Color Blind Glasses: Do They Work?
Partly. Color blind glasses can make some reds and greens look more vivid for some people with mild to moderate red-green color blindness. They don’t restore normal color vision, they rarely help if a cone type is missing, and in most controlled studies people did not score much better on color vision tests while wearing them.
Last updated 2026-11-10 · Based on 12 peer-reviewed studies and reviews published 2018–2026 and guidance from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, listed below.
What are color blind glasses?
Color blind glasses (also sold as color-correcting or color-enhancing glasses) are tinted lenses that filter specific wavelengths of light. Well-known brands include EnChroma, Pilestone and VINO, and there are tinted contact lenses such as ChromaGen. They are made mainly for red-green color blindness, the most common type. They are not a medical treatment and don’t change your eyes.
How do color blind glasses work?
Your red- and green-sensitive cones respond to overlapping ranges of light. In deuteranomaly and protanomaly the two ranges overlap even more than usual, so red and green signals become similar. Notch-filter glasses block narrow bands of light where the two cones overlap most. The light that gets through drives the two cone types more differently, which can make red-green differences stand out.
The trade-off is that the glasses darken the world (they block light) and shift other colors too. That’s why studies find some colors get easier to tell apart while others get harder.
What the studies found
Most independent lab studies find that the glasses change color appearance without improving color vision test scores much. A 2022 systematic review of 16 studies found no clinically significant evidence that color vision devices improve color perception. The more positive findings come from small studies of longer wear.
| Study | Who was tested | Main finding |
|---|---|---|
| Gómez-Robledo et al., 2018 | about 48 people, lab tests with and without EnChroma | Colors looked different, but diagnostic test scores didn’t improve and color vision didn’t become more normal. |
| Martínez-Domingo et al., 2019 | 52 people, VINO and EnChroma | Some people, mostly with deutan types, passed plate tests with VINO, but not arrangement tests. The authors concluded filters can’t effectively correct color blindness. |
| Varikuti et al., 2020 | 19 patients, chart review | Very small score changes on Ishihara (deutans) and D-15 (protans). Most patients said colors looked better. |
| Werner et al., 2020 | Anomalous trichromats, normal and placebo groups, 2 weeks | Color contrast responses rose in anomalous trichromats, even when tested without the glasses; not in the other groups. One author holds EnChroma shares. |
| Álvaro et al., 2022 | 16 color blind adults, 8 children, 20 controls | The glasses did not significantly compensate for color blindness on any task. |
| Patterson et al., 2022 | 51 people, genetically typed | Statistically significant effects for both brands tested, but only one (VINO) large enough to be called functionally meaningful. |
| Pattie et al., 2022 | 86 color blind people, 24 controls | No overall improvement on two clinical tests. Some colors got easier and others harder. |
| Male et al., 2022 | Systematic review of 16 studies | No clinically significant evidence that color vision devices improve color perception. |
| Somers et al., 2024 | 10 people with deuteranomaly, 1 week | Red-green colors looked more vivid, with minimal effect on the ability to tell close colors apart. |
| Almustanyir et al., 2026 | 80 men, tinted contact lenses (ChromaGen) | Fewer test errors, but people missing a cone type gained little, and no one with protanopia passed any test. |
The case for the glasses: two small studies of about two weeks of wear (Werner et al., 2020; Rabin et al., 2022) found color contrast improved and some of the gain remained when people were tested without the glasses. Neither settles it: one had an author with shares in the manufacturer, and the other had no control group and used donated glasses. A 2024 study found red-green colors really do look more vivid to people with deuteranomaly, which may explain why many wearers like them even when test scores barely move.
Will color blind glasses help me?
It depends mostly on your type and how strong it is. Take a red-green color blind test first if you don’t know yours.
| Your type | Likely effect |
|---|---|
| Mild or moderate deuteranomaly | Best chance. Some reds and greens may look more vivid. The glasses are designed with this group in mind. |
| Mild or moderate protanomaly | Some people notice a difference, often less than with deuteranomaly. |
| Strong deutan or protan, deuteranopia, protanopia | Little or no benefit. With a cone type missing there is little red-green signal for the filter to separate. |
| Tritanomaly or tritanopia | Red-green glasses aren’t designed for blue-yellow color blindness. A sudden blue-yellow change should be checked by an eye doctor. |
Based on the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s guidance and the studies above. Individual results vary, and no study can predict how one person will respond.
Color blind glasses and color vision tests
Tinted lenses can change how many plates you read correctly without changing your color vision. Researchers studying ChromaGen contact lenses found more plates read correctly but worse sharpness and contrast, and concluded the lenses invalidate the pass criteria of plate tests. If a job or license requires a color vision test, ask whether tinted lenses are allowed before relying on them. For the same reason, take our color blind test with the glasses off.
Before you buy
- Know your type first. Glasses are made for anomalous red-green types, not for people missing a cone type or for blue-yellow color blindness. An eye care professional can confirm your type.
- Insist on a trial or return policy. The only way to know whether they help you is to try them, and they are expensive.
- Expect a change in how colors look, not normal color vision. Some colors may become harder, not easier.
- Don’t wear them at night or while driving unless your eye doctor says it’s fine. They reduce the light reaching your eyes.
- Check which lens you’re buying. Some brands, including EnChroma, sell lighter lenses for indoor use, which block less light.
- Talk to your eye doctor if you have another eye condition, such as cataracts or macular degeneration, since reduced light can make it harder to see.
Other things that help
- Phone and computer color filters shift screen colors to make them easier to tell apart. The color blind simulator page lists where to find them on Windows, macOS, iPhone and Android.
- Color-identifier apps name the color under your phone’s camera.
- Labels and patterns on charts, maps and wiring, and asking others to use them.
- Knowing your type helps you predict which colors will be tricky. See what colorblind people see.
Note: this is a screening, not a diagnosis. Online tests can’t control your screen’s colors or brightness, so confirm any result with an eye care professional. Medical disclaimer · How the test works