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Scicon Blue Zero glasses aid recovery, not when riding, but staring at screens post-ride

Sciocon Blue Zero glasses off-the-bike, reduce screen time fatigue, Tadej Pogačar recovery
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Scicon’s latest Blue Zero cycling glasses aren’t actually for riding, but for all the time we don’t get to spend on the bike. Tested with their UAE Team Emirates pro riders at the Tour, including yellow jersey winner Tadej Pogačar, the Blue Zero glasses range is designed to protect your eyes from the harmful, fatigue-inducing blue light emitted from electronic screens, aiding recovery.

Scicon Blue Zero glasses reduce screen time fatigue

We know Scicon mostly for their bags for years, but since early last year they’ve been cranking out Italian-made eyewear, as well… like those huge Aeroshades that Pogačar wore racing the Tour.

Sciocon Blue Zero glasses off-the-bike, reduce screen time fatigue, 2020 Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar
c. Scicon

Now, developed together with Shamir Optical, a big name in Rx lens manufacturing who have used the tech for a few years, Scicon have expanded their glasses off the bike to aid rider recovery. The Scicon Blue Zero Vertex were Pogačar’s post-ride (top) option, blocking out blue light before & after his daily Tour stages.

Minimizing the effects of too much screen time on recovery

Sciocon Blue Zero glasses off-the-bike, reduce screen time fatigue, Protom black

Long days on the bike are tough on your eyes, from both the intense focus & attention to just being out in the wind & weather exposed for long periods of time, even protected behind ever-larger sunglasses. As most cyclist will admit to too much screen time both before & after the ride, the idea behind Blue Zero is to filter out some of the blue & blue-violet wavelengths of light that come out of our phones, tablet, laptops & modern TV screens.

Sciocon Blue Zero glasses off-the-bike, reduce screen time fatigue, Shamir Optical tech
Shamir Blue Zero tech

Scicon & Shamir say this eases strain on our eyes for improved recovery and reduces the impact on your body’s melatonin production for improved sleep. Many of us have experienced general tiredness or irritation in our eyes, or even headaches after either long rides or too much time staring at a screen. So, it certainly seems reasonable to try something that promises to reduce that fatigue when you aren’t riding, but staring at screens post-ride.

Sciocon Blue Zero glasses off-the-bike, reduce screen time fatigue, Laegen post-ride

The Blue Zero lens coating is said to filter out 98% of “high energy visible blue light in the range of 415nm to 435nm, blocking harmful blue light up to three times more than a standard clear lens“. Scicon & Shamir recommend them for anyone who spends a lot of time in front of screens, even for kids as well.

Scicon Blue Zero glasses – Pricing, options & availability

Sciocon Blue Zero glasses off-the-bike, reduce screen time fatigue, Protom clear side

Scicon Sports adds the Blue Zero eyeglasses to their existing performance & lifestyle eyewear that is all available globally, direct from their online store. The new, almost clear lens glasses come in a range of four classically-styled off-the-bike models, in simple black or clear frames, all selling for the same $170 / 150€ price.

Sciocon Blue Zero glasses off-the-bike, reduce screen time fatigue, Vertec, Vertex, Protox, Protom
Vertec, Vertex, Protox, Protom l-r

No prescription option is directly available through Scicon though, but you can get those lenses from Shamir’s own shop network. You can however order each of the new Rx-ready frames direct from Scicon for just $102 / 88€ (even in a third tortoise-shell color option), and take them to your local Shamir store to get Blue Zero lenses cut.

SciconSports.com

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JNH
JNH
3 years ago

{rant}
As someone who’s had to sit and read through multiple studies about blue light expsoure, as well as pick over the bones of several false advertising prosecutions around blue light filtering lenses, let me just take a moment to say what a steaming pile of horse droppings this is.
.
First off, 415-435nm visible light is not harmful, end of. The only people who will be exposed to light at those wavelengths in harmful levels are welders and industrial lighting technicians (and astronauts), they all use real PPE to begin with. If you sit in front of the average LCD monitor on it’s highest brightness setting and stare at it without blinking for say, a year, you will give yourself the same level of exposure to ‘high energy blue light’ as a few seconds outside on a nice day in the PNW. It’s a false equivalence between visible blue light and ultraviolet light, which absolutely will damage your eyes. They key to avoiding eyestrain with screen use is regular breaks. Remember the 20-20-20 rule and stick to it, it costs you nothing.
.
The people who design, make, promote and sell these snake oil lenses should be ashamed of themselves. Whether it’s Shamir, Oakley, Gunnar or whoever this is playing on people’s fears of a real phenomenon to sell them protection from an imaginary one. (deleted)
{/rant}

patrick
patrick
3 years ago
Reply to  JNH

I’m not sure we’re reading the same studies JNH? The entire (oversimplified) explanation is that bright light, especially in the blue wavelength mentioned above, blocks the release of melatonin in the body. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland that is mainly known for promoting sleep. Here’s a study showing an increase in melatonin by wearing similar glasses – https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/opo.12385.

Nobody is making claims that we’re in great danger without these glasses, just that it’s easier to fall asleep at night and have more or better sleep. Not watching TV, using the phone, or using the computer in the hours before bed would also have similar effects since the exposure should be lessened. But who wants to do that?? If sleep = recovery, then the marketing is understandable.

However, they could have written that better in their marketing and the price is crazy compared to similar blue blocking glasses.

None Given
None Given
3 years ago

Sir, can you please get a few suits against some of the supplement companies (and claims)? Please…..

lihtan
3 years ago

Exposure to blue light has been proven to disrupt the circadian rhythm. Our ancestors only had fireplaces and candlelight for lighting after the sun went down. In our modern world with electric light, it’s very easy to run across fluorescent and LED lights with color temperatures of 4100K or higher after sunset. Blue light is produced by the sun, but it peaks around high noon. You should never be exposing yourself to blue light at night time if you want to get proper sleep.

Although there are many blue blocker glasses on the market, I use software like Twilight and f.lux on my devices, paired with a $3 pair of amber tinted safety glasses.

Stove
Stove
3 years ago

Speaking as a licensed optician with over 20 years in the industry, the current studies on long term effects from blue light emitted by devices is somewhat inconclusive. Regarding the comment about 20-20-20, that’s the most accurate statement here. When we (humans) visually focus on something (reading material, screen, driving, riding, etc..), our natural response is to blink less. This results in a phenomenon known as fixation dehydration. Essentially we blink less, our eyes are more exposed to the air around us, they become tired and sore because of it. In order to filter out the blue light, tinted lenses are the best way to do it (amber, brown, yellow-brown) are the best colors for it. The lenses above aren’t doing much for you other than offering a placebo. Save your money for a new bike.

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