My eyes often feel tired after staring at the computer all day. So I'm wondering if glasses designed for computer use actually help (for example, those yellow-tinted computer/gaming glasses I've seen mentioned on Lifehacker or regular glasses with special coatings). They seem pricey and I'm a little skeptical about all the claims, but I also want to protect my vision. Should I buy a pair of these?
Signed,
Sore Eyes
Dear Sore,
Vision problems are unfortunately one of the hazards of too much screen time. In fact, the Vision Council found that 70 percent of US adults in one survey reported having some kind of digital eye strain (strained, dry, or red eyes; blurred vision; headaches; back pain; neck pain; or general fatigue) as a result of using digital devices for hours at a time.
We've previously noted several ways to prevent or reduce eyestrain, including using the 20-20-20 rule to regularly give your eyes a break and ergonomically optimizing your workstation. In addition to those essential tweaks, computer eyewear could also alleviate or prevent digital eyestrain, depending on your situation. I talked to several eye health experts to find out more about these special glasses, and also did a two-week trial comparing new specially-coated glasses with older ones. Here's what I learned.
How Computer Glasses Work
Computer glasses are special-purpose eyeglasses meant to optimize your eyesight when you're looking at digital screens. They're designed to: reduce glare (a major cause of eyestrain), increase contrast, and maximize what you see through the lenses?making it easier to look at a screen for longer periods of time. Here are the two main features you'll see in glasses like these:
Validating my experience, Dr. Jeffrey Anshel, an optometrist and computer vision consultant (who was also the technical adviser for Gunnar Optiks), points out that when it comes to coatings, you have two general choices: old and new. Older ones do peel and "craze," resulting in unsightly cracks, while newer ones wear very well and have a one-year warranty. So when you're at the eye doctor, you'll want to ask for the latest coating?and perhaps buy new glasses even if your prescription hasn't changed in the last few years, because coatings definitely have improved.
Dr. Paula Gordin, an optometrist and member of the American Optometric Association, further explains the differences between anti-reflected coatings:
Some are just dippped onto the lenses and are easily scratched and can peel off. Some are "baked on the lens" or "ionized into the lens matrix" during the lens making process. I personally wear the very best AR coating [Crizal Sapphire UV] as I work on a computer and under fluorescent lighting all day long. I recommend the same to my patients on the computer and with those with glare complaints.
Costs: Gunnar glasses retail for $79 and up for the non-prescription versions, but you can often find sales on them (I got a pair on Woot! for $30). Prescription versions of the Gunnars, however, can cost several hundred dollars. Anti-reflective coating brands for prescription (and non-prescription) glasses include Crizal, Zeiss, and Teflon. The coating alone will set you back quite a bit. The coating on my glasses cost $150, in addition to the cost of the lenses and frame.
So Are Computer Glasses Effective?
Whether or not computer glasses will be worth it and work for you is subjective, because, as Dr. Anshel notes, factors include your visual abilities and computer usage, work environmental conditions, and your viewing habits. Here's what experts and users have said about these types of glasses.
First: If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It
If you aren't experiencing any eye problems, you can just stop here. Specially-coated and/or computer eyeglasses won't do anything for you (other than geekify your look). In fact, they could be a hindrance. Dr. Robert Noecker, an ophthalmologist and Director of Glaucoma for Opthalmic Consultants of Connecticut, notes that:
Computer eyewear does not necessarily prevent eye strain in an already optimized environment. Also, the range that the eyes can sweep from one side to the other is maximized without any eyewear. The frame edges limit this range of motion and may actually hinder people more who are not getting much benefit from wearing the glasses. Also eyeglasses get smudges which can interfere with vision as well.
If You Experience Eyestrain, They Are Probably Worth It
That said, many people experience digital eye strain and simply ignore it. Dr. Bazan owner of Park Slope Eye in Brooklyn and a member of The Better Vision Institute on the Vision Council, says:
People are so accustomed to their eyes feeling tired at the end of the day, they just accept it. Just because it is normal, does not mean that it's ok. Your eye doctor will work with you and help to get those eyes feeling better!
He notes these advantages of the different types of glasses:
[Eyeglasses with the premium anti-reflective coating] help to ensure that your vision remains clear by keeping dust, fingerprints, etc. from appearing on your lenses. You will also want to look for glasses that include a small bump which will provide just enough of a boost in power, that the print on screen becomes slightly larger, thus decreasing eye strain. In addition, most computer glasses can help increase contrast, which makes it easier for your eyes to focus on a computer screen.
A few studies and personal experiences back this up. A clinical study/survey by New York University College of Medicine of 121 patients, for example, found that 69% of them preferred AR-coated lenses over non-coated ones and reported lower pain or vision problems due to glare. 79% of them chose Transition lenses (the kinds that adapt to light) over clear ones.
As for glasses like those from Gunnar and VC Eyewear: Reviews for them are mostly positive around the web; our own Whitson Gordon wears Gunnars and Jason Chen found prescription Gunnars helped with his eye issues (so he could play 75 hours of Skyrim in a week and a half). It's anecdotal evidence, but lots of users echo these same sentiments: they can really help relieve those headaches you get from sitting in front of a computer all day.
Why Computer Glasses Seem Like Such a Hoax
Computer eyewear companies like Gunnar Optiks really hype up their products and use infomercial-like tactics and conventions (trademarking every name and using other "XTREME" marketing lingo). So it's no wonder people are skeptical and think they're just gimmicks.
However, Krista Anderson, an optometrist and co-owner of Pointe Vision Care in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, notes in an interview with Ars Technica that most of the features of computer eyewear like this are really ones she recommends to patients anyway (just without Gunnar's super-hyped-up language): anti-reflective coatings, tints, and so on.
Gunnar's claims about the wraparounds keeping moisture in your eyes, however, probably isn't true (we always had our doubts). In a clinical study by Pacific University of Oregon, researchers used two control pairs of eyeglasses similar to Gunnar eyewear and tested 38 subjects under glare and dry air conditions. After measuring the patients' tear volume and squinting and blinking rates, they found no significant difference between the Gunnar glasses and the controls. So you might not want to get Gunnar glasses solely if you're rubbing your eyes constantly because they're dry. More effective recommendations from Dr. Noecker:
Increasing the humidity of the environment is helpful with a humidifier if possible- electronic equipment dries the air. Taking breaks to relax the eye muscles is helpful, using artificial tears to improve lubrication of the eye surface and remembering to blink more (blink rate is reduced 2-3 less than normal with computer use).
So, Really, Should You Buy Them?
Before you spring for special glasses, make sure you've first set up your workstation and adjusted your computer habits for optimum eye health. We have lots of advice to help you out:
After following all those guidelines, if eyestrain or other vision problems still plague you, take the advice from Ars Technica:
Our advice if you're interested in something along these lines? Go to the Gunnar Optik site and create a pair of glasses with the features you want, and check out the price. Then go to a local optometrist and see if they can beat the price with the same set of features. Buy whichever is cheaper.
Many optical shops have return policies and warranties (Gunnar and VC Eyewear issue refunds within 30 days), so you can test the computer eyewear out yourself to see (literally) if it makes a difference for you.
Love,
Lifehacker
Special thanks to the Vision Council and the doctors who offered their expert opinion and advice for this piece.
Have a question or suggestion for Ask Lifehacker? Send it to tips+asklh@lifehacker.com.
Photo remixed from an original by olly2 (Bigstock)
Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/xAvTkgYg7_c/do-computer-glasses-really-work
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