How Anti-Fatigue Glasses Can Ease Eye Strain, Plus 5 Pretty Pairs

Unless our eyes are closed, they’re working, which means in a 24-hour day, our eyes get maybe 8 hours of downtime. And they get even less rest on the evenings we end up in a midnight scroll fest. (Something that happens more often than we’d like to admit.)

Our eyes work hardest when they do close-up activities, like reading, drawing, and scrolling. So, with most of us spending our days staring at smartphones and computer screens, our eyes are extra tired.

But there are several ways we can fight visual fatigue and keep our eyes happier, healthier, and dare we say, perkier. (And no, the answer is not more caffeine or cat naps. Although, getting a healthy night’s sleep is a great place to start!) If you want an easy way to reduce your eye strain in the digital age, you can turn to one of our oldest technologies: eyeglasses.

Anti-fatigue glasses help ease digital eye strain, and the right pair will keep you looking cute while you work at the computer. Here’s how anti-fatigue glasses work, plus 5 pairs your eyes will never get tired of.

What Causes Eye Fatigue?

The most common cause of eye fatigue is digital eye strain. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, around 60% of adults report experiencing symptoms of digital eye strain, including dry eye, soreness, burning, itching, blurred vision, light sensitivity, and headaches.

When we spend time staring at digital devices, two things happen: We’re exposed to a lot of blue light, and our blinking pattern changes. During computer work and other “near work” that relies on our near vision, we blink less compared to when we do work that requires distance vision.

While our blinking rate is about the same when we read on a digital screen compared to on paper, research shows the quality of our blinking is worse when we use digital devices, making computer work some of the most damaging near work for our eyes.

During computer work, our eyes rely on incomplete blinks that don’t fully moisten the eye. This can lead to dry eye and other symptoms of eye strain. A report by The Guardian found that this is increasing rates of myopia in children and speeding up the onset of presbyopia, or age-related decline in close-up vision, in adults.

Digital screens also emit large amounts of blue light, which disrupt our sleep pattern and can damage the cells of our retina, increasing our risk of macular degeneration, according to a report by UC Davis.

All of this adds up to a lot of motivation to improve your eye care. One of the easiest ways to do this is to add a pair of blue light glasses or anti-fatigue glasses to your eyewear wardrobe.

How Do You Know If You Have Eye Fatigue?

Before we dive into the specifics of how anti-fatigue lenses can help, we should clarify the symptoms of this common eye condition.

If you have eye fatigue, you might notice one (or more) of the following symptoms:

• Aching, tired eyes

• Muscle spasms in your eye or eyelid

• Blurred vision

• Difficulty focusing

• Watery, irritated eyes

• Redness in the eyes

• Struggling to keep your eyes open

• Sensitivity to light

Along with the symptoms that affect your eyes, you might also notice that eye fatigue can make your shoulders, back, and neck sore. That’s because constantly adjusting your eyes to focus on a screen can cause them to tense, and this tension can extend to your neck, back, and shoulders. You may also bend in unnatural positions to make it easier to see,

The pesky thing about symptoms of eye strain is that they’re similar to symptoms of other eye conditions. This is where your eye doctor can help. If you start developing any of these symptoms, book an appointment with your optician to get an official diagnosis and discuss your treatment options.

How Can Anti-Fatigue Glasses Help?

There are two different ways your glasses can help reduce eye strain. One is to add anti-fatigue lenses to your eyeglasses—the other is to add blue-light-blocking lenses. Here’s how each lens type works and how to decide which is right for you.

Anti-Fatigue Lenses

Anti-fatigue lenses rely on a similar technology as progressive lenses and other multifocal eyeglasses, except that this technology can be integrated into your single-vision lenses without you having to visit the optometrist for a new prescription.

In anti-fatigue lenses, the lower portion of the lens gives you a little power boost. This portion of the lens is similar to reading glasses, adding a little magnification, and making it easier for your eyes to focus on near work.

Like with progressives, your distance prescription and the power boost happen in a single glasses lens (so you don’t get the line across the middle of your glasses like you would with bifocal lenses). Also much like getting used to progressives, it can be harder to get used to anti-fatigue lenses than a single-vision lens.

The downsides of anti-fatigue lenses are: They’re expensive, and there currently isn’t a lot of scientific evidence to show how effective they are. Some recent research has shown that they don’t help prevent myopia in children.

Also, most people who receive a single-vision lens prescription don’t need vision correction to see up close. That’s why their doctor prescribed them a single-vision lens instead of a progressive lens to begin with.

Anti-fatigue lenses are most likely to benefit pre-presbyopic glasses wearers, who are experiencing age-related decline in their near vision earlier than they should. These glasses wearers will benefit more from a little near vision power boost.

