For millions of UK workers, 2020 became the year when home working became part of their nine-to-five routine.

In turn, this has underlined the importance of having a proper workstation and optimal vision correction, particularly since home working is here to stay…

If you spend hours staring at small on-screen fonts, you may need glasses suitable for comfortable all-day use. Bespoke office spectacles can include VDU-specific varifocals and enhanced reading glasses.

We’ll prescribe lenses that help your eyes quickly refocus between monitor, keyboard and paperwork. We can also help you choose frames which fully cover your eyes, providing equally clear central and peripheral vision. Anti-reflective coatings reduce screen glare, while effectively eliminating reflections from light sources.

Alongside well-fitting glasses here are some ways to look after your eyes while using your screen:

• Good lighting helps to minimise eyestrain and headaches.

• Bright computer monitor in gloomy surroundings makes it hard to focus on anything other than the screen, leading to sore eyes and premature tiredness.

• We stock bottles of eye drops, which are great for keeping eyes hydrated and comfortable.

• Regular breaks away from the monitor are important.

• Apply the 20-20-20 rule – every 20 minutes look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. That will give your eye muscles a rest.

• Try to blink regularly. Focusing on a screen may make you blink less, which may make your eyes dry and uncomfortable.

• Position your computer screen so that:

  • it is between 40 and 76 centimetres (16 to 30 inches) from your eyes

  • the top is level with, or slightly below, your eyes

  • it is tilted away from you at a 10- to 20-degree angle

  • there are no distracting reflections, e.g. from a window.

• Use a character size that is easy to see. The character size is an important factor since it determines the distance at which you prefer to view the monitor.