From working online to scrolling on social media, the majority of us look at screens for most of our waking hours. Unfortunately, studies have shown that the blue light these screens emit is extremely bad for our eyes and even sleep patterns. Many people now use blue light glasses to combat this problem, but you might be wondering: Do blue light glasses wear out or expire over time?

Blue light glasses will not become less effective, wear out, or expire over time. However, many new studies show that blue light glasses don’t actually help as much as previously thought. Even if you are wearing blue glasses, you should still take frequent breaks from your screen. 

If you want to learn exactly how blue light glasses work, how long you should wear them, and even what kind of blue light glasses will protect your eyes the best, keep reading! We have everything you need to know right here. 

Do Blue Light Glasses Wear Out or Expire Over Time?

The good news is, blue light glasses do not wear out or expire over time. If you don’t lose or break them, you can use the same pair indefinitely! 

However, it’s important to understand that blue light glasses may not be protecting your eyes all that much. 

If you want to protect your eyes, reduce your headaches, and improve your sleep patterns, whether you have brand new or old blue light glasses, you still need to reduce the blue light settings on your screen, keep your eyes moist throughout the day, and take frequent breaks from looking at a screen. 

How Do Blue Light Glasses Work?

There are quite a lot of mixed reviews when it comes to blue light glasses, but before we go into the ins and outs of these glasses, it’s important to understand how they actually work.  Blue light is constantly emitted from our screens, and this light is made up of small waves that can be extremely detrimental to your eye health, as well as cause headaches and impede your sleep cycle. 

Most of us require screens in our lives, so cutting them out isn’t really an option. Blue light glasses have become an extremely popular tool in combating the problems of looking at blue light all day.  

Blue light glasses are supposed to limit the amount of blue light that actually reaches your eyes; however, some studies have shown that blue light glasses aren’t as effective as we had hoped.

Can You Wear Blue Light Glasses All Day?

The best news about blue light glasses is that they have no negative side effects, you can wear them all day without worrying about any damage to your eyes. 

And now that you know that blue light glasses cannot wear out, you don’t need to worry about overusing them either, so you can confidently wear your blue light glasses whenever you are looking at a screen. 

While most optometrists and sleep specialists recommend still giving your eyes a break from the screen as consistently as you can, when you are looking at the screen, blue light glasses can only help to protect your eyes. 

When you step outside for a break, you should take off your blue light glasses to give your eyes a variation of light retention, but if you forget, wearing the glasses outside is not dangerous in any way. 

How to Test Blue Light Glasses

If you have been wearing your blue light glasses for a while or even if they are brand new, you probably want to make sure the pair you got is actually blocking blue light. 

To test your blue light glasses and make sure they are doing their job, just follow these simple instructions: 

  • Take your glasses outside on a clear day. 
  • Look up to the sky. 
  • If the lenses provide a yellow or orange coloring, your blue light glasses work! 

It’s that easy! You can also find a blue light test online, but you probably don’t need anything extra activities online anyway!

What Kind of Blue Light Glasses Should You Get?

There are essentially three kinds of blue light glasses, and while none of them expire, certain options work better for different people’s lifestyles. 

  • Clear lenses that filter 25–30% of blue light. 
  • Yellow-tinted lenses that filter 65–70% of blue light. 
  • Orange or red-tinted lenses that filter out 99.5–99.9% of blue light. 

Of course, the more blue light the glasses filter out usually means a more intense color in the lens. If you can handle seeing all your screens in orange or red, you might want to opt for the strongest lenses. 

Final Thoughts

Blue light glasses do not wear out or expire over time. Technically, you can wear the same pair forever if you never lose or break them. 

It’s important to remember that while blue glasses may help protect your eyes from screens, they are so efficient that you don’t still need to take frequent breaks from looking at your screens.