The Best Eyeglasses for Writers

~Writing Well Wednesday Tip~

Eyeglasses may be critical to your daily writing work, but do you have the right ones?

It used to be that as long as you had the right prescription, that’s all you needed, but technology has created more choices for us.

Now, you can customize your lenses so they help make it easier for your eyes to stare at that screen while you’re writing. Computer, tablet, and smartphone screens are notoriously rough on the eyes, causing dry eyes, blurred vision, itchy eyes, headaches, excess tearing, and more. (Read “What Your Computer is Doing to Your Eyes” for more information.)

Next time you’re thinking about buying new glasses, or if your eyes are just ready for an upgrade, know your options when it comes to lenses:

• Antireflective coating: You can now get an antireflective (AR) coating to help reduce glare from screens, lights, and headlights. It will also help sharpen your vision a bit, too.  Eye-care professionals typically have more of the latest options, whereas the big chains will have more economical choices.
• Scratch-resistant coating: If you wear your glasses for any length at all, you need this to help preserve the life of your lenses. The coating helps prevent scuffs and marks that seem to appear no matter how careful you are.

What About Blue-Blocking Lenses?

These are available now too to help block the blue light emitted by our gadgets. That light has been linked to sleep problems, eyestrain, and headaches.

Blue-blocking lenses used to have a yellow or amber tint to them, but some newer models target only high-end blue light, so they don’t appear to be a different color. Either way, the blocking action can help cut down on eyestrain, particularly if you look at screens for several hours a day.

You can get lenses pre-made or have a coating put on your regular glasses. You can also buy a pre-made brand and wear them over your contacts, or if they’re large enough, over your glasses (the Uvex ones shown at right work both ways).

Some leading brands include:

• Felix Gray
• Gunnar Eyewear
• Spektrum
• Uvex

In a “Consumer Reports” test on blue-blocking glasses, the Uvex brand shielded the user from the most blue light. The Gunnars came in second, and the Spektrums third. (The Felix wasn’t tested.)

Keep in mind that these lenses are likely to distort the colors you see, so if you need to see colors clearly it will be best not to use them.