At age 7, while bumping along in the back of my parents’ VW bus, I was struck with an overwhelming wave of nausea. Thus began my long and arduous relationship with motion sickness, which I thought would never end. Fast-forward to recent adulthood, when I came across some bizarre-looking glasses that promised to deter motion sickness, thanks to the magic of their cartoonish shape. Tired of being sick every time I traveled, I decided to put these glasses to the test, no matter how ridiculous they made me look.
I’ll cut right to the chase and say that these things worked. Like, shockingly well. And while they usually retail for around $10 at Amazon, they’re currently only $7.99. That’s 20% off its usual price!
The flexible frames of these spectacles are made up of four circles filled halfway with a blue liquid that, when worn, can only be seen in your peripheral vision.
According to the maker, this design promises nothing less than complete sickness relief, even when reading or looking at your phone in the car –– something completely unheard of for motion sickness sufferers.
In the name of science (and at the risk of my stomach), I wore the glasses sitting in the backseat of the car, while reading, as my partner drove around. Normally, and especially under these circumstances, it would take less than a few minutes for the nausea and headaches to hit. But this time, my symptoms never came.
Was this just the placebo effect in action, or was there actual science behind this?
To find out, I spoke with Dr. Neil Bhattacharyya, board-certified otolaryngologist and professor of otolaryngology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School. He explained that motion sickness is caused when a disconnect occurs in the brain’s ability to detect where the body is in motion.
“When you get into a car that’s moving, your organ systems are still sensing the motion around you, but the body itself is stable, causing the integration of those messages to get disrupted,” Bhattacharyya told HuffPost.
Although Bhattacharyya can’t say for sure all the reasons the glasses are effective, he thinks that the liquid sloshing back and forth inside the rings helps the eyes to recognize movement and create an artificial horizon, allowing the brain to bridge the gap between motion and stability.
“In my opinion, if [these] work for someone, I think it’s a lot better than taking anti-nausea medications, which are mainly all just sedatives,” Bhattacharyya added.
Had these ridiculous-looking glasses existed much earlier on in my life, my passenger commuting experiences would have been a lot more comfortable.
If you or your child experiences a similar struggle, it might be worth your while to grab yourself a pair before your next road trip, plane ride or cruise — especially while they’re on sale!
Want to know more? Here are some promising reviews from lovers of the motion sickness glasses.
“My son has extreme cases of motion sickness while riding in a car. We just completed a trip with many bends in the road and he got through the trip without getting nauseous or puking. Crossing my fingers that these glasses are the fix we have been looking for.” – Amazon Customer
“My 5 year old has gotten car sick since he was a baby and I was at my wits end. Surprisingly he loves his “throw up glasses” and they seem to help. He is very proactive in using them and when he hasn’t had them in the car, he has thrown up. He has yet to throw while wearing them so I think it was a great investment. Saves my car seats!” – rachael
“I cannot recommend these enough. I bought them back in July and use them constantly. As someone who gets car sick not even out of the driveway, I pop these bad boys on and it’s almost instant relief.
***I do not get barfy car sick, I get queasy, hot, and headaches. So I cannot attest to its effectiveness against wanting to hurl.***
I will add they do slip around a lot but if I’m just looking forward they stay put. They also keep you and the driver from any arguments because no one can be taken seriously with these things on. They are hilarious.” – jalynn
“Didn’t believe these silly looking things would work, but they DO!
I can drive with my wife again.
Also worked on my kid who tends to get car sick!
Make sure to put them on BEFORE you get sick though.” – Mike L“I have always had motion sickness when playing certain video games. Mainly the newer 3D ones. I really wanted to play Fallout 4, but could not stand it for very long before I start to feel ill. I have tried the wristbands before, and they do not help me at all. I decided to give these a try, and they actually work! I guess something about giving your eyes something solid and non-moving they can lock onto helps. I still feel a little odd with all the quick motion, but it no longer makes me dizzy and ill.” – Jeremy Burke
Looking for more motion sickness remedies? Check out these recommendations from previous HuffPost coverage.
A nausea relief inhaler tested by HuffPost writers
HuffPost senior shopping writer Tessa Flores put me on to Allclair, a non-medicated nausea relief inhaler. The little tubes, which come in two-packs, are double-sided with an inhaler on one end and an oil dropper on the other. They're also non-drowsy, a huge plus if you're on the go. We love this product so much that it won a HuffPost Shopping Award!
"Just the other day, my partner decided to cook well-done eggs — which emitted an odor that, for whatever reason, makes me want to gag," Flores previously wrote. "I was driven to reach for this nondescript tube, and after just a couple of inhales, the fresh and medicinal vapor in my mouth and nose completely made the uncomfortable sensation dissipate. I’ve also whipped this out while feeling queasy on the train, in cars, and even following a night of one too many alcoholic beverages and it did the trick in seconds."
Since I'm also prone to nausea, I bought my own two-pack during Black Friday sales (as did many HuffPost readers) and can vouch for the herbal aroma's effectiveness. I tend to get nauseous at nighttime, and prefer the longer-lasting impact of the oil dropper for its ability to settle me enough that I can fall asleep.
Tried-and-true Dramamine motion sickness tablets
If there's one remedy for motion sickness you probably know, it's Dramamine, which has a near-perfect 4.8-star average across more than 24,000 ratings. HuffPost shopping analytics editor Lily Alig is a fan of Dramamine, and usually has it on her.
"I've had horrible motion sickness since I was a kid, so now I never travel without Dramamine," she said. "The non-drowsy formula really works for me: it keeps the worst of my symptoms at bay and doesn't make me too sleepy. I take a dose before every long train ride or when I'm the designated passenger seat navigator. It's not a cure-all (I still can't read a book in a moving vehicle), but it enables me to text, read directions, and generally function better!"
Dramamine can relieve nausea, dizziness and vomiting for up to 24 hours, and can work within 30 to 60 minutes by blocking the brain signals that trigger motion sickness. It comes in a slim travel vial for easy packing. You may still experience some drowsiness with Dramamine, so just make sure to read the fine print depending on when you want to take some.
These soft acupressure wristbands with thousands of rave reviews
You can also relieve nausea through acupressure, by pressing down on pressure point P6 (also called Neiguan). This point is on the inside of your wrist. There are plenty of acupressure wristbands out there designed to exert pressure on point P6 for you, like these soft Sea-Band wristbands which are one size fits most. This is a subtler solution than something like the glasses that still offers continuous relief without any drowsiness.
Promising review: "These little bands have transformed car travel and air travel for me! I used them (as a last resort) exactly as instructed in the package, and when we arrived at our destination, I said to my husband, "Do you realize that I didn't have problems with carsickness this entire trip?" That was a first for me! Soon after that, we traveled overseas, and these were an incredible help to me during the inevitable bumps through the air. I was able to relax and enjoy the flight because my stomach wasn't woozy--for the first time ever (which probably sounds like an exaggeration unless you also suffer from motion sickness). These are worth every penny and more!" — BrendaH
The experts consulted for this story do not necessarily endorse the products ahead unless otherwise noted.
The Real Deal: We use deal trackers and commerce experience to sift through “fake” hike-and-drop deals and other deceptive sales tactics. Products will usually be rated at least 4 stars with a minimum 15% discount. (And when there’s an exception, we’ll tell you why.)