Posted on 3rd Sep 2011 @ 4:27 PM

These days, people are wearing all kinds of eyeglasses for many different reasons. They compensate for nearsightedness or farsightedness. They help people read. They block out the sun. They protect the eyes during physical activity. And some of them are specifically designed for computer users. Wait… computer glasses?

We hope computer glasses work better than these do.

That's right. Many products that target frequent computer users are popping up all over the world. These glasses have lenses which magnify the field of vision between 20 and 26 inches from the eyes -- which is the average distance between a person and his or her computer screen. Some of these glasses come with coatings or tints which aim to reduce the amount of light entering the eyes. The idea is for these glasses to reduce eye fatigue, headaches, and blurred vision; as well as help strained muscles that develop when we unconsciously compensate for poor computer vision (such as leaning forward to read the computer monitor).

But do these computer glasses actually work?

Product reviews are decidedly mixed. Some customers who bought a product called "PC Peekers" (sold at Wal-Mart) praised the item, calling it "the perfect solution" and "everything they are advertised to be." But others weren't all that impressed with the PC seekers. Complaints included poor design, a lack of ear pieces, and blurry vision when used with laptops.

There's another entry into the computer eyeglasses marketplace that purports to prevent dry eyes. The J!NS Moisture glasses not only claim a 55% reduction in the so-called "blue light" emitted by computers, but also tout a small container on the eyepiece that supposedly provides moisture to your eyes for up to two hours. Right now, these glasses are only available in Japan, and no product reviews have been written (at least in English) as of yet.

Here's another way to moisturize your eyes.

In fact, no computer glasses have been on the market long enough for any definitive determination to be made about their efficacy. There's really no way of knowing if these products actually help reduce eyestrain or retard vision loss over time.

That said, if you have had problems with eye fatigue or headaches as a result of working long hours at your computer, you may want to give them a try (as well as an ergonomic monitor!). After all, if these products provide you with any relief from your discomfort, then they're probably worth the money.