Do Blue Light Glasses Affect Your Vision? Here’s the Answer

Blue light glasses have a filter or coating that blocks a certain percentage of blue light, protecting your eyes from several potential issues.

However, if these glasses change the way light reaches your eyes, can they also affect your vision?

After all, it’s the combination of different wavelengths in the white light that helps us see what we see.

In this post, we’ll discuss the impacts of blue light glasses on your vision and some related questions you might have.

Before getting into the details, here’s a quick and short answer (If you don’t want to read the whole thing).

Do Blue Light Glasses Affect Your Vision? (Short Answer)

Do blue light glasses affect your vision? The short answer is that it depends on the intensity of tint. The tint required to block blue light at higher percentages distorts color perception.

The higher the blocking percentage of a pair of lenses, the more dense the tint. As a result, certain colors may be distorted.

This is why we don’t recommend wearing amber or red tints when driving at night or when doing color-sensitive tasks like graphic design.

However, remember that the vision change is limited only to your color perception. Blue light glasses, no matter how strong, don’t negatively impact your ability to see stuff.

Let’s dive deeper.

Blue Light Glasses: A Brief Introduction

Orange and amber tinted blue light glasses on a white background

Based on how much blue light they block, blue light glasses are usually classified into three types: Clear, yellow, and amber tints.

Clear tints block a small percentage of blue light, whether it’s coming from the Sun or a digital screen, which is why they don’t cause any changes in your color perception.

Clear lenses aren’t usually effective if your goal is to improve the production of your sleep hormone, melatonin. They let enough blue light in to disrupt your circadian rhythm, which is why they’re better suited for daytime wear.

Yellow and amber tints block a major portion of the blue light (Sometimes, up to 100%). As a result, using them in the evening can help you sleep on time. Importantly, the noticeable tint increases contrast and can alter your color perception significantly.

Potential Impacts of Blue Light Glasses On Your Vision

Looking through glasses to black and white tulips focused in women's glasses

Altering Visual Performance and Color Perception

Here’s the simple rule to remember: To block a higher percentage of blue light, and therefore provide more effective protection, lenses require a denser tint.

This tint typically appears as yellow, amber, and even red, and it’s the primary factor directly affecting your vision when you wear blue light glasses.

Clear Lenses (Low Blocking Percentage)

These block a small portion of the blue light (Often between 10 and 50%), and have a subtle tint. As a result, they have a minimal impact on your color perception and visual clarity.

Yellow/Amber Lenses (High Blocking Percentage)

These block a much larger portion of blue light (More than 90%). To achieve this high level of blocking, a significant tint is necessary, and it can have noticeable effects on your vision.

Color Distortion: These lenses dramatically shift color perception. Whites appear distinctly yellow, orange, or even red. Blues and purples become muted or altered.

Reduced Light Transmission: The dark tint can also reduce the overall light that reaches your eyes, making the environment seem dimmer.

Practical Consequences: The level of color distortion and light reduction affects your ability to perform certain tasks that require:

Accurate color judgment
Optimal vision

Therefore, we recommend not wearing amber or red tints while driving at night or doing tasks that require accurate color perception, like:

Graphic design
Photo editing
Selecting fabric/paint colors

The Benefits: Eyeglasses with a high tint may distort colors and reduce light’s brightness, but they’re also beneficial.

The goal of these lenses is to block the high-intensity blue light that delays your sleep onset by disrupting melatonin (Your sleep hormone).

Young sleeping man in bed turning off alarm clock at home

So, the best times to wear amber tints are:

In the evening, when you’re not doing any tasks that require accurate color perception
At night, while using screens
2 - 3 hours before going to bed

Should You Wear Blue Light Glasses?

Yes, but choose wisely: Choose a blocking percentage and, in turn, the tint intensity based on your needs and tolerance for this distortion.

For Visual Comfort (Without Distortion): If you want to reduce eye strain without compromising color perception, choose a lightly tinted lens.

And, as mentioned before, never use high-tint lenses for driving or any task that requires precise color discrimination.

For Reducing Screen-Related Sleep Problems: Wear high-tint blue light blocking glasses at night when your body needs to relax (These glasses help normalize your sleep onset).

Questions You May Have

Do Blue Light Glasses Improve Sleep?

Yes, studies show wearing blue light glasses 1 - 2 hours before sleep can block sleep-disrupting blue light, boost melatonin, and improve sleep quality.

Can Blue Light from Screens Cause Macular Degeneration?

Current scientific evidence doesn’t support this. Blue light from screens is much lower than blue light from the Sun. For effective retinal protection, wear UV-blocking sunglasses (Or blue light glasses with UV-protection) outdoors.

Do Blue Light Glasses Have Side Effects?

Clear lenses rarely cause any issues. Dark tints can distort colors and reduce overall light. However, they don’t harm your vision.

Can Blue Light Glasses Help with Headaches?

Possibly, if your headaches are linked to digital eye strain or dryness, and blue light is a trigger. They may reduce glare and strain for some, but they aren’t a cure-all.

Conclusion

Improved sleep onset is a science-backed benefit blue light glasses offer. They block almost all the blue light, allowing your body to produce melatonin naturally, helping you sleep on time.

Importantly, these glasses don’t have any significant side effects. There’s usually an adjustment period that can last up to 2 weeks, where you may feel slight discomfort.

High-tint eyeglasses may change how you perceive colors and reduce the overall amount of light that reaches your eyes. This makes these glasses unsuitable for some critical tasks like night driving, graphic designing, etc.

The key is to understand your needs before picking a pair of glasses. Plus, wear these glasses at the right time (E.g., 1 - 2 hours before sleep) to get the most out of them.