Blue Light Prescription Glasses: Clear Benefits, Drawbacks, and Buying Guide

Key Takeaways

  • Blue light glasses work by filtering out harmful blue light from screens and artificial light sources, which may help to reduce digital eye strain and improve sleep.

  • Prescription blue light glasses are a combination of vision correction lenses with blue light protection.

  • These lenses look just like regular prescription glasses, making them practical for everyday use.

  • These types of glasses are best for people who spend long hours on screens, students, or anyone with really sensitive eyes.

Spending long hours in front of screens can leave your eyes tired and your head aching, not to mention your sleep cycle disrupted. 

The culprit? Excessive blue light emitted by digital devices and artificial light sources like LEDs. But how can you wear blue light glasses if you already need vision correction glasses?

The solution is prescription blue light glasses. These combine vision correction with light filtering technology, which can help to protect your eyes from blue light and reduce digital eye strain.

In this guide, you’ll learn what they are, how they work, who should use them, and how to choose the best pair.

What Are Blue Light Glasses?

Blue light glasses are designed to filter blue light from electronic devices, fluorescent lamps, and LED light sources.

You see, prolonged exposure to this part of the visible light spectrum can cause eye strain, headaches, and disrupted sleep patterns by impacting natural melatonin production and release. 

Blue light blocking glasses can help to reduce these negative effects by using lenses designed to filter this short-wavelength, high-energy light that affects your eyes and sleep cycle.

Learn more about the benefits of blue light glasses here.

Can You Get Blue Light Glasses on Prescription?

Yes, you can get blue light glasses on prescription. They function like regular prescription glasses while adding a protective blue light filter.

Basically, this means that you can effectively correct your vision and filter harmful blue light at the same time.

These glasses look just like your regular lenses, with no bulky tint or special frames. If you’re wondering, can you add a blue light filter to existing glasses? The answer is yes, but you’ll need to chat with your eye care doctor about adding a specialized filter to your existing glasses.

How Do Prescription Blue Light Glasses Work?

Prescription lenses with a blue light filter use coatings or lens materials designed to reduce the amount of harmful artificial blue light from entering your eyes.

Clear lenses offer lighter protection and visual clarity, while tinted or amber lenses filter stronger amounts of blue light, which is best for nighttime use (not while driving).

Check out our guide: Do Blue Light Glasses Work?

Who Should Consider Blue Light Prescription Glasses?

Blue light prescription glasses are useful for anyone who needs vision correction and is also exposed to long hours in front of digital screens and artificial light daily, especially during the evening.

Those Who Work on Screens

If you spend 5 or more hours a day in front of a computer, prescription blue light glasses can help reduce eye strain, blurred vision, and headaches while maintaining productivity.

Students and Children

Students today are exposed to a significant amount of blue light, thanks to online classes and hours of homework done on tablets or laptops. Blue light blocking lenses can support their eye health and sleep patterns.

People With Existing Eye Conditions

Anyone with light sensitivity, dry eye, or other conditions may benefit from their prescription eyewear featuring additional blue light protection. This extra protection might help to reduce discomfort during prolonged screen use.

Here’s more on when to use blue light glasses.

Pros and Cons of Blue Light Prescription Glasses

Still wondering, are blue light glasses worth it? Take a look at the pros and cons below.

Pros


  • Blue light prescription glasses provide both the benefit of clear vision and protection from harmful light.

  • They can reduce digital eye strain, improve focus during long hours working at screens, and could even help regulate your sleep cycle by filtering out the light that can disrupt melatonin.

  • Some blue light coatings are clear, which means your prescription eyewear will look indistinguishable from regular glasses. 

  • You can also add a blue light filter to your existing prescription glasses.

Cons

  • Not all blue light glasses filter the same range of wavelengths.

  • Tinted versions can distort color perception, which may not suit tasks where you need to see colors accurately (like photo or video editing).

  • Cheaper models sometimes overpromise the protection they actually provide and can even distort your vision if the lenses are made poorly.

  • While they can reduce eye strain, they can’t fix poor screen habits or underlying eye conditions.

  • Blue light glasses should be seen as one part of an overall strategy to reduce your blue light exposure.

Tips on How to Choose the Right Blue Light Prescription Glasses

  1. Check Lens Quality

Not all lenses are created equal. Go for prescription lenses designed to filter out at least 90% of harmful blue light while still keeping your vision sharp.

Clear lenses with anti-reflective coatings are good for general wear during the day, while tinted versions may offer stronger filtering for heavy screen use, gamers, night shift workers, and those struggling with sleep.

Ask your optician about the light spectrum range blocked to ensure you’re getting reliable blue light protection.

  1. Match With Your Prescription Needs

Prescription glasses can easily include a blue light filter, whether you need single-vision, bifocal, or multifocal lenses. 

Before buying, confirm with your optician that your prescription eyewear can combine both correction and blue light blocking technology.

  1. Consider Style and Comfort

Since you’ll be wearing your blue light glasses for several hours a day, it’s really important that they’re comfortable and the style you’ve chosen fits your aesthetic.

Lightweight frames reduce the potential for uncomfortable pressure on your nose, ears, and the side of your head, while durable materials like acetate, as used by Dream Recovery, or titanium, improve the longevity and durability of the frames.

If you’re ready to take the leap, check out some of the best blue light glasses for men and best blue light glasses for women. 

Alternatives to Blue Light Glasses

  1. Use Device Filters

Most phones and computers come with built-in features like “Night Shift” or apps you can download. By shifting your screen to a warmer tone, you can cut down your exposure to harmful blue light. 

While it’s not as effective as glasses designed to filter blue light, this option is free and can be really useful, especially when combined with other protective strategies.

  1. Adjust Lighting

Artificial light at night, especially from fluorescent and LED sources, can disrupt your circadian rhythm. 

Switching to softer, warmer bulbs reduces eye strain and helps you maintain better sleep patterns. 

Desk lamps with dimming functions are a practical upgrade. While this doesn’t replace glasses filter technology, it reduces the total amount of harmful light exposure in your environment.

  1. Follow the 20-20-20 Rule

One of the reasons prolonged screen use causes eye strain is from focusing too long at a short distance.

The 20-20-20 rule can be a big help with this issue. Here’s how to do it: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This simple exercise helps relax your eye muscles and reduces eye fatigue from screens. You can think of it as preventive eye protection.

Protect Your Vision With Dream Recovery

Blue light prescription glasses are designed to filter harmful blue light while still meeting your vision correction needs during long hours in front of screens.

Whether you need prescription or non-prescription lenses, these glasses help reduce eye strain and improve sleep quality. Check in with an eye care professional to see if prescription blue light glasses are right for you. 

For non-prescription users, take the next step in protecting your eyes with Dream Recovery’s Blue Light Glasses, which have been proven by third-party testing to block 98% of blue light.

Protect your eye health with Dream Recovery Blue Light Blocking Glasses.

Back to blog