Short answer: no. Blue light glasses don't treat or correct astigmatism, and they won't make your vision sharper. Astigmatism is corrected with prescription glasses, toric contact lenses or, for some people, surgery. If you have astigmatism and want to filter blue light as well, you can: choose prescription lenses with a blue light filter, or wear fit-over or clip-on blue light glasses with your existing pair.
Below: what astigmatism is, why blue light glasses can't fix it, and how to combine the two if you want both.
Understanding Astigmatism
Astigmatism happens when the cornea or the lens inside the eye is shaped more like an egg than a ball. Light entering the eye focuses unevenly on the retina instead of at a single point, so vision is blurred or distorted.
It can affect both near and distance vision, and often comes alongside nearsightedness or farsightedness. Common signs include:
- Blurred or distorted vision
- Streaks, glare or halos around lights, especially at night
- Squinting to see clearly
- Tired eyes or headaches after reading or screen work
An optometrist can detect astigmatism in a routine eye exam and tell you whether you need correction.
Do Blue Light Glasses Help With Astigmatism?
No. Here's why.
Astigmatism Is a Focusing Problem
Astigmatism comes from the shape of the eye, which changes how light is focused. Blue light glasses filter part of the light spectrum. They don't change how light is focused, so they can't correct the blur.
Astigmatism Needs Corrective Lenses
Prescription glasses and toric contact lenses are shaped to compensate for the uneven curve of the eye. That's what brings vision back into focus. Only an optometrist or ophthalmologist can prescribe them.
Glare and Halos at Night
Streaks and halos around headlights and streetlights are a common astigmatism symptom. A tinted lens won't fix them: it reduces the light reaching your eyes without sharpening the image, which is the opposite of what you need at night. If glare at night bothers you, the answer is an up-to-date prescription, so book an eye exam.
Blue Light Glasses Serve a Different Purpose
Blue light glasses filter part of the blue light from screens and lighting. Clear lenses are for daytime screen use; orange and red lenses cut most blue light in the evening, before bed. None of that affects astigmatism.
What Does the Science Say?
There's no evidence that blue light glasses improve or treat astigmatism.
On screen comfort more generally, a 2023 Cochrane review found that blue light filtering glasses probably make no difference to eye strain in the short term. If screen work leaves your eyes tired, an out-of-date prescription is a far more likely cause than blue light, and that's especially true with astigmatism.
The clearer use for blue light glasses is the evening: bright, blue-rich light before bed can delay melatonin, the hormone that tells your body it's getting dark (see this review).
How to Manage Astigmatism
Corrective Lenses
Most people with astigmatism wear prescription glasses or toric contact lenses. According to the Mayo Clinic, glasses and contact lenses are the standard, non-surgical way to correct it.
Refractive Surgery
Laser eye surgery can reshape the cornea to correct astigmatism permanently for some people. It isn't suitable for everyone, so it needs a specialist assessment.
Regular Eye Exams
Astigmatism can change over time. The American Optometric Association recommends an eye exam every one to two years, or sooner if your vision changes.
Combine Astigmatism Correction With Blue Light Glasses
If you want to filter blue light as well as correct your vision, you have three options:
- Prescription lenses with a blue light filter: ask your optometrist to add one to your next pair.
- Fit-over glasses: fit-over blue light glasses go over your existing prescription pair.
- Clip-ons: clip-on blue light lenses attach to the front of your glasses.
Fit-overs and clip-ons are a simple way to add an orange or red evening lens without buying a second prescription pair.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Type of Glasses Are Best for Astigmatism?
Prescription glasses with a cylinder correction, or toric contact lenses, prescribed after an eye exam. If you're bothered by glare or halos at night, ask your optometrist whether your prescription is up to date.
Do Blue Light Glasses Improve Vision?
No. They filter part of the blue light spectrum; they don't sharpen vision or correct focusing problems.
Can You Wear Blue Light Glasses Over Prescription Glasses?
Yes. Fit-over frames are made to go over prescription glasses, and clip-ons attach to them.
Are Blue Light Glasses Safe for People With Astigmatism?
Yes, as long as you still wear your correction. Non-prescription blue light glasses on their own won't correct your astigmatism, so wear them with or over your prescription, not instead of it.
How Much Blue Light Do Different Lenses Block?
It varies a lot by brand. Ours, measured by Micro-Light Optics: clear 35%, yellow 60%, orange 99% and red 99.7%. See our science page for the full figures.
Conclusion
Blue light glasses don't help with astigmatism. Astigmatism is corrected with prescription glasses, toric contact lenses or surgery, and regular eye exams keep that correction accurate. If you'd also like to filter blue light, especially in the evening, add a blue light filter to your prescription lenses or use fit-over or clip-on blue light glasses with your existing pair.
