Zenni Optical Introduces Revolutionary Blokz®+ Tints: The First Colorful Solution for Blue Light Protection

Blokz+ Tints offers advanced protection from the most hazardous wavelengths of blue light in a full spectrum of colors to match your individual style. 

NOVATO, Calif., April 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Zenni Optical, the world's leading online eyewear retailer, has unveiled Blokz+ Tints, a revolutionary lens designed to combat the harmful effects of blue light exposure from digital screens. These innovative lenses set a new standard with dual-action blue light defense, integrating core blue light filtration with an additional blue anti-reflective coating for unmatched protection. Offering 26 times more blue light filtration than standard lenses, Blokz+ Tints provide unparalleled protection for digital screen users. What's more, they now come in an array of vibrant tints, ensuring you can stay protected from the screen without sacrificing fashion.

Blokz+ Tints lenses are perfect for content creators, students, gamers, streamers, working professionals, and anyone who spends long hours in front of screens. With seven new vibrant tints to choose from, in addition to yellow, you can express your style while enjoying unique benefits like enhanced contrast, relief from dry eyes, and reduced eye strain. Blokz+ Tints lenses offer both style and protection, all in one lens.

Blue light is a portion of the visible light spectrum that has a relatively short wavelength and high energy. It is emitted by the sun, as well as by artificial light sources such as LED lights, fluorescent lights, and digital screens like those on smartphones, computers, and tablets.

Excessive exposure to artificial blue light, particularly from digital screens, can have negative consequences for sleep, eye health, and overall well-being. Taking steps to reduce blue light exposure, such as using blue light filtering glasses, can help mitigate these risks.

Zenni's new Blokz+ Tints provide advanced protection against the harmful effects of blue light compared to standard lenses. Specifically designed to target blue light up to 455 nm, where the majority of harmful blue light emitted by digital devices peaks, Blokz+ Tints block up to 92% of blue light energy in the HEV 2 range (400-455 nm). In contrast, clear Blokz lenses typically block blue light up to 420 nm, providing less comprehensive protection by only targeting the lower ranges.

"We understand that individuals spend extended periods in front of screens, which is why we engineered these lenses with their needs in mind. Blokz+ Tints lenses are our solution for safeguarding against the harmful effects of blue light emitted by digital screens," shared David Ting, General Manager and Chief Technology Officer at Zenni Optical. "At Zenni, we pride ourselves on innovation, and our Blokz+ Tints go above and beyond. They block more blue light than the leading competitor, ensuring our customers have the best protection possible. But what sets us apart even further is our commitment to personalization. While others offer only standard yellow lenses, we provide a spectrum of vibrant colors, allowing our customers to express their style while safeguarding their eyes."

A 2020 research study published in Cell Death & Disease journal looked at the impact of various light wavelengths on pig retina cells. They discovered that wavelengths ranging from 425 to 445 nanometers were the most toxic, resulting in the lowest cell viability. Therefore, it's evident that these specific wavelengths of light are the most hazardous to retinal cells. With its ability to block blue light up to 455 nanometers, Blokz+ Tints could potentially provide protection to retinal cells from this most hazardous band of blue light.

Additional benefits of Blokz+ Tints include:

• Elevated Eye Comfort: By filtering HEV blue light, these lenses may help minimize eye fatigue and strain during extended screen time.
• Enhanced Sleep Quality: Blokz+ Tints lenses may help you fall asleep more easily and enjoy better sleep quality by blocking out HEV blue light that may disrupt sleep patterns.
• UV Protection: Safeguard your eyes from potential sun damage with 100% protection against both UVA and UVB rays.
• Streamlined Style: Go beyond the ordinary with Blokz+ Tints' diverse range of stylish tints in Amber, Gray, Blue, Green, Orange, Purple, Rose, and Yellow.

Blokz+ Tints are offered in non-prescription, single vision, and progressive lens options, exclusively on Zenni.com. They are designed to fit in any frame offered on Zenni, starting at $6.95. For more information about Blokz+ Tints, visit zenni.com/blokz-plus-tinted-lenses

Zenni Blokz+ Tints IMAGES

About Zenni
Zenni pioneered the online eyewear industry in 2003 with a mission to make eyewear affordable and accessible to everyone. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Zenni offers adults and children the freedom to express their personality through a large collection of high-quality prescription, non-prescription and protective eyewear curated with a sense of fashion and dynamic style. With complete prescription pairs starting at just $6.95, the company has brought massive price disruption to the traditional retail model. With over 51 million frames sold worldwide, Zenni is proud to be the Official Eyewear of the San Francisco 49ers, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Ghost Gaming, TSM and more. Zenni has worked with designers and tastemakers on curations and collections, including Chase Stokes, Keke Palmer, Iris Apfel, and George and Claire Kittle. For more information, please visit zennioptical.com/press.

For detailed insights and scientific evidence regarding blue light exposure, please refer to the following resources:

• 17.2: Invited Paper: Influence of Blue Light from Smartphone on Visual Fatigue
• A review of the current state of research on artificial blue light safety as it applies to digital devices - ScienceDirect
• The potential role of UV and blue light from the sun, artificial lighting, and electronic devices in melanogenesis and oxidative stress - ScienceDirect
• Light action spectrum on oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage in A2E-loaded retinal pigment epithelium cells | Cell Death & Disease
• Phototoxic damage to cone photoreceptors can be independent of the visual pigment: the porphyrin hypothesis

SOURCE Zenni Optical