What Are Blue Light Glasses And Do They Actually Work?

You may have heard the terms ‘blue light’ and ‘blue light glasses’ being used a lot. But what exactly do they relate to? And is it something you need to be concerned about? With our overgrowing digital world, awareness of blue light and its effects is something to investigate. In this article, we’ll be covering everything you need to know about blue light. This’ll include what exactly are blue light glasses, and do they actually work (and do you need a pair)?

What Is Blue Light?

First off, we need to define what blue light actually is. It's likely that you're seeing it right now, especially if you’re reading this article off a smartphone, computer or tablet. Blue light - also known as high-energy visible light (HEV) -  is a type of coloured light that is visible to our (human) eyes. It’s got a shortwave length, which results in it producing high levels of energy. Unlike other forms of visible light (like those found in the rainbow), our eyes aren’t able to filter blue light. What this means is that more of this particular type of light passes through our eyes and reaches our retinas. Simply put, blue light gets into our eyes very easily.

Blue light is emitted from the sun, as well as fluorescent light bulbs, and digital devices that we use everyday. LEDs found in these products emit a lot of blue light from their backlight functions. Where the concern comes in is the amount of time we spend in front of these types of devices, especially as we use them close to our faces. Especially smartphones! Although there’s currently not a lot of research, there are concerns that exposure to too much blue light close up can result in disrupted sleep and eyestrain. We’ll take a closer look into the research later in this article.

And this is where blue light glasses come in.

What Are Blue Light Glasses?

Blue light glasses are designed to reduce the amount of blue light getting into your eyes, notably from LED screens that are in close proximity. They look just like any other pair of eyeglasses, just with some slight changes to the lenses. Note that some can have prescription lenses, and some do not.

How Do Blue Light Glasses Work?

Blue light glasses filter blue light that goes through them, before it hits your eyes. This is all due to the types of materials used to make them, which reduces the blue light levels. When it comes to blue light lenses, they can be made in a number of different ways. The lenses themselves can be made with materials that filter these light levels. Or, they may have a specialist coating on the lenses. This can sometimes give them a yellow tint. Off the back of reducing blue light levels, these lenses can also reduce any glare caused by using your digital devices. This may help you if you experience eye strain, dry eyes, and headaches.

What Does The Research Suggest?

To date, current research has not been able to find anything conclusive about blue light’s effect on the human eye. However, it’s still a very new topic that is being researched, so it’s well worth keeping an eye on. Plenty of anecdotal evidence can be found, but it’s important to take these with a pinch of salt. These are not always from reliable sources.>

Some experts have stated that excessive amounts of blue light can potentially damage light-sensitive cells. However, studies have shown that blue light - from the sun or from devices - reaches dangerous levels for eyes. Other studies suggest that blue light may disrupt sleep patterns and cause eye strain. Yet a consensus has not yet been reached on whether this is to do with blue light in particular.

It’s important to note that the sun emits a whole lot more blue light than electronic devices. Blue light is not exclusively man made. The concerns that some people have regarding it lie in how much of it reaches our eyes, at close distance, on a very regular basis.

To sum up, it’s something that you shouldn’t worry about too much. But, do keep an eye on the research that’s coming out.

Can You Wear Blue Light Glasses All The Time?

Yes, you can wear blue light glasses for long periods of time, whenever you want to. Doing so won’t have any unwanted effects on your eyes. This is because these glasses have been designed to filter excessive amounts of blue light - think from digital devices rather than the sun. A certain amount of blue light is thought to help regulate our bodies, such as wakefulness and cognitive functions. Put simply, you don't need to wear blue light glasses all the time, as some of it is actually good for you.

Our Best Blue Light Glasses

Want to give a pair of blue light glasses a try? Here are some of our top picks from our range.

This statement TF5634-B square model from Tom Ford comes in three different colourways, with off-the-shelf blue light lenses as standard.

Opt for crystal clear frames and specialist lens coating with 804-B Blue Light from Solo.

Go easily from indoors to out with this pair of Tom Ford TF5532 glasses with blue light coating. These frames feature clip-on sunglass lenses too for a vintage-touch.
Click here to browse through our full collection of Blue Light Glasses