Orange vs Amber vs Red Lens Glasses: Which Blocks What?

The short answer: a red lens filters the most light, blocking blue and much of the green. A clear "blue light" lens filters the least. Orange (also sold as amber) sits between them: it removes nearly all blue light while letting you see your screen in readable colour. Which one to pick depends on whether you still need to use the screen while wearing them.

What does each lens colour filter?

Is amber the same as orange?

Mostly, yes. "Amber" is the marketing name. The lens itself is orange, and the deeper the orange, the more blue it absorbs. Pale yellow lenses sold as "amber" can let much more blue through, so check the published percentage and wavelength range rather than the name. A claim with no number and no nm range tells you nothing.

Why do some brands sell red lenses for sleep?

The light-sensitive cells in the eye that signal to the body clock respond most strongly to blue light around 480 nm, with some response into the green. Red lenses cut further into that range, which is why sleep-focused brands sell them for the last hour of the evening. The trade-off is that red makes screens hard to use and colours impossible to read. We publish the 380–500 nm figure because it is what our lab measured.

Do any of them improve sleep?

The evidence is mixed and limited. Small trials have found benefits from amber lenses worn in the evening, including a 2009 study of 20 adults and a 2018 trial of 14 people with insomnia. The 2023 Cochrane review rated the overall sleep evidence as too uncertain to draw a conclusion. Be wary of any brand, us included, that promises better sleep. We cover the studies in Blue light glasses for sleep: do they actually work?

Which should you choose?

• You game or work on screen in the evening: orange. It gives strong blue filtering and the screen stays usable. See gaming glasses.
• You want a complete wind-down hour with no screen work: red is the stronger filter.
• You edit photos or grade video: none of them. Wear clear lenses or nothing for colour work.
• You drive in the evening: do not wear orange or red lenses on the road. Ours measure 0.34 for blue signal recognition, below the 0.6 the standard requires.

Frequently asked questions

Which lens colour blocks the most blue light?

Red, then deep orange. Ours transmits 1.01% of blue light across 380–500 nm. Clear coated lenses block the least.

Can I wear orange lenses all day?

You can, but the warm cast is strongest in daylight. Most people wear them for evening screens and long gaming sessions. See can you wear blue light glasses all day.

Are amber glasses worth it under £50?

A properly tinted lens does not need to cost £100. What matters is whether the brand publishes what the lens filters. All our frames are £49.99, with the test results on every page.