I stare at a screen. A lot. All day. And when I finish, I stare at a screen some more. Seriously, this cannot be good for my eyes.
You might have the same worry! You might not, because A). You don't stare at a monitor or a TV all day or B). Don't really care about your peepers. But these viewing circumstances do concern me. They don't keep up at night, but yes, there's some cause for concern. That's what Gamers Edge Gaming Glasses, with their "Stop Frying Your Eyes" slogan, hope to combat. Do they?
The glasses have been around for a while now, but I recently checked out three tester samples I was sent: aviator style, green rectangle specs, and camo wraparounds. I'd probably wear the aviators in public. Those green rectangles? Hrm. Those camo wraparounds? Never. Ever. Thank goodness they're also available in black.
Priced at around forty bucks, they're not a premium product. You're not buying Oliver Peoples, here! They are packaged with a pouch for easy storing, and the frames do certainly seem sturdy enough to handle regular use. However, when I pulled on the aviator frames, I could hear a slight creaking. So don't do that, I guess! The wraparounds appear to be the most rugged of the bunch—I felt like I could chuck them into a bag and did a few times to test them. I didn't try sitting on them, though. You can do that with your pair.
Most of the money was probably poured into the lenses, and if you are buying these, that's perhaps what you care most about, and whether or not you can use these while gaming. The glasses are lightweight, so I was able to wear for long stretches, no problem.
According to VC Eyewear, the lenses are coated with "exclusive iEdge filtered lens technology". VC Eyewear says that these lens filter artificial light that is emitted from screens, thus offering clearer screen resolution and a more relaxed viewing experience.
Did they? For the most part, yes. Under low light conditions, wearing the glasses while gaming meant less eye strain and fatigue—less eye frying. That's good!
However, using them in natural light or well lit conditions didn't feel as comfortable, because the yellow lens tint became far more noticeable. As with sunglasses, the tint is something you get used to, but the glasses seemed to work better for me in low light conditions. I'm assuming those were the conditions for which they were designed.
I didn't feel like I was getting a "competitive edge", like VC Eyewear claims, but I did feel like the glasses did what they promised: making staring at a screen for long stretches in low light more comfortable than it usually is. So maybe that is an edge, at least for good eye health.
Gamers Edge [VC Eyewear]