About Blue Light and Blue Light Lenses.
Steve Mower - December 2018
Since 2012 we have been the #1 site and source for blue light reading glasses. We offer 11 different blue block lens tints and 4 blue block AR coatings as lens options on our reading glasses.
ABOUT BLUE LIGHT
The blue light spectrum ranges from about 400nm to 500nm. A part of this spectrum, from 415nm to 445nm, the blue-violet spectrum, has been found to be potentialy damaging and contibute to AMD, Advanced Macular degeneration. (See this Blue Light Round Table .pdf from Essilor) Not all of the blue light spectrum is bad. Above 450nm, blue light helps to regulate circadian rhythm.
BENEFICIAL BLUE LIGHT - From 455 to 500nm, more specifically, at 480nm, blue light is beneficial during the day. Exposure to this band of light helps to regulate our natural circadian rhythm. Unfortunately, many consumers are still under the impression that they need heavily tinted blue block lenses that filter all blue light. While some, rare individuals need some kind of therapy tint to address severe photophobia and other medical issues, most people can be protected and reduce glare with clear blue block lenses (blue filter and/or AR coated) or lighter tints, or photochromic lenses.
"BAD" BLUE LIGHT - The issue here is exposure over time. The sun is our biggest source of blue light. Sunglasses with UV400 protection do a great job filtering blue light. Polarized sunglasses go further by reducing reflected glare.
Overexposure to bad blue light promotes oxidation in the retina. Recent studies are showing that it may contribute to Myopia Progression. (See this from NHI- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5554846/)
Very young people and older people are also at risk for AMD. Post cataract patients can benefit from having blue light protection. - (See The Effect of Blue Light Exposure on AMD After cataract Surgery)
WHAT BLUE BLOCK LENSES DO
Blue light lenses are designed to filter and/or reflect different levels of blue light. There are 2 different types. The first are lenses that have blue light reflecting AR coatings which are typically clear. The second type are lenses with blue block tints. Clear lenses do not change or alter the colors you see. Tinted lenses filter light and can change visible colors but can also reduce glare more effectively for light sensitive people.
Blue Block AR coatings provide clear vision with no color distortion and can be used indoors for watching TV or reading at night without reducing beneficial light to your eyes.
Blue block tints reduce glare (as lens tints do). Our blue block tints are designed to address different levels of glare. They are balanced lenses in that they filter a HEV blue light but allow a percentage of beneficial blue light through. Beneficial blue light is important for clear vision and regulating circadian rhythm.
[Disclaimer: Our lens treatments are designed to address UV and HEV blue light protection. They are vision aids. We do not claim that they will solve all of your vision and/or health problems. Please get a regular eye/vision exam and see your Physician for health problems.]
BLUE BLOCK LENS RATINGS
Blue Block AR Coatings and Tints are rated in 2 different ways:
Blue Block AR Coatings are rated as the percentage of HEV Blue Light filtered/reflected from 415nm through the 455nm range. If a blue block AR lens provides a 20% reduction in blue light, it is this range that is being reduced.
Blue Block Lens Tints are rated as the percentage of Total Blue Light filtered, not just HEV Blue light. Blue block tints are designed to not only protect your eyes from HEV Blue Light but also to address glare issues.
Balance. We use various tint colors in specific tint depths to provide a optimal blue light/beneficial light balance. This balance is calculated as a value called the Wertheim Factor. (Patent Pending - see the Patent Application here.)
Learn more: Mojo BluBlock Tints
ABOUT BLUBLOCK AR COATINGS
For clear, natural vision, blue block AR coatings are the way to go. Blue Block AR coatings are Anti-Reflective coatings on the surface of the lenses that reflect away a percentage of HEV blue light. (They also reduce reflected glare on the lens surface making them nicer to see through and cosmetically more appealing.) The addition of light tints or special monomers in the lens material itself helps to absorb more blue light. Some of these lenses are better than thers for video conferencing because they don't reflect off lue light.
More Information: Read more about Blue Block AR Coatings
MOJO BLUBLOCK AR | ~25% HEV
A go-to option for people that want clear vision.
- Reflects off over ~25% of HEV Blue Light.
- Polycarbonate lens material filters 100% UV.
- Scratch resistant and hydrophobic coating included.
- Availability: Single vision only, in all frame styles.
- $15.00 lens option.
