Short answer: there's no evidence that blue light glasses help with car sickness. Car sickness comes from a mismatch between what your inner ear feels and what your eyes see, and filtering blue light doesn't change that. The things that do help are looking out at the road or the horizon, sitting in the front seat, keeping screens and books away while the car is moving, and fresh air. If you ride as a passenger with a screen anyway, blue light glasses won't make you sick, but don't expect them to stop it.
Below: what causes car sickness, why screens make it worse, and what actually helps.
What Causes Car Sickness?
Car sickness is a type of motion sickness. Your inner ear senses movement and acceleration, while your eyes tell your brain where you are. When the two disagree, the brain can respond with nausea, dizziness, sweating, yawning or a headache.
Common triggers:
- Reading or looking at a screen while the car is moving
- Sitting where you can't see out the front
- Winding roads, stop-and-go traffic, and sharp braking or acceleration
- Stuffy air, strong smells, and being tired
Why Screens Make It Worse
When you look at a phone or tablet in a moving car, your eyes see something still, while your inner ear feels the car moving. That's exactly the mismatch that sets off car sickness. It's the same with a book.
The problem is where you're looking, not the kind of light the screen gives off. Blue light glasses don't change where you're looking, so they don't remove the mismatch.
Can Blue Light Glasses Help With Car Sickness?
There's no research showing they do. They don't affect your inner ear or balance, and they don't change the movement your eyes see. A 2023 Cochrane review also found blue light filtering glasses probably make no difference to eye strain in the short term, so there's little reason to expect them to ease the visual side either.
If you already wear blue light glasses and like them, it's fine to wear them as a passenger. Just treat them as a personal preference, not a fix for car sickness.
What Actually Helps
- Look out the front: watch the road ahead or the horizon, so your eyes see the same movement your inner ear feels.
- Sit in the front seat if you can, or in the middle of the back seat with a view forward.
- Put screens and books away while the car is moving, or keep them to short bursts.
- Get fresh air: open a window or turn on the fan.
- Keep your head still: rest it against the headrest.
- Eat lightly before the trip and avoid strong smells in the car.
- Take breaks on long drives to get out and walk around.
- Ask a pharmacist or doctor about motion sickness medicine if it's a regular problem, especially for children.
If You Wear Blue Light Glasses in the Car
- As a passenger in the daytime, a clear lens like InvisiAid (blocks 35% of blue light across 400–500nm, 86% light transmission) keeps colors natural.
- As a passenger on a late-evening trip, an orange lens (99% across 380–550nm) cuts most blue light before bed if you plan to sleep when you arrive.
- If you're driving, orange and red lenses must never be worn, day or night. See blue light glasses for driving for which lenses are suitable.
Our figures are measured by Micro-Light Optics.
Questions You Might Have
Can Blue Light Glasses Cure Car Sickness?
No. They don't affect the inner ear or the mismatch that causes it.
Do Blue Light Glasses Help With Screen-Related Car Sickness?
There's no evidence they do. The screen makes car sickness worse because you're looking at something still while the car moves, and a lens can't change that. Putting the screen away works better.
Why Do I Only Get Car Sick When I Read or Use My Phone?
Because looking down at something close cuts your eyes off from the car's movement. Looking out the front window lets your eyes and inner ear agree again.
What Helps Kids With Car Sickness?
A seat with a view out the front where it's safe for their age, fewer screens and books on the move, fresh air, light snacks and regular breaks. Ask a pharmacist or doctor before giving children any medicine.
Conclusion
Blue light glasses won't prevent or relieve car sickness. It's caused by a mismatch between what you feel and what you see, and the fixes are about where you look: out the front, not down at a screen. Fresh air, the front seat and regular breaks help too, and a pharmacist or doctor can advise if it's a regular problem.
