Are Blue-Light Blocking Glasses Worth the Hype?
By now, you’ve probably seen someone sporting blue light glasses, whether at work or on YouTube. You may have found yourself wondering (or even asking out loud) why they’re suddenly wearing glasses when they don’t have a prescription. Are glasses suddenly so fashionable that they’re being worn exclusively as accessories?
Yes and no. Yes, today’s glasses are stylish, and they can make killer accessories. But that’s not the only reason to invest in blue light glasses. Let’s take a look at why computer glasses are totally worth the hype.
What is Blue Light (and Why Do I Care If I’m Protected from It)?
Let’s get technical for a second. Blue light is a high-energy wavelength of light that naturally comes from sunlight. Blue light has always been part of our lives, and for a long time, it wasn’t a problem.
What hasn’t always been part of our lives are screens. Computers, TVs, smartphones, and tablets all emit blue light above and beyond what would have, historically, been part of our daily lives. And that’s a problem, because we’re not biologically designed to stare at blue light as much as most of us are doing right now.
Does Everyone Need Computer Glasses?
If you’re one of a select group of people who manages to avoid screens most of the day, maybe you don’t need blue light protection. Spending one hour on the library computer every other week probably isn’t reason enough to invest in computer glasses.
But for the vast majority of people who spend an average of 11 hours per day staring at screens (from computers to TVs to cell phones), computer glasses are more than just a trendy accessory. They can make a serious impact on your quality of life. And considering they start as low as $25, there’s no reason most people can’t make the investment to protect their most important asset: their eyes.
When Should I Wear Blue-Light Blocking Glasses?
Officially, experts recommend the 20:20:20 rule to prevent eye strain, which says that for every 20 minutes you spend looking at a screen, you look away for 20 seconds at something at least 20 feet away. But let’s be real: if you’re spending 8 hours at the office, or are spending the weekend gaming with your friends, you’re probably not following that rule.
Instead, you can try wearing computer glasses any time you’ll be spending more than 20 minutes looking at a screen. For most of us, that includes workdays at our desk jobs, evenings at home in front of the TV, and weekends playing video games. So, if it’s easier to just wear your computer glasses all the time, that’s okay, too!
Can You Wear Computer Glasses and Still Look Stylish?
Absolutely!
At Peepers, we’re all about helping you look your best, and we wouldn’t make any glasses we didn’t believe were stylish. But regardless of how we feel about our glasses (we think they’re pretty awesome!), glasses—in general—have become a fashion-forward trend.
These days, everyone, from famous YouTubers to Oprah herself, has embraced the computer glasses trend. So, feel free to pop on a pair with confidence, knowing that while protecting your eyes, you’re also joining a long line of style ambassadors who know that blue-light protection is the new chiq.