Do Gaming Glasses Work?

What would Neo be without his dark glasses? The Terminator without his ANSI Classics Gargoyles? Or Agent J and Agent K without a pair of Rayban Predators? Glasses make heroes like they make the best gamers. They are essential to every respectable gamer.

Choosing the right pair of glasses is like choosing the right weapon before stepping on the wet floor of Verdansk in Call of Duty. So what better way to find the best pair of gaming glasses than with a comprehensive guide to understand the way they work. Our tips help you avoid looking like your aunt Suzy and her famous bifocals.

In this article :

• What´s the problem doc?
• How does it work?
• Deep dive on high energy blue light
• What about other type of glasses?
• How to choose authentic shades?
• Our recommendation
• Additional tips on smart gaming 
• Are gaming glasses worth it ?

The Problem, eye strain, you strain, he/she strains

On average, we spend 10 hours a day staring at a screen, whether on our cell phone, tablet or computer. This can lead to multiple health problems, in great part linked to blue light emitted from those devices. Your eyes are first in line, affected by eye fatigue, blurry vision, redness, dryness and itchiness in less severe cases, often combined with a good headache. That´s your good ole computer vision syndrome.

In the most extreme cases, some studies hint at corneal and retinal damage. 

Although you may not feel a direct effect on your vision, blue light can be the cause of other lifestyle disorders. Fatigue, lack of focus and lack of sleep due to long screen exposure for example.

Are Gaming Glasses Useful, Why The Hype?

Gamer glasses are designed to protect your retinas from outside adversaries :

• UV light
• The vicious and harmful blue light
• The countless reflections and glares
• The ghostly light contrasts

Choosing the right glasses for your eyes is like getting a good protective shield: they'll take the hits for you. To put it simply, good glasses for gamers are highly protective blue light glasses equipped with a high tech filter that will preserve your performance (and your health) on the long run by drastically reducing digital eye strain.

The Impacts of Blue Light | Deep Dive

Blue light is your main enemy here. It has a short wavelength similar to harmful UV rays, which cannot be blocked by the cornea and lens of the eyes, causing direct damage to the retina. 

This light, coming from digital screens, is one of the leading causes of eyestrain and stress. 

Naturally, the more you are exposed to blue light emission, the faster you will suffer the consequences. It could also lead to early onset of AMD (Age-Related Macular Degeneration). This pathology slowly destroys vision causing difficulties in reading and visualizing fine details. The cells that make up this area cannot regenerate.

When we are exposed to artificial light, especially at night, our brain interprets that it is daytime and stops secreting melatonin, negatively affecting the quantity and quality of sleep.

Gaming eyewear prevents those consequences and help those who spend long hours in front of a screen by providing the ultimate blue light protection . 

Blue light gaming glasses VS other type of glasses

If you choose right, there is nothing better to protect you from your computer screen than gaming glasses. You could use sunglasses with soft filters but these were not designed to prevent damage from blue light.

You may also think about prescription glasses as more and more are equipped with a blue light filter. These do a good job for simple computer work but if you are serious about real protection, you need to up your game. Would you go to a tennis game with a ping pong racket ? (I may have or may not have done this btw).

You may be interested to know that a few companies do offer prescription gaming glasses though ! It´s the case of our friends at Gunnar glasses (guys, remind me to remove this reference once we start making our own next year ;) ). 

Anti blue light screen apps VS gaming glasses?

There are many applications on the market, including free ones that guarantee protection on your devices. They work by providing a color distortion on the screen or by reducing the amount of light fired by the computer. They are effective to a certain degree. 

While they are better than nothing, they do not provide total protection, basically because they cannot physically block all the blue light emitted. Gaming glasses not only protect you from the residual light coming from the screens, but they will also block all external sources of blue light. In addition, they adapt to the transition between devices. That is, using the computer and the cell phone in parallel. 

Another advantage of gaming glasses is that they filter reflections and glare which an app cannot do yet. All monitors, even those with a matte screen, reflect things in the surrounding area (such as a lamp, ceiling light, cell phone, window, etc.). These slightly yellow-tinted lenses filter out these reflections and thus make the eye work less hard to focus, improving concentration.

