Blue Light is Causing Problems.
Our Mojo BluBlock Lenses Can Solve Them.
What are "monitor glasses"? Monitor glasses are eyeglasses that protect the wearer's eyes from computer screen glare and blue light. Monitor glasses, or computer glasses, have certain features in the lenses that protect your eyes and reduce the symptoms of computer vision syndrome (CVS). Monitor glasses are typically offered with no reading powers. We offer them with or without reading powers or with prescription lenses.
If you are one of the millions of people that use an iPad, tablet, or e-reader, you may be having some problems. Recent studies have been showing that intensive use of these devices, are causing headaches, eye strain, dizziness, and insomnia.
Why? Well it has to do with a specific part of the blue light spectrum that are emitted by these devices. There is a too common misconception that all blue light is bad and that is simply not true. It is not all blue light. In the visible light spectrum, blue light is a good thing. You would not want to filter out all blue light.
It is important here to note that Scientists, Researchers, and the Optical Industry all have varying views on the exact range of blue light in the electromagnetic spectrum. It can vary by + or - 10nm! For our products here at ReadingGlassesETC, we use the range of 390nm to 500nm. This is the range that our lens and lens tint manufacturers use as well as most of the eyeglass industry.
HEV (High Energy Visible) Blue Light
The blue light that is causing problems is part of the Near Ultra-Violet-A spectrum. Based on current research, the most harmful part of the near UV-A blue light spectrum is a band at ~410nm-~450nm. This range was determined from research done by the Paris Vision Institute in 2008. This 40nm band causes the most retinal damage though other studies show that between 430-440 to be particularly damaging.
We have known for a long time that UV-A and UV-B light to 400nm can be physically harmful. Now there is data that suggests that "Near UV-A" at between 410-450nm can cause problems running from headaches and insomnia to possibly damaging your eyes.
The high energy and severe scattering of this band of blue light is a cause of glare and flash. Blue light emitted by electronics such as computer monitors, televisions, smartphones, as well as LED light sources during the day or night will easily cause eye strain and fatigue.
There have been many scientific studies done on the effects of blue light from electronic devices on human eyes. See current resources at the bottom of this page.
We Have Solutions:
"Traditional blue blockers give you pretty sunsets, but that's not what you want. You don't want color distortion; you want your colors to be natural. The traditional blue blockers do not discriminate in the blue light spectrum. They just block all the blue light." - Dr. Ronald Melton, OD from: The Lowdown on Blue Light: Good vs. Bad, and Its Connection to AMD The Review of Optometry.
The problem for consumers has been the reporting of these ranges as being damaging without explaining the variance in the designation of the blue light spectrum. A blue block tinted lens in a over saturated yellow color will block most, and maybe all blue light. That is not what you want in a good optical pair of glasses though. Too much good light is being filtered out. This is why we have begun using the Wertheim Factor as a way to rate the efficacy of tinted blue blocking lenses.
The Wertheim Factor looks at the light transmitted by a filter on the short wavelength side of the photopic curve (550nm). A. Einstein discovered that the energy carried by (and potentially the damage that could be caused by) a light photon increases as its wavelength decreases: E = hc/(wavelength). By filtering the higher energy light to progressively smaller and smaller values as you get to shorter and shorter wavelengths you should optimize color rendition while providing protection. The Wertheim factor is largest when this balance is attained.
Air or a black material would have a Wertheim factor of zero. A lens with a typical non-blue block light tint would run somewhere around WF-16. A blue block tinted lens will measure higher depending on the color and color depth or intensity. A great lens with a Wertheim factor of 35 to 42 would filter bad UV/HEV Blue Light and transmit good blue light for optimal vision. A Wertheim factor of over 43 means that more UV/Blue/HEV light is being filtered than necessary (and with some colors beyond a safe range resulting in nullifying traffic signals for example.), resulting in overly saturated bright lenses that do not provide better vision and look awful cosmetically.
Over saturated lenses with blue filtering tints (a Wertheim factor of 43 to 50) are sometimes useful as therapy tints that are used to address certain health and vision issues like color blindness, autism, and others.
Mojo BluBlock Tints and Anti Reflective Coatings
Mojo BluBlock Tints. ($10.00 Add-on)
Tinted lenses are a great alternative to AR coatings if you are a person that is fairly light sensitive or severely photophobic.
We have recently introduced our new line of reformulated and optimized Mojo BluBlock Tints. These are new types of lens tints in colors and depths very similar to what we offered previously, however these new tints progressively filter HEV/blue light more efficiently while allowing beneficial light through to your eyes.
We have developed, tested, and optimized each of these new tint colors to achieve the best possible Wertheim factor for that color. In our testing we were able to achieve very high Wertheim factors with highly saturated yellow and amber blue block colors, but too much good light was being filtered and like most of the intensely tinted blue blockers sold on the internet, were awful to see through and looked bad too. These types of highly saturated tints can be useful for people with very specific vision health problems but are not necessary for the vast majority of computer users.
Learn all about our new Mojo BluBlock Tints and the Wertheim Factor.
Like spectrograms? See - Spectrograms and Light Transmission Details
Mojo BluBlock AR Coating ($15.00 Add-on)- The first choice for most people. Mojo BluBlock AR is our new premium anti-reflective coating that reflects away, as opposed to filtering out unwanted blue light (Near UV-A) from computer screens, iPad's and tablets. There is no tint in the lenses. They are super clear polycarbonate and include scratch resistance and a hydrophobic coating that makes them easy to clean.
