The truth about sunglasses and Blue Light protection
In this post we're answering a few questions that people ask us about a lot, and it's about blue light:
Do sunglasses protect your eyes against blue light?
What can you do to protect your eyes from blue light?
The truth about the actual effect of blue light blocking and where blue light is coming from (and it's not what you expect!)
For some people their sunglasses serve another primary function than just protecting their eyes from UV radiation from the sun. The fashion element of what we now even call "Sun Eyewear" has changed that, up to the point where some people wear their sunglasses indoors. And sometimes not because of the sun!
Since some people wear them indoors, we often ask if sunglasses also protect our eyes from the harmful blue light emitted by digital screens. This is a logical question, since you might hit two birds with one stone: you'll look stylish with your sunglasses on, and you can tell everyone you can't take them off for eye protection reasons!
Blue light is everywhere, but we usually only hear about its health problems when it has to do with our screens. Then you might be surprised to learn that blue light is more abundant in natural sunlight, which may also increase your risk for healthy and light-sensitive eyes (and brains). Not only did we explain why filtering blue light from the sun is important, but we compared the biggest sunglasses brands in several key areas.
Why blocking outdoor blue light is important
The first question is whether you even need to worry about blue light when you're outside. After all, the "threat" posed by blue light usually revolves around our constant exposure to computer screens and mobile devices, not necessarily natural light.
It's hard to estimate exactly how much blue light comes from natural sources, as it varies with specific conditions (eg direct vs indirect light; sunny vs cloudy; time of day), but it can potentially double our exposure 250 compared to normal indoor lighting! 1 These blue light peaks from the sun are consistent across all wavelengths.
Blue Light Protection for Different Sunglasses
It's important to start with a (hopefully) obvious premise: Not all sunglasses offer the same protection. Some are darker and use polarization to reduce glare, some use tints to provide a therapeutic effect, while others just use tinted or reflective lenses without adding additional filtering properties.
It's fair to say that most typical and higher quality sunglasses block some amount of blue light, especially if the lenses are dark and polarized. Even so, different brands offer different amounts of light filtering in the blue spectrum.
|
Percentage of blue light removed |
|||||||
|
450nm |
460nm |
470nm |
480nm |
490nm |
500nm |
Total light removed |
|
|
92% |
92% |
91% |
92% |
92% |
92% |
90% |
|
|
Oakley® Sunglasses |
88% |
88% |
88% |
88% |
87% |
87% |
89% |
|
Ray-Ban® Polarized Grey |
91% |
90% |
89% |
88% |
88% |
88% |
88% |
|
Maui Jim® Neutral Grey |
92% |
92% |
90% |
87% |
84% |
86% |
89% |
|
Other FL-41 (Outdoor) |
83% |
84% |
85% |
86% |
86% |
87% |
85% |
Obviously any of these sunglass options have strong blue light filtering and will dim the overall brightness of any light source, but it also shows that DL GLASSES outdoor lenses outperform these at the most critical wavelengths Every one of the well-known eyewear brands. Not even other FL-41 products can match the characteristics of the DL GLASSES sunglasses, making the DL GLASSES the most light-sensitive sunglasses on the market. Additional protection can play an important role when you are sensitive to light and/or suffer from conditions such as migraines or post-concussion syndrome.
Like many other popular sunglasses, DL GLASSES sunglasses also feature polarized lenses and 100% UVA/UVB blocking. Polarized light helps eliminate reflected glare and adds darkness to the lenses, while maximum UVA/UVB protection reduces invisible UV rays that can harm our eyes. Both of these features enhance people's comfort in bright outdoor conditions.
★★★★★
SMILING
"When I took this pic I was about to drive to the grocery store but had a terrible migraine, so why was I smiling you might be asking? Well that’s because I was wearing my new sunglasses. I wasn’t feeling any pain behind my eyes for the first time during an attack!"
★★★★★
A HUGE RELIEF!
"With the lenses, I can spend all the time I want outside on sunny days, and using them even on overcast or cloudy days comforts my eyes. What a huge relief! I have yet to have a light-induced migraine since using DL GLASSES tinted sunglasses!"
★★★★★
LIGHT DOES NOT HURT
"I have been using DL GLASSES outdoor glasses for about a month now and love that when I wear them, light does not hurt when I am having an attack. I can spend time outside during a migraine attack and be there with my kids."
Do Sunglasses Block Blue Light?
The quick and easy answer is
Yes. Your favourite shades
What can you do to protect your eyes from blue light?
Science and popular opinion are divided as to whether you should be concerned about digital blue light related to your eyes, as digital screens emit only a fraction of the blue light coming from the sun. If you protect your eyes with sunglasses outdoors, your eyes are more useful than "blue light blockers". If you choose to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from blue light, choose amber or even yellow lenses. This color filters out more blue light than other colors
So if you really want to keep your eyes safe from indoor or digital blue light, you have three options:
Limit your screen time (for some, this may feel like a recommendation to limit breathing)
Buy blue light filters for your phone or monitor. Note that this is not a viable option if you are using the device for entertainment purposes. They do work for basic activities like reading and processing emails and reading texts
Buy blue light blockers (or "computer glasses" as some call them). They are cheap if you look for them. But there is a problem! Scientific research in recent years has shown that blue light is only filtered out by about 20 to 30 percent, depending on the studies you read. According to the study, the rest (70% to 80%) are not blocked
The truth about the actual effect of blue light blocking
So should you worry about blue light from your screen? I want to repeat what we said before: the blue light from the sun is at least 1000 times stronger than the blue light from your digital screen. Special blue light "blocking" lenses filter out up to 20% to 30% of the actual blue light coming from the screen. Therefore, you should know that your efforts indoors will have limited effect compared to the damage caused by the outdoors. If you do choose to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from blue light outdoors, we recommend using amber or yellow tinted lenses.
Interested in premium sunglasses? More specifically, conscious and sustainable? Shades with positive stories, click here and get inspired!
Post time: Sep-21-2022