APEX BLUBLOCK AR-T | ~33% HEV
Similar to Mojo BluBlock AR, but with the addition of a very light 1% amber tint. The light tint adds a bit of contrast and helps with fluorescent light issues.
- Reflects/Absorbs over ~33% of HEV Blue Light.
- Polycarbonate lens material filters 100% UV.
- Scratch resistant and hydrophobic coating included.
- Availability: Single vision only, in all full frame styles. (not rimless)
- $20.00 lens option.
ZENSPEX 1.6 AR and KODAK TOTAL BLUE 1.6 AR | 80 to 87%+ HEV
A combination of a special monomer built into the 1.6 high index lens material and a great blue block AR coating. These lenses offer very clear vision with no color distortion. These are (currently) the best blue block AR lenses made. Great if you view computer screens/tablets for over 4 hours/day.
- ZenSpex BluBlock 1.6 AR Reflects/Absorbs ~87% of HEV Blue Light.
- Kodak Total Blue 1.6 AR Reflects/Absorbs ~80% of HEV Blue Light.
- 1.6 high index lens material filters 100% UV.
- 1.6 high index lens material is very thin. ~20% thinner than polycarbonate.
- Scratch resistant and hydrophobic coating included.
- Availability: Single vision only, in all full frame styles (not rimless). Not available in Budget Blue Block Readers.
- ZenSpex BluBlock 1.6 AR lenses are a $50.00 lens option.
- Kodak Total Blue 1.6 AR lenses are a $80.00 lens option.
CRIZAL ROCK and Mojo BluFilter Std AR Lenses | 20%+ HEV
We now offer 2 great lenses for computer users that provide blue light protection with a clear anti-reflective (AR) coating. There is no blue flash reflections off of the lenses like with other blue light reflecting lenses. Great for Zoom meetings!
The Crizal Rock (Blue Capture) AR lenses have a blue filter monomer which filters at least 20% of HEV blue light and 100% of UV. The anti-reflective coating, is a premium AR coating which has an additional hydrophobic coating to make them easy to clean. They are the most scratch resistant AR lens made. $100.00 lens option.
The Mojo BluFilter Standard AR lenses do the same as the Crizal Rock but have a less advanced scratch resistant coating. (It is as good as any of our other AR lenses.) $50.00 lens option.
These are great lenses for people that want superior blue light protection and a attractive, clear, no-glare experience.
Features:
- Aspheric Polycarbonate lens material.
- Blue Filter Monomer filters ~20% of HEV blue light.
- 100% UV protection.
- Standard clear no-blue-flash AR coating.
- Scratch resistant coating.
- Hydrophobic easy-to-clean coating.
- Available as a Reader Lens option in all of our frames.
- Available in Single Vision Prescription Lenses.
- Power range: Zero/Plano to +4.00 or to -6.00 to a -2.00 cylinder.
ABOUT BLUE BLOCK TINTS
[Disclaimer: Blue block or blue light lenses are designed to reduce various levels of HEV blue light. They can
help alleviate issues like glare and eye strain. For severe glare or vision problems we strongly recommend seeing your eye doctor.]
All of our Mojo BluBlock Lens Tints not only filter 100% UV but also filter a high percentage of HEV/Blue Light. (Percentages vary based on the lens color.)
Our blue block lens tints are optimized to provide the best blue light protection and beneficial blue light balance. This means that you get lenses that filter HEV blue light effectively and allow beneficial blue light through to your eyes. Mojo BluBlock Tints are very comfortable to see through. Every lens is custom tinted and tested to meet or beat our published standards using a special algorithm called the Wertheim Factor.
Blue block tinted lenses can filter/block more total blue light than blue block AR coated lenses. Blue block tints come in various colors and tint depths and some have other features like synthetic melanin to address circadian rhythm issues.
All Blue Block Tints are a $10.00 lens option.
More Information:
ABOUT EYE STRAIN
Suffering from eye strain while using a computer or tablet may or may not be related to blue light. Addressing eye strain starts with making sure certain factors have been accounted for.
For eye strain, ask yourself:
- Do you need reading glasses? If you do use readers, are they the right power for the distance at which you are reading?
- Do you need prescription glasses? (Have you had an eye exam lately?)
- Do you shift your focus away from the screen to distance frequently? (This does help with eye strain over time.)
- Do you take medications that affect your vision?
If you are suffering from eye strain while reading a computer screen or tablet, you might need some kind of vision correction solved by getting the correct type of eyeglasses. Even a minimal prescription requiring low powers (and maybe correction for astigmatism) can go a long way to reducing eye strain.
