**SUPER-VALUE** Bargain Blue-Light-Blocking Glasses From Temu
By The Treasure-Sharer, with feedback from The Adventurer
It's almost impossible to stay away from screen time nowadays, and we're paying the price for it.
My man gets a crazy amount of screen time daily, and it would give him red eyes and headaches that were so bad that he would sometimes even need to take painkiller pills for them, even though he only takes pharmaceuticals as a last resort, when he feels like he has no other option. He also suffered from severe insomnia, and poor sleep, when he did get some.
While we had searched for ways to minimize our Wi-Fi exposure, we had not yet tried blue-light-minimizing options, so I was excited when I stumbled upon blue-light-filtering glasses at super-steal-of-a-deal prices on Temu, hopeful that they would help my man reduce his truly-debilitating symptoms of too much exposure to electronics.
How Blue Light Harms
Blue light is naturally emitted from the sun, but is also artifically emitted from digital devices, including computers, smartphones, TVs, and tablets. In an article about "The Unhealthy Effects of Blue Light (and 7 Solutions)," it is described how blue light causes eye strain because it has a shorter wavelength and flickers more, creating glare and reducing contrast, making your eye muscles work harder to process what you see, such that prolonged exposure to computer glare can make your eyes feel tired, and lead to headaches and blurred vision. You apparently also blink less (and sometimes not fully) when using computer, smartphone, and television screens, which can make your eyes dry, and can actually intensify eye strain and associated symptoms.
The article says that there are also more and more studies linking an overexposure of blue light to macular degeneration -- a condition that can lead to blindness.
Moreover, blue light has been linked to other serious health conditions, including cancer, depression, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and reduced libido.
It can also disrupt your sleep, as blue light tells your body that it needs to be awake, and exposure to artificial blue light can inhibit the production of melatonin (the chemical responsible for helping you sleep), and disrupt your circadian rhythm (also known as your internal clock), so that you can't sleep even at super-late hours, like the insomniac in the image to the side.
While light of any kind can suppress the secretion of melatonin, blue light at night does so more powerfully. An article by Harvard Health Publishing, called "Blue light has a dark side," cites an experiment by Harvard researchers comparing the effects of 6.5 hours of blue light exposure to green light exposure, finding that the blue light suppressed melatonin for about twice as long as the green light, and shifted circadian rhythms by twice as much (3 hours vs. 1.5 hours).
It also cites another study from the University of Toronto, which compared the melatonin levels of people exposed to bright indoor light while wearing blue-light–blocking goggles to people exposed to regular dim light without wearing goggles, which found that the melatonin levels were about the same in both groups, thus strengthening the hypothesis that blue light potently suppresses melatonin, and also suggesting that night owls and shift workers could perhaps protect themselves if they wore eyewear that blocks blue light. The article says that, while inexpensive sunglasses with orange-tinted lenses block blue light, they also block other colors, and so are not suitable for use indoors at night, and that glasses that block out only blue light can cost up to $80.
How I Discovered These Blue-Light-Blocking Gems on Temu
My man had asked me if I could find screen protectors for computer screens for a good price from Temu, and, while browsing, I saw that there were ones made for my computer screen size that filtered blue light, but not blue-light-blocking ones that fit his screen, and I felt really bad, because I thought that a blue light filter might make a difference for what my man was experiencing.
When I spotted blue-light-blocking glasses on Temu, they seemed almost too good to be true. Not only would the glasses save us the trouble, time, and cost of buying different filters for each of our devices, but they also cost less than any of the blue-light-blocking screen protector options I had found for our devices. The prices were actually so low that even I was a bit skeptical that the glasses would work, and effectively filter blue light.
After reading through lots of reviews from the product pages of different vendors selling the same anti-blue light glasses I was interested in, however, I thought that they seemed legit, with many reviewers commenting on how the anti-blue light glasses helped their eyes not hurt, etc.
I was a bit worried that they might be too small for my man's and my larger-than-average heads, but I checked the advertised frame width and measured our heads, and saw that the blue light glasses' frames sounded like they would be large enough. (See the image to the side for the advertised measurements for the anti-blue light glasses.)
