Sharper Days, Deeper Zzzs: What Blue Light Glasses Really Do
Wake up. Check your phone. Open your laptop. Spend 10 hours toggling between digital screens like Zoom, Slack, and Netflix. Repeat. If this sounds like your day-to-day, welcome to the club — one populated by screen-bound professionals, binge-watchers, and late-night scrollers. But there's a silent tax on all this productivity and entertainment: eye strain, digital fatigue, and disrupted sleep. The culprit? Blue light.
We're talking about the kind emitted from digital devices (phones, tablets, monitors) that, while invisible, may be slowly rewiring our sleep cycles and frying our focus. It's called blue light burnout, and chances are you've already experienced it.
Blue light is part of the visible light spectrum, with shorter wavelengths and higher energy, known as high-energy visible light (about 400 to 490 nanometers). Naturally present in sunlight, blue light plays a vital role in regulating our circadian rhythms. However, exposure to artificial blue light (especially after sundown) can have unintended effects.
According to UC Davis Health, nighttime blue light exposure suppresses melatonin, the hormone responsible for helping us sleep. This disruption can cause delayed sleep onset, reduce sleep quality, and throw off your body's internal clock.
Translation: more scrolling before bed, less restorative sleep.
In today's digital age, blue light overexposure has become a significant concern. Blue light (technically known as high-energy visible (HEV) light) is emitted from digital devices like smartphones, laptops, tablets, and LED lighting. And while it's not inherently evil, too much of it can do a number on your eyes.
Prolonged exposure can lead to what's now commonly known as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), or digital eye strain. If you've ever felt that dry, itchy eye feeling after a long workday, or experienced mysterious headaches or blurred vision during a Netflix binge, congratulations — you've met CVS.
According to research published in the International Journal of Ophthalmology, chronic exposure to blue light may even increase oxidative stress on the retina and raise the risk of age-related macular degeneration. So, no — it's not just in your head.
But it's not all doom and gloom. Blue light exposure also has a stealthy side effect that many of us are just starting to take seriously: sleep disruption. That same shortwave light that keeps screens so vibrant also tricks your brain into thinking it's still daytime, suppressing melatonin production and delaying your ability to fall (and stay) asleep.
Back in 2011, when most of us were just learning to swipe, Japanese eyewear brand JINS introduced something groundbreaking: blue light-blocking glasses, originally called JINS PC. Designed to combat digital eye strain before 'blue light' was a household term, these glasses became a cultural phenomenon.
Katsumi (Mickey) Kubota, President of JINS Eyewear US, says JINS saw the need before the conversation started. 'People were spending more time in front of screens, but no one was addressing the consequences. We decided to change that.'
Today, that original innovation lives on in JINS SCREEN, a refined line of lenses that balance form and function. They're not just protective; they're chic, customizable, and smartly tailored to our digital lives.
In a world where screens never sleep, Kubota says, 'Protecting your eyes and your rest has never been more important.'
'At JINS, we've designed our nighttime-friendly lenses to filter higher percentages of blue light,' he adds. 'They help support natural sleep rhythms without compromising clarity or comfort. Our lenses can be seamlessly integrated into reading glasses, gaming setups, or everyday frames — so you don't have to sacrifice convenience for wellness.'
Initially launched as JINS PC, the product was among the first to introduce the concept of functional eyewear designed not for vision correction, but for eye protection in a digital world.
The glasses were a hit, attracting media buzz and spawning a new category of eyewear. Their appeal was in their simplicity: use them like regular glasses, but with built-in blue light protection. Eventually, the product was rebranded as JINS SCREEN, and the technology evolved to include multiple cut rates and a sleeker design.
Kubota adds, 'The more people used our glasses, the more they realized how essential they are — not just for gamers or techies, but for anyone with a smartphone.'
These lenses now come in two core options:
While past models included higher cut rates and specialized nighttime lenses, the current lineup prioritizes versatility and comfort. Both options can be added to almost any JINS frame (whether prescription or non-prescription) with an optional fee.
For the minimalist or non-glasses wearer, JINS even offers package sets that include both the frame and SCREEN lenses, making blue light protection an easy, stylish add-on.
