If Staring at Your Phone Too Much Gives You a Headache, Try Felix Gray Glasses

When I get headaches, it's almost always at the end of a workday or after a long session of playing video games.

I'd always assumed the throbbing in my head was the result of being tired or focusing too hard for too long, but a more likely culprit is actually too much exposure to blue light.

It's emitted by pretty much any digital screen—from phones to computers, TV screens and gaming devices—and prolonged exposure can cause eye strain, headaches and eventually permanent damage to the eyes. It can also wreak havoc on your sleep cycle.

I've already made attempts to avoid my phone for at least an hour before bed, but it can be tougher to avoid it during the day. When I learned about Felix Gray's chic, blue, light-blocking glasses, I was eager to see if they'd work for me. I reached out to the company, who were generous enough to send me a pair for review.

The Product

Felix Gray glasses are designed specifically to soothe weary, tired eyes. Their standard specks have lenses that look totally clear, but work to filter at least half of all blue light and reduce glare to prevent the screens in your life from negatively affecting your eyes.

The company offers 10 different glasses frames in total, and each one can be outfitted with standard, prescription or reader lenses. They also offer sunglasses for outdoor wear and tinted sleep glasses, which specifically target the blue light that affects your sleep. For my review I requested a pair of the standard Carver frames in black, which look quite close to the Warby Parker glasses I wear every day (those are my usual frames on the top right and my Felix Frays on the bottom right!).

 

The Experience

I was particularly excited to check out Felix Gray glasses because I'm constantly in front of screens. My job entails staring at a computer screen (and the two monitors I have hooked up to it) all day, and even when I take my lunch break, I find I'm often on my phone. Then when I go home, I'm frequently sitting in front of the TV, playing my Nintendo Switch, or back on my phone yet again—meaning I'm probably exposed to a lot of blue light.

I'm pretty short-sighted and usually use prescription glasses, but with the right setup, I can work well even without a boost to my vision. This made it really easy to work while wearing the Felix Gray glasses, and I felt like I could feel the difference the moment I put them on.

(via Instagram)

Even though it didn't appear that the color or brightness of my computer screens had changed at all, it seemed to me that the light coming from them was less harsh. Things somehow seemed smoother, and that little voice in the back of my head that usually tells me that I've been looking at the screen for too long went away. I still took occasional breaks to look away from my computer, but they felt like rest moments rather than recovery moments.

I wouldn't wear the glasses for the entire day, but they were similar enough to my normal glasses that no one seemed to notice the difference as I worked at my desk. I soon found that they apparently had the same effect on my mind while I was on my phone or playing a video game, which was a welcome change. At night, I liked wearing the glasses if I had to use my phone before bed. As I predicted, I had an easier time falling asleep when I did so, and I woke up in the morning feeling better-rested as well. I've been wearing them on and off for a couple of weeks now, and not once did I feel headache-y or like my eyes were working too hard while I was wearing them.

(via Instagram)

 

Bottom Line

If you think that blue light might be getting to you, I think Felix Gray glasses are absolutely worth a shot if you don't find them too pricey. The glasses start at $95 (even the sunglasses!) but the price goes up a bit if you're looking into prescription lenses. And, if you're not like me and don't wear glasses regularly, you might also enjoy that they function as an awesome accessory. After all, people say glasses make you look smarter.

Though not everyone will have the same experience I did, to me, they do their job in reducing eye strain and tension, and I hope that they can prevent longer-lasting damage for me as well. It's tough to explain, but I wound up getting a totally different vibe from my electronic devices when I viewed them through my Felix Grays, and I don't intend to stop using them anytime soon.

(via Instagram)

 

If you're used to annoying eye issues, click HERE for memes you'll only find relatable if you wear glasses.