There were four colors available: black, clear, grey, and half-black on top and clear on the bottom (see the images of the different options below).
I chose the grey ones (see the image farthest to the right side) because I thought that they looked the best.
I picked the ones that were selling for the cheapest price at the time, since multiple vendors on Temu sell the same product, but for different prices. The C3 style of these glasses were what I ordered: Lightweight and Comfortable Square Anti-Blue Light Glasses for Computers, TVs and Mobile Phones with Clear Lenses.
I just ordered one pair initially so that I could see if they fit us, and if they were worth ordering. I actually already had a pair of blue-light-filtering glasses from Amazon from my dad that he didn't want anymore, and had given me as a hand-me-down a few years before, but I never wore them, because the lenses were darkened, and I didn't like the color distortion they created when I wore them.
I gave the pair I ordered to my man when they arrived. After using them for a few days, he told me that he felt like they had made a difference, and that he wasn't suffering from red eyes and getting as many headaches as he used to.
He let me try them on, and I saw that they fit me, and that I could even wear them over the top of my glasses, so I decided to order a pair for myself, again in grey, because I thought that the color looked decent.
Our Thoughts on the Anti-Blue Light Glasses from Temu, and Tips for Caring For and Using Them
One of the things that got me most excited about the anti-blue light glasses from Temu was that they actually fit both me and my man. If you read our previous review on hat stretchers, you will recall that measuring my head for that article confirmed for me that both my man and I have massive heads. We normally find it difficult to find headwear and glasses that fit, so I was delightedly surprised to discover that the glasses accommodated even our larger-than-average head sizes.
I also like how big the glasses extend, and how they hang down low on your face, ensuring that they fully cover your vision from the front.
A drawback to the glasses' large size is that they may be too big for children and people with small heads, but we never tried them on anyone else, so we can't say or be sure whether or not they will fit them. The article "Blue Light and Children: A Doctor’s Perspective," explains that kids are more vulnerable to blue light because children's lenses start out very clear, especially until the age of 12, over time building up a natural yellowing that provides some protection from blue light entering the eye. The clearness of children's lenses make them more vulnerable to blue light emissions and associated risks, so if you're concerned about their health, I would recommend finding a different option for them, if these glasses won't fit them. You could at the very least buy a pair for them to grow into later.
My man told me that the only issue he found with the blue light glasses from Temu was that it felt like the lenses might pop off if you weren't careful while wiping them to clean them. I was reluctant to try wiping mine for that reason, but when I finally tried wiping them, the lenses felt pretty securely fitted to me, so I'm not sure if his pair was flimsier in the lens fitting than mine were. I have seen other reviews that commented that the glasses were a bit flimsy. I was also more careful while rubbing them, out of paranoia, so his prior warning might have also been a factor.
We later discovered that the frames were a bit fragile too, as I put them on my couch for my man to try on, and he accidentally sat on them, and we found that one of the sides had become very bent out of shape. I was able to reshape it so that it was at least wearable again, but it was impossible to completely return them to their original shape, so that they now sit a bit crooked, unless you let one of the arms not sit on your ear when you wear them. See the image to the side to see how the frames looked after I tried to fix them, with the arm on the right side extending out farther than it should. See below for a look at how bent out of shape they got from being sat on.
Unfortunately, I only took photos of my pair of blue-light-blocking glasses after they had been sat on, so I don't have any photos of how they looked before that. I can say that they used to be shaped well, and sat comfortably on and were well-fitted to my head prior, however.
I'm pretty sure that most plastic frames would also become bent out of shape if sat on, so I don't think that the glasses are bad quality -- I would just suggest that one not be too rough when handling them, and be sure not to place them anywhere where they might be accidentally sat on.
I used to own prescription glasses with plastic frames, and the frames on these glasses appear to be made of similar material.
What I particularly like about them being glasses is that your eyes can be protected while you use any device. Instead of needing to spend so much to get separate blue light screens for your phones, tablets, laptops, TVs, and more, you can just wear the glasses while using any of the devices, and have your eyes shielded from the blue light emitted.
If you don't like the idea of wearing glasses in public, you could also reserve them for home use.
But if you don't mind having others see you wearing glasses for whatever reason, even my man says that they look fine to wear outside, even though he prefers to just wear them inside.