Features:
- Reflects off 50% of HEV/blue light. Provides optimum comfort with clearer vision and increased contrast sensitivity.
- 40% increase of light transmission to your eyes. (Good light, not bad light)
- Powerful Nano-organic scratch resistance, and Plasma-Ion anti-static properties which prevents dust accumulation.
- Easy-Clean surface makes it easier to clean and continues to maintain clean lenses.
- Toughest Impact- Best in class with 170% increase in impact resistance. (Great for wearers exposed to hazardous environments.)
APEX BluBlock AR-T Coating ($15.00 Add-on)- AR+ tint. APEX BluBlock AR-T has the same features as the Mojo BluBlock AR but also has a light, 1% amber tint which provides increased contrast. They are very thin polycarbonate and include scratch resistance and a hydrophobic coating that makes them easy to clean. (Available in full rim single vision reading glasses only.)
Features:
- 1% amber blue block tint.
- Reflects off/Filters ~64% of HEV/blue light. Provides optimum comfort with clearer vision and increased contrast sensitivity.
- 40% increase of light transmission to your eyes. (Good light, not bad light)
- Powerful Nano-organic scratch resistance, and Plasma-Ion anti-static properties which prevents dust accumulation.
- Easy-Clean surface makes it easier to clean and continues to maintain clean lenses.
- Toughest Impact- Best in class with 170% increase in impact resistance. (Great for wearers exposed to hazardous environments.)
Mojo BluBlock 1.6 AR-T Coating ($50.00 Add-on) Mojo BluBlock 1.6 AR is a blue light reflecting anti-reflective coating on top of a high index lens material that includes a special monomer to filter blue light. They are thinner than polycarbonate and include scratch resistance and a hydrophobic coating that makes them easy to clean. (Available in full rim single vision reading glasses only.)
Features:
- Reflects Off/Filters ~84% of HEV/blue light. Provides optimum comfort with clearer, more natural vision.
- 40% increase of light transmission to your eyes. (Good light, not bad light)
- Powerful Nano-organic scratch resistance, and Plasma-Ion anti-static properties which prevents dust accumulation.
- Easy-Clean surface makes it easier to clean and continues to maintain clean lenses.
KODAK TOTAL BLUE 1.6AR HYBRID LENSES. (Not a Mojo Product) The best clear blue block solution on the market today!. They are very thin polycarbonate and include scratch resistance and a hydrophobic coating that makes them easy to clean. (Available in full rim single vision reading glasses only.)
Features:
- Reflects off/Filters ~100% of HEV/blue light. Provides optimum comfort with clearer vision and increased contrast sensitivity.
- 40% increase of light transmission to your eyes. (Good light, not bad light)
- Powerful Nano-organic scratch resistance, and Plasma-Ion anti-static properties which prevents dust accumulation.
- Easy-Clean surface makes it easier to clean and continues to maintain clean lenses.
Learn more about our Blue Block AR Coatings
Mojo BluBlock Tints vs. Mojo BluBlock AR - Both options protect your eyes from HEV/Blue light. See our BluBlock Guide for help in selecting the right blue block option option for you.
All Reading Glasses - Powers from zero to +4.00 in either eye with all of our lens options, prescriptions welcome.
Budget Blue Block Readers - Zero to +4.00 both eyes with all of our most popular blue block lens options. (Not all)
Bifocal Reading Glasses - No power at the top and the same power each eye at the bottom from +1.00 to +3.00. All Mojo BluBlock tints are an option as well as non-blue block pink and blue.
Computer Bifocals - Arms' length computer power at the top with up-close reading power at the bottom. You can either get these with an AR Anti-reflective coating (not blue block) to cut computer glare or our Mojo BluBlock Tints.
Latest Customer Reviews for Mojo BluBlock-
"I didn't know what I was missing! I have used regular off the shelf reading glasses for working on the computer but my eyes were always tired afterwards. I also work under florescent lights. Wow! What a difference these computer glasses made. I am very pleases with the results. I will have to buy a few more pairs!" - Malinda P.
See all the blue block reviews and post your own.
Other Resources: (Takes you off site)
BlueLightExposed.com - An awareness campaign website started in 2014 sponsored by Essilor Canada, Nikon Optical Canada Inc, and Shamir Optical Industry LTD. This site has all kinds of great information related to blue light, and protecting your vision.
Uroš Bole at Glarminy.com has great resources on glare, blue light, and related solutions:
Best Blue Blockers in Style and Light Filter Specs -Glarminy.com [Full disclosure, we are #1 in this ranking.]
Blue Filter Light Sensitivity - Glarminy.com
10-blue-light-filters-to-relieve-computer-eye-strain-help-you-sleep-better-etc/ - Glarminy.com
The Lowdown On Blue Light -Review of Optometry (An excellent read.)
The Effects of Blue Light on Ocular Health - Elaine Kitchel, M.Ed.
Blue Light Disturbs Sleep... -Washington Post
Blue Light Has A Dark Side -Harvard Health Publications
Log Off Before You Nod Off -The Guardian
Screens May Be Terrible For You And Now We Know Why - Brandon Keim, Wired.com
There are also briefs that you can view on studies that have been conducted and posted at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/, like this one- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/416513
At NIH- How much blue light should an IOL transmit?
We are following these scientific publications and news articles and will update this page as we find them.
The Wertheim Factor - Patent Application