Short answer: a good orange lens blocks almost all blue light. Our SleepAid orange lens blocks 99% of light between 380 and 550nm, independently measured by Micro-Light Optics. A clear "computer" lens blocks far less: our clear InvisiAid lens blocks 35%. Cheaper orange lenses vary a lot, so look for a measured percentage and a wavelength range before you buy.
Below: how orange lenses work, how they compare with clear, yellow and red lenses, when to wear them, and what they won't do.
How Much Blue Light Do Orange Lenses Block?
It depends on the lens, and the label tells you more than the color. Orange is the strongest everyday tint because it filters the whole blue band and carries on into blue-green, the part of the spectrum your body clock is most sensitive to.
| Lens | Color | Blocks | Range | Light let through | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| InvisiAid | Clear | 35% | 400–500nm | 86% | Daytime screens |
| ScreenAid | Yellow | 60% | 400–500nm | 79% | Long screen sessions |
| SleepAid | Orange | 99% | 380–550nm | 48% | The 2–3 hours before bed |
| SleepAidMax | Red | 99.7% | 380–580nm | 22% | The last hour before bed |
All figures measured by Micro-Light Optics against ISO 12312-1 and ANSI Z80.3. See the lab data for all fourteen lenses.
Across the industry the spread is wide. A 2020 study in Clinical and Experimental Optometry found that commercially available blue-blocking lenses cut circadian sensitivity by anywhere from 4% to 27%, depending on brand and lens. Two pairs that look equally orange can perform very differently, which is why a measured figure is worth more than the tint.
Understanding Blue Light
Blue light is part of ordinary white light. The sun is by far the biggest source, but screens and LED lighting give off plenty of it too:
- Smartphones
- Tablets and e-readers
- Computer monitors and TVs
- LED bulbs and strip lights
- Sunlight
It isn't all bad. During the day, blue light helps you feel alert. After dark, screens and LED lighting keep sending that daytime signal when your body clock expects it to fade.
How Orange Lenses Filter Blue Light
White light is a mix of colors. An orange lens works as a color filter: it absorbs the short blue wavelengths and lets the longer green, yellow, orange and red wavelengths through. That's why everything looks warmer through it.
The deeper the tint, the more of the spectrum it removes. Orange stops at around 550nm, covering blue and blue-green. Red goes further, to about 580nm, taking out green as well, but it lets through less than a quarter of visible light, so rooms look much darker.
Orange Lenses and Evening Light
Light is the main signal that sets your body clock. In the evening, bright, blue-rich light from screens and LED bulbs can delay the rise of melatonin, the hormone that tells your body it's getting dark. There's more on the research on our science page.
Orange lenses remove most of that blue light before it reaches your eyes, so an evening in front of a screen looks, to your body clock, more like an evening under warm lamplight.
What the studies show: a small 2018 randomized trial in the Journal of Psychiatric Research found that people who wore amber lenses for two hours before bed reported better sleep than people who wore clear lenses. Other studies have been more mixed, and sleep depends on far more than light, so treat orange lenses as one part of an evening routine rather than a fix.
Orange Lenses and Screen Comfort
Many people find a warmer screen more comfortable to look at in the evening. The research on blue light and eye strain is mixed, though. Most screen discomfort comes from blinking less and focusing up close for long stretches, not from blue light itself, so regular breaks do more than any lens.
Who Tends to Use Orange Lenses
- People who work or study on screens into the evening
- Gamers and late-night streamers
- Shift workers winding down after a late shift
- Anyone who reads on a phone or tablet in bed
If you mostly use screens during the day, a clear lens or yellow lens is the better fit, because daytime blue light helps you stay alert.
When to Wear Orange Lenses
Put them on two to three hours before bed, once the sun has gone down, and keep them on while you're using screens or sitting under bright indoor lights. Taking them off to check your phone undoes much of the point.
Don't drive in them. Orange lenses let through only about half of visible light, far below the 75% a lens needs for driving at twilight or night.
Practice the 20-20-20 Rule
Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It rests your focusing muscles and gets you blinking again, which is what most screen discomfort comes down to. More on the 20-20-20 rule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Are Some Blue Light Glasses Orange?
Orange is the color a lens takes on when it absorbs blue and blue-green light and lets the rest through. The stronger the filtering, the more orange, and eventually red, the lens looks.
Are Orange Lenses Better Than Clear for Blue Light?
They block far more: 99% across 380–550nm for our SleepAid lens, against 35% for our clear InvisiAid lens. Which is better depends on the time of day. Clear suits daytime screens; orange suits the evening.
Can You Wear Orange Blue Light Glasses During the Day?
You can, but it isn't what they're for. Daytime blue light helps keep you alert, and orange lenses change how colors look, which matters for design or photo work. Save them for after sunset.
Do Orange Glasses Change How Colors Look?
Yes. Whites look amber and blues look dull. Your eyes adjust after a few minutes, but orange lenses aren't suitable for color-critical work.
Are Orange Lenses the Same as Amber Lenses?
Mostly, yes. "Orange" and "amber" describe the same family of evening lenses. What matters is the measured blocking percentage and wavelength range, not the name of the color.
Do Orange Lenses Block UV?
All Sleep ZM lenses are UV400. Orange lenses still aren't sunglasses, though: they're made for indoor use in the evening.
Conclusion
Orange lenses are the strongest everyday option for cutting evening blue light, and a well-made pair blocks almost all of it. Go by a measured figure and wavelength range rather than the color, wear them for the two to three hours before bed, and keep taking screen breaks.
Shop SleepAid orange lens glasses, or for maximum blocking in the last hour before bed, SleepAidMax red lens glasses. You can also browse all night-time glasses, or use the Lens Finder if you're not sure which tint fits.