They are actually affordable enough that you could even buy different colors to pair with different outfits, and turn the glasses into a fashion statement, especially if you wear non-prescription glasses for the "smart" look they give, etc.
My dad showed us and got us to try on a much more expensive pair of glasses he had bought for himself from Amazon years before for $40, that was apparently for use in the yard while weed-whacking, that also protected against UV and blue light. My man commented to me afterwards that he actually liked the look of the ones I had gotten from Temu better, as my dad's looked more sporty-looking, while ours were more suited for daily wear, and were not bad-looking. He also said that the two different glasses felt like they blocked blue light about the same, only that my dad's also blocked light from the side, as the lenses also covered some of the sides of the glasses. He also noted that we typically look straight ahead when using the glasses anyway, while looking at screens, such that the extra coverage from my dad's glasses was nice, but not vital. He also said that my dad's version of blue light glasses felt sturdier, and not as easily breakable.
My man also told me a few minutes after trying on my dad's glasses that his head had started feeling funny, and that he regretted trying them on. One possible explanation he thought of was that maybe he had gotten spike protein transferred to him from the few seconds of contact from wearing my dad's glasses, so it's possible that the glasses themselves were not the cause. My dad told me later that he had worn them for years, and felt fine wearing them, so it's hard to say what caused my man's head to feel funny.
Regardless, my man preferred the glasses I had gotten, and thought that they performed as well in terms of blocking blue light as the much more expensive pair my dad had purchased. The reason I had wanted to review them in the first place was that I thought that they would be a great way for people who are on a very tight budget and don't have a lot of extra cash to throw around to still be able to afford a way to protect themselves and their families from such an ubiquitous and harmful problem.
Unnatural amounts of and exposure to blue light are problems that one will invitably encounter these days, so I think that blue-light-filtering glasses are a must, to protect oneself against the dangers associated with too much blue light exposure. I think that it's worth keeping a pair in your bag to take out just in case you encounter a situation where you might need them, and using another pair or the same pair at home. They're so affordable and actually work, so I think it's worth even getting more than one pair as spares.
Especially if you regularly experience eye strain, or spend long periods of time working with blue light devices, or even if you just watch a lot of TV or Netflix, they are worth giving a try.
My man says that they might also be good for people who use devices before bedtime, since exposure to blue light at night can keep you awake. My man uses a Mac computer, which actually has a mode that allows you to switch your computer from using blue light to orange light, and he told me that he both switches the mode to orange light and wears the blue light glasses before going to bed at night, as an extra precaution.
Blue Reflection "Test"
From the side, you can see a layer of blue in the lenses of the anti-blue light glasses I bought from Temu, that is probably for blue-light filtering (see below), but I can't see any color distortion when wearing the glasses, so I don't think that they affect the colors of what I am looking at when wearing them.
An article on "How to Test Blue Light Glasses At Home" says that a test that is not the most accurate, but will give you an indication if any or some blue light is being filtered, is to notice if the reflection that is reflected off the lens of your glasses once you wear them is blue, which means that your glasses are reflecting some amount of blue light, but that if they don't, then they are probably not useful.
You can see how the blue-light-blocking glasses I bought have a bluish glow under direct sunlight (which can also be seen indoors, although not as obviously), in the images I took of them outside under the sun, below, showing that they definitely filter some amount of blue light.
Blue-Light-Filtering Test
I decided to test the blue-light-filtering capabilities of the anti-blue light glasses further, by using a blue light glasses test card I had bought from Temu, to see if it would respond to being covered by the blue-light-blocking lenses of my blue light glasses. I wasn't sure if the cards even worked, as they did not change color in front of screens, but I got the idea to bring one out under direct sunlight, since sunlight contains blue light. I brought a tester card and the glasses out under the sun, and saw that the card turned dark purple under the sun, but that the areas covered by the glasses' lenses changed back to white, showing that the glasses did filter out the blue light.
See below for how the blue light tester card looked when not filtered, partly filtered, and fully filtered by the blue light glasses.
