blue blocker lcd panel test price

We spend more and more time staring at our computer screens at work, only to go home and continue our obsession with electronic devices. Digital LED screens shower us with high-energy blue light. While we get most of our blue light from the sun, our eyes are not designed to handle it for so many hours and at such a close proximity when the sun goes down.

Studies show that overexposure to blue light may be linked to digital eye strain, increased risk of macular degeneration, and interruption of sleep patterns.

One of the best ways to give your eyes a well-deserved rest from blue light over-exposure is to buy glasses with blue light blocking lenses. Not all blue light blocking glasses are created equal and many are not as effective as they claim to be. If you have any concerns about whether they work or not, there are ways for you to test your specks.

We look around and we see this amazing world full of colors that makes us smile, remember happy memories, and feel at peace. All of us have admired the photos of the turquoise blue colors of the Caribbean, reveled in the orange hues of a sunset, soaked in the vibrant magenta of a bougainvillea, gazed at the bursting yellow of a perfectly ripe mango, and melted with love looking at the blue-gray shade of our child’s eyes.

The retina contains two different types of light-detecting cells – rods and cones. Rods react when you are in low or dim light, when the objects appear gray. The cones are activated when there is sufficient light, and when that light reaches your eye, depending on the wavelength, a specific type of cone (red, green, or blue) will react and send the signal to the visual cortex of the brain along the optic nerve, which processes the data and forms a mental picture of the image. Most of us have about 6 million cones and 110 million rods.

The human eye can register wavelengths from 380 to 740 nanometers. Blue light rays are the ones with the shortest wavelength but with the most energy, which is why they are called high-energy visible (HEV) light rays. When we look at the sun, we don’t stare long enough for it to cause damage, as the sunlight hurts our eyes. But, we do spend seven to ten hours a day in front of our computer screens or scrolling on our smartphones at close range, which can also cause damage.

Blue light is not all good or bad. In daylight, it boosts our mood, makes us more alert, and gives us energy to complete all those spreadsheets and catch up with our PTA responsibilities. But come night-time, our circadian rhythm kicks in and we want to wind down, relax, and get ready to sleep.

Most of us admit we take our digital devices to bed with us to binge watch our favorite shows or to stay current on our social media feed. This is when blue light becomes our enemy, as it suppresses the production of melatonin, our sleep hormone, so we are restless and unable to fall asleep, which hampers our productivity the next day.

Daytime blue light filters are specifically designed to eliminate the most harmful frequencies between 400 and 450 nanometers, which damage the light-sensitive cells on our retina if we are exposed to too much of it. They still however let some of the blue light come through while lessening our eye strain, as some blue light is needed to regulate our circadian rhythm, help us stay alert and focused, help us be more productive, and give us more energy during the day.

Some filters however are designed for night-time use, and they block blue light in frequencies up to 480 nm. With the production of melatonin uninterrupted, we can relax and get a good night of sleep.

Nowadays, you can buy a blue light filter screen for your computer or tablet, and newer smartphones are equipped with some form of blue light protection and night mode. If you’d like only to reduce the glare on the computer screen, then a free software like flux may be sufficient. But, if you are looking to filter blue light, you’ll need ophthalmic lenses with protective coating that is designed to reflect and filter high energy blue light.

Clear lens computer glasses should be worn during the day only, as they are not designed to block out blue light completely, but rather filter it and relieve the symptoms of overexposure to blue light while staring at a computer screen.

To be sure the glasses you choose truly filter out blue light, you should contact the retailer and ask for a transmittance spectrum report, which will show you the percent of light passing through the lens.

In order to be functional in filtering blue light, your blue light glasses should filter down at least 30% of blue light across the entire blue light range. Most reputable companies will make these reports available upon request, but in case you cannot obtain one, visit your eye doctor and ask them to test your glasses with their lab-grade spectrometers.

One of them is to put your glasses on and observe the color that is reflected off the lenses. If the reflection is purple, that’s an indication that they are not filtering blue light effectively. If it’s blue, they are filtering at least some of it.

