It’s no secret that many of us spend a little too much time staring at a screen. From working at the computer to watching television and every minute of phone time in between, our eyes are exposed to plenty of blue light on a daily basis. Rather than continuing to stare at the screen until a headache sets in, the best blue light glasses are an easy way to protect your eyes and work, browse, and watch your screens without discomfort.
Believe it or not, the reasons to limit unprotected blue light exposure go far beyond the potential headache. Too much blue light from gadgets like televisions, laptops, and smartphones can accelerate the aging process, a new study warns. In their study on fruit flies, researchers also found that the light could lead to the onset of obesity and psychological problems.
And the potential problems don’t end there. In fact, they’re likely to continue to accumulate and worsen with time. In a recent Oregon State University study, researchers say the damaging effects of daily, lifelong exposure to blue light worsen as a person ages. The study analyzed the survival rates of common fruit flies kept in darkness and then moved at older ages to an environment of constant blue light from LEDs. Results found indications of blue light’s increasing negative impact over time, with flies displaying impaired locomotion due to blue light damaging their retinal cells and brain neurons.
Between work and play, there’s no shortage of ways to rack up the hours staring at a screen. But you don’t have to be exposed to constant blue light while on your devices. Thanks to blue light filtering technology, blue light glasses are an easy and accessible way to protect your eyes while you surf the web. Of course, there are countless options on the market, and all are not created equally. To help you find the best blue light glasses, StudyFinds did the research for you. This list rounds up the most frequently recommended frames, according to expert reviews. As always, if you have a favorite we missed, be sure to leave it in the comments below!
The List: Best Blue Light Glasses, According to Experts
1. Felix Gray
No matter what purpose you’d like your glasses to serve, Felix Gray will have a pair for you. With options that fit every face, that make a bold fashion statement, and that can be customized with prescription lenses, the only difficult part is narrowing down your favorites. “Prescription or not, blue light glasses from Felix Gray are for everyone,” raves New York Post. “They offer many stylish frames to choose from with plenty of color options, too.”
“Felix Gray offers a wide range of frames for blue light glasses. Each of the brand’s 17 adult-friendly styles are designated as narrow, medium, and/or wide, so you can make a selection based on what will fit most comfortably,” notes Sleep Foundation. “Four of the frames are designed for ‘low bridge’ noses that sit below the pupils. You can choose between clear or amber lenses depending on your personal preference, and most of the frames are available in at least two to three different colors.”
These classic and stylish frames are also perfect for shoppers who just want to upgrade their usual blue light or prescription glasses. The Felix Gray brand is highly fashion-forward, so you’re unlikely to run into any difficulty finding the perfect pair for you. “You might have recognized the Felix Gray brand name due to its impressive eyewear marketing featuring attractive people sporting these sleek frames,” notes CNET. “All of the company’s models seem to instantly appear smarter just by sliding on a pair. You can get that in blue light blocking form too.”
2. EyeBuyDirect
For top quality blue light blockers delivered straight to your door, look no further than EyeBuyDirect (EBD). Thanks to their broad selection of sizes, styles, and lens options, any shopper can easily customize their blue light glasses to fit their unique preferences (and look great, too!). New York Post ssays, “not only does EyeBuyDirect sell blue light blocking glasses, but they come in an array of options to best fit your needs.”
“EyeBuyDirect takes an unconventional approach to blue light blocking glasses. Customers can choose from more than 1,400 different frame styles, then select the type of blue light blocking technology they’d like for their eyewear depending on their preferences and needs,” explains Sleep Foundation. “EBDBlue Plus technology includes advanced blue light blocking, UV protection, an anti-static layer to safeguard the glasses from dust, and a lens coating to reduce smudging. EBDPlus 360 builds on this by offering the same features as EBDBlue Plus as well as a special coating that minimizes reflections by as much as 50% during the day. The innovative EBBBlue Smart option enables the lenses to automatically adjust based on natural light and darkness levels. Lastly, SightRelax glasses have a slight magnification at the bottom of the lenses to improve vision and ease discomfort for people with screen-centric lifestyles.”
