Blue Blocker Database
Compare the best blue-blocking glasses on the market!
Here’s what we tested for:
Instead of arbitrarily stating how much blue or green light is blocked, we’ve instead denoted how much Circadian Light has been blocked.
Circadian Light is a metric derived through an advanced algorithm developed by the LHRC which simply looks at a light source’s overall spectrum and how that is likely to interact with the human body.
What this does is weights the light that falls within the melanopically sensitive range, and gives it a score based on how much lux is present in that range.
Since your environment will largely determine the lux levels, we’ve gone ahead and shown the percentage reduction seen from various glasses.
Each pair of glasses we test is visually compared to the test spectrum.
This gives you a handy way to check which brands block which kinds of light and how much.
Spitschan, M., Nam, S., & Veitch, J. A. (2022). luox: Platform for calculating quantities related to light and lighting [Software]. Available from https://luox.app/.
Lux is simply a measurement of how much light exists within the spectral sensitivity window of the human eye.
In other words, how bright a light source is.
Some glasses block more lux and less circadian light than others. And some go the other way.
If you’re looking to maximize melatonin production, but still want to see as well as possible, look for a pair with low lux reduction and high circadian light reduction.
On the other hand, a bright light source can be harmful to sleep regardless of the spectrum, so if you’re in a particularly bright environment, or already have trouble sleeping, looking for a pair of glasses with high lux reduction may be beneficial, though visibility will suffer.
To keep things simple we’ve aimed to test lenses rather than individual pairs of glasses themselves.
The style of the glasses you chose will determine how effective they are.
Most styles will block most of the light. However, if you have sleeping problems or find yourself especially susceptible to short-wavelength light at night, consider your style selection carefully.
Wraparound glasses that don’t let a lot of light in through the sides will naturally block more light than a stylish pair with the same lenses.
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