BON CHARGE Magnum vs. Swanwick (Swannies)
The numbers.
WELLNESS
Marketed as a general wellness device. Not FDA cleared, approved, or evaluated for any medical claim.
- Price
- $130–$360
- Founded
- 2017
- HQ
- Australia
WELLNESS
Marketed as a general wellness device. Not FDA cleared, approved, or evaluated for any medical claim.
- Price
- $99–$250
- Founded
- 2015
- HQ
- Los Angeles, USA
Which route is yours?
Choose BON CHARGE Magnum if you prioritise the trade-offs in column A — see the bench above and the long-form below.
Choose Swanwick (Swannies) if column B's trade-offs fit your stack better.
Side-by-side, in detail.
The Matchup
Two of the best-known premium blue-light brands, both built around the evening/sleep use case where blue-light glasses actually have a mechanism. BON CHARGE (formerly BLUblox, Australia, 2017) sells the Magnum frame in two versions — a clear daytime “computer” lens and a deep amber/red nighttime lens. Swanwick (LA, 2015) runs a three-tier system — Focus (day), Relax (evening), Sleep (night) — plus a magnetic “Circadian” snap-on frame that bundles all three lenses. The real question isn’t which blocks more blue light at night (both block aggressively); it’s which system fits how you actually use them.
Before the comparison, the evidence caveat that applies equally to both: a 2023 Cochrane review found blue-light lenses unlikely to reduce daytime digital eye strain, and the AAO doesn’t endorse them for that. The evening amber/red case has a plausible circadian rationale, but the clinical sleep evidence is limited for either brand. Treat both as low-risk wind-down aids, not sleep cures.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Feature | BON CHARGE Magnum | Swanwick (Swannies) |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2017, Australia (formerly BLUblox) | 2015, USA |
| System | One frame, two lens versions (day clear / night amber-red) | Three tiers (Focus / Relax / Sleep) + snap-on |
| Night lens | Amber/red; brand states blocks blue + green 400-550 nm | Deep amber/red; brand states ~99% blue-weighted 400-500 nm |
| Daytime option | Clear “computer” lens (no % published) | Focus near-clear lens |
| Swappable lenses | No — separate pairs | Yes — Circadian magnetic snap-on bundles all 3 |
| Entry price (non-Rx) | ~$130 | ~$130-160 |
| Top price | ~$360 (prescription daytime) | ~$250 (Circadian snap-on system) |
| Prescription | Yes (up to ~$360) | Yes, plus fitover + readers + kids |
| Regulatory | Eyewear; “FDA/TGA registered” (not cleared) | Eyewear; no medical-device claim |
Where BON CHARGE Magnum Wins
- Stronger prescription range. Full Rx support up to ~$360, with the same large frame across non-Rx, readers and prescription — better if you need vision correction in your night glasses.
- Cleaner day/night split. Two clearly-defined versions (clear computer vs amber-red night) is simpler to reason about than three tiers if you only want “one for the day, one for bed.”
- Brand recognition. As the former BLUblox, BON CHARGE has a long presence in the biohacking-eyewear space and a wide accessory ecosystem.
Where Swanwick Wins
- The snap-on system is genuinely useful. The Circadian magnetic frame ships Focus, Relax and Sleep lenses in one pair — swap tints through the day without owning three frames. Nothing in the Magnum line matches that.
- A true three-stage progression. A distinct evening (Relax) tier sits between day and deep-night, which maps better to a gradual wind-down than a binary day/night split.
- Wider fit range. Fitover (wear-over-Rx), readers and kids options cover use cases the Magnum doesn’t.
- Published night-lens figure. Swanwick states ~99% block of blue-weighted light for the Sleep lens; BON CHARGE publishes a range (400-550 nm) but is less specific on percentage.
The Decision
- Choose BON CHARGE Magnum if you need prescription night lenses, prefer a simple clear-day / amber-night pair, or already buy into the BON CHARGE ecosystem.
- Choose Swanwick if you want the swappable three-tier system (the Circadian snap-on is the standout), a distinct evening tier, or fitover/readers/kids options.
The Honest Middle Case
For most people the night lens is the only one worth buying in either brand — the daytime/clear lenses on both sides ride claims the evidence doesn’t support. If you just want one good pair of evening amber/red glasses, both deliver and the choice comes down to fit, price and whether you need a prescription. The systems only matter if you’ll actually use a daytime tier too — in which case Swanwick’s snap-on is the more flexible buy.
We’ll update this comparison after measuring each lens’s transmission across the visible spectrum.
Related Reading
- BON CHARGE Magnum Review — full deep-dive
- Swanwick (Swannies) Review — full deep-dive
- Felix Gray vs GUNNAR — the daytime computer-glasses comparison
- Blue Light Glasses Hub — evidence-first category overview
Changelog
- 2026-06-16: Initial comparison published. Not yet tested; led with the Cochrane/AAO evidence and reported brand blocking figures as claims.