- As an editor, I used to suffer from headaches caused by staring at a computer and reading very small text all day.
- A few years ago I tried Eyebuydirect's affordable prescription blue-light glasses that promised to help with headaches induced by blue light.
- They really did help me (along with adjusting the settings on my computer screen) and I still recommend the brand years later.
As an editor, I spend my entire day staring at a computer screen. And no, I'm not just being dramatic.
Every day for roughly nine hours straight, I gaze deeply into a monitor while either writing, editing, or scanning articles carefully for tiny errors in punctuation. It can be exhausting on the eyes to have a job that is entirely dependent on screens. At one point, I was getting headaches nearly every day — an issue a Google search and my eye doctor told me could be due to a combination of the bright blue light emanating from my computer and the screen settings I was using.
Shortly after figuring this out, I decided to take advantage of a pitch I had received from Eyebuydirect (one of my favorite eyewear startups) about a then-new lens coating they offered that featured "digital screen protection." It promised to deflect blue light away from the eyes in order to prevent computer headaches, which seemed too good to be true for someone who had been suffering from them for so long.
Though there's not much scientific evidence to prove that this blue light is actually harmful, there are still plenty of people who swear by the positive effects of reflective glasses. I wanted to see if they really made a difference, so I decided to test them out.
Eyebuydirect offered to send me a pair with my prescription, featuring their EDB Blue lenses. After years of wearing them, I'm updating this article to tell you that they have been life-changing.
Since I started wearing glasses with blue lenses (and adjusted the settings on my computer to reduce the amount of blue light emanating), my screen headaches have almost completely disappeared. I now own quite a few pairs, and I won't order any glasses without the coating, which is widely available at other glasses retailers as well.
Though other brands offer these reflective lenses, there's a huge advantage to buying from Eyebuydirect: their frames, lenses, and digital screen protection options are all incredibly affordable.
You can get a full pair of glasses with prescription lenses from Eyebuydirect for as little as $5. All the prices listed on the site include single-vision lenses, but if you need specialty options like bifocals or transitions, there's an additional fee. If you wear contacts but still want the blue light coating, you can also just buy your favorite pair without a prescription.
The blue light coatings also cost extra, but they won't raise the price by much. The basic EDB blue coating costs an extra $29 per pair, and the SightRelax blue light coating (which includes an additional reading enhancement feature) costs an extra $30-ish per pair. Both come with UV protection, blue light filters, and a scratch-resistant, anti-glare coating.
My favorite pair, the unisex Prism frames from the brand's premium RFLKT collection, cost a total of $99 including the lenses and EBD Blue coating. I actually own two versions of these frames in both tortoiseshell and clear acetate — that's how much I love them.
Though Eyebuydirect makes plenty of less expensive frames that hold up just as well, I have to say that I'm a huge fan of the RFLKT line specifically. All the frames are designed and manufactured in-house with quality materials, but RFLKT glasses are made with a premium Italian acetate that feels a little more substantial than the brand's cheaper frames. However, if you're just looking for a super affordable pair, you can't go wrong with their basic options.
