Most people are familiar with the concept of clip-on sunglasses. However, clip-on blue light glasses are now growing in popularity too. Read on to discover how to choose clip-on blue glasses and what you should watch out for in 9 easy steps!
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How to choose clip-on blue glasses
When choosing a pair of blue light clip-on glasses, they will need to offer the correct level of blue light protection based on whether you require a low or high level of shielding. This generally depends on whether you intend to use them during the day or night. The size of clip-on glasses is important as they will need to cover the lens of your glasses. They will also need to be durable and lightweight. The next consideration is how much you are willing to pay for blue light glasses. Clip-on blue light glasses have a price ranging from $9 – $48. Once these factors have been determined, other add-on features can be considered.
These factors are listed below in the order which they should be considered:
- Level of blue light protection
- Size of blue light clip-on glasses
- Cost of blue light glasses
- Ease of use
- Durability of clip-on glasses
- Weight of clip-on glasses
- Visual quality of blue light glasses
- Product reviews
- Company reputation
| Feature | What to look for in blue light clip-on glasses |
| Level of blue light protection | Available for lower protection for daytime, medium protection and higher protection for nighttime use or sensitive eyes |
| Size of blue light clip-on glasses | Should cover all the glasses lens |
| Cost of blue light glasses | $9 – $48 |
| Ease of use | Should be easy to attach and remove |
| Durability of clip-on glasses | Clips should be durable and withstand regular use |
| Weight of clip-on glasses | Average 8g – 30g+, the lighter, the better |
| Visual quality of blue light glasses | Should be blur-free and easy to see through |
| Product reviews | Ample positive reviews or backed by medical professionals or studies |
| Company reputation | Reputable company, good warranty or return policy, good customer service |
Blue light is linked to contributing to digital eye strain and it can also lead to disruption of your sleep patterns. Source
Choosing anti blue light clip-on glasses is a smart way of optimizing use of your existing glasses and reducing the cost of purchasing dedicated blue light glasses. However, not all anti blue light clip-on glasses offer equal protection or quality. Read on to discover exactly what to watch out for when selecting your perfect pair of clip-on glasses!
How to choose clip-on blue glasses
Level of blue light protection
Each set of clip-on blue light glasses differs in the amount of blue light protection that they offer.
Therefore, you’ll need to decide what level of protection that you need or require. This typically falls into a number of categories:
- Daytime use: Clear or lightly tinted glasses
- Evening and nighttime use: Yellow, amber or red tinted glasses
As a general rule of thumb, the darker the lens color, the greater level of blue light protection that is provided. However, the precise range of protection should be confirmed by the company.
Alternatively, if you’re more concerned about the strength of blue light protection, then consider the color and level of protection provided using the below easy to follow table.
This table categorizes the different shades of blue light lenses along with the level of protection that they provide.
It also offers a guide on what time of day they would be suited to. Plus, the visual distortion level determines if that lens shade changes the color of objects in your view.
| Lens color | Protection level provided | Time of day suitable for | Visual distortion |
| Clear lenses | Low | Anytime, especially daytime | Negligible |
| Yellow lenses | Medium | Anytime, especially daytime | Light |
| Amber lenses | Moderate high | Evening or nighttime | Medium |
| Red lenses | Highest | Nighttime | High |
If you require glasses to protect you from digital eye strain during the day, clear lenses which block blue light at a peak of 455nm generally offer sufficient protection for most people.
High energy short wave blue light between 415 and 455 nm is the most harmful. Source
People who suffer from sleeping difficulties due to exposure to blue light at night will benefit most from tinted blue light glasses. The stronger the tint, the less blue light you will be exposed to.
Therefore, blue light glasses can minimize sleep disruption and help you get to sleep easier.
The main catch with this extra blue light protection is that these tinted glasses are normally only suited to use at night, especially if they are an orange or red-tinted set of lenses.
Size of blue light clip-on glasses
Clip-on blue light glasses should cover as much of your existing glasses as possible.
When choosing a pair of clip-on glasses, you’ll first need to:
- Measure your existing glasses lens in height and width
- Find a pair of clip-on blue light glasses that match it as closely as possible
- Consider if your existing glasses have a brow line or cat-eye shape.
If there are no exact matches, it’s best to choose clip-ons that are slightly larger to ensure you’re getting full coverage.
Unfortunately, clip-on blue light glasses are limited in the range of sizes that they offer.
Clip-on glasses tend to be suited to glasses which have an average sized rectangular lens.
This means that you may experience difficulty trying to find a pair to fit your current glasses.
Tip: You can purchase bespoke clip-on glasses designed to specifically fit your lenses.
Cost of blue light glasses
Blue light glasses can be rather expensive. This is particularly true for people who require prescription blue light glasses.
Clip-on anti blue glasses have a price range of $9 – $48 depending on the color of the lens.
