Vision & lifestyle
VDU / screen glasses: UK guide to whether you really need them
Under UK Display Screen Equipment (DSE) regulations, employers must offer eye tests to staff who use screens as a significant part of their job, and pay for any glasses required specifically for screen use. What that means in practice is more nuanced than the leaflet suggests. Here is when screen glasses genuinely help.
What DSE glasses are
DSE — or 'VDU' glasses in older terminology — are prescription glasses optimised for the intermediate distance of a computer screen (typically 50–70cm), not for reading a book (30–40cm) or driving (6 metres).
The employer's obligation is to cover the **basic** cost of glasses required specifically for screen use. If you would need those glasses anyway for general use, the employer does not have to fund them — but many still do.
Who really needs them
**Under 40** — you almost certainly don't need dedicated screen glasses. Your eyes accommodate easily across all distances. If your eyes are tired at a screen, the answer is usually dry eye, uncorrected astigmatism or poor screen ergonomics, not new glasses.
**40–48** — early presbyopia. Your reading vision starts to slip, and a screen at 60cm may become uncomfortable. Single-vision computer glasses often help.
**48+** — established presbyopia. If you already wear varifocals, you are looking through the near portion of the lens to see the screen, which forces your chin up and strains your neck. A dedicated pair of screen glasses (or occupational varifocals like Zeiss Officelens) removes this problem.
**High astigmatism at any age** — even small uncorrected astigmatism becomes noticeable during long screen sessions.
What a screen eye test involves
- Full refraction at intermediate distance
- Assessment of near add, if presbyopic
- Tear film and blink assessment (dry eye is a huge driver of screen discomfort)
- Binocular vision check — small phorias tolerate reading books but decompensate at 60cm on a screen
- Retinal photography (if included)
What often helps more than glasses
1. **Screen at arm's length**, top edge at eye level
2. **20–20–20 rule** — every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds
3. **Blink consciously** and use preservative-free lubricants
4. **Reduce blue-light exposure in the evening** to protect sleep — see our guide on blue-light glasses
5. **Fix the lighting** — no reflections on the screen, no bright light directly behind it
What screen glasses will not fix
- Migraines triggered by screens
- Neck pain from poor ergonomics
- Screen fatigue from working 10 hours without breaks
- Dry eye from a low blink rate
Book a consultant-led screen vision assessment
If screens are making your eyes tired despite up-to-date glasses, book a consultation with my private practice or call **020 3137 3237**.
Frequently asked questions
- Does my employer have to pay for screen glasses?
- Yes — the basic cost of glasses required specifically for screen use is covered under DSE regulations if a workplace eye test identifies the need.
- Are computer glasses the same as reading glasses?
- No. Reading glasses are focused at 30–40cm; computer glasses are focused at the longer 50–70cm distance of a screen.
- Do I need special blue-light coating on screen glasses?
- The evidence for blue-light coatings reducing eye strain is weak, but a coating in the evening can help sleep. It is optional, not essential.
- Why do my eyes tire only at the screen and not when reading a book?
- Screens are further away, blinks are less frequent, contrast is different and small refractive errors are exposed more readily. All of these are correctable.
Ready to discuss your options?
Book a private consultation with Ms Tahmina Pearsall, or call our secretary directly — mention this article and we'll pull up the treatment details for you.
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