
Confused about which blue-blocking glasses you should buy?
We’ve tested dozens of pairs to narrow down the best of the best so you don’t have to keep pulling your hair out and deciding which company to trust.
How We Did Our Testing
We used our lab-grade spectrometer to take readings of a full spectrum light source before and after each lens was placed over the spectrometer.
This gave us the ability to compare each pair of glasses apples to apples.
So what did we compare? Two things…
Reducing Circadian Light
While most glasses claim they block “50% of green light” or “99% of blue light“, these claims are rather vague…
So we improved them!
Instead, we decided to use Circadian Light Reduction.
This is a metric developed by the LHRC that uses a complex weighted algorithm to determine how biologically impactful a light spectrum is to your circadian rhythm.
Since not all blue light or green light is equally impactful to the suppression of melatonin, it’s much better to use this weighed scale to determine what kind of impact a pair of blue blockers may have.
You can read more about circadian stimulus here.
Reducing Lux or Brightness
Lux is basically a measurement of how visually bright a light source is.
Generally speaking, the more circadian light you block, the “darker” your environment will appear.
BUT.
This is not always the case.
Since the light that suppresses melatonin is different than the light that we are most visually sensitive to, some lenses can block similar amounts of circadian light but differ vastly in how dark they make the environment seem.
For example, the two lenses below each block around the same amount of lux at 8%.
However, one clearly blocks more blue light, to the tune of 20% more circadian light.
This is really just a matter of personal preference really. If you’re doing color-sensitive work or don’t want to distort the color of your environment choose a lens with lower lux reduction.
However, if you are sensitive to light or will be in a very bright environment late at night, a higher lux reduction will be useful.
Which Blue Blocker Lenses to Pick
We’ve tested over 30 different pairs of blue blockers!
When it comes to blocking blue light at night, you’ve got three main categories to choose from:
Yellow Lenses
Yellow blue blockers block most blue light, while letting through almost all of the green light.

Examples of what yellow lenses let through:


These lenses are great if you know you’ll have to drive somewhere at night and still need to see very well, or if you’re doing color-sensitive work and don’t want to distort colors too much.
Pros
Cons
Amber Lenses
Amber lenses usually cut down on most blue and green light.

Examples of what amber lenses let through:


These lenses are the best all around for color clarity and blue light-blocking abilities.
These are really the best of both worlds if you don’t have to drive anywhere and just need a pair for out on the town or at home.
Pros
Cons
Red Lenses
Red lenses don’t let any blue or green light through.

Examples of what red lenses let through:


These lenses are a must-buy if you find yourself very sensitive to blue/green light.
Anyone with sleep phase disorders or insomnia should consider using red lenses at night to avoid delaying melatonin secretion.
These are also a good pick for anyone looking to fully maximize their sleep quality.
Pros
Cons
The Best Blue Blockers
Without further ado! Here are our recommendations:
Best Yellow Blue Blocker
A pair of yellow blue blockers are perfect for cutting down on circadian light without diminishing colors too much.
Best Amber Blue Blockers
Here are our picks for the best amber-colored blue blockers around!
Best Red Blue Blockers
Here are our favorite red lens blue blockers, perfect for insomniacs and biohackers alike!
And that’s it for our recommendations! Hopefully, you’ve found your pair!
If not, check out our extensive blue blocker database where you can sort through over 30 of the best blue blockers on the market!