How To Prevent Screen Glare (And Why You Need To!)

19/04/2021

Screen glare happens when light shines on your screen and is reflected back at you. This is characterised by a bright light appearing on the screen, but it can also make the screen impossible to see. Instead of seeing what’s on the screen itself, you see a reflection of yourself staring back at you.

Clearly, this isn’t very helpful at all. Especially if you are trying to work, but also if you suffer from chronic headaches, eye strain, or migraines. So, today’s post will be a bit of a two-parter. To start, you’ll see a few simple ways to reduce and prevent screen glare on your devices. To finish, you’ll learn why this is an important thing to do.

How to prevent screen glare

Preventing screen glare is easier than you think. There are a couple of approaches to this, some of which are more affordable and convenient than others!

The first idea is to place your screens away from direct sunlight. This simple trick will prevent the sun from shining across it, eliminating the issue of glare. Of course, it only works in situations where you can move your screen away from direct sunlight.

Secondly, you can use mirrored window films to prevent sunlight from entering through the windows in your room. Instantly, this negates the issue of screen glare as the light is reflected via the films. This is a great idea if you work from home or have an office somewhere. However, it obviously doesn’t account for situations where you’re out of the house/office.

Consequently, one of the best overall solutions is to buy a laptop/screen that has anti-glare features built-in. These screens are designed to reflect sunlight and stay as clear and bright as possible. Admittedly, this is the most expensive solution, but it’s worth considering – particularly if your main screen is a laptop that you bring with you to lots of different locations.

Why do you need to prevent screen glare?

Use any of the ideas above to prevent and reduce screen glare as much as possible. You’ll notice an immediate change in how clear your screen is, and this has a direct impact on your health. When you experience screen glare, your eyes have to work so much harder. The screen is harder to read, so you’re constantly squinting and trying your best to make sense of everything. Plus, having sunlight reflected back into your eyes is never going to be pleasing.

As a result, you can be at risk of developing eye strain, which will lead to headaches, and possibly migraines. Also, the longer you deal with this, the worse your eyesight will get. You need to make your eyes work as little as possible, rather than forcing them to strain all the time. Thus, you should reduce/prevent screen glare, saving your eyes, and saving your health.

This should clear everything up for you – and possibly even explain why you’ve been getting chronic headaches while working. All this time, it could’ve been down to screen glare. Fix the problem, and your eyes will thank you.