Blue light blocking glasses are becoming increasingly popular as more and more people look for ways to reduce their exposure to blue light after dark.
You’ve probably already noticed that more and more electronic devices come equipped with a ‘night mode’ which is designed to filter down the amount of blue light emitted from the screen.
This is great, but the truth is that unless you’re living in a cave, you’re going to be seeing blue light at night from multiple sources. These include your television and computer screens, as well as home and public transport lighting.
Wearing blue blocking glasses is a great way to reduce your exposure to blue light at nighttime.
The problem is that not all blue blockers are created equal. Some are much more effective and better quality than others.
Luckily for you, you don’t need to spend hours researching, as our team of experienced writers have done the hard work for you and put together this handy guide.
Editor's note: The content on this website is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. Our articles and the products featured in them are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. Always speak with a certified medical professional before making any changes to your lifestyle, diet, exercise routine, and/or taking any supplements.
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Our Pick: Best Blue Light Blocking Glasses 2021
| Rating | Summary | Website | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ra Optics |
|
• Effective Lenses • Stylish Frames • Get 10% Off | Buy Now | |
| BLUblox |
|
• Effective Lenses • Stylish Frames • Get 10% Off | Buy Now | |
| TrueDark |
|
• Quality Frames • Top Lenses • Established Brand | Buy Now | |
| Swanwick Sleep |
|
• Popular Brand • Great Frames • Good Lenses | Buy Now | |
| Uvex Skyper |
|
• Budget Option • Cheap Price • Simple Design • Decent Lens | Buy Now |
Before We Go Any Further…
Bear in mind that there are actually various different types of blue light blocking glasses. In this guide, we have only tested products that are designed to be work after dark.
You probably already know that seeing blue light after sunset is not so good for your circadian rhythm, and that’s why we set about picking out the best products that can help reduce blue light exposure at night.
We will also be testing out daytime and computer blue light blocking glasses in the future, but these will be featured in separate guides.
If you’re looking for the best blue blocking glasses for sleep, then read on.
Here’s What We Looked For…
We focused on the following criteria when selecting the products for this list.
• Effectiveness – Do the glasses actually do what they promise to and filter out the important frequencies of blue light?
• Style – Are the glasses stylish, are there multiple frame options available and would you feel comfortable wearing them out in public? Blue blockers tend to have a reputation for being not exactly chic, so this was an important one for us.
• Durability – Is the product made of high quality materials and will the glasses withstand daily use?
• Company Reputation – We looked at who’s behind the glasses, checked out their manufacturing processes and read loads of real customer review to see whether they treat consumers fairly or not.
So, with the introductions out of the way, let’s start taking a close look at our top picks of the best blue light blocking glasses available to you right now.
1) Ra Optics
Product website: www.raoptics.com
First on our list is the Ra Optics range of blue light blocking glasses.
They offer a range of different styles of frames to complete any look and they have recently revamped their online store.
Their ‘Ultimate Night’ lenses are designed to work after dark to block out the important frequencies of blue light.
The lenses have a red tint and block all blue and the majority of green light frequencies, up to 550 nanometers.
They have been specifically designed to help block out the key frequencies of blue and green light, while still letting enough light in for you to actually be able to continue with your day-to-day tasks.
The Key Points
• One of the First Brands on the Scene – Ra Optics was one of the first blue blocker brands to launch and they are known as one of the top companies thanks to their high quality frames and lenses.
• High Quality and Stylish Frames – The Ultimate Night lenses effectively block out all of the important frequencies of blue and green light, and they also look great!
• Effective Lenses – The Ultimate Night lenses block all blue and the majority of green light frequencies, up to 550 nanometers.
• Fast Worldwide Shipping – They offer fast worldwide shipping from the USA (you may have to pay some import taxes/duties depending on your location).
The Ra Optics Popp Ultimate Night glasses with protective case
What Are Customers Saying?
Ra Optics have been causing quite a stir on social media with their brand, with a handful of celebrities having endorsed their product recently.
The Ra Optics range of blue blockers are currently only available for sale on the official website, meaning that there is not much in the way of customer feedback out there right now.
That said, the reviews and testimonials we have seen on social media have been very positive.
Any Negatives?
• You can currently only buy the Ra Optics range from the official website, meaning that you won’t find their glasses in store or on other sites such as Amazon.
• The whole Ra Optics range carries a premium price tag, so their glasses may not fit into everyone’s budget. That said, we recommend keeping a close eye on the official site as they do offer some pretty good discounts from time to time.
Conclusion
We’re big fans of Ra Optics. Their glasses are both stylish and well made – but most importantly the lenses will work to filter out the key frequencies of light that you need to be wary of.
