With a world of screens in front of our nose, blue light blocking glasses have become a necessity.
By filtering out harmful waves of artificial blue light, they save you from digital eye strain and help you look after your eyes.
But, how do you know you’re choosing the right pair? What’s the difference between clear and amber lenses?
There are a few things to consider. In this article we’ll cover the reasons behind choosing either type.
What are anti-blue light glasses?
Before choosing a pair of frames, you should be fully informed on why it’s a good idea to protect your eyes from artificial blue light emitted by screens.
The wavelengths of blue light are the part of the light spectrum that sits between 380 and 500 nanometers. Blue light occurs naturally in the daytime as it’s emitted by the sun. But we’re also constantly exposed to artificial blue light through our devices (smartphones, tablets, TVs, computers) and LED lighting. And this light has zero filtration.
It’s not as bad as missing your trip to the Vault, but no protection can equal long term damage.
That’s because overexposure to screens and blue light can affect your health and well-being. Specifically, when you spend long hours in front of a computer without protection, you expose yourself to visual fatigue, but also, in time, to eye diseases such as Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).
The symptoms of eye strain
💡 Good to know: If you're not already familiar with eye strain (also known as asthenopia), you can identify this syndrome by its multitude of symptoms, including:
- 🤯 Headaches
- 🫨 Dizziness
- 😭 Weeping eyes
- 🫣 Increased sensitivity to light or photophobia
- 🔥 Burning sensation, tingling in the eyes
- 🔴 Red, irritated eyes
- 🌵 Dry eyes
- 🎈 Swollen eyes
- 😖 Itchy eyes
- 🎯 Decreased visual acuity, blurred or cloudy vision
And that’s not all folks!
Prolonged exposure to blue light from screens an also has other harmful effects on the body. They disrupt the circadian rhythm, causing sleep disorders, which in turn lead to reduced alertness and performance.
Want to know why you’re not sleeping well? See if blue light is the causes in our article on the impact of blue light on melatonin.
That’s why we always recommend taking care of your eyes with blue light blocking glasses that protect your eyes from the harmful effects of screens. Whether you usually need glasses or not, blue light glasses keep your eyes alert and healthy. That’s why you can get regular blue light glasses, prescription lenses or even blue light blocking sunglasses, for those of us who spend a lot of time outdoors.
💡 Top Tip: Look for blue light glasses that also have anti-reflective coating for multi-use protection!
So, now you know about blue light. But the real reason you’re here is to figure out which lenses work best. Let’s find out…
Clear blue light glasses
If you're looking for discreet yet high-performance glasses, we recommend clear lenses. In addition to reducing eye strain, quality glasses like our patented Ghost® lenses offer multiple benefits:
- 🛡️ 61% of harmful blue light (380-450 nm) blocked
- 🛡️ 100% filtration of ultra-harmful blue light (380-400 nm)
- ⚪️ 84% lens clarity
- 🛡️ 100% UV protection
- 🪞 Integrated anti-reflective technology
- 🌈 Best color rendering
Horus X Ghost® Clear lenses offer some of the best protection on the market.
If you're one of those people who spends a lot of time in front of a screen, for work, office or leisure (or all at once!) clear blue light glasses are the choice for you. Stylish both in and outdoors, you don’t need to hide them away when you meet up with friends. They’ll all be asking you where you got them anyway.
Amber blue light glasses
Amber blue light blocking glasses are naturally tinted darker and are the popular choice for gamers. But if you think they’re just for gamers, you’re wrong.
There’s a reason orange lenses are so popular, and you might find them beneficial even if you don’t spend hours a night on League of Legends.
Let's take a look at the many strengths of our PLASMA® lenses:
- 🛡️ 87% of harmful blue light (380-450 nm) blocked
- 🛡️ 100% filtration of ultra-harmful blue light (380-400 nm)
- ⚪️ 58% to 67% lens clarity
- 🛡️ 100% UV protection
- 🪞 Integrated anti-reflective technology
- 🌇 More comfortable in the evening
In short, wearing amber blue light blocking glasses gives you the best filtration rate of artificial blue light, especially on shorter wavelengths. This amber tint also performs better in the evening as it matches more ambient lighting.
Won't somebody think of the children?! Anti-blue light glasses for kids
As you can imagine, blue light can wreak havoc on the eyes of younger children. That’s because their crystalline lenses are still developing and are therefore are more fragile.
At a time when children are just as exposed to blue light as adults, it's important to respect age-specific screen time recommendations, and consider purchasing blue light blocking glasses for kids.
If your little darling (or monster… we don’t judge) needs prescription lenses, you can just ask for an anti-glare and anti-blue light treatment to be applied.
If you’re wondering whether they should have clear or amber blue light blocking glasses, the rules are the same as for adults!
- For everyday use choose clear blue light glasses.
- For kids who like screens and devices, opt for the stronger amber blue light glasses.
With their little eyes protected, they can beat you at Mario Kart all over again.
Choosing clear or amber blue light glasses: Final thoughts
To counter the effects of harmful artificial blue light between 380 and 450 nanometers, you should consider trying a pair of blue light blocking glasses.
This is especially necessary if you spend a good portion of your day looking at screens, therefore increasing your exposure.
For daily use, clear lenses are discreet and fashionable so you can wear them anywhere, anytime.
For more intensive use, like a hardcore COD session, amber blue light glasses offer superior filtration and protection.
🛡️ Shield your eyes from blue light – check out Horus X’s range of blue light blocking glasses.