UV-Light-Filtering Test
I wondered if the blue-light-blocking glasses were actually filtering out UV rays, as I have UV detection cards that also turn purple under the sun. So I brought my two different UV light tester cards outside under the sun, and put the anti-blue light glasses over them to check. I saw that the sections blocked by the glasses returned to almost white, but not perfectly white. This showed that the blue light glasses also block UV rays, though not perfectly. I was so pleased to see this, since the promo ad didn't even say that the glasses I had bought to protect against blue light also blocked UV light.
See below for how the UV light tester cards looked when not filtered, and partly filtered by the blue light glasses.
(Note, I have two different kinds of UV light testing cards because I bought them both, not knowing if they were equally accurate, and discovered that they did not produce the same results [with one card producing a light shade of purple and another producing a dark shade when exposed to the same light source at the same time], so I have resolved to test them on my various UV-light-emitting products of specific wavelengths in the future, to determine which is more accurate -- which I might decide to include in a review of the two different UV light testing cards here in the future.)
Review:
Pros:
-help protect eyes from blue light
-help reduce eye strain, eye fatigue, and red eyes
-help reduce blurred vision and headaches caused by exposure to blue light
-oversized design ensures that your eyes are fully protected from the front
-has a unisex style, suitable for men and women
-fit comfortably even on people with big heads
-come in different colors that are basic, practical, and universally match most colors
-light-weight
-look passably decent to wear daily
-very low, affordable price
-useful for work and leisure
-clear lenses
-modern design
-potentially improve sleep
-help block a significant amount of UV light
Cons:
-a bit fragile
-feel like the lenses could come out if you are too rough with rubbing them
-might be large if you have a very small head
-likely too big for most children
-made of plastic, if you prefer metal frames
-necessitate wearing glasses, which some people don't like
-don't protect your eyes from the sides, like some more expensive glasses do
Gem or Junk?
For us: Gem (4 stars out of 5)
My man, The Adventurer, told me that he would give the glasses 5 out of 5 stars for the value you were getting for the price, though if he were rating them for appearance, he would give them a 1 or 2 out of 5.
Besides being a little flimsy, I think that their contribution to getting rid of some of my man's screen exposure problems make them worth the price. My tests showed that the glasses not only filtered blue light, but also UV light, as an unadvertised bonus.
My man uses his devices at home, so he doesn't need to wear the glasses outside, but he told me that they're fine, and better-looking for everyday wear than the expensive pair my dad had bought, that he said looked too sporty to wear for blue-light-blocking activities.
I had been planning to rate them four stars, because I thought that they were a super purchase for the price, and he was okay with the assessment.
I think that their ability to get rid of some of the problems my man was experiencing was impressive, and even if you only choose to wear them at home, you can still definitely get your money's worth. I really like how you can even afford to buy some for every member of your family and friends, if you care about protecting their eyes and health as well.
Gems For Who:
1) People who experience red eyes, eye strain, or eye fatigue from screen time.
2) Professionals who work long hours on computers, tablets, or smartphones.
3) People who spend a lot of recreational time using digital devices.
4) Gamers.
5) TV junkies.
6) People who use devices to watch movies.
7) People who use devices late at night.
8) People who binge-watch multiple episodes of shows in one sitting, and/or do movie marathons.
9) People who primarily use and rely on e-readers, instead of reading books and paper-based reading materials.
10) Night-shift workers.
11) People who use and/or are exposed to a lot of LED lighting, which emits more blue light than fluorescent and incandescent lights.
12) People who want to be able to buy multiple pairs of blue light glasses for themselves and others, that they can afford without breaking the bank.
13) People who want to try effective blue-light-blocking glasses for a low price.
Conclusion:
I set out to see if the crazy-cheap anti-blue light glasses from Temu would deliver despite their low price, and was really excited and happy when they did. Blue light is something that we should minimize our exposure to, if we can, and I think that cheap blue-light-blocking glasses are an affordable way to protect the eyes and vision of both yourself, and everyone you care about.
I actually think that they are something that's even worth signing up for Temu for (if you don't already have an account there), to be able to buy at such a low price. If you want to give them a try at a discount, then use my referral link (https://temu.to/m/ubwjywyuh4x) to get a $100 coupon bundle to save even more with, after you sign up.
See you in my next article! :)