Another reliable way to test your blue light glasses at home is to use the RGB color circle test. Most of our computers and digital devices use a technology called Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). The screens are composed of many pixel panels and each pixel has a red, green, and blue component. There are many variations of these three colors which produce all the hues you see on a screen.

The blue part of the image should appear darker or black, and the green section might darken as well. The darker the sections appear, the more blue light is being filtered. You shouldn’t be concerned if the green section changes only slightly – only blue light blocking glasses intended for nighttime will block some of the green light as well.

If a company tries to sell you a “laser testing pen,” be advised that this method doesn’t work for testing blue light. It is only intended to test violet to ultraviolet light, which will not serve any purpose in testing your computer glasses.

Blue light glasses are a good choice if you spend too much time in front of the screen. But, make sure you get the right pair that will actually do what they are supposed to do.

When you are ready to buy yourself a pair of stylish blue light glasses, do your research and ask the retailer to send you a transmittance spectrum report along with your specs.

Available in a range of sizes, the Ocushield screen protector blocks blue light from monitors and laptops. It features a privacy filter that makes your screen appear black from other angles, which is ideal for people who work in the company of others. The screen also has an antibacterial coating and anti-glare coating.

The EyeJust iPhone Screen Protector blocks blue light and protects your screen from cracks, scratches, and impacts without changing the display color or brightness. It’s also oil-resistant, which helps to prevent smudging.

EyeJust products are third-party tested and ophthalmologist approved. The company offers a 2-year warranty that covers cracked or damaged screen protectors purchased from the EyeJust website.

This blue light screen filter is ideal for people who want to minimize blue light without sacrificing visual quality. Eyesafe screen filters use a patented protective film to block blue light from display screens without changing the color or brightness. The screen protector comes with dust removers, screen cleaning wipes, and a microfiber cloth.

Eyesafe consults with eye care professionals and uses third-party testing to develop blue-light-blocking products designed to protect your eye health and well-being. The products have certification from TÜV Rheinland, an organization specializing in standards related to color management and blue light filtration of digital devices.

LowBlueLights offers screen filters specifically for sleep and well-being. The acrylic filter is designed to block as much blue light emitted from televisions and computers as possible, using an orange tint. The filter comes with Velcro to help secure it onto large screens. Several online reviews praise the company’s customer service, product quality, and user-friendly website.

Designed to fit MacBook Air and Pro models, the Ocushield blue light filter includes a privacy filter to ensure your screen isn’t visible to onlookers. It also retains color quality and protects against bacteria, scratches, and reflections. If your exact screen size isn’t available, you can buy a bigger size and use a knife to cut it down.

Blue light is a wavelength that’s naturally present in light, including light from the sun. Compared to other light types, blue light has a short wavelength. This is important because doctors associate short-wavelength light with greater risk for eye damage.

While many electronics (including lightbulbs) emit blue light, computer screens and televisions typically release more blue light than other electronics. This is because computers and televisions commonly use liquid crystal displays or LCDs. These screens may look super-clear and vibrant, but they also release more blue light than their non-LCD counterparts.

Blue light isn’t all bad, though. Because this wavelength is produced by the sun, it can promote alertness, signaling that it’s time to get up and start your day.

And a lot of studies on blue light and eye damage have been conducted on animals or in controlled laboratory settings. This makes it hard to know exactly how blue light affects humans in real-life scenarios.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, blue light from electronic devices won’t lead to eye disease. They endorse using other approaches to improve your sleep, such as avoiding screens altogether in the hour or two before going to bed.

This article was co-authored by Kara Hartl, MD, FACS and by wikiHow staff writer, Dan Hickey. Dr. Kara Hartl is a board certified Ophthalmologist and the Founder and CEO of Mountain View Eye Center in Fairbanks, Alaska. Dr. Hartl is a blue light expert and specializes in studying the effects of natural and artificial light on people’s eyes and bodies. She received a BA in Biology from Harvard University and earned her Doctor of Medicine (MD) from The University of California-San Diego Medical School. Dr. Hartl also trained at the world-renowned Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. She is passionate about incorporating technology into the future of eye care and has started a public education initiative to inform everyday LED screen users about the effects and the easy ways to protect themselves while continuing to use their devices. Dr. Hartl also founded the international non-profit, Gift of Sight, which is dedicated to curing blindness across the globe.

