GUNNAR Optiks Blue Light Glasses Review
Snake oils? Or a stylish way to reduce screen fatigue?
GUNNAR offers a potential fix for your eye strain woes.
I should preface this review with an important note: I wrote an article in 2021 questioning the efficacy and need for blue light glasses based on research from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and while that research seems to remain true today, my conclusion on blue light glasses has since changed.
The evidence may be anecdotal, and maybe it doesn’t apply to everyone, but I can’t, in good faith, claim that there is no benefit to blue light glasses. My first experience with a pair was Razer’s Anzu Smart Glasses, which are equipped with clear lenses that only filter 35% of blue light. I’ve since moved on to GUNNAR’s Intercept style with the company’s proprietary amber lenses designed to block out 65% of blue light. While I saw minor improvements to my constant eye strain and pressure headaches with Razer’s Anzu glasses, GUNNAR’s lenses practically cured many of the issues I attributed to practically living on my computer.
Improving Life Without Reducing Screen Time
It’s a rather muddied topic, especially since some ophthalmologists and the Vision Council of America directly contradict members of the American Academy of Ophthalmology by acknowledging the effects of digital eye strain that GUNNAR’s glasses are said to reduce. In my experience, before using blue light lenses, I suffered from frequent headaches and burning, tired, and strained eyes. Since wearing blue light lenses regularly, there has been a drastic improvement despite making no other changes. In fact, after receiving GUNNAR’s Intercept glasses, my screen time has only increased thanks to the release of Alan Wake 2 and the influx of Black Friday and holiday content.
Was it the blue light-reducing properties that led to virtually no headaches and calmer eyes? I can only say this: when wearing GUNNAR glasses, I’m able to work for longer periods without the issues I’ve been living with. I don’t need to rest my eyes nearly as often, and I’ve stopped needing to press my wife’s freezing palms to my head for relief. What? They’re more readily available than frozen peas.
Could the blue light glasses be a placebo? Considering I was led to believe that such lenses wouldn’t work, yet still started seeing improvements with Razer’s smart glasses, I can’t imagine so. In fact, for the first few weeks of using the Anzu, I wasn’t even aware they were blue light lenses.
Along with being virtually headache and strain-free, I’m also sleeping a little better, which is where medical professionals and researchers seem to be in agreement. Blue light is found to disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm, which dictates our natural sleep cycle. Those hours you spend late at night staring at your phone make it harder for your body to sleep peacefully, which is why things like “dark” mode exist. Blue light lenses can help regulate your rhythm if you’re unable to put down the phone two to three hours before going to bed.
As someone who works right up until exhaustion kicks in, there’s little time between when I sign off for the night and when I lie down to sleep. Most nights, it would take upwards of an hour for me to drift off. That’s changed with the GUNNAR Blue Light Filtering (GBLF) 65 lenses, and I’ve chipped a good 30 minutes off my late-night restlessness.
A Library of Options


While my Intercept glasses came with GBLF 65 amber lenses, there’s also an option for GBLF 35, GBLF 98, and light-reactive GBLF 65/90. The number represents the percentage of blue light filtered, so if you’re very concerned about the potential damage to your eyes, you’ll want GBLF 98 Amber Max lenses.
GUNNAR stands behind its GUNNAR-Focus lens, which is advertised to assist “natural focusing and reduce stress and strain” and sports a +0.2 diopter focusing power. Most frames do support progressive and single-vision prescription lenses or an enhanced reading focus power ranging from +1.00 to +3.00.
My biggest gripe with the GBLF 65 lenses is that they smudge very easily. Coated with GUNNAR’s G-shield, the Intercept lenses are anti-scratch and dual-sided anti-reflective. If you want smudge-resistant lenses, you’ll need to upgrade to a pair with G-shield Premium coating.
Which lenses you can substitute in changes based on the frame style, and GUNNAR has a decent selection of shapes and colors for men and women.
High-Quality Frames and a Style for All Heads






Even if you’re iffy about the benefits of GUNNAR’s blue light lenses, you can still take advantage of the very attractive frames. The Intercept sports a traditional, almost retro design with rectangular lenses, a fixed bridge, and classic temples.
As a tie-in with Assassin’s Creed Mirage, the temples sport the iconic Assassin’s Creed logo and a stylish nylon frame. The frames have a good, durable feel to them, though they could use a little more give. If your head is a little too big, it feels like you could snap the frame.
What looks good on my face may not necessarily look good on yours and vice versa. What I appreciate about GUNNAR is that they understand that gamers are not all built alike. Thicker, rectangular, darker frames work best on my face, which is why I took very well to the Assassin’s Creed Mirage Intercept glasses. They’ve been my go-to, though I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t sad when the round World of Warcraft Alliance Edition Blue Crystal glasses didn’t quite fit my head shape.
From the Mirage Intercept style frame to the slick Diablo IV Sanctuary Edition Blood Onyx acetate frame, GUNNAR emphasizes build quality and variety.
Blue Light Lenses Aren’t the End All of Eye Care
I’ll continue to wear my blue light glasses until my eyes need a prescription. Then, I’ll likely just swap in prescription blue light lenses. However, I also acknowledge that, even if there results I’m seeing are real, I still need to take care of my eyes. Blue light lenses aren’t an optical “Get Out of Jail Free” card, and you still should reduce screen time before bed and darken your smartphones, tablets, and PC monitors.
And if you don’t use dark mode already, it’s time to switch over. Seriously. Don’t use light mode. People will talk about you if you do.
Do you need it?
If you’re spending a decent amount of time in front of screens, it’s an investment work making. You may find yourself sleeping better or, if you’re like me, suffering less from headaches and strain.