Ever wondered why the sky is blue or why blue LED light is bad for you? Infamously known for having shorter wavelengths, blue light collides with air molecules more frequently than any other color of the EM waves emitted from the sun. This collision causes the blue color to scatter everywhere making our sky appear blue. On the other hand, blue LED light also has longer and stronger wavelengths that bypass our cornea and deteriorate our retina (ouch!). On a mission to battle the side effects of using our screens, Co-Founder, David Roger launched Felix Gray, a fashionable eyewear brand. Looks like mom was right when she said not to watch too much T.V.!

When we think of blue light, most of us imagine an EDM concert with blue laser beams flying everywhere. However, the reality is that blue light tends to do more damage other than coloring our sky. It makes sense for us to wear sunglasses on a bright day, you know, to protect our eyes from the harmful rays of the sun. But when it comes to our screens, we wear nothing. As the first generation to truly understand the side effects of blue LED light, David Roger took it upon himself to combat digital eye strain and seize the day with protective eyewear for the modern consumer via Felix Gray.

“Our glasses exist to provide two functions: filter blue light and eliminate glare to create a happier experience in front of your screen.”

We sat down to chat with the co-founder of Felix Gray, David Roger about the healthy perks of wearing filtered glasses and how his company is ahead of the curve or as we like to think of it, Warby Parker 2.0. “We are the first generation that has been in front of an LED screen all day. Hence, the repercussions are very new and we are only now starting to understand the long-term effects. It’s great to see an increased focus on this category and consumers are starting to take notice and relate.”

So what are the long-term effects you might wonder? As an avid screen watcher, you might be familiar with staring at a screen for over 8 hours and thus have experienced digital eye strain. Some of the symptoms of digital eye strain include blurred vision, headaches, as well as itchy and dry eyes. In addition, blue LED light is also known to suppress the secretion of melatonin produced in your body, reduce the quality of sleep you receive and correlate to the long-term development of cancer, depression, and diabetes. Talk about discomfort!

Screen Shot 2018-02-27 at 5.57.08 PM.png

Launched in May 2016, Felix Gray experimented in beta mode from January to April. They initially created the product and marketed it to friends to gain early feedback from customers before going public. “We did an office trial program in which we would go to offices such as Uber, Linkedin, WeWork and Spotify to provide employees with up to 50 pairs of glasses for a 2 week trial period.” This sampling method allowed David to get a 20% conversion rate and direct feedback. Back then the lens came in a yellow tint, which due to popular demand was later removed.

“If you have a great product and a great service, you’re going to grow due to WOM.”

When we asked David what Felix Gray stands for (because every brand should have a purpose), he mentioned “we want to be the brand of happiness and productivity in the digital age. We have created a product at the intersection of fashion meets function and want to sell the idea of comfort.” It is also important when brands create a marketing strategy to make sure that customers are receiving the same message and experience via all channels and platforms. “We put a lot of money into Facebook advertising, Google Adwords, Instagram ads, influencer partnerships and podcasts, which have worked really well for us. Therefore, it becomes more about identifying the channels, scaling them and maintaining the message.”

Upon launch, David initially thought that their customer would be someone working in banking, tech or law. But really, it’s everyone and anyone who sits in front of a computer all day. From 16-year-olds to 50-year-olds, we are all the same. It also helps to be a pioneer in a new category as receiving press and engaging journalists to share the Felix Gray story has come naturally to the brand.

Why The Name

“Felix Gray is named after a character from my favorite book, Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. Felix is a scientist in the book with an IQ equivalent to that of Einstein’s. Speaking to the same sophistication of intellect and wisdom we decided to include an owl because it is an embodiment of our vibe.” David wants to incorporate an office lifestyle component to the brand and has also named all of the brand’s frames after famous scientists and mathematicians.

The Man Behind the Lens

A graduate from Cornell University with a major in Industrial Labor Relations, David refers to himself as a generalist. “My life is a poorly designed question. I always gravitate towards intuition and exist at the intersection of being analytical and creative.” During his college days, David started a newspaper at Cornell called the Odyssey for which he built out a sales team, sold advertising space and marketed it on his campus. He later worked in Digital Marketing upon graduation.

“I was introduced to the CEO of Zappos, Tony Shay back in the day who wanted to build the downtown community in Las Vegas. It was my job to evaluate projects that the operating team was working on and to come up with creative solutions. I was behind a computer all day long and my eyes would get exhausted, which is how Felix Gray came into being,” proving that from small cubicles can come large ideas.

The Advice

When we asked David what advice he had to share with the younger generation he mentioned:

Believe in yourself enough to execute your vision and take signs for when you need to pivot or iterate.
Just do it! You’ll land on your feet and if everything fails, you will still end up being a much better person due to the experience you would have had.
Take cues from the market as to whether your product is needed or not.
Build a really good team because at the end of the day it doesn’t matter what you do as a part, but rather how everyone functions as a whole.

Interested in avoiding digital eye strain? Priced at $95, get yourself one of these bad boys and shield your eyes! Felix Gray currently does not offer prescription glasses so only those who wear contacts or have perfect vision can use their products. But don’t worry for the nerds out there, it is on their list for next season!

Photo courtesy of Felix Gray.