There are some quick and easy at-home tests to use to tell if your glasses have complete blue light protection. Everything gathered in this article is to help you effectively manage exposure to blue light.

There are many blue light filter lens colors, which makes it essential to understand the different performance and clarity these will offer and when they are suitable to use.

Compared to the clear lenses, these are good at removing more of the highest energy blue light, around 440 nm, but are still clear enough to easily distinguish traffic lights and for driving at night.

The best blue light glasses for sleep have orange lenses. A well-balanced lens for sleep filters out 100% of the most melatonin-disturbing light and is easy to see through.

To find out if a brand"s blue light glasses are the best computer glasses you can get, you have to get some numbers from the companies" blue light filtering test data.

Premium blue cut lenses that filter out the recommended 30% of all blue light and include anti-reflective coatings are costly to manufacture. This means that any computer glasses cheaper than US$40 likely lack these essential features.

During normal wear, the lenses look clear, but they actually have a slight yellow tint if filtering the recommended 30% of blue light. The filtration is mostly at the start of the blue light spectrum, which is also called blue-violet light.

When looking through the lenses towards a clear blue sky, you can more easily see this light being filtered away by the lenses. As seen in the picture below, a slight yellow tint will appear with the

The tests found above are great ways to tell if your blue light glasses work as intended. They are really useful to see if most blue light is filtered out.

The only way to accurately measure how much green light a blue light blocker lens filters out is to use a visible spectrometer. This instrument can measure the exact green light–filtering capacity with high precision.

An essential part of how this type of expensive laboratory instrument works is that the light used during lens testing is standardized. This means that the incoming light contains all the colors needed to perform an accurate test.

With this understanding, it is easy to see that a handheld visible spectrometer can"t give accurate spectral analysis test results. Any measurement taken using a non-standardized light source, such as a laptop screen or other random light source, can"t be trusted.

When it comes to the green light filter performance, the only way to get a reliable result is to test with a lab-grade visible spectrometer using a standardized full-spectrum light source.

As a whole, we spend a lot of time in front of screens. In fact, 43 percent of adults have jobs that require the usage of a tablet or computer, and kids in the US between the ages of 8 and 12 spend four to six hours a day watching or using screens while US teens spend up to 9 hours using screens. More screen time means more exposure to blue light.

Now, a few decades into the technological revolution, science shows us that the light from our favorite devices might be harsher than we ever imagined. We spoke to dermatologists and experts to see what impact blue light can have on your whole face -- not just your eyes -- and tips on how to minimize damage.

Blue light is the highest-energy light in the visible spectrum, says Dr. Michele Farber of Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City. It"s generally defined as visible light from 380 to 500 nanometers. Other types of visible light fall below that on the electromagnetic spectrum, and UV light, which is invisible radiation, falls above blue light with wavelengths of 100 to 380 nanometers.

Emerging studies show that blue light can cause generation of reactive oxygen species. A reactive oxygen species is an unstable molecule that contains oxygen and reacts with other molecules, according to the National Cancer Institute. These unstable molecules damage skin cells, which results in faster aging due to the breakdown of collagen and elastin, Dr. Farber explains.

"It is important to understand that studies are emerging, and we are still learning the extent of how blue light affects skin," Dr. Farber says, but she emphasizes that there"s no reason to disregard the potential for damage.

Dr. Marie Hayag, a medical and cosmetic dermatologist based in New York City, tells CNET that blue light can potentially damage skin in a number of ways:Induces oxidative stress, which can lead to inflammation and collagen degeneration

One other element to consider is that blue light can interfere with your circadian rhythm and disturb sleep. It"s well-known that sleep deprivation can cause changes to the skin, including dullness, swollenness, redness and the ever-dreaded dark undereye circles.