ABOUT MILD GLARE ISSUES
Mild issues with glare are addressed with mild tints. A light blue block tint will help with glare from computer screens as well as florescent lights.
For mild glare, ask yourself:
- Do you suffer from mild glare issues all of the time?
- What times of the day or night do you have these issues?
For Day Time Use We Recommend -
- MOJO BLUBLOCK DAY AMBER MELANIN (+44% Total Blue Light Filtration) - Cuts glare and helps to regulate circadian rhythm.
- MOJO BLUBLOCK DAY BROWN 20 (+48% Total Blue Light Filtration) - Cuts glare while providing contrast.
- MOJO BLUBLOCK DAY GREY 20 (+38% Total Blue Light Filtration) - Cuts glare.
For Night Time Use We Recommend -
- MOJO BLUBLOCK NIGHT YELLOW (+42% Total Blue Light Filtration) - High contrast for night reading on tablets or monitors.
- MOJO BLUBLOCK DAY BROWN 20 (+48% Total Blue Light Filtration) - Cuts glare while providing contrast.
ABOUT SEVERE GLARE ISSUES
If you have severe glare problems then it is important to see your eye doctor and discuss your issues. It's important to get regular eye exams not just for determining what glasses correction you might need but for a vision helath check.
Severe issues with glare can be addressed with more intense lens tints. These types of tints cut more glare and more blue light/HEV. They also alter the colors you see on computer screens more than lighter tints.
You are the best judge of how severe your glare issues are. We suggest that if you are unsure as to how severe your glare issues are and don't know what tint to choose, opt for the less intense tints or buy 2 or more pairs with a variety of tints.
For Severe Glare Issues We Recommend -
- MOJO BLUBLOCK DAY TAN MELANIN (+59% Total Blue Light Filtration) - Cuts glare and helps to regulate circadian rhythm. Day time use only.
- MOJO BLUBLOCK SUN BROWN 40 (+66% Total Blue Light Filtration) - Cuts glare while providing contrast. Day time or night time computer reading.
- MOJO BLUBLOCK SUN GREY 40 (+58% Total Blue Light Filtration) - Cuts glare. Day time use.
- MOJO BLUBLOCK SUN BROWN 60 (+81% Total Blue Light Filtration) - This is a sunglass tint. Great for reading outdoors in sunny conditions or for driving (Plano 0.00 or distance vision prescription only.)
- MOJO BLUBLOCK SUN GREY 60 (+63% Total Blue Light Filtration) - This is a sunglass tint. Great for reading outdoors in sunny conditions or for driving (Plano 0.00 or distance vision prescription only.)
For Very Severe Glare Issues We Recommend -
- MOJO BLUBLOCK THERAPY ORANGE (+74% Total Blue Light Filtration) - High contrast for night reading on tablets or monitors or during the day or at night. Will change the colors you see. Not for driving. This is the best choice for most people with very severe glare issues.
- Availability: Mojo BluBlock Tints are available in single vision and bifocals in our regular frame selection.
MOJO BLUBLOCK TINTS - PERCENTAGES
xx% of Total Blue Light Filtered. See Spectrograms
42% Mojo BluBlock Night Yellow
44% Mojo BluBlock Day Amber (Melanin)
59% Mojo BluBlock Day Tan (Melanin)
48% Mojo BluBlock Day Brown 20
38% Mojo BluBlock Day Grey 20
66% Mojo BluBlock Sun Brown 40
81% Mojo BluBlock Sun Brown 60
58% Mojo BluBlock Sun Grey 40
63% Mojo BluBlock Sun Grey 60
74% Mojo BluBlock Therapy Orange
More Information: Outside links...
Blue Light Has A Dark Side - Harvard Health Letter
Blue Light Exposed - Informational Website
Is Blue Light Bad For Your Health? - Web MD
Glarminy.com - A site run by my friend, Uros Bole. All about glare issues and various solutions.
Disclaimer: Blue block or blue light lenses are designed to reduce various levels of HEV blue light. They can
help alleviate issues like glare and eye strain. For severe glare or vision problems we strongly recommend seeing your eye doctor.
Steve Mower is a Licensed Optician and creator of Mojo BluBlock Tints. Steve has over 30 years experience in the optical field. He has been a optical retail manager and has consulted on progressive lens development. Steve has been offering unique reading glasses solutions on-line since 2010.