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Hygiene Personal Hygiene

Do I Need Anti-Glare Glasses?

By Shannon Kietzman

Updated: May 21, 2024

Anti-glare glasses are special glasses designed to help reduce and relieve eye strain caused by looking at a computer for a period of time. When you stare at a computer screen, it forces your eye muscles to remain in one position. Generally, this position is also at a strenuous level. Anti-glare glasses help to reduce this strain.

Eye strain is characterized by blurred vision, burning eyes, headache, and tired eyes. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms while using the computer, anti-glare glasses may be a wise buy for you. Even if you are not a regular computer user, your eyes may benefit from these glasses. In addition to being affected by the glare from your computer screen, your eyes can be come strained from being in a room with poor lighting. These glasses can also be beneficial for this type of situation, as they help reduce the strain on your eyes.

Anti-glare glasses help reduce the amount of strain your eyes feel by reducing the convergence of your eyes and by helping to reposition your eyes to a more comfortable position. This reduces the strain placed on the muscles in your eyes, as well as the tension your eyes experience. In addition, these glasses help reduce the amount of ultraviolet radiation that reaches your eyes, and they do not magnify the light like traditional eyeglasses do.

Anti-glare glasses can also be glasses with a special anti-reflective coating. As with the other type of non-prescription anti-glare glasses, the coating on these glasses is beneficial for reducing eyestrain when using a computer. In addition, it eliminates the appearance of “halos” around the headlights of cars at night. If this distracts you while you are driving, anti-glare glasses may be right for you.

On the down side, glasses with this special coating are more prone to becoming scratched and to holding oily fingerprints. In order to prevent scratching, it is necessary to use a special cloth to wipe the glasses clean.

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Discussion Comments

By anon1005280 — On Jul 26, 2021

Do any of you think anti-glare glasses are necessary for reading glasses used only for books?

By anon953919 — On May 29, 2014

I bought a pair of computer glasses online, and they claim that this eyewear can filter 97 percent of blue light as below. It's a little pricy but I feel much better when sitting in front of the computer.

By anon347131 — On Sep 04, 2013

I have dry eyes problem. Today I have purchased anti-glare glasses. Now I can see what will be the effect.

By anon313392 — On Jan 11, 2013

I've been working with computers for 10 years with prescription glasses. I highly recommend anti-glare.

By shell4life — On Nov 08, 2012

@Oceana – My dad has these anti-glare glasses that turn into shades when the light intensifies. This is great, because he doesn't need separate shades.

He likes them a lot, but to me, they make him look strange. Indoors, they look fairly normal, because I can see his eyes. Outdoors, though, they just look so dark!

By Oceana — On Nov 08, 2012

I got some anti-glare sunglasses before I went on my beach vacation. I had been to the same spot before with different glasses, and I remembered how bright the reflections off the hotel windows on the beach were.

The anti-glare sunglasses helped me out a lot with this. It was also nice to be driving around sunset right toward the sun and being able to see. With my old shades, the glare from the sun blinded me at this time of day.

I don't need regular glasses, but if I did, I believe that anti-glare glasses would be the way to go. I'm a big fan of the sunglasses.

By cloudel — On Nov 07, 2012

@Kristee – There are some that claim to be both, but I couldn't afford them. They do exist, if you are willing to spend a small fortune to buy the glasses.

I paid only $200 for my scratch-resistant glasses, and I'm very happy with them. I didn't need the anti-glare feature, because I don't work at a computer and I rarely drive at night. When I do need to drive at night, I have a pair of contact lenses that I use instead of glasses.

By Kristee — On Nov 06, 2012

It just seems wrong to have to choose between anti-glare eyeglasses and scratch-resistant ones. Aren't there any on the market that offer both qualities? I would think that as advanced as our science is, there should be a way to have both.

By anon278140 — On Jul 04, 2012

I have severe eye pain and irritation. Also symptoms of dry eyes. I daily use a computer for at least nine hours (LCD monitors). Please let me know if the use of anti-glare glasses will help me? My doctor had advised me to use eye lubricating drops.

By anon230790 — On Nov 21, 2011

I had problems when I'd drive at night. When light from the opposite direction came into my eyes, I became blind for a few minutes. Everybody has the same problem, but my eyes can't see for a long time, like five to seven minutes. Please suggest to me some goggles that might help me and for more information.

I use goggles in the daytime also, and I can't live without them.