In comparison, there are budget blue light glasses that can be purchased for as little as $13.99. On the other hand, branded or prescription blue light glasses have prices ranging up to $449.99+.
You should expect to pay a minimum of $30 on a pair of non-prescription clear blue light glasses.
Therefore, clip-on blue light glasses could be an affordable alternative to blue light glasses.
Related: How Much Do Blue Light Glasses Cost? + 35 Popular Examples!
Ease of use
Clip-on glasses need to be easy to attach and remove. With the action of attaching and removing clip-on glasses to your existing frames, they need to be designed in such a way as to minimize marks and scratch to your glasses.
Some clip-on glasses need to be clipped on over the nose. Companies sometimes suggest that these can be applied single handedly!
The other primary style of clip-ons is extendable at the nose part and are stretched so that your glasses sit into them. You’ll need 2 hands to perform this.
Plus, it should also be easy to clean blue light glasses by navigating around the clips to remove smudge marks and dirt.
However, if your glasses have bars that don’t align with the anti blue clip-on glasses, this may make it difficult to align the clip-on lens with your glasses.
If you think you’d have less hassle and more comfort with regular blue light glasses, then go check out the pros and cons of blue light protection glasses.
Plus get an insight into what effects blue light exposure could have on your health and sleep!
Durability of clip-on glasses
Clip on blue light glasses need to have a certain level of sturdiness to be able to withstand day to day use. They tend to be handled mostly around the clip.
Thus, the clip should be strong and capable of a bit of force.
This is something that product reviews should identify if there is an issue.
If your clip-on glasses do break, consider bringing them to an optician as they may be able to get them repaired.
Sometimes they’ll even do it for free if it’s just a 2 minute job! It’s certainly worth asking if they can help you before you end up splashing out on a new pair of blue light clip-on glasses.
Weight of clip-on glasses
Clip-on glasses add extra weight to your glasses. This could make them feel heavy on your face.
By wearing clip-on glasses, you can expect to add about 8g – 30g of weight to your glasses.
When selecting clip-on glasses, opt for as light of a pair as possible.
Visual quality of blue light glasses
In terms of visual quality, the 2 factors to consider are color distortion and blurred vision.
There are anti blue light clip-on glasses that will allow you to see in the natural color without a yellow tint while also offering you protection from blue light.
Therefore, you don’t have to settle for yellow tinted blue light glasses if seeing clearly is a priority.
Cheaper clip-on blue light glasses tend to provide a poorer visual experience. Plus, they can also cause blurry vision when you are trying to look through them.
The visual experience of looking through clip-on glasses could be inferior to just looking through glasses on their own.
This is particularly true if the clip-on glasses don’t fit your existing glasses correctly. Thus, it’s important to get properly fitting clip-on glasses.
Tip: Some clip-on glasses include an anti-glare layer to improve your viewing experience.
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Product reviews
If you are willing to invest money in your health, then you will want to ensure that the product that you are investing in offers you the appropriate protection.
When choosing such a product, the user experience should be evaluated.
Since there are many poor-quality blue clip-on glasses available on the market, it’s important to conduct careful product research.
Reading the product reviews left by customers can give you some insight into the quality of the clip-on glasses.
Some considerations to look out for include when reading product reviews include:
Whether there is a color distortion or blurry vision as a result of the glasses
- If the glasses are comfortable and lightweight
- If they are easy to attach and remove from glasses
In terms of blue light glasses, it’s a warning flag if you have difficulty finding out what level of blue light protection that they offer. This should be relatively easy to find on their website or brochure. If you can’t find it, be sure to ask!
Related: Blue Light Glasses V App Guide – Best Simple Buyers Guide!
Company reputation
In conjunction to reviewing the product itself, company reputability should also be evaluated. Often, opting for a good company can make searching for a product easier.
Some well-known blue light glasses businesses that you can use with peace of mind include:
- Ocushield
- BLUBlox
- GUNNAR
- Felix Gray
Purchasing clip-on blue light glasses from opticians will also help to ensure that you get a good quality product.
Extra caution should be taken when purchasing cheaper brands, especially if you have not heard of them before!
Conclusion
Anti blue clip-on glasses can be a more affordable method of blue light protection. Some of them can be bought for budget prices whereas others are on the more expensive scale.
Not all anti blue light glasses are equal in quality or strength of blue light protection that they give.
Therefore, it’s vital to pay close attention to the product that you are purchasing since it could impact on your health and sleep quality!
When choosing a product, it’s important to review the range of blue light that it is offering you protection from.
Reading product reviews from other customers can be a valuable exercise. This will give you an insight into how reliable the products and business are.
If you’re still unsure about them, have a read of this article: Are Blue Light Clip-On Glasses Worth It? – The Big Reveal!
Do you own any blue light protection products? I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.
