Best Anti-Glare Computer Glasses
- 2024 Users Guide

When and why you should consider anti-glare glasses

If you wear glasses or contacts (and in some cases, even if you don’t) and you work at a computer for several hours per day, your eye doctor may recommend computer glasses to help reduce eye strain and protect overall eye health. These glasses are different from traditional corrective lenses in a few very important ways.

Here, you’ll learn all about computer glasses and the benefits they can provide.

do you need anti glare computer glasses

To determine whether you’re a candidate for computer glasses, your eye doctor will perform an eye exam and ask you some questions about your daily routine. If you’re experiencing symptoms related to computer eye strain or CVS, and if you regularly work in front of a computer for several hours a day, you are likely a good candidate for computer glasses. If you are age 40 or older, you may be affected by a condition known as presbyopia, which describes the gradual decline of your eyes’ ability to adapt to varying distances.

If you’ve recently purchased reading glasses, you’re also a very likely candidate for computer glasses.

reading or computer glasses

Reading glasses are designed to magnify text to a degree, but only within a very short distance. These glasses make it easier for your eyes to adjust their focus when you need to read small print that is at normal reading distance – usually about 14 to 16 inches. To reduce computer eye strain, most eye doctors will advise sitting anywhere from 20 to 40 inches from your monitor, depending on the size of the screen. Your reading glasses are not powerful at this distance, and sitting closer to the screen may make eye strain worse, even if you’re wearing your glasses. For this reason, you should never use your reading glasses as computer glasses; they simply were not designed for the same purposes.

The good news is that you usually can use your computer glasses as reading glasses. They work in much the same way; they make it easier for your eyes to focus at varying distances and with various font sizes, but they have a much longer range of vision.

Like regular prescription glasses, computer glasses come in several varieties that are custom-tailored to the wearer’s individual needs. They come in three different classifications to help you decide which ones will work best for you. They are:

“Book” lens types - Book computer glasses have the strongest focus at reading range, and they only work to a maximum distance of about three feet. You should not confuse these with reading glasses, which have a much shorter range of vision.
“Desk” lens types - Desk computer glasses provide clear vision for up to 6.5 feet, which allows for a smoother transition from printed material to a computer screen. Eye doctors typically recommend desk glasses for those who spend hours per day working at a computer.
“Room” lens types - A room lens offers a maximum viewing distance of up to 13 feet, which allows the wearer to look comfortably across a standard-sized room with no blurriness. These are perfect for individuals who spend a lot of time interacting with customers and using a computer screen.

best anti glare computer glasses

Your optician will likely recommend two very specific coatings for your lenses.

Anti-reflective coating - Those who spend time working in office settings or looking at computers will often experience glare from their glasses, which can exacerbate eye strain rather than help. To combat this, the lens manufacturer can apply an anti-reflective coating that will minimize glare significantly.
“Clean” coatings - Clean coatings are also recommended for computer glasses. These are designed to repel dust and debris, which can create vision problems and eye strain. Some of these coatings might even help resist smudges and spatters. They also make glasses easier to clean when they’re dirty.

Several studies have indicated that blue light has the most impact on your eyes, and it’s the type of light that is most likely to cause significant eye strain symptoms. While computer monitor manufacturers have made some great strides in technologies that reduce the amount of blue light being emitted, they can’t eliminate all of it. Nowadays, some lens manufacturers can apply a specific coating designed to attenuate blue light, which may reduce computer eye strain and CVS symptoms significantly. Ask your eye doctor if blue light coatings are available for your new computer glasses.

when to wear glasses for computers

If your eye doctor has prescribed computer glasses, he or she will give you instructions on how and when to wear them. In most cases, you’ll wear them during your workday if you are sitting at your computer, then take them off or swap them for your regular glasses when performing other tasks that don’t require a computer screen. Computer glasses are not meant for round-the-clock use, and they should never be used to replace your regular glasses completely. This may make tasks like driving very dangerous.

Computer glasses differ from traditional corrective lenses and reading glasses in that they provide you with ample view distance and protection for working at a computer. For many sufferers of computer eye strain and CVS, a pair of well-fitted computer glasses makes all the difference.

Any information on the eyebreaks.com website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional medical advice. Please contact your nearest optician/eye doctor if you have any concerns about your eyes.

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