Every day the negative effect of blue light's on your eyes gains additional scientific confirmation. Given the various credible, peer-reviewed studies on the subject, the scientific community has essentially reached a consensus. For practical reasons, let's accept the scientific conclusions thus far reached. Now what? Business has, fortunately, kept up with the science in this case. Many products exist solely to protect your eyes from blue light. The difficulty is not finding something that claims to protect you, the difficulty is finding the product that protects you best. The way we see it, there are essentially three viable solutions to the problem of blue light: Software (ex: Flux), Safety Glasses, or Blue Light Glasses. Today we run down each of these three possibilities and compare and contrast.
Flux
What is it?
Flux (technically called "f.lux") is downloadable software that changes the color palate of your computer screen. Much of the blue light we deal with comes from our computers. Flux seeks to combat the blue light by adjusting the color of light the screen emits automatically at sundown. The idea being that when the sun sets you want less blue light so your body's clock can naturally wind down. When blue light hits your eyes after sundown your body can be tricked into believing it's still daytime.
Does it Work?
Flux, and other software or features like it, work somewhat. By adjusting the color of the screen, of course the amount of a given light color will be somewhat reduced. The truth is, such reduction can only go so far. No matter how much you change the color of the screen, the LED light sources for digital screens emit blue light. You can reduce it somewhat, but you can't change the light source by adjusting the color. Furthermore, the color of the screen changes substantially with the use of such applications. The color goes from normal to an orange hue. Most people aren't willing to deal with that much of a color-shift, not even at night, and especially not all day long.
Yellow Safety Glasses
What is it?
In principle, yellow safety glasses take the same approach as Flux. The logic goes, if you want to filter blue light, use a color on the opposite side of the color spectrum. Safety glasses come in various colors, but the yellow ones are meant to protect your eyes from blue light. Their professed use goes across the spectrum, from regular indoor lights like florescent tubes, to computer monitors. Furthermore, proponents of safety glasses claim that regular yellow safety glasses also provide protection outside. To this end, hunters use them to brighten their field of vision without otherwise impairing them.
Does it Work?
Like Flux, yellow safety glasses work fairly well. Given their broad purported use, however, they do not work especially well at protecting eyes from digital screens. They do protect somewhat, but using safety glasses to protect from digital eye strain or sleep issues is like using broad-spectrum antibiotics to treat a condition with a known source and a known targeted cure. While it may help in a general way, it cannot provide the targeted protection needed to keep your eyes safe.
GUNNAR Blue Light Glasses
What is it?
GUNNAR makes blue light blocking eyewear specifically designed to protect your eyes from the blue light emitted by your digital devices. Their product is targeted to gamers, and anyone who spends significant time in front of digital screens. GUNNAR's patented lens technology provides a product specifically designed for the job that not only blocks blue light, but reduces glare. They have the highest GBLF of any competitor. This combination provides protection from digital eye strain. At night, the blue light blocking they provide helps regulate the sleep cycle.
Does it Work?
Comparing GUNNAR vs. Flux, GUNNAR can block blue light and has a distinct measure of how much is blocked. Flux can only diminish the color of the light, but the light source remains blue. Furthermore, studies show that blue light blocking, amber-tinted glasses like GUNNAR do not change visual perception of color or clarity, unlike Flux. Comparing GUNNAR vs. Safety Glasses, GUNNAR targets the problem, and efficiently solves it. Safety glasses offer a broad range of protection but leave your eyes insufficiently protected from its greatest threat: digital screens.
Of the many solutions, only one offers the protection you need for your eyes. Find out more today about the various lens options GUNNAR offers.