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The Coronavirus pandemic brought about the return of general knowledge quizzes and QR codes as well as the rise of ring lights – but it also gave many of us a chance to reassess our home office working conditions. And among the non-toxic desk plants, ergonomic keyboards and curved screens, one other gadget promised to make our work life a little easier: blue light blocking glasses.
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What are blue light glasses?
Simply put, blue light glasses are spectacles designed to filter out blue light from electronic devices – a part of the spectrum associated with irritation, eye fatigue and headaches. Almost all visible blue light rays are able to move through the cornea and lens of your eye to your retina – the area that transfers light information to our brain.
Some experts believe that being exposed to too much of this high-energy light is harmful for the retina’s light-sensitive cells. And some studies in animals also found other phototoxic retinal damage.
Do they really work?
The glasses in this guide all remove blue light, but there’s not much conclusive proof on how much of a benefit that gives. For example, the amount of blue light emitted by electronic devices is actually much less than what we’d experience in normal daylight.
What’s more, it’s possible that most eye-strain and fatigue can be a result of overuse of digital devices in general – not really the blue light they admit. With that in mind, frequent screen breaks may also reduce eye-issues.
According to Specsavers and other sources, research behind blue light glasses isn’t conclusive, but they do seem to benefit some people. That’s why most eyewear brands now offer spectacles that filter blue light in some form.
And here’s some anecdotal evidence: During this round of testing I used blue light glasses (along with a very light prescription) and found my frequency of headaches and general eye-fatigue reduced. Was it the prescription, or was it the blue light filtering? Probably a combination of the two.
It’s important to note that this isn’t the same as the amber-tinged night mode on your smartphone, laptop or tablet. That’s specifically designed to avoid disruption to your body clock; and is separate to how blue light glasses can help you. Here's WIRED's picks of the glasses we've tried.
Specsavers offer a huge range of glasses – from their own brand specials to a range of designer frames – but we found some of the retailer’s cheapest glasses worked well. Supersavers offers selected frames with an UltraClear SuperClean coating (its version of blue light protection) and you can also get a prescription lens at the same time.
In addition to blue light, UltraClear SuperClean works to remove glare, but also has other benefits like smudge-resistance, water-resistance and anti-static.
Prices vary depending on how fashion conscious or brand orientated you are, but we found the Dickens frame stylish, under £50 and more than good enough with the coating and prescription applied.
Price: £49 | Specsavers
If you’re a lot more into your personal brand, these Oliver People’s frames should be at the top of your list. The American LA-based brand is well known for its luxurious designs, and they’re made in both Italy and Japan. Oliver People frames are the choice of Patrick Batemen in 2000’s American Psycho, and in real life they’ll possibly reduce the amount of eyestrain you get too.
Blue light filtering is available on most Oliver Peoples frames, but we decided to pick *the* Bateman’s specs in this case. At £279 for frames and £300 the blue light filtering lens, the O’Malleys aren’t cheap – but their delicate, considered design means they certainly look the part.
Price: £279 (+£300) | Oliver Peoples
Acetate glasses have been having a moment for the last few years, and Amsterdam-based Ace and Tate have been at the forefront the entire time. Featuring a range of different frames in different colours – and more importantly different sizes – the Ace & Tate line-up is both varied and also affordable.
There are loads of frames to choose from – each suited to different styles and face shapes – but we went for the Pierce Extra Large. Ace & Tate describes the Pierce Extra Large as having ‘quirky but classic good looks for wider faces’ and after a few months use, we agree.
Price: From £100 | Ace and Tate
Another brand with an affinity for acetate, Cubitts strikes a nice balance between design and affordability. The brand’s carefully considered frames span a range of materials, including titanium, acetate and metal – and all are available in a range of sizes too.
Cubitts makes the lens as well as the frames, and it’s possible to add blue light filtering for just £50. That puts most of Cubitts’ offerings – including our favourite Herbrand frame – at around £175 with a prescription, and the same without.
Price: £175 | Cubitts
If you’re unsure about blue light glasses and their possible benefits, we’d recommend starting off with these COOLOO frames from Amazon. At just under £10 they’re super cheap, and still filter out harmful blue light – they even feature a nifty test to prove it.
Each pair comes with a physical blue light and a material that reacts to blue light; shine the light onto the paper directly and there’s a reaction, shine it through the blue light blocking-glasses, and there’s no reaction.
For £10 you don’t get sizing options, or the possibility of a bespoke prescription lens – but it’s expected at this price. And if you find that these work for you, it’s worth revisiting the other frames on this list.
Price: £10 | Amazon
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