By anon173426 — On May 07, 2011

Most eye strain is caused by the user of the vdu not blinking enough and not using the 20/20/20 rule, e.g., every 20 minutes look away at 20 feet for 20 seconds. So before rushing out to try and by anti-glare glasses, I would try blinking more and if you work in an air conditioned office maybe use some artificial tears to help lubricate your eyes, as most screens now days are LCD and the amount of glare produced from them is very minimal. Anti-reflective coatings are fantastic but are not anti-glare; they are two different things.

By anon152865 — On Feb 15, 2011

the specsavers man says i need anti-glare on my lenses and that it is essential in stopping my prescription from getting worse. this sounds like crap. he said that the reason my eyesight had got worse was because i didn't have anti-glare on my last pair. surely if this was the case, all glasses would have them?

i understand they're useful for using computers and tvs and things and stop the eye from getting 'tired' or strained, but no having it isn't going to 'cause' my eyes to get worse is it?

By anon144634 — On Jan 20, 2011

@anon75753: What you said is absolutely true.

By anon124403 — On Nov 05, 2010

My optometrist recommended an anti-glare coating on my new prescription. Save your money and aggravation. Not worth it. Scratches real easy and almost impossible to clean.

By anon95028 — On Jul 11, 2010

anon80897 said: "They are not needed for liquid or fluid (even gas) displays as they are only plain reflected light. LCDs and plasmas are just like photo papers!"

This is factually incorrect. The LCD displays used in computer monitors are back lit with white lights and the LCD Panel sits in front of the white light, each pixel essentially acting as a filter for the light. Light from the back light is still emitted to the user. With (O)LEDs and gas plasma, light is emitted by the LEDs or the gas plasma (when electrified). Otherwise if you turned the lights off in your room - you wouldn't see anything!

The only LCD devices that don't emit light are simple ones such as calculators and watches.

Anyway, I find anti-reflective coating useful in the office when using an LCD monitor because of reflections from other light sources (such as windows).

HTH.

By anon94346 — On Jul 08, 2010

Can you advise the difference of AR coating and anti glare? I was very confuse, thank you for your help

By anon94127 — On Jul 07, 2010

i just got glasses with ARC (Anti reflective coating) made, but i noticed the greenish tint mentioned is different in both glasses; is that normal? In one it is dark and in another slightly less so. Kindly reply.

- Hardik

By anon94089 — On Jul 07, 2010

My greatest concern is that the glasses will make my eyes lazy and eventually I'll need stronger lenses and so on. I already don't want them but cannot stand the headache anymore.

I'm a pilot in training and glasses to me is almost like the end of the world! But I sit behind my computer the whole day for work and find that I procrastinate to avoid the computer at all costs and never get work done (not a good thing)- pros and cons?

By anon80897 — On Apr 29, 2010

anon, antiglare glasses are useful only with traditional CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitors, which project(throw) light from the screen. They are not needed for liquid or fluid (even gas) displays as they are only plain reflected light. LCDs and plasmas are just like photo papers!

By anon77932 — On Apr 16, 2010

This is not correctly true. An anti glare glass is what is called non-glare or mat. This is basically a coating or etching that scatters the reflections, but does not increase light transmission.

An anti reflective coating appears greenish or purplish, and is not the same as an anti glare window. Multiple layers of coating with different refractive indexes are applied to increase the light transmission, thereby limiting the reflections, thus allowing more light to reach the picture, also increasing contrast. The colourist appeal are recidular reflection left in parts of the color spectrum.

Anti glare, and anti reflect are two different techniques.

By anon75753 — On Apr 07, 2010

Dear anon3800: To recognize whether a glass is anti glare or not, you need to tilt it in the light. If the glass has a green tint then it is anti glare.

By anon69765 — On Mar 10, 2010

Perfect. I was doubting my decision to purchase anti-glare specs today, but this article has just erased my doubts. Am so rushing to get them. my eyes are in too much pain. Are there any side effects? Kenyan gal

By anon46336 — On Sep 24, 2009

Very useful article.

By anon38007 — On Jul 23, 2009

Can you suggest me how to recognize wheather a glass is antiglare or not? please help me as i am suffering with same problem and i am using an antiglare glass. even after using it my eyes are burning. hope you will reply for this message.

By anon3801 — On Sep 18, 2007

Hi, The article was very useful, however i have a question, are anti-glare glasses required if we use LCD monitors/Lap-tops with LCD screens?

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