There’s a lot of hype -around the use of blue light blocking glasses. This is because the modern world has shifted dramatically to the digital space and there’s a growing concern that the constant exposure to blue light is detrimental to our health.
The simple answer is, yes! A lot of people assume that normal eye/prescription glasses can protect them from the harmful blue light rays emitted from screens, but this is not always the case. Blue light blocking glasses (or computer glasses) have special features designed to block blue light. They block all or partial light that falls in between 380nm to 500nm in the visible light spectrum (which happens to be blue light) from reaching your eyes.
Computer glasses are different from prescription glasses in that they have a 60% magnifying power.
Most people typically sit about 20-25 inches from their computer which is considered the ‘intermediate zone of vision’. The magnifying power of blue light glasses is perfect for this zone of vision because it’s closer than far-sighted glasses and farther than near-sighted glasses. They ensure you have a comfortable viewing experience so you don’t have to strain and further exacerbate digital eye strain.
An additional feature of anti blue light glasses is the clever anti-glare coating. This helps in deflecting harsh glares from screens and bulbs that make your eyes strain and make computer vision syndrome worse.
You should put on blue light blocking glasses whenever you are working on a screen, even during the day. They will help to prevent you from straining too much, or sitting too close to your computer in order to see, and thus exposing yourself to more blue light. When night falls, ensure you put them on to filter out unnatural blue light from both screens and LED lighting. Quite simply, if you are in front of any screen, pop your glasses on!
There are a lot of blue light blocking glasses out there. So how do you find the right pair? Here are a few pointers on how to find the right ones for you.
Blue light glasses that claim to block less than 80% blue light are no good for you. Go for lenses that block between 80-100% of blue light to make sure you’re getting all the protection you need.
If you spend a lot of time on your computer in environments with a lot of light, anti-glare and anti-reflective lenses are an important feature to look for. They will ensure you have a strain-free viewing experience.
Look for glasses that are a comfortable fit for your face. This means you have to purchase frames that are well-made.
Well-made blue light blocking glasses are an important investment, however you want to make sure that - should they not be working well for you - they come with a warranty. Ocushield offers a no-quibble, 100-day money back guarantee should there be an issue with your glasses (although we’re pretty confident you’ll love them!)
Ultraviolet (UV) light is just as damaging to your eyes as blue light. It increases the chances of developing cataracts and macular degeneration. Getting a pair of glasses that block both blue light and UV light will provide you with even better protection.
Just because blocking blue light is important doesn’t mean that you can’t look stylish while doing it! Find frames that you feel good in - the more confident you are wearing them, the more you’re likely to remember to put them on.
Apart from computer glasses, there are other ways you can avoid the dangers of blue light. Blue Light Screen Protectors These are physical screen filters that are fitted on the display of your computer or smartphone
screens. They absorb all or partial blue light before it gets to your eyes. They may have additional features like anti-glare coatings and privacy screens to keep peeping Toms away...
These are software filters found in devices and they filter out the blue light from displays. They come inbuilt or they can be installed on the devices. Examples include Night Shift, F.lux, and Night Mode. When switched on, they turn the screen to a yellow tinge and this distorts the display contrast.
Although, this distortion may prove to be a disadvantage especially if you’re doing work that requires the full display of colour like designing.
It’s not advisable to sit all day at your screen without a breather because it exposes you to a lot of blue light. Take frequent breaks to give your eyes, neck, and shoulders rest. You can do this by walking away from your computer and stretching your limbs. If it’s imperative that you stay at your desk, you can try the 20-20-20 rule. It simply requires you to look away every 20 minutes at an object that is 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Blue light is emitted naturally by the sun so it’s practically everywhere during the day. It’s part of the visible light spectrum that appears as white light. The light rays that make up the white light include
red, orange, yellow, blue, green, indigo, and violet, in that order. On the red end of the spectrum, the light has longer wavelengths and less energy as compared to the blue end which has shorter wavelengths and more energy. Therefore, blue light is often referred to as a High-Energy Visible (HEV) light.
The sun is the major source of blue light but not the only one. Digital devices like televisions, computers, smartphones, and LED fluorescent tubes emit artificial blue light. As much as blue light from devices is very little compared to the sun, it is much more damaging to your general wellbeing.
This is because many people often sit staring at a computer or smartphone all day at a very close distance. Moreover, artificial blue light exposure at night is even more damaging because that’s not what your body was designed to endure. This is the reason having blue light blocking glasses will be beneficial to your health.
Blue light can impact your health and wellbeing in a number of ways (read more about that here). With both short-term and long-term effects possible from too much screen time, there are certainly things you can do to prevent damages to your body.
Blue light blocking glasses are just the solution you are looking for! They have lenses designed to partially block blue light from screens. So if you have no choice but to spend all day and even night at your screen, blue-light filtering glasses have got your back!
Blue light blocking glasses are better than the above methods because they protect you from all sources of blue light, wherever you are and whatever time of day it is. Your health is your wealth, so protection from artificial, harmful blue light from devices is a simple way to keep your health and wellbeing, well, healthy!
For quality blue light blocking glasses, visit us at Ocushield. We offer high-quality glasses that are optometrist-tested to ensure you are well protected from the dangers of blue light.
So, do blue light glasses offer the protection that they claim to?
The simple answer is, yes! A lot of people assume that normal eye/prescription glasses can protect them from the harmful blue light rays emitted from screens, but this is not always the case. Blue light blocking glasses (or computer glasses) have special features designed to block blue light. They block all or partial light that falls in between 380nm to 500nm in the visible light spectrum (which happens to be blue light) from reaching your eyes.
