Ergonomics for Eyes
May 15th, 2010
Graphic designers—especially those who design websites and do front-end development—spend large blocks of time in front of computer monitors. My average is 8-10 hours/day.
Eyestrain is a fact of life. Lubricating eyedrops help. Rx eyedrops help. Breaks help. But at the end of the day—every day—my eyes are tired and scratchy and red.
I wear glasses for distance when driving, readers for small printed text, but require no vision correction for normal arm-lengths work. In fact, I really don’t like to wear glasses. They’re heavy and slip down my nose and generally irritate me.
My eyes hurt. Plus, it’s allergy season, so my eyes itch and hurt more.
So when Phil of EyeStyles suggested I try out some Gunnar Optiks glasses, I listened.
Special Computer Glasses
The Gunnar line is new to the store. This line is specifically engineered to reduce eye strain for long-term computer users. Phil thought I’d be the perfect person to try them out and evaluate.
I was skeptical:
- because I’m not comfortable in glasses for long periods,
- because the lenses are yellow. As a designer, color clarity is important.
But, hey, I appreciate and understand the benefits of good ergonomics and was willing to test-drive the Gunnars. ;-) That, and I was low on eyedrops.
After a couple of days, I was sold.
The glasses are incredible!
My eyes do not hurt.
I’ve gotten used to the yellow. It really cuts down on the screen glare and increases contrast—especially for dark text on white backgrounds. Note that I will remove the glasses when I’m slecting color palettes, but once I’ve chosen colors, the glasses are back on my face. I can work in Coda and Firebug and email, etc. with so much less strain!
The little bit of magnification (~12%) is helpful, yet almost imperceptible.
The glasses are featherweight, the earpieces don’t hurt when I’m on the phone. And they don’t fall down my nose. I can forget I’m wearing them.
My eyes are less dry and itchy. Really. Even during allergy season. Feels good!
Treat Yourself and Get a Pair of Gunnars
You can visit the Gunnar site for more technical information. The pair I’ve selected are the Weezers (in red) because I like a bigger lens and less ‘edge’ in my field of vision. There are plenty of cool frame options.
If you’re in the Portland, OR area, stop by and visit EyeStyles in Bridgeport Village. If you’re not, give EyeStyles a call 503.372.5013. Phil, Tony or Jamie will be happy to help you out!
Disclosure: No affiliate link here. Just want to let my readers—especially the computer geeks—know about these awesome glasses!
