Color Blind Glasses: Do They Really Work?
Videos of people seeing "real" colors for the first time with special glasses go viral again and again. What is behind them? Here is an honest look at how color blind glasses work, who they suit and where their limits are.
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How do color blind glasses work?
In red-green color blindness the sensitivity curves of the red and green cones overlap more than normal. Light in the overlap zone (around yellow-orange) stimulates both cone types almost equally – so the brain has a harder time separating red from green.
Color blind glasses use special filters that remove light precisely in that zone ("notch filters"). This makes the signals of the red and green cones more different again. The result: reds and greens look more saturated and are easier to tell apart for many wearers.
Do color blind glasses work? What they can and can’t do
| Can | Cannot |
|---|---|
| Increase contrast between red and green | Replace missing cones |
| Make colors look more saturated and vivid | Cure color blindness |
| Make everyday life, nature and art feel more colorful | Produce normal results on color vision tests |
Studies show these glasses do not, or barely, improve scores on diagnostic tests such as the Ishihara test. Many wearers still report that colors look clearly more pleasant and contrasty in daily life. Both can be true: the glasses make colors more distinct – but not "normal".
Who are color blind glasses for?
- Well suited: people with deuteranomaly or protanomaly – mild to moderate red-green color blindness, which is the large majority.
- Limited: in full deuteranopia or protanopia the effect is usually smaller.
- Not suited: for achromatopsia and usually not for blue-yellow color blindness.
Our free test shows how strong your color blindness is and whether it is protan or deutan.
What to look for when buying
- Outdoor or indoor: many models are tinted like sunglasses and made for daylight; lighter versions exist for indoors and screens.
- Prescription: if you need glasses, look for prescription lenses or clip-ons.
- Don’t drive at night with tinted models.
- Adjustment: the effect often becomes stronger after a few minutes to days.
- Return policy: because the effect is individual, choose a provider with a trial period.
EnChroma glasses, COLORDROP and others
Well-known brands include EnChroma from the US and COLORDROP. COLORDROP – the provider of this free test – offers color blind glasses, including prescription and kids’ models, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Compare filter effect, use case and return terms at your own pace.
Frequently asked questions
Can color blind glasses give you normal color vision?
No. They increase the contrast between red and green but cannot replace missing or altered cones.
Do color blind glasses work for every type?
They work best for mild to moderate red-green deficiencies (anomalous trichromacy). The effect is smaller in full dichromacy and absent in achromatopsia.
Can I pass a color vision test with the glasses?
No – and they must not be used for that. Diagnostic test scores barely change with such glasses.