Digital Living - Glasses made for digital screens & human eyes - Gunnar

I wanted to take a quick shot at writing up my thoughts on what I often refer to as “digital life” glasses.  In my particular case I’m going to review the Gunnar brand glasses that I own and use.  I was first introduced to the glasses seeing them in pictures of gamers in tournaments or playing at home.  They would often show the glasses accompanied by individuals wearing a full headset gazing at the TV while they are in the heat of play.

I did come across some demo pairs when I would visit PAX. I would try them on and look around, but nothing stood out as a noticeable difference or benefit to me.  Looking back, I don’t think people will really understand what these glasses can do for them unless they have context to really lay it out.  I still did not purchase my first pair until many months later when I came across them on sale at www.woot.com.   They were selling a number of different models price between $30-45.  Normal market price I’ve seen for these would be $79.99 and up.  I dove in immediately and ordered a pair to try them out.  Here is my review:

Gunnar – Rayne – Tortoise Shell (followed by Weezers)

I found this pair on woot.com on sale as the lowest priced model that still looked cool and comfortable. At the time there were COD branded styles by Gunnar and they were always sold out, even when stocks were replenished during the sale. 

Gunnar - Rayne

There are 2 main things to note about these glasses to me: 

1. The lens and its benefits
2. Comfort and style

In the case of reviewing these glasses I will note first that comfort and style are most likely the things a new consumer should consider first. The reason for this is that the lenses are all the same, unless you get a prescription pair (that is pricey $150-300.) I will detail the lenses next, but for now, do consider how you plan to wear these.  My first pair, the Rayne's have an aesthetic style and look to me that seemed like something I could wear in the office and seem trendy.  I sit at a computer throughout the day and many people often come by to chat or collaborate on projects.  These would keep me looking professional and also be comfortable all day.  

Having only 1 pair, I would take these home w/ me to use for gaming and general TV watching.  I received the same benefits, EXCEPT, when it came to wearing headphones with this particular pair of glasses.  Wearing full cup earphones and the Raynes caused some discomfort for me.  The headphones are made to cup over the ears applying pressure to lock in the sound, combined w/ the headband also trying to stay snug ends up compressing the glass frames and squeezing into my head.  I could wear these, but over time I would feel soreness around my ears and sometimes the bridge of my nose, since the added weight of the headphones pushed down on the glasses. 

Not to fear, as I remedied this quite easily, so take note.  I liked the glasses so much that I caught another sale of the brand on Woot and purchased the Weezer model.  This pair had a much slimmer profile in terms of the material build.  They style was all black w/ a standard sunglasses type frame style to it.  Once I tried these on, it was so much better all around for me.  These glasses are slim and light enough and flexible I can wear them w/ gaming headphones for hours w/ no issue.  They do not create footprints on my nose nearly as much if at all compared to the Raynes, which is a nice side benefit.

Gunnar - Weezer

If you’re going to buy these glasses for gaming definitely keep in mind the frame shape, bulkiness and weight if you can.

Once I had the glasses in hand, I was ready to test them out see what the buzz is about, or should be about.  I found 3 main benefits:

1. Increased contrast – immediately upon putting the glasses on, at work, I noticed the contrast change allowed me to read text on screen much easier.  The dark colored fonts stand out much better on the white backgrounds when they glasses are on.

2. Reduced Light directly into the eye: The lenses are made from material and coatings used to reduce the amount of light directly received by the eye along with some other physical properties who’s benefits reduce eye fatigue and strain.

3. Magnification – there is a very slight magnification that is helpful for computer reading and game playing

In terms of gaming, an increase in contrast and magnification should interest anyone who plays games competitively.  If you’re big into the FPS fast action games, you will want any advantage you can to have a faster reaction time.  Wear the glasses, set your TV up w/ the optimal picture, and you should have the benefit of being able to distinguish enemies in the shadows a bit easier or faster.  If you play games in the dark and have the TV or monitor as your only source of light in the room, then these glasses will keep your eyes from getting beat up by all that focused light directed in your face!

A quick personal note for anyone interested in a pair of these.  Yes, the lenses are tinted yellow.  If you’re familiar w/ wearing ski goggles or sport goggles that help shade the sunlight you’ll recognize that the design in the lenses is made to work w/ your eyes.  Your eyes will adjust to the new way it is receiving light, and within a few minutes you’ll see colors as you would normally.  This really is not a big deal unless you continue to focus on it or continually take the glasses on and off. 

Also, due to the slight magnification, it is advisable you take the glasses off when not using them for a digital screen experience. The magnification change may affect your ability to complete ordinary tasks by misjudging physical space limits not thought about prior.

Overall I find these glasses extremely valuable for me. I have 2 pairs, one for work, one for home. I do find myself wanting to have these on most anytime I will be in front of a digital screen for more than few minutes.  $70 is a steep price point to me, but finding it for <$50 on sale is an easy introduction, and I'm sure I will continue to buy these in the future, if not Gunnar, then a new brand on the market.