2) BLUblox
Product website: www.blublox.com
The next product on our list is the BLUblox range of Sleep+ glasses.
BLUblox is an Australian brand that has grown quickly and is popular on social media.
All of their lenses and frames are shipped from Australia, but they offer fast worldwide delivery.
They come in a range of different styles, and you’re sure to be able to find one that suits you perfectly.
We tried out the Wayfarer, Crystal and Willis frames. We liked them all, but found that the Crystal and Willis suited us better. The Wayfarers were a bit big for us.
All of BLUblox’s glasses come with a stylish box case, lens wipe and carrying pouch.
What sets BLUblox’s products apart is their lenses, which filter out all of the most important frequencies of blue light.
We put them on about two and a half hours before going to bed each night and often found ourselves nodding off about an hour after having put them on.
The Key Points
• Lots of Stylish Frames to choose from – You can actually feel comfortable wearing them in public.
• Effective blue light blocking lenses – The Sleep+ lenses block 100 per cent of blue and green light from 400-550nm.
• Fast worldwide shipping – They are made in Australia but should be delivered to your door quickly.
What Are Customers Saying?
BLUblox is a relatively new brand, so there are not that many customer reviews out there right now.
From the verified reviews we did find online, BLUblox had very favorable reviews. The most negative review we found came from someone who said that the glasses made their computer screen look “really red”, which really is to be expected!
The BLUblox Willis Sleep+ glasses are our favorite style
Any Negatives?
• BLUblox glasses are a premium-priced product and so they may not fit into everyone’s budget.
• You can only buy them from the official website right now, meaning that you won’t find them in stores or on Amazon at the moment.
Conclusion
We’re big fans of the BLUblox range of blue light blocking glasses.
The lenses effectively block out the key frequencies of blue and green light, and they come in a range of stylish frames.
3) TrueDark
Product website: www.truedark.com
Next on our list is the impressive range of blue blockers from TrueDark.
You may have seen Dave Asprey, known as the ‘father of biohacking’ wearing his TrueDark Daywalkers during interviews or appearances on social media.
They offer two options: Daywalkers and Twilights, the latter of which uses patent-pending technology to filter what they call ‘junk light’ and are designed to be used after sunset.
The Twilight glasses promise to block at least 98 per cent of the wavelengths below 590 nanometers – basically all blue, green and violet.
The Key Points
• High Quality – The TrueDark frames are very high quality. The popular ‘Twilight Elite’ model is made from lightweight, aircraft-grade aluminium and feature a streamlined design.
• Effective Lenses – It’s all about the lenses with TrueDark. They feature a patent-pending lens which has been specifically designed to block out all of the key frequencies of light artificially generated after dark.
• Trusted Brand – The TrueDark brand has been around for a few years now and it’s one of the leading players in the blue blocking glasses market.
What Are Customers Saying?
The TrueDark brand has plenty of positive feedback. For example, there are a handful of verified reviews on Amazon, where the glasses have an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.
One person said that they loved the effect they had after having worn them an hour before bedtime.
Any Negatives?
• Like the other products above, the TrueDark range also carries a premium price tag. This means they may not fit into everyone’s budget.
• We also feel that the TrueDark range are not quite as stylish as some of the other options out there. That may come down to personal preference and taste though.
Conclusion
The TrueDark range of Twilights are a great option if you’re looking to block out the important frequencies of artificial light after dark.
4) Swanwick Sleep
Product website: www.swanwicksleep.com
The next product on our list is the popular range from Australian company Swanwick Sleep.
The brand was founded by two Australian brothers back in 2015 and they are one of the more established players in the blue blocker glasses market.
The ‘Night Swannies’ lenses are designed to be worn at least one to two hours before bed continuously.
Swanwick Sleep offer a good range of different options when it comes to frames and they provide fast worldwide shipping.
They also offer a 100% money-back guarantee within 30 days or purchase, which is good to know.
The Key Points
• Blocks out some key frequencies of light after dark.
• Good quality frames and lots of different styles.
• Money-back guarantee if you’re not happy after 30 days.
What Are Customers Saying?
We took a look on Amazon to see what real customers were saying about the Swanwick Sleep range.
At the time of writing, one of their more popular models had an average rating of 4.5 out of five stars, from more than 500 reviews, which is pretty good going.
One happy customer left a five star review and described them as ‘brilliant’ after also admitting that they were sceptical about them before purchase.
One negative review came from somebody who left a two-star review and said that the glasses were ‘crooked’.
Any Negatives?
