What Are Blue Light Readers?

THE READING PART OF BLUE LIGHT READERS

More than traditional blue light blockers, our readers are, well, for reading. For people who have presbyopia and thus need reading glasses. Which is most people over the age of 40, and a considerable number of people below that age group. 

Not as scary as it sounds, presbyopia is the eye’s natural, gradual loss of the ability to focus on nearby objects. Also known as age-related farsightedness, it’s why nearly all older adults need reading glasses.

The strength of the reading glasses you need depends on your stage of presbyopia. People in the early stages usually need the lower focusing strength of +1.00 readers. People in later stages use reading glasses up to +2.50 strength. Beyond that, eye-care experts recommend prescription reading glasses. You can learn your reading glasses number with a simple at-home chart test.

BLUE LIGHT PROTECTION WITH READERS

While Knockaround readers are great for books and other printed materials, they excel in one area: digital screens. Computers, tablets, and smartphones all emit blue light, and these glasses are designed to prevent that potentially harmful light from reaching your eyes.

WHAT IS BLUE LIGHT?

It’s one color on the visible light spectrum. Along with red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, and violet. You may recall the acronym commonly used to remember the colors of the rainbow: ROY G. BIV. These colors combine to create white light, including the natural white light we get from the sun. Separately, these colors have different wavelengths.

With one of the shortest wavelengths, blue light emits some of the highest energy in the spectrum. Exposure to this high-energy light affects the eye’s retina, a layer of cells that captures incoming photons and sends messages to the brain to perceive a visual picture. This exposure may be problematic; prolonged exposure to blue light could possibly damage the retina.

BLUE LIGHT GLASSES AND DIGITAL DEVICES

The LEDs that provide backlighting for computer screens, laptops, and smartphones give off blue light. Beyond potential retinal damage, this blue light can disrupt sleep patterns. Exposure to blue light shifts your circadian rhythm, otherwise known as the body’s internal clock. Blue light can also cause headaches, eye strain, and visual fatigue. To counter this, blue-light glasses significantly reduce the amount of short-wavelength light that reaches your eyes.

Blue-light-blocking glasses can be key to reducing digital eye strain. Also known as computer vision syndrome (CVS), digital eye strain refers to several vision and eye-related issues resulting from prolonged use of digital screens. These include the displays of computers, tablets, and smartphones. The American Optometric Association (AOA) says CVS leads to issues such as headaches, neck pain, dry eyes, and blurry vision.

HOW EFFECTIVE ARE BLUE LIGHT BLOCKERS?

The body of research on the effectiveness of blue-light glasses is admittedly small. Studies we do have point to the ability of blue-light readers to reduce eye pain and strain. Researchers at the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at the Washington University School of Medicine conducted a study in which participants wore blue light glasses while performing computer tasks for two hours.

The results? The study found that “subjects wearing high-blocking eyeglasses reported significantly less feeling pain around/inside the eye, less feeling that the eyes were heavy, and less feeling that the eyes were itchy following the computer task when compared to subjects not wearing high-blocking lenses.” The study concluded with: “Our results support the hypothesis that short-wavelength light-blocking eyeglasses may reduce eye strain associated with computer use.”

BLUE LIGHT READERS AND UV PROTECTION

Knockaround readers don’t just protect against blue light; they also have standard UV400 protection. But wait, isn’t protection from UV light just something to be concerned about outdoors? No. While it’s true that the sun’s rays carry the highest risk of exposure to UV light, indoor light also has UV radiation. As Dr. Michael Kutryb, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, notes, “UV radiation, whether from natural sunlight or indoor artificial rays, can damage the eye’s surface tissues as well as the cornea and lens.”

This damage from UV light can cause cataracts, eye cancers, and growths on the eye, including pterygium. The latter can grow large enough to cover part of the cornea and impair vision. UV light exposure can also result in photokeratitis, a temporary but painful eye condition that’s comparable to sunburn on the eyes. 

READING GLASSES YOU CAN KNOCK AROUND

Sure, reading a book or looking at your smartphone aren’t exactly rough-and-tumble activities. But life doesn’t always go so smoothly. Your glasses need to stand up to the rigors of everyday use and the mishaps that could send them clattering to the floor. That's why Knockaround readers have FDA-certified impact-resistant lenses. With frames that are equally durable, there’s no need to worry that a few knocks will put your readers out of commission.

STYLISH READING GLASSES ARE HERE

You can go to just about any pharmacy chain and pick up a pair of readers off the rack. But what kind of quality are you getting? Cheap drugstore glasses certainly aren’t crafted to last like Knockarounds. And, perhaps as importantly, what’s the style you’ll find with over-the-counter specs? They surely can’t match the eye-catching design of Knockaround Premiums readers.

Can these readers really be “premium” at a price under $40? Absolutely! Just look at our customer reviews for proof that they are about as premium as you can get. A modern update on our popular Knockaround Classics, unisex Premiums streamline a time-honored look with a slightly wider (and bolder) design. Form-fitting frames with refined arms are as comfortable as they are chic. And they’re available in a range of colorways to meet your unique sense of style.

If you want affordable reading glasses with both UV and blue-light protection, Knockaround readers are your best bet. Browse our selection to see which blue-light readers suit you best.

Written by William McCleary for Knockaround