The 5 Best Gaming Glasses in 2020
Gamers have probably experienced this at some point in their lives – gearing up for a day-long gaming session only to end up with headaches or eye strain after just a few hours. This can be pretty frustrating if you’ve already planned to spend the weekend with that brand-new game you’ve been hyped about.
Even outside of those dedicated stretches, eye strain is still a cause for concern for a huge portion of the population who spend most of the days looking at computer or phone screens. Can gaming glasses address this problem? Check out our guide for the best gaming glasses available today.
Why wear gaming glasses?
Getting eye strain or headaches because of prolonged exposure to digital screens is referred to as either Digital Eye Strain or Computer Vision Syndrome. No matter the term, this response has been traced to how our eyes respond to blue light.
Blue light, with a wavelength of 380 to 500 nm, is emitted by all types of digital screens – from our phones to TVs. If you work indoors, then you might still experience eye fatigue due to blue light from fluorescent lights. Blue light is somewhat closely related to UV radiation, which is emitted by the sun and our eyes are designed to filter out. However, our eyes do not do as great a job of blocking blue light, instead allowing it to more easily penetrate all the way to the retina.
This penetration scatters blue light, making it a lot more difficult for our eyes to focus. This can be very taxing for our eyes and is the primary reason for the phenomenon of digital eye strain. Constant blue light exposure can also result in macular degeneration, which can eventually lead to vision loss problems.
Gaming glasses work by blocking out a portion of the blue light that enters our eyes. They are designed to reduce eye fatigue without significantly altering how our eyes perceive what we are looking at. A good pair of gaming glasses should not result in any degradation of the quality of the gaming experience or have you looking at a yellow-tinged image.
Aside from blue light blocking performance, modern gaming glasses have also been designed to be comfortable and stylish. Near-sighted gamers can even opt for gaming glasses with magnification options.
The top 5 best gaming glasses you can buy today
1. Livho 2-Pack Blue Light Blocking Glasses
The standards for gaming glasses aren’t all that high. They must do reasonably well in blocking blue light, be well-built, and preferably stylish. It would also help if they were inexpensive. We’re happy to say that these blue light blocking glasses from Livho satisfy all these qualifications.
To start, these glasses come out at less than $9 a piece. Having two of them bundled together is great if you have other people in your home or if you’re the type to misplace your glasses all the time. There is a huge selection of different frame colors from standard clear and black to more unusual ones like leopard print and bluish purple.
In terms of performance, Livho claims that these glasses block 95% of harmful blue light and UV400. Livho even includes a blue light checking kit with the glasses when you buy them so you can see for yourself how well they work. The amber-tinted polycarbonate lens causes minimal distortion of the colors that you see, especially compared to more yellow-tinted alternatives.
2. Gamma Ray Blue Light Blocking Glasses
Sometimes, all you need is a pair of gaming glasses that are simple and not too flashy. These blue light blocking glasses from Gamma Ray offers exactly this value while performing excellently. The minimalist design is likely part of what made these glasses so popular, despite being a little more expensive than other products.
The glasses feature a plain black frame with flexible nylon temple arms, allowing them to fit just about anyone. The amber-tinted lenses do a great job of filtering out blue light and are available for up to 2.25 times magnification. The lightweight construction makes these glasses comfortable to wear for several hours of gaming or working.
The minimalist design of these glasses is perfect if you’re looking for a pair that you can use during gaming and while working in the office as well. It also comes with a nice rigid carrying case.
3. Gunnar Optiks Gaming Glasses
Rarely are blue light blocking glasses marketed as gaming glasses, so this pair from Gunnar Optiks instantly caught our attention. Unfortunately, this branding seems to have the Gunnar Optiks glasses one of the most expensive in this market – up to five times more than the budget options.
Price aside, Gunnar Optiks probably has the widest range of blue light blocking glasses available. You can choose from clear lenses, amber-tinted lenses, dark lenses, with each option offering a different blue light blocking capacity. There are also three frame options for each type of lens.
Gunnar Optiks stands out in the gaming industry because of their special gaming-themed styles. They have partnered with popular gaming brands Razer and SteelSeries to come up with special themed glasses. Their gaming line is a lot flashier and louder than the other blue light blocking glasses in the market, which will surely appeal to hardcore gamers.
4. UVex Skpyer Blue Light Blocking Computer Glasses
UVex is a brand that is more well-known in the industrial field. Their line of safety glasses, goggles, and respiration protection products are used worldwide and is known to be one of the most reliable. This same standard of quality extends to these blue light blocking glasses, although with a few caveats.
Durable, comfortable, and well-built, these computer glasses feel like they can take a beating. The quality of construction is exceptional, especially when you consider that these glasses cost less than $12. These glasses were likely designed for industrial settings, so it provides blue light blocking for much wider multi-angle viewing.
The biggest drawback would be the fact that these glasses are yellow-tinted. According to UVex, the glasses block up to 95% of harmful blue light. This is only possible by significantly altering the color profile of the images that enter your eye. If you don’t mind playing games that look yellow, then this is an excellent and inexpensive product that should last you for quite a while.
5. KENZHOU Blue Light Blocking Computer Glasses
We get that not everyone likes walking around with amber-tinted or yellow glasses. It just doesn’t look cool. For gamers who stream, getting a pair of gaming glasses that do not cramp their style is essential. If this is a problem you relate with, then this 2-pack of blue light blocking glasses from KENZHOU may just be what you need.
The best way to describe these glasses is that they are non-descript. The frames look like the standard black, brown, and blue. Even the lenses don’t seem like they are nothing exceptional, essentially looking like clear layers of plastic. However, they work pretty well in blocking out blue light – but perhaps not the 90% that KENZHOU claims.
At less than $10 per pair, it’s no problem buying a bunch of these for use in the office and at home for a whole family. Eye care does not need to be expensive, and neither does it have to be loud. These glasses are perfect for those who like to keep it low-profile.
Final thoughts
Gaming is great but not developing long-term eye damage is even better. With the technology available to keep your eyes safe, there’s simply no excuse nowadays to not get a pair of blue light blocking glasses. These glasses are cheap, easy to find, and perform reasonably well.
If you spend several hours a week gaming, then a pair of gaming glasses are an inexpensive investment with huge returns. We suggest giving them a try, as most people who do end up advocating for these products.