• Like the other products above, the Swanwick Sleep range carry a premium price tag.
• The lenses appear to have more of an orange tint than the ones above on this list, so they may not block out quite as much blue light.
Conclusion
The Swanwick Sleep range offer a great option if you’re looking to reduce your exposure to artificial light after dark.
They have a good range of styles and have been around for quite a few years now, and they also feature great reviews from customers.
5) Uvex Skyper Blue Light Blockers
Available to buy at: www.amazon.com
We wanted to round off this list with a low-priced budget option to try if you’re not looking to spend big on a pair of blue blockers.
One of the most affordable and popular options out there are the Uvex Skyper Blue Light Blockers, which are less than $10 on Amazon and are a good entry way into the market.
If you’ve just heard about the benefits of blue blockers but want to test some out before splashing the cash, these could be a good option for you.
As you can probably already see for yourself, they are not exactly stylish, and they look more like safety goggles than anything else. However, if you’re going to be mainly using your blue blockers in the comfort of your own home, then they are a decent option.
The Key Points
• Affordable option – They are not stylish but at least they come with an affordable price tag. You can grab a pair of the Uvex Skyper Blue Light Blockers for less than $10 on Amazon.
• Block light from the side – The design of the lens also means that light coming from the side is also blocked. This is not the case with regular glasses.
What Are Customers Saying?
We took a look on Amazon to see what real customers were saying about the Uvex Skyper Blue Light Blockers.
At the time of writing, they had an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars from more than 3,500 reviews.
One happy customer left a five-star review and said that wearing these at night and combining them with other light therapy has helped to “totally transform” their life.
One of the more negative reviews came from someone who complained that wearing the glasses resulted in “distorted text and colors”.
Any Negatives?
• They are not exactly stylish. They may be great for use at home, but probably are not for wearing out and about.
• They are more affordable than the other options but that also means that they use cheaper materials and the lenses are not quite as effective as the other options above them on this list.
Conclusion
The Uvex Skypers are a great option if you’re looking to try Blue Blockers for the first time and are on a budget.
However, you probably won’t want to be caught wearing them while out and about, which is a deal-breaker for us.
Why Use Blue Light Blocking Glasses at Night?
You’ve probably already heard about the potential effects of being exposed to blue light after dark.
The truth is that we actually need to see blue light – but during the daytime – because it wakes us up. Simply put, seeing excessive blue light after sunset is probably not ideal, and that’s where blue blockers come in.
Avoiding blue light altogether after dark in this modern world is not feasible. It comes from lots of different sources, from our mobile devices to our televisions, lighting at home and subway trains.
Blue blockers allow you to filter out the most important frequencies of blue light but also mean that you can get on with your day to day tasks if needed.
In our opinion, it’s really important to get a pair of blue blockers that suit you well and are stylish, so you won’t feel self-conscious wearing them while out and about.
Blue Light after dark is not good for our sleep (Photo: Adobe Stock)
How To Use Blue Light Blocking Glasses
Generally speaking, if you’re using blue blocking glasses after dark, it’s best to put them on for a few hours before going to bed.
Some people will find that they feel the effects pretty quickly, but everyone is different, so it’s worth experimenting with the timing of when you should be putting them on.
Once you put them on, it’s important to keep them on until bedtime, to filter out all blue light right until you go to sleep.
For safety reasons, we do not recommend that you wear blue blocker glasses while driving or while operating machinery.
Anything Else To Consider?
Just remember that although blue blockers are a great hack to help you step your game up before bed, they should not be seen as a miracle product.
You cannot simply wear a pair of blue blockers and expect to immediately sleep perfectly every night.
Getting quality sleep requires a multi-angle approach, from making sure that your room is the right temperature, to ensuring that you use blackout blinds if you’re staying up late, so the sun doesn’t wake you up first thing in the morning.
In fact, making sure that you reset your body clock with some exposure to natural sunlight each morning can actually help to get your sleeping better.
Be sure to check out the Sleep section here on the site for tips and tricks on how to improve your sleep overall.
Blue blockers are a great tool to help you improve your recovery, but do make sure that you’ve got the other basics of a healthy lifestyle on point before expecting to see results from the glasses.
Wrapping Things Up – Our Final Thoughts
So, that brings us to the end of our look at the best blue blocking glasses for sleep on the market right now.
We’ve walked you through the basics that you need to know about blue blockers and how they work, and have introduced our pick of the top products on the market right now.
We currently rate Ra Optics, BLUblox and TrueDark as some of the top manufacturers out there right now.
However, you probably won’t go too far wrong by selecting any of the products shown on this list!
