I have one of the coolest jobs on planet Earth. I get to sit at my desk all day, write about technology, and play with the latest gadgets, all while making a living. Sometimes, though, it can be a bit much. Not because I don’t love what I do, but because of the fact I stare at a computer screen all day long.
On a busy day, I can be sitting at my computer for eight to 10 hours at a time with minimal breaks in between sessions. I realize that sounds unhealthy, but it isn’t like that’s every day of my life. I’d say only once or maybe twice a week, I get a day like this.
Regardless of how busy I am, writing articles while staring at a computer screen all day can lead to negative health effects. For instance, some may be extra tired at the end of the day or their back might get sore from sitting too long. But in my case and in the case of many others, I experience eye strain regularly.
Straining your eyes is annoying. Not only do your eyes feel like absolute trash, you can get a headache at the end of the day and have problems falling asleep. I hate that. I need to be able to work however long I need to during the day, take breaks when I feel like it, and go to sleep with ease.
All of the side effects I listed are symptoms of what’s called Computer Vision Syndrome, or CVS. Essentially, it’s what happens to your eyes when you stare at a computer screen for too long, and it’s caused by the blue light being emitted by the display itself.
Blue light isn’t a new or modern phenomenon. In fact, the sun emits it every single day. But when you’re exposed to levels of blue light your body isn’t designed to handle, it can lead to drops in your overall health and wellbeing.
To help limit the amount of blue light intake, companies have introduced special night modes that turn your devices’ screens an amber color that filters out the blue light being emitted. It works, but it’s not very pleasing to look at.
Then there’s blue light-filtering eyeglasses, special lenses that claim to filter out harmful blue light and help regulate your blue light intake. I’ve been skeptical of these things for years since I never actually bought the whole message of “Oh, they’re sooo good for your eyes!” But then, I was contacted by the kind folks at Pixel Eyewear, a company who specializes in computer glasses without the harsh amber tones of typical blue light filters. They offered me a pair to try out, so I sent them my prescription, selected a style, and decided to wear them for a full month before sharing my thoughts.
Folks, I’m happy to report that not only do these things work, but they’ve also changed my life.
You Won’t Look Weird
A common concern many people may have when it comes to buying something called “computer glasses” is the fear of looking weird. Who wants to walk around with chunky frames or yellow lenses? Luckily, that’s the exact opposite of what you get with Pixel glasses. They let you choose from a variety of fashionable frames that don’t look nerdy or off-putting, while their lenses aren’t yellow or unnecessarily colored.
For my review, I went with the Asper (RX) frame which retails for $125. They fit my face nicely and go with just about every outfit I have in my wardrobe. They also just look like normal glasses which is important when you’re dealing with niche brands.
You also don’t get a weird tint. I’ve seen a lot of manufacturers basically tint lenses yellow and call them “glasses that are perfect for using with your computer.” With Pixel, on the other hand, you get lenses that are manufactured using a special process that filters out 50 percent of the blue light emitting from your device and up to 95 percent at the highest wavelengths. This makes the glasses not only perfect for wearing at your desk, but also outside thanks to their UV protection.
I will say, however, that the glasses aren’t totally tint-less. The first time you put them on, you’ll immediately notice a sort of green-ish tint that may seem off-putting for a few minutes. However, once you get used to it, you won’t want to take them off. They provide this weird, soothing effect that makes looking at just about anything a bit more pleasurable.
Significantly Less Eye Strain
As I said before, I’m staring at a screen for a vast majority of my day, and any chance I get to take a break to give my eyes some rest is always appreciated. With the Pixel glasses, I expected to simply not take as many breaks as I used to during the day. But during my review period, I was surprised to experience significantly less eye strain thanks to the glasses.
Mind you, everybody’s different in terms of how much screen time it takes to really mess up your eyes. For me, after staring at a screen for eight hours during the day, my eyes feel like I kept my eyes open during a dust storm on Mars. With the Pixel glasses, I experienced a lot less of that. Of course, staring at a screen for so long during the day will still make your eyes tired, even if you filter out all the blue light emitting from the device in question. But while wearing the glasses, they’re less strained and still operable until I hit the hay.
Easier Time Going to Sleep
Speaking of hitting the hay, I’ve also noticed it’s become easier for me to go to sleep at night. When you’re exposed to so much blue light during the day, your brain can be easily convinced that it’s still day time, especially if you work into the night. This leads to problems while trying to fall asleep, and if you’ve ever had problems falling asleep, you know how much it sucks.
Considering I’m taking in less blue light and receiving a natural, healthy amount while I’m outdoors, my brain can better tell when it’s night and time to get some rest. In a nutshell, instead of tossing and turning for 20 minutes after I get in bed, I’m typically knocked out cold in five to 10 minutes.
Yep, They Work
If you couldn’t tell by now, blue light-filtering glasses work, at least the one’s Pixel sent me. I go to bed earlier, I don’t have a pounding headache at the end of the day, my eyes feel less strained, and I don’t have to take several breaks during the day just because my eyes are whacking out. These things changed my life.
If you’re at all concerned about your eye health due to the always-connected world we live in, try these. They’re great. And yes, this isn’t a very scientific review, but from a standpoint of an average person who wants to experience less eye strain, Pixel’s blue light-filtering glasses are perfect.
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