Are gaming glasses legit? How to buy authentic glasses

The first thing you should know is that gaming glasses are not ordinary eyewear. Therefore, there are specific criteria you should pay attention to so as to select the most efficient blue light blocking glasses for gamers. The characteristics must be visible and clear. The standards you should pay attention to are: 

• Range of blue light filtration: what range is it filtrating (focus from 380 to 400 nano-meters is essential, then from 400 to 450). Basically, high energy blue light is what you need to block in priority.
• Anti reflective coating: it is a must if you want the ultimate protection.
• Material: polycarbonate is great for its weight, greater strength and durability.
• Ergonomics and comfort: Because of the number of hours a day you will use them, it is important that you buy ergonomic glasses. That means, that they adapt to your face. They must have nasal support and flexible temples. There are even brands that guarantee comfort when using headphones.
• Design: I am stating the obvious but gaming is an art that should be done in style.
• Warranty: does the company stand by their products ?
• Price: Do you know Horus X ? They are unbeatable. 

Our (not so) biased selection?

When choosing a product that will directly affect your health, you should use the best.  

Horus X focuses on providing a quality product that takes care of your vision and allows you to have an excellent gaming experience.

Some of the options you can find in the store:

• The Gaming One: The OG of gaming glasses. 
• The gaming One clear: The OG but with a clear lense. 
• The Gaming Revolution: The evolution of the OG gaming glasses for improved style and ergonomics.
• The Gaming Hope: For young grasshoppers out there.

What color do you need to chose? We like things simple : Clear is for casual gaming, amber is for intense gaming. As a rule of thumb, we think amber is always a good choice as it is more versatile. Takes a minute to get used to, but it´s mighty powerful one you get there ! 

How to complement the efficiency of your gaming glasses?

In addition to protecting your vision by wearing specialized glasses, you can make small daily changes that will complement the protection and give you a better quality of life:

1. Don't play or use devices in bright environments. If you inevitably find yourself in an environment where a lot of sunlight enters, try to place your screen so that the light is not reflected directly.
2. Position your device the right way. Screens should always be at eye level and about an arm's length away.
3. Avoid using devices at night. The human body is prepared to enter a state of rest after sunset. If you stimulate your sight with blue lights you will be altering the natural cycle and it will be difficult for you to fall asleep (well now you have gaming glasses so you can push it a bit, sorry parents). 
4. Use larger fonts. Avoid straining your eyes by focusing on very tiny objects. If you have the possibility, always choose to use larger screens. In addition, you will have the advantage of a more accurate resolution and you will enjoy more of the hours of sleep.
5. Rest. If you are one of those who spend long hours in front of a screen, take short breaks of 5 minutes every 30 minutes. During these minutes blink frequently or close your eyes. When we spend a lot of time in front of a screen, we blink less and the tear ducts cannot hydrate the eye normally. If you feel it is not enough, use eye drops or artificial tears to keep them moist. But really just take a break !
6. Avoid touching your eyes. After the fatigue of long hours in front of a computer or because of the itching caused, we tend to touch our eyes or scratch them. In addition to causing aesthetic damage by stimulating the appearance of wrinkles or expression lines, you can bring dust or other particles into your eye. It would be best if you cleaned your face with plenty of water or rubbed the area with a soft, clean cloth.   
7. The World Health Organization recommends that everyone should have a baseline eye exam by the time they turn 40. Those over the age of 65 should be screened every one to two years. A regular comprehensive exam by an ophthalmologist is critical to diagnose potential eye disease in its early stages. If you wear gaming glasses, the likelihood of suffering from an eye condition is significantly reduced.

Final thoughts : Do gaming glasses work?

If you spend long hours in front of your computer and console and find it hard to sleep or feel constant itching in your eyes, your body is definitely telling you: Get yourself some gaming glasses! They work! It´s a little bit like sunscreen. You need it for UV protection on your skin. Same here but for your eyes. It is not just your typical blue light glasses or computer glasses : Gamer glasses offer a superior technology specifically crafted for you to perform at your best. Do it!