Blue-Light-Blocking Lenses

Blue-light-blocking lenses are the lenses you most commonly see in “computer glasses.” These eyeglass lenses are designed with blue light filtering capabilities.

They help reduce eye fatigue by decreasing your exposure to blue light throughout the day. These lenses can be added to any prescription lenses — single-vision, progressive, readers, and even non-prescription — and they’re extremely affordable compared to anti-fatigue lenses.

5 Anti-Fatigue Glasses to Fix Your Tired Eyes

These 5 pairs of glasses are available with blue-light-blocking lenses to help you say "so long" to digital eye strain.

They can also make you feel less tired of your eyewear style. With mini magnets in the corners of the frame, you can snap on a pair of Top Frames that will transform your simple black (or clear or tortoiseshell) frames into bright red frames, or mermaid frames, or even Marvel Comics frames.

With so many fun styles, these blue light glasses will have you feeling anything but blue.

1. The Larkin

These classic rectangular eyeglass frames will never go out of style. The Larkin is a perennial best-seller, designed for narrow faces.

2. The Wanda

For a pair of vintage cat-eye glasses, set your sights on The Wanda. This pair is sassy and stylish with an oversized silhouette.

3. The Finley

A pair of rectangular frames in a medium width, The Finley fits most people. These glasses look especially flattering on round and oval faces.

4. The Reese

For bookish good looks, this pair of round eyeglass frames wouldn’t look out of place during late nights at the library (even if you are mostly there to use the computers). The Reese is a perfect fit for narrow faces.

5. The Kirby

A best-selling pair of oversized square frames, The Kirby looks super stylish on people with round faces.

More Tools to Avoid Digital Eye Strain

Investing in a pair of blue-light-blocking, anti-fatigue glasses is a great way to reduce your eye strain on a daily basis. But to protect your long-term eye health, you should also take these steps:

• Talk to your eye doctor: Your optometrist can perform an eye exam to make sure your dry eye or blurry vision isn’t being caused by an incorrect prescription, and they can inform you of any additional steps you may need to take, like using prescription eye drops.

• Choose glasses over contact lenses: While there are anti-fatigue contact lenses, glasses are your best bet for preventing chronic dry eye because contact lenses can actually cause your eyes to dry out.

• Follow the 20-20-20 rule: This is one of the simplest ways to give your eyes a chance to rest and blink. Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break, and look at something 20 feet away.

• Blink More: This might sound impossible, but we’ve got some tips. Something as simple as putting a post-it note on your laptop screen with the simple reminder, “Blink,” can help keep your mind focused on blinking as much as possible. You can also set a rule that you’ll blink every time you get a notification or switch tasks.

• Consider Your Lighting: If you work on your computer and find the glare intense, check your lighting setup. Bright lights directly above or behind you can cause the most glare and require your eyes to work overtime. When possible, limit the amount of bright light reflecting off your screen or get an anti-glare cover to give your eyes a break.

• Make Your Workstation Ergonomic: Think of your workstation like your car — you want it designed to be as efficient, safe, and comfortable as possible. Make sure your monitor is an arm’s length away and directly in front of you. Additionally, if you have to squint to see, don’t be afraid to make the font as big as you need it to be.

Who Should Wear Anti-Fatigue Lenses?

When it comes to whether or not you need anti-fatigue lenses, take a minute to consider your eye health and lifestyle.

If you spend several hours every day doing computer work, you could probably benefit from anti-fatigue lenses. Also, if you experience headaches, watery eyes, or blurred vision, these lenses might be your golden ticket.

The slight magnification in anti-fatigue lenses also makes them an excellent option for anyone struggling with the deterioration of their near vision. If you find that it’s getting harder and harder to read the print in magazines or on the cereal box, these lenses could be you. Typically, they’re best for people under 40 who don’t need bifocal or progressive lenses just yet.

Even if you’re not experiencing a decline in your near vision, anti-fatigue lenses could still be a good option if you spend a lot of time looking at small print throughout the day. This might apply to graphic designers, nurses, or anyone working in a profession that requires them to be honed into small-print text.

Go Easy on Your Eyes

Your eyes work hard. Give them a break with a pair of glasses that makes their job easier. Blue-light-blocking lenses are an excellent, affordable option for anti-fatigue glasses. They filter out blue light when you work on digital screens, making your daily light intake a little easier on your eyes.

And if you want to make your glasses one of the bright spots in your day, shop Pair Eyewear. Our glasses start at just $60. At checkout, you can upgrade your lenses by adding blue-light-blocking technology. You can also customize your frames by adding a variety of snap-on Top Frames that allow you to change the color and style of your glasses anytime you change your mood or your mind.

So if your eyes are tired of seeing the same pair of glasses every time you look in the mirror, Pair Eyewear can help your eye fatigue and your fashion fatigue. Find your style at Pair.