Gunnar Optiks are more than just “gaming lifestyle” glasses aimed at separating the youth from their cash. After wearing them for more than a year, it would be difficult to wear anything else.
I purchased my first pair of Gunnar Optiks glasses at PAX 2009. Gunnar Optiks, if you aren’t aware, is a company that specializes in making eyewear for ‘digital lifestyles’. Being a fan of precision optics (and someone who spends more than a little time in front of computer screens for work and play), I bought a prescription pair take for a test run.
Use a computer, strain your eyes
According to theMayoClinic, using a computer for extended periods is one of the most common causes of eyestrain. There's even an actual condition called Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), the symptoms of which include headaches, fatigue, dry eyes, blurred, or even double vision. If you spend more than a few hours each day in front of a computer, you're probably at risk for CVS.
CVS doesn't have serious or long-term consequences, but it can make you tired, unfocused, and/or reduce your enjoyment of a good, lengthy gaming session. In some cases, it can even take days for all eyestrain symptoms to subside.
Gunnar Optik’s mission
Gunnar Optiks wants to be the premier provider of specialty lenses aimed at ‘digital lifestyles’. In simple terms, they basically design glasses to ease eyestrain caused by sitting in front of computer screens for extended periods.
Whether you spend a lot of time working in front a computer, playing in front of a computer (or both) Gunnar glasses are designed for you.
Although the idea behind Gunnar lenses may be simple, the engineering behind them is not. Here is what Gunnar glasses are designed to do in layman's terms:
- Create a 'microclimate' behind the lenses to block ambient air currents and alleviate dry-eye effects.
- Provide ultra light, durable, impact resistant lenses
- Minimize color distortion
- Filter specific wavelengths to selectively neutralize harsh parts of the color spectrum.
- Reduce glare and reflective light through an anti-reflective coating
- Capture and enhance “good” light to reduce eyestrain and fatigue
- Enhance contrast for a sharper viewing
The Gunnars came in a sleek, black, custom-fitted hard case, suitable for the desktop but too much of a brick for putting in a coat pocket (presumably the job of the included bag). A more travel-friendly sport case would have been appreciated. The glasses are covered by a one-year warranty.
I had a minor issue that delayed the delivery of my glasses, but Gunnar was easy to get a hold of, responsive by phone and email, and express-shipped my glasses to me via FedEx with Saturday delivery, so they score big points in the customer service department.
Sharper, softer, subtler
Gunnars are available in a variety of frames, but generally share the feature set described above. If they have a ‘signature look’ it’s the mild yellow tint designed to soften harsh light. The tinting does an excellent job of reducing monitor glare as well as the annoying ‘fringe’ glare from working under fluorescent lights.
I was admittedly a little concerned that the yellow tint might be bothersome after extended periods; instead, the exact opposite was true. After wearing the glasses for even a short while—in front of a computer screen or otherwise—I didn’t want to take them off. If you’re sensitive to bright light (particularly fluorescents) in general, the Gunnars do a great job of reducing or eliminating that sensitivity.
In addition, Gunnars simply reduce the ‘bite’ of bright monitors in a high-contrast environment (i.e. the dark) and seem to sharpen text on a screen. They definitely make gaming (or Facebooking, writing, working, etc.) in the dark easier.
Gunnars might not make you a ‘better’ gamer, but they can certainly improve long-term ‘eye stamina’ after that 40-man World of Warcraft raid or several hours of Left 4 Dead 2 starts to take its toll.
How much are your eyes worth?
If you don’t need prescription lenses, a pair of Gunnars can be had for as little $40-$50. Prescription lenses will set you back more (+ $159), but the cost of the total package is still pretty much in-line with quality prescription lenses from an optometrist.
Overall
My (relatively mild) prescription lenses paired with Gunnar Optiks specialized ‘digital lifestyle’ optics have been an outstanding experience. The Gunnars have been worth every penny paid for them., and going back to my old prescription lenses would be painfully difficult. (In light of that, I should probably buy a 'backup' pair of Gunnars...)
Comments