| Gunnar Optiks Shredder Digital Eyewear |  |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Accessories | ||||||
| Written by Olin Coles | ||||||
| Friday, 28 January 2011 | ||||||
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Closer Look: Gunnar Shredder EyewearGunnar Optiks offers indoor digital performance eyewear segmented into three categories: Gaming (eSports), Tech, and Creative styles. The Gunnar Catalyst Shredder S6126 digital eyewear series is part of their 'Tech' category, which they describe as offering a "modern yet classic visual palette". The Gunnar 'Gaming' series offers i-AMP lens technology, and the 'Creative' series features Gunnar's CATALYST collection.
Benchmark Reviews recently tested the Mad Catz CoD: Black Ops ProGaming Glasses, which are a clever variety of Gunnar Optik's MLG Legend frame from the eSport collection with amber i-AMP lens. The Gunnar Catalyst Shredder offers that same i-AMP lens technology and uses a custom-blended proprietary polymer (which beats out polycarbonate on the toughness scale and rivals the undisputed optics of ground glass), but does so with a more-fashionable frame (according to me).
The Gunnar Optiks Shredder glasses measure 125mm wide from corner to corner, and 121mm long from tip to lens. The nose piece is 18mm wide, while each lens measures 60mm wide by 43mm tall. Shredder is one of Gunnar's largest frames, surpassed only by the MLG Legend (56mm tall/43mm wide lens) and Sparrow (60mm tall/51mm wide). While the wide lens allows for the maximum viewable area, the short height may potentially affect the 'ocular cap' effect (discussed later).
Shredder's frame is cold forged of magnesium/aluminum alloy and fused with internal spring hinges. The straight arms make it possible to comfortably wear a headset or earphones with these glasses, while the thermally molded polymer traction points keep the eyewear in place.
Gunnar Optiks offers the Shredder series in four colors: Onyx (S6126/2-C001), Espresso (S6126/2-C002), Crimson (S6126/2-C004), and Ash (S6126/2-C005). All four colors offer the exact same frame style and lens, but Onyx appears to be the most affordable pair for $79.00 at Newegg or Amazon.
The temples and precision cut frames feature a floating adjustable nose pads for a customizable fit. In the images above (top view) and below (bottom view), you can see how much room the nose pads have for adjustment.
Gunnar Shredder S6126 digital performance eyewear look nice, but do they really work? That's what we plan to find out, as we inspect these glasses and test them in real-world scenarios...
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Comments
Just wanted to say, Amazon was very confusing for purchasing - rather you can get the same pricing ($79) buying direct from the mfg and have a choice of dozen of styles. Free shipping included.
It's about time to protect her corrective investment, we'll get some of these.
Cheers Olin ;)
The massive number of "branded" terms a company uses to describe rather normal features of their products always makes me suspicious.
Not necessary for computer usage, just another add on...in an industry full of them.
Michael
It is probably the nerd equiv of reading glasses, sure. But they are well made, light weight and make a huge difference in reading small text off a white background.
I'm getting old and my eyes are suffering with what I do, these might just help. I'd already spent the cash for the 28" monitor (still set at 1900x1200) so going bigger isn't the solution. On the other hand my wife already wants to borrow them for when she is using her 10" netbook.
This isn't a product for everyone but I don't think you could judge its merits without sitting in front of a screen of text.
And an optician's opinion is less valuable than a game/computer reviewer or commenter with absolutely no professional experience in human optics?
Sounds like you're an apologist for Gunnar.
I'd trust my experienced optician's advice over anybody who's posted here, especially since she SELLS GUNNARS and has no advantage to steer me away from them.
Honestly, she didn't say that the Gunnars were snake-oil, she just said that they didn't seem to offer much more than the slight magnification that judicious adjustment of the viewing environment couldn't fix since the Gunnars are meant for indoor use.
Yep, I agree with your advice, contact an optometrist or opthamologist if you're having eye strain problems, don't run out a buy a pair of Gunnars unless he/she recommends them.
Some people have to use a computer for many hours on end, unless the optician is lousy and has a low clientele list, then it's highly likely that they don't actually get the chance to spend many hours constantly staring at a monitor, like many other people have to do for their profession.
The point is, for a little amount, you get relief and don't have to pay an ridiculous amount of of money to have a professional tell you there's not much they can do about it, most of the reviews indicate they do what they claim they do, are they all apologists for Gunnar?
Heavy computer users who do not need corrective lenses for other purposes will, in about 95% of cases find some level of relief.
Most important thing anyone can do to relieve eyestrain is look away from the monitor about ever 15 minutes, look at a distance and Blink, Blink, Blink your eyes for say 30 seconds or so!
I have been suffering eyestrain of late sitting 3 feet from a 37" Westy W3. I didn't bother me for the first few years I owned the display but it does now. Until I can replace it I needed to do something. I got these glasses and they really do help! I can spend 12+ hours in front of the screen again working and/or playing with no eyestrain.
Also I would rec to the readers this small little app to help with eyestrain. It works great
#stereopsis.com/flux/