Lens technology · 5 min read
Blue light coatings: marketing, evidence, and what we actually recommend.
Blue-light blocking lenses became a marketing category before they were a clinical category. Here's the version that's honest.
This is a working draft. The full article will publish at opening — a brief preview below.
What the evidence actually supports
The strongest evidence for blue-light filtration relates to circadian rhythm — specifically, evening screen exposure suppressing melatonin and disrupting sleep. The evidence for blue light causing retinal damage at consumer-device intensities, or directly causing eye strain, is weaker and contested.
Where we recommend it
- Evening / late-night screen users who report sleep disruption
- Shift workers and casino floor staff with irregular sleep cycles
- Anyone using devices in the 90 minutes before bed
Where we don't push it
- "Eye strain" alone — usually a refractive, accommodative, or ergonomic issue
- Children's primary lenses, unless paired with a documented sleep/study pattern
- Sunglass Rx — irrelevant outdoors
Full article publishes at opening.