What Are Gaming Glasses?
Gamer glasses are designed for people who play video games on computers or gaming systems. Many gamers and e-sports competitors spend long periods in dark rooms. The blue light from a screen can affect their eyes. When people play games or look at digital screens for extended periods of time, gaming glasses can protect your eyes.
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Gamer eyeglasses can help, by providing:
Anti-Reflective Coating
Wearing glasses with anti-reflective coating helps reduce glare. Glare is the light that reflects back into your eyes) from digital devices.
Reducing the amount of glare can help:
- Make eye focusing easier
- Improving color contrast
- Potentially increasing your reaction time
Magnification
Many gamer glasses add a small magnification power to their lenses. This can help reduce squinting and digital eye strain.
Blue Light Protection
Multiple studies have linked exposure to blue light with decreased melatonin levels and poor sleep quality. More studies have shown that blue-light blocking glasses help improve melatonin production.
Wearing gamer glasses, especially after 6pm can help improve your body’s circadian rhythm and improve your sleep quality.
Do Gaming Glasses Work?
Gaming glasses are similar to computer glasses. They work by countering the hue of the blue light with yellow tint or amber tint glasses. Clear-lens gamer glasses are available too. However, there’s debate as to their effectiveness.
Some blue light filtering glasses are virtually clear. They tend to have less protection vs yellow or amber lenses. But they still offer some degree of blue light blocking properties.
However, there are many studies on blue light blocking glasses, and there isn’t a consensus on their effectiveness.
Generally, blue light glasses are known to be useful. Gaming glasses can help reduce eye strain and other effects of blue light caused by excessive screen time.
Blue light blocking eyewear can also help encourage a normal circadian rhythm and melatonin levels. This helps people fall asleep, remain asleep, and enjoy a more restful sleep.
Is Gaming Eyewear Worth It?
Gaming glasses can cost around 80 dollars per pair. While there are cheaper options available, quality gaming eyewear from reputable brands cost around this price.
Blue light blocking glasses can take some time to get used to. Gamers may need some hours or even days to adapt to gaming eyewear. This is especially true if they’re used to playing games without them. During this time, gamers may find that they aren’t performing as well as they’re used to. However, this transition time is essential. Its length varies from user to user.
Many gamers spend a lot of money on equipment. Spending the money on special eyewear to protect your vision is worth it for serious gamers.
While blue light blocking glasses may seem expensive, the benefits make the price tag worth it.
Best Gamer Glasses
There are many glasses marketed towards gamers. Like computer eyewear, all gaming glasses offer protection against blue light. Whether you’re a gamer or spend a lot of time using a computer, blue light glasses may be beneficial for your eye health.
Gunnar Optiks is a leading designer of gaming and computer glasses. Gunnar gaming glasses are specifically produced to filter and balance light while absorbing blue light from digital screens.
Many of the best gamer glasses brands offer different types of lenses. Some of the most popular gamer lenses from Gunnar Optiks include:
Amber tint lenses
Amber tinted computer gaming glasses offer the best enhancement of contrast and visual performance while playing video games. They also reduce screen glare and diminish the harshest areas of the color spectrum. Amber tint lenses usually filter 65% of harmful high-intensity blue light from digital screens.
Liquet lenses
These lenses are the ideal in-between solution for gamers who require a balanced color spectrum and artificial blue light protection. Liquet lenses block 35% of damaging high-intensity blue light emitting from video games and computer screens.
Crystalline
These computer glasses are for graphic designers, video and film editors, and visual creatives who need an equally balanced color spectrum. The crystalline lens filters 10% of damaging high-intensity blue light from computer screens.
Here are some of the best gaming glasses brands and models available:
GUNNAR produces the only blue light blocking computer and gaming glasses with Patented Lens (#9417460) Technology that is recommended by doctors to protect and enhance your vision. GUNNAR developed the Blue Light Protection Factor, telling you exactly how much of the peak blue light spectrum (450nm) we're blocking. Not all blue light glasses in the market protects you from the strongest high-energy visible light.
GUNNAR glasses eliminate distortion from impurities and haze found in inferior materials to ensure the clearest image possible. The ultralight yet durable, performance optics will not degrade over time.
GUNNAR glasses limit air currents near the eyes, increasing humidity and preventing irritation. The patented optical design enhances focus and sharpens detail to ease eye strain.
Other leading brands and models include:
- Gamma Ray Optix Blue Light Blocking Computer Glasses
- DUCO Optiks Advanced Computer Gaming Glasses
- ANNRI Blue Light Blocking Glasses
- Cyxus Blue Light Filter Computer Glasses
- COASION Blue Light Blocking Glasses
- STAMEN Blue Light Blocking Glasses
- ANYLUV Blue Light Blocking Glasses
- HyperX Gaming Eyewear
- J+S Vision Blue Light Computer Reading and Gaming Glasses
- Game King Clip-On Computer Glasse
- Aspectus Blue Light Blocking Glasses
Many of these options are available to purchase directly on the brand’s website or Amazon. Always check the return policy before making a purchase. Whichever gaming glasses you choose, remember that you don’t have to sacrifice the quality of your vision to protect your eye health.
Prescription Glasses and Gaming
If you rely on prescription glasses, there are a few options when playing video games. One option is to apply blue light blocking coatings to your daily glasses. This can help block blue light and reduce glare. This option means you won’t require different glasses for gaming. Another benefit is that your eyes are protected, even when you’re not gaming.
Another option is to choose prescription lenses when you order gaming glasses. As long as the frames are optical grade, they can fit lenses of different thicknesses.
If you don’t want to buy new prescription games, look for anti-glare gaming glasses that fit over your daily glasses. While it’s possible to attempt to wear standard anti-reflective gamer glasses over regular specs, some gaming glasses are extra wide to avoid scratching your prescription lenses.
Clip-on gaming glasses are also available for purchase. These gaming glasses are light and easy to store.