Computer glasses are different from prescription glasses in that they have a 60% magnifying power.
Most people typically sit about 20-25 inches from their computer which is considered the ‘intermediate zone of vision’. The magnifying power of blue light glasses is perfect for this zone of vision because it’s closer than far-sighted glasses and farther than near-sighted glasses. They ensure you have a comfortable viewing experience so you don’t have to strain and further exacerbate digital eye strain.
An additional feature of anti blue light glasses is the clever anti-glare coating. This helps in deflecting harsh glares from screens and bulbs that make your eyes strain and make computer vision syndrome worse.
When should you use anti blue light glasses?
You should put on blue light blocking glasses whenever you are working on a screen, even during the day. They will help to prevent you from straining too much, or sitting too close to your computer in order to see, and thus exposing yourself to more blue light. When night falls, ensure you put them on to filter out unnatural blue light from both screens and LED lighting. Quite simply, if you are in front of any screen, pop your glasses on!
What to Look for in Blue Light Eyewear
There are a lot of blue light blocking glasses out there. So how do you find the right pair? Here are a few pointers on how to find the right ones for you.
Percentage of Blue Light Blocked
Blue light glasses that claim to block less than 80% blue light are no good for you. Go for lenses that block between 80-100% of blue light to make sure you’re getting all the protection you need.
Anti-glare and Anti-reflective
If you spend a lot of time on your computer in environments with a lot of light, anti-glare and anti-reflective lenses are an important feature to look for. They will ensure you have a strain-free viewing experience.
Comfort
Look for glasses that are a comfortable fit for your face. This means you have to purchase frames that are well-made.
A Good Warranty
Well-made blue light blocking glasses are an important investment, however you want to make sure that - should they not be working well for you - they come with a warranty. Ocushield offers a no-quibble, 100-day money back guarantee should there be an issue with your glasses (although we’re pretty confident you’ll love them!)
UV-A and UV-B Protection
Ultraviolet (UV) light is just as damaging to your eyes as blue light. It increases the chances of developing cataracts and macular degeneration. Getting a pair of glasses that block both blue light and UV light will provide you with even better protection.
Style
Just because blocking blue light is important doesn’t mean that you can’t look stylish while doing it! Find frames that you feel good in - the more confident you are wearing them, the more you’re likely to remember to put them on.
Other Ways to Protect Yourself from Blue Light
Apart from computer glasses, there are other ways you can avoid the dangers of blue light. Blue Light Screen Protectors These are physical screen filters that are fitted on the display of your computer or smartphone
screens. They absorb all or partial blue light before it gets to your eyes. They may have additional features like anti-glare coatings and privacy screens to keep peeping Toms away...
Blue Light Filtering Apps
These are software filters found in devices and they filter out the blue light from displays. They come inbuilt or they can be installed on the devices. Examples include Night Shift, F.lux, and Night Mode. When switched on, they turn the screen to a yellow tinge and this distorts the display contrast.
Although, this distortion may prove to be a disadvantage especially if you’re doing work that requires the full display of colour like designing.
Take Breaks from Screen Time
It’s not advisable to sit all day at your screen without a breather because it exposes you to a lot of blue light. Take frequent breaks to give your eyes, neck, and shoulders rest. You can do this by walking away from your computer and stretching your limbs. If it’s imperative that you stay at your desk, you can try the 20-20-20 rule. It simply requires you to look away every 20 minutes at an object that is 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
A reminder: what is Blue Light?
Blue light is emitted naturally by the sun so it’s practically everywhere during the day. It’s part of the visible light spectrum that appears as white light. The light rays that make up the white light include
red, orange, yellow, blue, green, indigo, and violet, in that order. On the red end of the spectrum, the light has longer wavelengths and less energy as compared to the blue end which has shorter wavelengths and more energy. Therefore, blue light is often referred to as a High-Energy Visible (HEV) light.
The sun is the major source of blue light but not the only one. Digital devices like televisions, computers, smartphones, and LED fluorescent tubes emit artificial blue light. As much as blue light from devices is very little compared to the sun, it is much more damaging to your general wellbeing.
This is because many people often sit staring at a computer or smartphone all day at a very close distance. Moreover, artificial blue light exposure at night is even more damaging because that’s not what your body was designed to endure. This is the reason having blue light blocking glasses will be beneficial to your health.
What Can You Do to Protect Yourself from the Dangers of Blue Light?
Blue light can impact your health and wellbeing in a number of ways (read more about that here). With both short-term and long-term effects possible from too much screen time, there are certainly things you can do to prevent damages to your body.
Blue light blocking glasses are just the solution you are looking for! They have lenses designed to partially block blue light from screens. So if you have no choice but to spend all day and even night at your screen, blue-light filtering glasses have got your back!
Blue Light Blocking Glasses are Your Best Bet
Blue light blocking glasses are better than the above methods because they protect you from all sources of blue light, wherever you are and whatever time of day it is. Your health is your wealth, so protection from artificial, harmful blue light from devices is a simple way to keep your health and wellbeing, well, healthy!
For quality blue light blocking glasses, visit us at Ocushield. We offer high-quality glasses that are optometrist-tested to ensure you are well protected from the dangers of blue light.
How we reviewed this article:
Ocushield has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations.
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Current Version
September 30, 2020
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