Interestingly, low-level blue light therapy has been used to treat acne and accelerate wound healing. But, as the saying goes, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.

Keep night mode enabled on all of your devices at all times to reduce blue light emittance in favor of gentler yellow or orange light. You could also purchase a blue light shield for your computer, like

Some new skin care products claim to protect skin against blue light damage, such as Foster"s Lab, a new skin care startup that makes an "Anti-Tech Serum" full of ingredients proposed to protect and eventually undo any damage caused by blue light.

Certain skincare products may help protect your skin against blue light damage, but the bottom line is that everyone could do with a little less screen time: Fewer hours spent scrolling can be good for your eyes, your mind, your posture and perhaps your skin, too.

Iris is my go to software to manage my MacBook screen brightness and color. I love how simple it is to block harmful blue light yet the advanced options are there too to give me even more customisation options when I feel like it. I recommend Iris to everyone who uses a computer to help protect their eyes and circadian rhythms.

I love Iris and always have it running on my computer. It blocks blue light better than goofy glasses, gives me complete control over my screen display and also addresses lesser known health risks like flicker rate, glare and more.

I"m really happy that I was able to find Iris. It solved my headache and sleeping issues. As IT Project Manager I spend a lot of time during the day on a PC and mobile devices so it"s really important for me to have a software that gives me the ability to control the amount of blue on all devices! Iris does that and not only that. It helps you take rests and reduce eye strain. It"s a great software and I"ve been using it for over a year. I"ve recommended it to all my colleagues and most of them are using it all the time! Congrats and thanks Daniel for making this awesome software.

I tested a lot of programs and Iris was my desired option after I saw it was simple and elegant. It has a lot of options for customization now. For programming is essential not only resting the eyes but take a break to all parts of the body. Using the color temperature according to timezone helps me to keep my sleep cycle in check, which is necessary to let the body produce melatonin and prevent all sort of diseases, especially for people like me that like to work in the night.

I was working on a large project until late night. I felt the blue light harmful effect on my eyes. When I start using Iris, Surprisingly, I didn"t feel any harmful effect on my eyes and I have decided to use Iris permanently.

The ability to customize the amount of blue light has allowed many patients to set the exact amount of blue light to enable them to get back to using a computer.

Daniel did an amazing job with his Iris software. He has put so much work into it and you can see the results. The interface is intuitive and very easy to use. Iris has helped me break the bad habit of staying up late by removing the blue light. I use Iris on my laptop and on my phone. Keep up the great work Daniel!

Before inviting Dany to my podcast, I have only read about Iris on Facebook. But having heard the story, I decided to try it immediately. My regular job had me spending 9-10 hours a day in front of a monitor (or two), so I was sure that the software would be helpful. After installing Iris mini for a quick test, I immediately saw the difference in two days and use it ever since. Therefore, I constantly recommend the App and Dani’s advises for health protection to my family, friends, colleagues, and followers. Huge thank you and keep up the great work!

I’ve been using Iris for over a year now and it is been a complete game changer! With our podcasting and running an online wellness business, I’m no stranger to screen time and Iris helps me have fresher eyes at the end of the day and less fatigue, which allows me to sleep better without absorbing all the toxic blue light in the evenings. Thank you Iris for this incredible and effective solution!

Blue light glasses (a.k.a. blue light blocking glasses) have become a must-have accessory, and it’s easy to see why: Between working from home, scrolling on your phone and watching TV, the amount of screen time you’re logging is likely at an all-time high. While there’s limited research on the topic, evidence suggests that blue light emitted from these screens can cause eye strain, headaches and other health issues. The best blue light blocking glasses aim to counteract the effects, protect your vision, reduce eye fatigue and help regulate circadian rhythms, so you sleep better at night.

