasses sound super fancy, but the styles — there are over three dozen to choose from — are designer-inspired at a really affordable price.
Gunnar
Gunnar is serious about blue light filtering eye protection. The company has a “blue light protection factor spectrum,” ranging from the lowest protection of 35, to heavy-duty protection at 98 (check out the amber lens design). Gunnar recommends the 98 protection factor if you work from your computer late at night, so this blue light blocking option is for you workaholics and gamers (or 2 a.m. HBO bingers).
I’ve picked the “Intercept” starting at $70 and boy, do they look intense. These might want to be your “at-home” only pair.
Felix Gray
You might have recognized the Felix Gray brand name due to its impressive marketing, featuring attractive people sporting these sleek frames. All of the company’s models seem to instantly appear smarter just by sliding on a pair.
Along with great style, Felix Gray embeds blue light blocking filters directly into the lenses and adds an anti-reflective coating. These classic round Roebling frames come in a fun blue or tortoise brown, starting at $95.
Ottoto Savoy
At Glasses USA, you can add their blue light “digital block” protection to any glasses style for $29, along with your vision prescription, if needed (you can also order blue light glasses without the prescription lens). That means you can choose from the countless number of frames, but I’ve done the work for you and chosen these cool retro ones that come in at $98.
Glasses USA urges people who spend more than five hours daily on a computer or who look at their phone more than 20 times a day to add their digital block blue light lenses.
Cole Haan
Eyeconic is definitely the most high-end of the bunch, featuring designer brand selections. Most of the glasses are above a whopping $140, with frames from Calvin Klein, Nike and Cole Haan, to name a few.
You can add TechShield blue light blocking technology to any of its styles, which the company says reduces blue light exposure by up to 85%, making them one of the most protective glasses out there. I’ve chosen these thicker frames from Cole Haan because I like how prominent they are, but there are plenty of other options to fit your style.
Urban Outfitters
If you’re into cool retro-grandpa vibes like me (and Instagram), you’ll love these gold-rimmed aviator frames from Urban Outfitters. The blue light filtering technology can shield your eyes from digital eye strain during screen time and the thin metal frame won’t weigh heavy on your temples.
The frame also comes in an on-trend rose gold and at just $18 per pair, you can spring for both colors if you want to switch things up.
More vision advice
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
Credit: www.cnet.com