Additionally, the EyeBuyDirect store offers a 14-day return policy, so you can try these glasses consequence-free if you don’t like them. However, with the breadth of options (including prescription choices) it’s hard to imagine anyone sending these back. “Offering both prescription and non-prescription blue-light-blocking glasses, EyeBuyDirect is our pick for the best place to buy glasses online thanks to its selection of high-quality glasses and reliable customer service,” writes New York Times. “EyeBuyDirect sells hundreds of pairs in a variety of shapes, colors, sizes, and prices, and it can add an anti-glare coating to make those marathon Zoom sessions slightly more bearable.”
3. Warby Parker
For anyone looking to balance high-quality blue light protection with a wide array of custom designs, it’s hard to beat Warby Parker’s incredible online shop. “Warby Parker is a brand best known for customizable eyeglasses. You can visit the company’s website and choose from a wide range of frame styles, then pinpoint a specific design based on your facial structure,” writes Sleep Foundation. “Dozens of frame designs are available for both men and women. For the latter, up to five sizes ranging from extra narrow to extra wide are available. Warby Parker’s site features a virtual aid that uses a camera to measure your facial features and determine which size fits best.”
“Warby Parker is a terrific brand when it comes to prescription eyewear, so it’s no wonder they make excellent blue light glasses,” writes Travel + Leisure. “One of the best things about them is that you can order them to try on at home and then return them if you don’t like the look (or if they don’t work). They also come in nonprescription and reading options for a lower price, and can be upgraded to offer more blue light protection or automatically change to a darker tint while outdoors.”
Part of the draw of Warby Parker is the exceptional experience they provide. Without stepping foot outside your home, you can easily find the perfect pair of blue light glasses (and even try them on!). As Forbes explains, “You can also renew your prescription online with a virtual eye appointment, and take a quiz that matches you with the glasses that are best designed for your face shape, style and needs.”
4. Peepers
If you need a pair of lenses that can do double-duty as both reading glasses and blue light blockers, Peepers is the brand for you. In fact, Peepers got several shoutouts for being effective at preventing blue light-induced headaches. “Our tester usually suffers from headaches when working full-time in front of a screen, but when she tried the women’s PeeperSpecs reading glasses available on Amazon, they did exactly what blue light glasses are supposed to do: They completely relieved her of headaches,” writes Travel + Leisure. “They looked stylish, too, especially with this style’s shimmery finish.”
“The combination of comfortable, flexible frames and clear, magnifying lenses helps these blue light glasses make daily screen use an overall more comfortable experience, with us noting that they passed our attribute reviews with flying colors,” writes Verywell Health. “After wearing the glasses for five work days, we found them to be lightweight but well-made enough to stay in place, even when we moved our head around a lot. They were easy to put on and take off thanks to the flexible arms, and they didn’t cause any pain around our ears or nose”
Perhaps best of all, these stylish glasses are surprisingly easy on the wallet. Compared to many of the options on the market, a pair of Peepers will cost you next to nothing. “Peepers’ blue light glasses are our pick for the best budget blue light blocking glasses,” adds CNET. “They’re affordable (under $30) and with magnification, they can double as reading glasses.”
5. Gunnar
As far as heavy-duty blue light protection goes, Gunnar’s glasses are the best in the industry at filtering out any harmful rays. If you want total peace of mind about your blue light exposure, you can’t go wrong here. “Gunnar manufactures some of the most aggressively tinted glasses lenses we’ve seen,” writes Good Housekeeping. “With various tint options available on most of the brand’s frames, Gunnar also applies a silicone anti-scratch coating and UV blocking finishes to each of their glasses.”
“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),” explains CNET. “Gunnar recommends the 98 protection factor if you work from your computer late at night, so these may very well be the best blue light blocking glasses for you workaholics and gamers (or 2 a.m. HBO bingers).”
These glasses also hold the special honor of being picked as the most gamer-friendly pair of spectacles on the list. “For anyone who games regularly, reducing harsh light and glare is key to making those long hours focusing on a screen more comfortable,” writes Verywell Health. “These glasses are also comfortable, with a lightweight and wide-frame fit that didn’t dig into the sides of the head.”
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Sources:
- NY Mag
- NY Times
- Sleep Foundation
- Travel + Leisure
- Verywell Health
- Good Housekeeping
- Tom’s Guide
- CNET
- Forbes
- New York Post
Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations. This article may contain affiliate links.