Ahead, we consulted with eye care professionals for advice on where to buy the best blue light blocking glasses. Many of the retailers on this list have been tested by the Forbes Vetted staff and contributors who personally wear and highly recommend these glasses for convenient all-day protection.

Eyebuydirect offers four different blue-light-blocking lenses—you can opt to filter out UV light, add a premium anti-glare coating or get transitional lenses for indoor-outdoor use. The brand offers a full year of protection against defects, and in addition to in-house lines, such as Notting Hill (pictured), they carry a stylish selection of other well-known brands (Ray-Ban, Oakley).

Zenni’s line of blue light blocking lenses is called Blokz and glasses start at the low price of $17 per pair. They block blue light as well as UV rays, and Zenni offers the glasses with prescription and non-prescription lenses, as well as sunglasses. The brand also carries a line specifically for gamers.

Warby Parker offers blue light blocking lenses on all of its eyewear—prescription or non-prescription frames—for $50. With its home try-on program, you pick five sample pairs to test out for five days to see which suits you best. You can also renew your prescription online with a virtual eye appointment, and take a quiz that matches you with the glasses that are best designed for your face shape, style and needs.

Felix Gray offers a wide range of styles and colors for its blue light glasses. Each pair utilizes a proprietary technology that filters out 15 times more blue light than other lenses, which can really help reduce blurry vision and tired eyes when staring at a screen for hours. You can purchase with or without a prescription, and request magnification as well—a good option for anyone fixated on spreadsheets all day.

For those who don’t need prescription glasses, readers (or magnification lenses) are the go-to option to help the eyes to see better. Look Optic specializes in stylish designs at reasonable prices and with a customer-friendly return policy. Its patented UV400 blue light lenses are available for all models. Like their designs but don’t need magnification? You can also purchase them without it.

GlassesUSA has an extensive range of blue light blocking frames from designer brands—including Michael Kors, Tory Birch, Prada and Gucci—at up to 60% off. The in-house range is also surprisingly stylish; Alexis Caldwell, Executive Director of Commerce Business Development at Forbes Vetted, is a fan of the Muse line. You can also test out glasses with the Live Try On feature, which uses augmented reality to superimpose frames onto your face.

Liingo (a 1-800-Contacts company) offers hundreds of frames at affordable prices—no frame is more than $150. Blue light filters can be added to any lenses, which also include UV filtering to protect the sensitive skin around your eyes (the blue light glasses are endorsed by the Skin Cancer Foundation). All glasses can be purchased with HSA/FSA plans and like Warby Parker, Liingo has an at-home try on program. While you’re on the site, you can shop for other family members, order sunglasses and contacts, too.

DIFF eyewear is where high fashion meets function. The brand’s blue light blocking glasses are available in prescription, non-prescription and readers. Prices start at $30, though most sit in the $70 to $90 range. These higher-end blue light blocking glasses are worth the investment, especially if you spend most of your day looking at a screen. There are over 400 pairs to choose from, including many bold, oversized styles.

While you won’t find many designer blue light blocking glasses on Amazon, it’s the place to turn to when looking for non-prescription and affordable pairs. From square and rectangle frames to cat eye and circular, Amazon has more than 3,000 options starting as low as $1.

Choosing a great pair of blue light glasses isn’t something we take lightly: After all, most of us spend hours in front of the screen every day. We consulted with two health professionals, assistant professor Phillip Yuhas, O.D., Ph.D. and ophthalmology professor Sunir J. Garg, M.D., to understand how blue light glasses work and what goes into choosing the right pair. We also research, edit and continually update this list to ensure we’re offering you the best options. To start, we surveyed the entire market, looking at specialist eyewear retailers and generalist marketplaces. Then we sorted through a range of styles and prices and considered features such as prescription and magnification. Lastly, we tested each site to discover how easy it was to try the glasses while carefully assessing refund policies and warranties.

From cheap, basic frames to prescription designer specs, there are thousands of blue light blocking glasses for every need and budget. Consider the points below to help you find your perfect pair.

