Best blue light screen protector for iphone

These products help protect your eyes (and skin) from blue light exposure, if you're getting more screen time than usual

By Sage Anderson

February 17, 2021

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If you’ve been spending the majority of your days working from home, or are just using more screen time than usual while sheltering in place, you’ve probably heard that the screens you’re staring at can emit blue light. That prolonged exposure to artificial blue light from electronic devices like computers and phones can contribute to eye strain and mess with our circadian rhythm, causing you to miss out on much needed hours of sleep. Several companies have released blue light-blocking eyewear to help you combat some of those effects if you have to stay glued to a computer all day—but other brands are getting creative with eye protection.

You don’t have to toss away all your electronics just yet, though. Blue light often gets a bad rep, but can actually be beneficial to our mood and energy levels during the day, according to Harvard. The problem is with the short-wave blue light emanating from our screens and phones, which our eyes aren’t used to handling for long periods of time. That kind of blue light can also suppress melatonin production, which can be a major detriment if you work later in the evening. The best blue light glasses have special lenses that can help decrease eye fatigue, promote restful sleep, and relieve some potential symptoms like headaches and dry eye.

Several smart devices now have “night mode” too, which can help shift background colors and provide a blue light-reducing filter when the sun goes down. The warm yellow tones of the display colors can help protect your eyes from blue light, but if you don’t remember to switch them on during the day too, you’re out of luck. Blue light products can help reduce the amount of blue light your eyes are exposed to with you having to think about it.

Whether you’re on your smartphone, desktop, or any other screens, there’s a variety of options you can chose from, to protect your eyes from too much blue light exposure. Here are a few of our favorite blue light-blocking products.

1. Cloos x Brady Blue Light Frames 

Danish eyewear brand, Christopher Cloos, recently teamed up with reigning Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady to help design The Cloos x Brady eyewear collection. One of the gender-neutral, square-shaped frames featured can be worn as a pair of blue light-blocking glasses for working from home. The Cloos x Brady blue light frame is is fitted with clear, blue light protection lenses to help reduce the harmful effects of blue light exposure, like blurry vision and headaches.

What we like: the durable construction, choice of materials, and attention to detail. Unlike the plastic frames cheaper blue light frames are made of, these are made from an Italian acetate that is 100% recyclable and biodegradable. With multiple colors available, they’re stylish enough to wear on the go while still being able to hold up to working long hours on a computer. Each order includes a signature Cloos x Brady protective case, as well as a cleaning cloth.

Buy Cloos x Brady Blue Light Frames… $179

2. EyeJust Blue Light-Blocking Screen Protector

Shield your eyes from your scrolling habits with with EyeJust’s blue light-blocking protector for your phone, offering “invisible protection” that won’t damage the brightness or color of the display. Ophthalmologist-approved, the screen not only blocks blue light, it also creates a practically germ-free surface for your phone with its anti-microbial coating.

The screen protector comes in most sizes for iPhones, iPads and laptops, and there’s even a protector for your Nintendo Switch if you game a lot on the hand-held console. EyeJust also touts a relatively easy, bubble-free application process, but what makes it stand out from other blue light products on the market is that you get all the blue light-blocking benefits with the functionality of a tough-as-nails screen protector: it’s still anti-shock, scratch-proof, and smudge-proof.

Buy EyeJust Blue Light Blocking Screen… $19.99

3. MOSISO 20 to 22-Inch Blue Light-Blocking Monitor Panel

Whether you’re working from home, or just use a larger monitor for long stretches of time for gaming or programming, it’s worth it to invest in a larger blue light-blocking screen. MOSISO’s 19.29 x 12.48-inch anti-UV desktop protector is compatible with a range of sizes for Mac and HP monitors, and the screen can filter and curb 99% of harmful UV rays and reducing blue light by up to 45%.

For its size, the screen filter is ultra thin, just 0.01 inch of clear transparency, so you won’t have to worry about it darkening your screen in the same way some blue light filters alter brightness levels. One plus is that it’s effective in protecting against dust and scratches, and the hanging installation makes it a breeze to set up and forget about your eye strain.

Buy MOSISO 20-22 Inch Blue Light-Blocking… $43.99

4. One Ocean’s Blue Light + Hydration Mist

Besides just straining your eyes or getting your sleep schedule into a funk, did you know that blue light can also be harmful to your skin? While most people should be regularly wearing sunscreen or other products to protect their skin from the UV rays of the sun, research says your Zoom meetings and streaming binge-watch sessions may contribute to premature skin aging and damage. But the good news is that there are skin care products that can be easily incorporated into your daily routine to combat this, such as a good hydrating mist.

One Ocean’s mist can help protect the skin from digital blue light exposure, and was shown in a clinical trial to improve the skin’s biome shield (made of good bacteria) in just one week. Ingredients like red algae extract preserve the hydration of the skin, while a high-performance peptide promotes a healthier skin barrier and combats inflammation. Keep it at your desk and spritz your face three times a day to reinforce against blue light and repair common signs of skin damage such as dark spots, wrinkles, and general roughness.

Buy One Ocean Blue Light + Hydration Mist $58

5. FORITO Laptop Screen Protector 

This 15.6-inch screen protector for a 16:9 aspect ratio laptop is applied directly to the screen, so it’s a good solution if you’re not normally a glasses-wearer and don’t want to get them just for blue light protection. Within FORITO’s enhanced 7-layer anti-blue light filter, there’s an anti-reflective coating (also known as anti-glare or AR), which will also help minimize visual fatigue caused by the glare from the light of your laptop screen.

You can potentially save some battery life with this screen too, as the ultra clear 95 percent transparency won’t force you to constantly turn up the brightness. Reviews said that the application process could’ve been explained a little better, so for an easier experience, we recommend you thoroughly clean and wipe your laptop screen before putting on the protector, as well as use the provided scraping card to remove any initial bubbles.

Buy FORITO Laptop Screen Protector $17.99

6. MiracleLED Blue Light-Blocking Light Bulb

When it comes to blue light exposure, the problem might not actually be your screens, but the light bulbs you use around you—traditional bulbs emit a light that’s rich in blue wavelengths, which can cause your body to suppress melatonin, making you stay awake longer than you should. These bulbs use a “phosphor converted LED chip technology” to more effectively block out blue light, and Miracle LED claims their specialty luminescent bulbs can even save you up to $46 a year on energy costs.

With an HEV-blocking amber glow, these bulbs are soothing enough to use in your bedroom, home office, or wherever you chose to spend most of your screen time. The 9-watt bulb is rated to last 18 years, and can replace any 60W, 130V incandescent bulb.

Do blue light screen protectors work?

Does a screen protector need blue light blocking?