Of course, even the most advanced lenses won't help if you're reluctant to wear them. That's why JINS approaches eyewear with fashion in mind. Their frames range from understated classics to trend-forward silhouettes, ensuring that your blue light blockers look as good as they perform. 'We wanted to eliminate the stigma,' says Kubota. 'Protective eyewear shouldn't look like protective gear. It should feel like part of your personal style.'
JINS has continuously collaborated with academic researchers to refine its lens technology. Their focus is on developing coatings and materials that block harmful wavelengths while maintaining visual clarity. This commitment to research pays off: Studies suggest that reducing short-wavelength light exposure at night can improve sleep quality and cognitive performance. Another found that blue light-blocking glasses may help people with insomnia fall asleep faster.
The science supports what wearers already report anecdotally: less eye fatigue, better sleep, and improved focus.
Of course, blue light lenses are just one tool in a digital wellness toolkit. Experts recommend a few additional strategies:
When combined with smart habits, blue light-blocking glasses can make a noticeable difference in your digital fatigue.
In a world that never powers down, taking care of your eyes (and your mind) isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. That's where JINS SCREEN glasses come in. Sleek, smart, and grounded in science, they're more than just an accessory. They're a simple, stylish way to shield your eyes from digital burnout and help recalibrate your sleep routine.
Click here for more information on JINS
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We recommend sticking to an annual plan for the maximum savings with the lowest risk. A lot can change in a year: Your fast, private VPN might suffer a data breach or get acquired by a shady company during a 12-month span. Notably, many VPN providers hit you with price hikes, so you might pay $60 for your first year of service, then get slapped with an auto-renewal of $100. Pay attention to the checkout page when purchasing a VPN, and take advantage of any early renewal discounts you get to avoid a costly subscription renewal. I never pay full price for my VPN subscription, and you shouldn't either. Why you should use a VPN with Netflix Netflix libraries vary by your location, so available movies and TV shows vary by country. For instance, if you're a US Netflix subscriber traveling throughout the UK and pull up Netflix, you'll find certain content unavailable in other regions. For instance, you can stream Star Trek: The Next Generation on UK Netflix but not US Netflix. Therefore, a VPN lets you watch many movies and TV shows previously unavailable in your region. Moreover, foreign film fans can access popular movies and shows from other areas. Using a VPN to stream Netflix at home lets you maximize your subscription by accessing a vast library otherwise unavailable to watch in your area. Conversely, you can set a VPN to your home country while abroad. For instance, while traveling in the UK, you could continue binge-watching Gilmore Girls even though it's not available in the United Kingdom by tunneling through a US server. How to use a VPN for watching Netflix Streaming Netflix with a VPN only requires a VPN subscription, an active Netflix plan (excluding the ad-supported tier), a compatible device and an active internet connection. Here's how to watch Netflix with a VPN: Download your VPN provider's app on your device. If there's no available app, you can run a VPN on your router. Once you've installed a VPN on your device or router, fire up your virtual private network. Choose a server from the country you want to unblock. Open the Netflix app or head to Netflix in a browser. Start streaming videos from the international Netflix library you unblocked. You should now be able to view movies and shows from your region of choice. But if that doesn't work, you can try switching Netflix profiles. Occasionally, especially on streaming boxes or mobile devices like phones and tablets, I had to change profiles to get the correct region to load. Alternatively, on a phone, tablet or streaming device, you can try force-closing the Netflix app, then reopening it when you're still seeing a country in Netflix that doesn't match the VPN server you selected. I even had to force quit the Netflix app, clear my cache and data, enable my VPN, then restart the Netflix app on some Android phones and tablets to load the correct region. Best VPNs for Netflix ExpressVPN ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Netflix, and CNET's Editors' Choice as top VPN overall. I easily unblocked dozens of international Netflix libraries thanks to Express's 3,200-plus servers throughout 105 countries. Using ExpressVPN, I watched Final Destination on Netflix UK and Friends on Netflix Germany (normally on Max in the US). Unfortunately, its French servers didn't work -- Netflix loaded, but it showed only a US library. Why we like it You can stream movies or shows at home and while traveling because of ExpressVPN's Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android and iOS/iPadOS apps. Plus, ExpressVPN's Android TV, Fire TV and Apple TV apps make watching on a TV or projector a breeze. In our 2025 benchmarks, ExpressVPN clocked a reasonable 18% average internet download speed loss, which should be fast enough for most users with a reliable internet connection. During my tests, I had no issues watching 4K ultra-high-definition videos. 