Do photochromic lenses block blue light?

[liam7020]

Does anyone know if the photochromic lenses used in some cycling glasses, in this case Rudy Project Rydon, filter out blue light? When I spend long periods in front of the computer screen I find my eyes get quite irritated and also I sometimes have spells of poor sleep which I’m told can be exacerbated by blue light.

Later this week I have to attend an intensive 2 day computer based course for which I had ordered a pair of blue light blocking glasses but it looks like they aren’t going to be delivered on time. So could the Rydon specs be used for this purpose? Ta

[Autriche]

I'm no expert on photochromic lenses but I know that mine (alba optics) turn dark when hit with UV. They wont turn dark while driving even if the sunlight hits them directly because the car glass blocks UV.

Your screen should not emit any UV and your photochromic lenses should't work inside.

[dim]

According to Google, Photochromic lenses (also known as transition lenses), block the harmful blue light:

https://www.google.com/search?q=photoch ... e&ie=UTF-8

So, get a pair of Oakley Jawbreaker Photochromic, and you have cycling sunglasses and indoor glasses

Jokes aside, I have recently bought a pair of these, and I'm well pleased ...(I only use them for cycling) .... I will be buying the Oakley Jawbreaker Prizm lenses to see what all the fuss is about (I just buy the lenses, and swop them using the same frame)

[Karvalo]

According to Google, Photochromic lenses (also known as transition lenses), block the harmful blue light:

Block seems a strong word. According the first link from your search transition type lenses indoors filter slightly more blue light than a normal set of clear lenses.

[TheKaiser]

According to Google, Photochromic lenses (also known as transition lenses), block the harmful blue light:

Block seems a strong word. According the first link from your search transition type lenses indoors filter slightly more blue light than a normal set of clear lenses.

Yes, I was just going to say something similar. There is a lot of hype and misinformation put out there by eyewear companies. If you want to block 95%+ of blue light you will want to get something specifically designed to filter that band, like the Uvex Skyper, which I happen to be wearing as I type this, to avoid blue light before sleep, or "Blue Blockers" brand glasses, which are similarly effective but a darker tint (could be a +/- depending on your needs) and a bit more expensive (The Uvex Skyper is dirt cheap). At the same time, if you search "Blue light blocking glasses" on Amazon, there are many companies offering clear lens glasses with a sort of anti glare mirror coating that they claim block blue light, but they rarely provide data on what % they filter, and what specific parts of the light spectrum they select for. I finally found one company that did provide data on filtration and if I recall correctly is was somewhere around 50%, so far less effective than a tinted lense.

Back to the OPs original question though, if you are in a pinch, odds are good that any orangeish hue lense will block a substantial amount of blue light, so I'd say that it would depend on the base color of the Rudys. If it is a gray base, it will reduce all parts of the spectrum more or less in proportion, rather than the selective filtration of the yellow-orange-red family.

[spud]

why not go into the display settings and turn on night mode/turn off blue light?

[TheKaiser]

why not go into the display settings and turn on night mode/turn off blue light?

That isn't a bad idea, certainly. There is also an app called f.lux (and some copycats which are hit/miss with quality) that will auto adjust screen settings based on time of day. The thing is that, due to the nature of many screens, while they'll significantly reduce blue output, it isn't 100% effective. In addition, many of our current lighting fixtures have a very high blue light output, and lots of electronics have bright blue LEDs so if you wear the glasses before bed you cut out all sources at once.

[wheelsONfire]

Good idea, thanks!

[dim]

Roka have a new line of glasses that block blue light:

https://www.roka.com/collections/the-rise-collection