Do you already wear prescription glasses? Consider getting a pair that does double-duty with prescription blue light blocking glasses. Several of the retailers above let you customize your lenses with upgrades like a blue light-filtering coating.

Higher-end blue light glasses can be a splurge, especially if they include prescription lenses. For pricier specs, especially, be sure to check the retailer’s return policy. Some give you a two-week window, some allow a one-time return for store credit, some charge a restocking fee and some don’t allow returns on custom orders.

Blue light is one of the colors on the visible light spectrum. It has a short wavelength, which means that it produces more energy than other light colors. There are two types of blue light—natural (from the sun) and artificial (from devices like your phone, computer, tablet, and TV). While exposure to natural blue light during the day isn’t much of a concern, regular exposure to artificial blue light has been linked to various problems, like eye strain, fatigue and headache.

But what’s so wrong with blue light? For one thing, it contributes to eye strain, and can also increase the risk of macular degeneration as well as other vision complications. It can also affect your sleep by disrupting your circadian rhythm. And while we’re all exposed to the blue light that comes from the sun (it’s the blue wavelengths in sunlight), which actually boosts attention and mood during the day, it’s our exposure to blue light outside of daylight hours that can affect us in less desirable ways.

It depends who you ask. There isn’t a lot of research to support the use of these screen protection glasses says Phillip Yuhas, O.D., Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Optometry at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. That said, the technology is still new. “Some patients do find that some blue light blocking glasses improve subjective comfort while viewing a screen,” Yuhas says.

Blue light glasses may also help you get a better night’s sleep, says Sunir J. Garg, M.D., a professor of ophthalmology at the Retina Service of Wills Eye Hospital. “For some folks, exposing themselves to intense blue light at nighttime can screw up their internal clock,” he says. “That can mess up certain people’s sleep-wake cycles. There may be some advantage to people using blue light glasses at night if they’re having trouble sleeping.”

However, Valerie Kattouf, OD, optometry professor and medical reviewer for All About Vision, says that consumers shouldn’t use blue light glasses as a “band aid” since blue light itself is one piece of the puzzle contributing to digital eye strain. “I notice that [most people] are quite aware that the excessive amount of time they spend on digital devices is often the culprit for visual symptoms [but] even with this awareness, they don’t want to address the problem directly and alter their habits,” says Kattouf.

Ultimately, the evidence is mostly anecdotal but wearing a pair of blue light glasses while looking at screens won’t hurt. However, if you have any additional concerns about your eyes or vision, your best bet is to consult with your eye doctor. In the meantime, make sure you’re also taking regular breaks or making an effort to reduce screen time when possible to help improve your eye health.

A systematic review of multiple trials and case studies suggests that blue light glasses are beneficial for individuals with sleep disorders, jet lag or variable shift work schedules. (Makes sense, since those issues are all related to disruptions in circadian rhythm.) There are also people who claim that wearing blue light lenses have helped decrease eye fatigue and frequency of headaches—but of course, that’s all anecdotal.

Generally speaking, blue light glasses themselves won’t harm your eyes. However, they may not provide the protection you think you’re getting, which is why you’ll want to order your glasses from a reputable retailer or trusted eye care professional.

Another possible downside is the tint. Lenses that block substantial blue light tend to have a notable yellow or amber hue, which could distort how you perceive colors. (Superficially speaking, they may not always look that appealing to wear.)

“Computer glasses is a generic term that encompasses lens treatments and prescriptions to minimize the eye strain experienced by technology use,” says Kattouf. “Blue light lens treatments are just one option offered to patients who are seeking treatments for digital eyestrain.” Computer glasses could have lenses with blue light filters, but not always. Computer glasses may also contain anti-glare treatments, lenses to help relax over-focusing and different-colored tints for comfort.

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) are pre-tax saving plans with funds that can be used for certain approved medical expenses. Both FSA and HSA accounts typically cover prescription eyeglasses, including blue light blocking pairs. Many online retailers qualify for these plans but it’s worthwhile to browse the FAQs section for any exclusions and check the specifics of your own plan before purchasing.