How to test blue light glasses
If you experience eye strain when you spend long hours poring over a computer screen, blue light glasses might be the right solution. Not all blue light glasses are made with the same kind of precision, but you can run at-home tests to make sure yours are providing the protection you need.
Assessing the need for blue light glasses
When you spend hours each day staring at your phone, computer, or TV screen, which emits blue light, you can suffer from eye strain and interrupted sleep (and there are definitely more fun ways to lose sleep!).
Specially designed glasses can filter out excessive blue light to keep your eyes healthy. But how do you know whether the blue light glasses you buy are actually doing their job properly?
Understanding blue light exposure
Your computer screen, phone screen, and TV all emit blue light. For some people, being constantly surrounded by blue light causes eye strain and sleep disturbances. If you find yourself experiencing dry eyes or blurred vision, you may be experiencing digital eye strain and may need blue light glasses.
Many people turn to blue light computer glasses to relieve digital eye strain. Other people make their commute safer by wearing blue light glasses especially designed for driving at night.
Consulting an eye care professional
Your eye care professional can assess your eye health and help you determine whether blue light glasses might make a difference in your quality of vision and how your eyes feel. Your eye doctor can even help you get a prescription for blue light glasses, if you need one.
DIY testing for blue light protection
While official testing for blue light accuracy is done with an expensive piece of equipment known as a spectrophotometer (say that three times fast!), you can do some simple tests at home to determine whether your blue light glasses are doing their job.
Checking for blue light reflectance
Hold your glasses up to an artificial light source, and look at the surface of the lens. If you see a blue reflection, your glasses are indeed reflecting and filtering blue light. If the reflection is green or purple instead, you're seeing evidence of an anti-glare filter.
Color spectrum checking
Hold up the glasses against something that's bright and white, such as a piece of white paper. If you see the white of the paper warm up a bit (with a slight yellow tone), that means the glasses' lenses are absorbing blue light. If the white paper doesn't warm up, the glasses only have anti-reflective coating.
Digital devices and screen testing
Because blue light emitted from digital screens can cause digital eye strain, you should make sure your blue light glasses can handle your digital devices.
Digital screen testing
Hold your blue light glasses up in front of your computer screen. Open a blank document so the screen emits white light, and look at the screen. If you see a warm, yellow tint when looking through the lenses, they're filtering the blue light properly.
Comparative screen testing
Do your eyes feel less fatigued when you're wearing your blue light glasses? Are you sleeping better at night? When you use your blue light glasses daily, you're more likely to see the benefits of filtering out blue light.
Additional considerations and expert consultation
When you buy blue light glasses, see if they come with data from a transmittance spectrum report. Daytime blue light glasses should filter at least 50% of blue light.
Duration and consistency
The real test of your blue light glasses comes when you wear them consistently over time. The more often you wear them, the more likely you are to ease your eye strain (and the easier it'll be to binge your favorite shows!).
Consulting eye care professionals
Your eye care professional can suggest customized solutions if you think blue light is causing blurred vision, dry eye, or any other vision problems. Prescription blue light glasses can ease your work day staring at all those screens.
Test your blue light glasses today
By testing your blue light glasses using these DIY methods, you can help ensure that they provide the eye protection you need. At 1-800 CONTACTS, we're always ready to help guide you toward enhanced eye health.
FAQs
What at-home tests can I perform to check the quality of my blue light glasses?
Hold your glasses up to white paper or a white screen, and see whether things look warmer through the lenses. If they do, you're seeing the effect of the blue light filter. A blue reflection on the front of the lenses also lets you know the filter is present.
Are there different types of blue light glasses for specific needs?
Yes. Clear blue light lenses are intended for use with screens that emit blue light. Other types of blue light glasses are designed for use driving at night or for enhancing sleep.
How long does it take to notice the benefits of blue light glasses?
While you'll notice some benefits fairly quickly, use the blue light glasses consistently over time to reap the benefits of reduced eye strain and discomfort.