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A dedicated IP address from Surfshark costs $3.75 per month as an add-on to your existing plan. Additionally, Surfshark supports nearly every platform available: Android, iOS/iPadOS, Windows, MacOS and Linux, complete with a graphical user interface, or GUI, on Linux. For use with a TV, Surfshark offers Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Android TV apps. Best of all, if you're in a house full of streaming aficionados who all want to watch content from different countries, Surfshark is more than capable of dealing with it because of its unlimited simultaneous connections. You won't need to pay extra to cover every single device in your household with Surfshark. In my testing, Surfshark worked flawlessly on a bevy of international servers, notably the US, UK, Canada, South Africa, France, Germany, Japan and Romania. Accordingly, I enjoyed streaming some episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation using UK, South African and Romanian servers. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to load up the Egyptian Netflix library -- but neither were many other VPN providers, including NordVPN. Only a few, like Proton VPN and ExpressVPN, were able to load Egypt's Netflix library. Overall, Surfshark is a value-packed VPN provider at $15 per month, $48 for your first year or $60 total for your first two years of service (the one- and two-year plans spike to $79 annually after your introductory term). Also featured in: Best VPN for Apple TV, Best VPN for Xbox See at Surfshark Proton VPN Proton is the best free VPN for Netflix and the only no-cost virtual private network that CNET recommends, for that matter. Unlike most unpaid VPNs, Proton doesn't sell your data, plaster your screen with ads or impose strict use restrictions. You can connect to servers in five countries and use the free VPN as much as you like -- but you can't manually select a server, so it's worth upgrading to the paid plan for greater control over your VPN connection. In our testing, Proton's zero-cost tier was great for streaming. With Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android and iOS/iPadOS apps, you can stream on PCs or mobile devices at home and on the go. Its Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV apps are great to use with a smart TV. Additionally, you can run Proton on your router for whole-home coverage, letting you use a VPN with Netflix on devices without Proton apps, such as Roku streamers or game consoles like an Xbox. Why we like it While Proton's free plan is fantastic, it does come with a few drawbacks compared to the paid version. You'll only get access to server locations in Romania, Poland, Japan, the Netherlands and the US. It's also not possible to specify which one of these servers you'll be automatically connected to. Proton does this to ensure proper load balancing for free users, which helps deliver faster connections -- but it also makes it harder to access specific streaming sites since you can't choose which country's server you tunnel through. Finally, while it's likely you'll be able to access Netflix through Proton's free servers, there's no guarantee, as only the paid servers are regularly updated to get around VPN bans. If you want to know for sure that you'll be able to stream Netflix around the planet, it's best to upgrade to Proton's paid plan. It's well worth it, as it gives you more than 13,600 servers across 122 countries and was the second-fastest VPN in our testing, with a mere 16% speed loss on average. I was even able to access content on Netflix Egypt using Proton VPN, a regional Netflix library that proved difficult to unblock for many VPN providers. I successfully unblocked international Netflix libraries on nearly any server I tried, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia and a slew of others. I enjoyed Star Trek: The Next Generation on Netflix using an Egyptian server -- at the moment, it's traditionally available on Paramount Plus in the US. All VPNs slow down your internet connection somewhat, but Proton performed swimmingly even for 1080p high-definition and 4K ultra-high-definition video streaming. The Fall of the House of Usher was buttery smooth in 4K with Dolby Vision HDR. Proton charges $10 per month, $60 for your first year or $108 for your first two years of service for its premium Proton VPN Plus tier (the one- and two-year plans renew at $80 per year). Because of its superb Netflix streaming support, Proton Plus more than justifies its price. Also featured in: Best VPN for Amazon Prime Video, Best VPN for Travel See at Proton VPN How we test VPNs for Netflix I tested VPNs for Netflix streaming by watching movies and TV shows on dozens of global servers to determine each virtual private network's international Netflix libraries. While researching, I used servers in a bevy of countries, including Australia, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Japan, Romania, South