Will Felix Gray Glasses Really Cure Your Blue Light Blues?

Felix Gray might not be the first online-based, direct-to-consumer eyewear brand. But the brand’s exclusive focus on blue-light-filtering glasses makes it stand out from the crowd. Do the special specs live up to the hype, though?

Real quick refresher: Exposure to blue light from electronic devices might cause eye strain, trigger migraine attacks, or mess with your sleep.

Glasses designed to filter out some of this light have the potential to help — so if you’re in front of a screen for much of the day (or night), investing in a pair might be worth it.

Felix Gray’s specs offer advanced blue light filtering technology to help combat these effects, which could reduce the bad feels of digital eye strain and help you snooze better.

The frames look cool too — and unlike some blue light lenses, they don’t have a weird blue tint. Best of all, as long as you have a prescription, you can try on and buy the glasses right from your couch.

The good

• Users say the glasses ease eye strain and improve sleep.
• Benefits are backed by some science.
• Lenses don’t have a blue tint.
• There’s a big selection of cool frames.
• You can buy glasses without a prescription, if you just need blue light filtering.
• Virtual try-ons are easy.
• They’re relatively affordable.
• Free shipping is included.
• You can do a full money-back return within 30 days.
• There’s a 1-year warranty.

The not-so-good

• You can’t try the glasses before you buy.
• You can’t try the glasses on in person.
• There’s little proof that the glasses will definitely help you.
• You gave to submit for insurance reimbursement.

Add to cart: What does Felix Gray offer?

Felix Gray has around 20 frame styles to choose from. Most of them are the nerdy-cool acetate kind (and are available in lots of colors), but they’ve also got a few wire-rimmed options. Unless you’re super picky, you’ll prob find something you like.

Of course, the blue light lenses are the real stars here. And the brand has a few different types, depending on what you need.

Optical lenses

These are the brand’s everyday glasses, available in prescription, nonprescription, or reader lenses. All of the lenses are embedded with Felix Gray’s proprietary anti-blue light technology, so they can filter out 50 percent of all blue light and almost 90 percent of the highest range without distorting color. So everything still looks normal to you.

That’s not all. The optical lenses have an anti-reflective coating and boast 100 percent UVA/UVB protection. What’s more, they’re totally clear. You won’t notice any weird blue cast on the lenses like can happen with some blue light glasses.

Sleep lenses

These next-level specs are made for people who log a lot of screen time at night, which could up the chance for disrupting your sleep.

The lenses are embedded with a naturally occurring pigment designed to filter out blue light that’s especially detrimental to dozing, which could help your body secrete naturally higher levels of the sleep hormone melatonin. 

Basically, they’re made for wearing after you come home from work and are scrolling or binge-watching before bed.

Unlike the optical lenses, Felix Gray’s sleep lenses have a brown tint to them. But it doesn’t affect your ability to see true color, and since you’re mostly just wearing them at home before bed anyway, the appearance of the lenses doesn’t matter that much.

Sunglasses

Trying to look at your device on a bright, sunny day is kind of annoying. The blue-light-filtering lenses in Felix Gray’s sunglasses are designed to enhance color, making it easier to see your screen in vivid detail.

They also boast a backside anti-reflective coating to keep light from bouncing back into your eyes. The lenses block out 100 percent of UVA/UVB light and are polarized too. So, they’ll keep your eyes at max comfort.

Kids lenses

Because they spend almost as much time in front of screens as we do and are just as prone to suffering the ill effects, Felix Gray offers optical and sleep specs sized just for kids. It’s the same technology, just in a smaller size.

Start shopping

Ready to see what Felix Gray’s got for you? Start shopping at felixgray.com.

Are they worth it?

Wondering if you should give these glasses a try? Here are more deets that might help you make your decision.

• Solid reviews. Felix Gray’s offerings have racked up highly positive reviews overall. That’s especially true for the optical lenses, where nearly 80 percent of buyers gave their lenses a 5-star rating. Users say that the frames and lenses are comfortable and high quality, and that they really seem to help with problems like eyestrain and headache. Most reviewers who bought the sleep glasses say that the specs have helped them snooze better too.
• Backed by some research. The sleep glasses also have some science on their side. A study found that participants wearing Felix Gray lenses produced more melatonin, woke up less throughout the night, and showed evidence of improved cognition compared to when they wore clear lenses. (But it was just one study, and it wasn’t published in a scientific journal.)
• They’re not crazy expensive. “Expensive” is a totally relative term, of course. But When it comes down to it, the prices for Felix Gray glasses aren’t all that much different than glasses from other direct-to-consumer brands.
• The buying process is really easy. Just as good, the whole buying process is really easy. You can try on glasses digitally and chat with a virtual fit specialist if you need guidance. Shipping is fast and free.
• Returns are simple too. If you decide the glasses aren’t right for you, you can return them for up to 30 days for a full refund (and the brand will cover the shipping cost). And the glasses come with a 1-year manufacturer warranty.
• The main downside? Insurance, maybe. The only real downside is with insurance. If you’re lucky enough to have eye coverage, you’ll have to pay for your glasses in full up front and submit a claim to your provider to get reimbursed. You can also put HSA/FSA dollars toward your glasses, as long as your HAS/FSA card is affiliated with a major credit card.

The bottom line

If you’re feeling the effects of your screen time in the form of eye strain or sleep problems, Felix Gray’s glasses are def worth considering. And if you end up not being a fan, you can get your money back as long as you make your return within 30 days.