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Q: What are computer glasses, or blue-light glasses, supposed to do? Do they work?

A: You'll find no shortage of anecdotal reviews raving about how great a person's eyes feel after wearing a pair of computer glasses, and many people report improved comfort with their use. Unfortunately, there's currently scant evidence to support the claim that computer glasses can reduce eyestrain or improve ocular health—especially for people who don't already wear glasses.

We started doing research on computer glasses to write a full Wirecutter guide in late 2016, but we concluded that it would be impossible for us to make a good pick due to the lack of credible evidence supporting their effectiveness. The best research related to the topic doesn't cover the types of claims that manufacturers of computer glasses make, and most of the research that does address the marketing claims often lacks the scale or independence that would make us feel confident about the conclusions.

Because computer glasses skirt the "medical device" line, we didn't want to recommend anything lacking a preponderance of evidence to support its efficacy. Our science editor, Leigh Krietsch Boerner, wasn't able to find that evidence lurking in the deep belly of academic journals. We even reached out to the National Eye Institute at the National Institutes of Health, asking about research into the relationship between blue light and vision symptoms or diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Despite reading plenty of marketing materials alleging that blue light has been linked to AMD multiple times, we couldn't track down any studies to support this claim. The National Eye Institute representatives, after checking with their staff and going through their own research, as well as consulting their partners at the National Eye Health Education Program, told us they had no research available on the topic, either.

The strong research out there does agree on some things. Namely, the symptoms that make up computer vision syndrome—eyes that are dry, tired, "sandy," or "gritty," difficulty in focusing, and even headaches (PDF)—are a real thing. And spending too much time in front of an electronic screen really does cause them. Blue light is probably a factor in CVS, but other things are definitely factors: Low-resolution text that's hard to read makes your eyes work harder to focus. Being engrossed in your screen causes your eyes to focus on a single point and at a single distance without breaks. And when you're staring at a screen, you likely don't blink enough, which dries out your eyes.

But if you don't already wear glasses, you can correct all of that with a change in behavior, such as following the 20-20-20 rule (PDF), looking at a point 20 feet away, for 20 seconds, every 20 minutes. Any sort of glare between your eyes and the surface you're focused on will compound these problems and make your eyes work even harder to focus past the interference, so keep your screens clean and out of direct sunlight.

We found very little evidence that people who don't need corrective lenses would benefit from computer glasses—especially if they add any glare or smudges to the field of view, which would counter their benefits—but adjusting behavior should make a difference.

Wearing prescription glasses exacerbates many of the symptoms of CVS, though, and in light of that, some of the claims regarding computer glasses start to ring true. But that doesn't mean you have to buy some brand-name computer glasses off the Internet. As The New York Times (parent company of Wirecutter ) suggests, talk to your optometrist about your symptoms, and what options might be available to help relieve them. Since we know that glare definitely increases eyestrain, be sure to spring for the best antiglare coatings and materials possible. And actually keep your glasses clean. Your optometrist might recommend an additional pair of lenses that focus to the distance of a computer monitor, or no-line bifocal lenses that give you a different focus distance on the bottom and the top of the lens.

Though the research into blue light and CVS symptoms is shaky at best, you can also add a blue-light filter to most lens orders at your local glasses shop. Some have a more noticeable tint, while others are almost invisible, and they may vary in which wavelengths of light they actually block. But again, we couldn't find an independent study showing that blue-light-related lens changes reduced CVS symptoms more than the other methods discussed.

If you think blue light is contributing to your eyestrain, or if you want to cut your blue-light exposure for other reasons, you can always try the free app F.lux before spending money on special glasses. F.lux allows you to change the wavelengths and colors of your screens with precision, and you can set it to slowly adapt to your schedule. The creator's site has its own list of research on blue light, though it mostly focuses on the effects on circadian rhythm, with very little info on vision symptoms. Or, if you're a macOS user and running the latest Sierra update, you can try switching on the new Night Shift mode; it doesn't have as many customization options as F.lux but benefits from being built into your computer.

If you're still suffering from CVS symptoms after trying all that and talking to an optometrist, you have no reason not to give computer glasses a shot. But we won't be picking a best pair of computer glasses until we see better data.

The Wirecutter's editors answer reader questions all the time. Send an email to askwirecutter@thewirecutter.com, or talk to us on Twitter and Facebook. Published questions are edited for space and clarity.