Africa, the US and UK. I tried VPNs on a host of platforms, including Windows, MacOS and Linux PCs, Android and iOS/iPad mobile devices, plus Android TV and Apple TV streaming boxes. In addition to geo-restricted Netflix content unblocking, I tested each VPN's connectivity -- officially with hundreds of internet speed tests per provider and anecdotally by streaming videos in 4K to assess lag or lack thereof. Other VPNs we tested PIA Private Internet Access, or PIA, is a wallet-friendly VPN provider. I was impressed with its superb Netflix unblocking capabilities -- PIA provided access to all the worldwide servers I tried. PIA is one of the cheapest VPNs on the market, at $12 per month, $40 for the first year (renewing at $50 per year) or $79 every three years. Despite its modest price, PIA doesn't cut corners. It boasts a massive roster of 35,000 servers across more than 90 countries. I streamed The Naked Gun via a Canadian server (traditionally, that title is on Paramount Plus in the US). An unlimited simultaneous device policy means that Netflix's concurrent streaming is the only thing keeping you from streaming on all your devices at once. However, PIA's middling connectivity -- I experienced an average 49% internet speed loss in our benchmarking -- might impact streaming quality, particularly on a slower internet connection (think less than 50Mbps or unreliable connections such as satellite internet). Video quality was occasionally blocky when first starting out and sometimes buffered. Also, when using PIA in general, I ran into considerably more CAPTCHAs than I'd like to see on a VPN. Nevertheless, PIA brings a lot to the table. Its diverse device support includes Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS/iPadOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV and Apple TV. I liked the Linux graphical user interface app, which is easier for beginners than a command line-only app. The Android TV, Fire TV and Apple TV apps simplify streaming Netflix with a VPN in the living room on your television. Plus, its relative affordability compared with competitors helps PIA overcome its internet speed loss. If you're on a budget, PIA is a value-packed VPN with strong privacy chops and robust device compatibility. Read our PIA review. IPVanish IPVanish is a decent VPN for casual VPN users. (Again, IPVanish is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis). While I was able to unblock Netflix in most regions, including the US, UK, Canada, Japan and Germany, streaming on an Australian server didn't work at all. You do get 2,400-plus servers in 108 countries for decent Netflix international library options. But with its high 44% average internet download speed loss that we clocked in our 2024 testing, IPVanish isn't ideal for streaming videos in 4K or even 1080p. IPVanish costs $13 per month, $40 for the first year or $53 total for your first two years (the annual plan renews at $90 and the two-year plan goes to $180 total after your introductory period). While IPVanish's upfront prices are easy on the pocketbook, its future price hikes and high internet download speed loss mean you're better off with other VPNs for watching Netflix. Read our IPVanish review. Best Netflix VPN FAQs Which VPN is best for watching Netflix? ExpressVPN is the best VPN for watching Netflix, with its superb region-restricted content unblocking, fast internet speeds and large server network. However, NordVPN is a great choice for 4K video streaming thanks to its blazing-fast speeds. Surfshark is the best cheap VPN for Netflix streaming. And Proton's exhaustive international server network and reliable connections make it a solid VPN for unblocking geo-protected international Netflix libraries. Does any VPN work with Netflix? Yes, any VPN works with Netflix. However, some VPNs unblock more international Netflix libraries than others, so your mileage may vary when trying different countries. Which country should you choose when using a VPN for Netflix? When using a VPN for Netflix, you should choose a server from a country whose content you want to watch. To stream videos from your nation of origin while traveling internationally, pick your home region. For unblocking foreign Netflix libraries, pick a worldwide server. Does Netflix block VPNs? No, Netflix doesn't block VPNs, although you'll see only films and television shows that Netflix has the rights for in that region. Furthermore, Netflix doesn't allow VPNs with its ad-supported plan, and you can't stream live events, just on-demand content. What is the best free VPN for Netflix streaming? Proton VPN is the best free VPN for streaming Netflix. You'll gain access to servers in five countries -- the Netherlands, Japan, Romania, the US and Poland. Whereas many other free VPN services sell your data or plaster your screen with ads, Proton's free tier doesn't. While Proton's no-cost plan is limited -- you can't select a server manually -- it's a worthy trade-off considering how strongly Proton maintains privacy. While Proton VPN's zero-cost tier is a great choice, upgrading to the paid Proton Plus package provides access to a generous international server network of over 12,000 servers spread across 117 countries with superb Netflix worldwide library region-restricted content unblocking.
