Digital Eyewear Tests and Experience

In comparison to the recently tested MLG Legend/ProGaming aviator glasses from the Gaming line, Gunnar's Shredder series is much more modern and sylish by my own personal standard. What I didn't know was that there was function as a result of fashion, and the size of the lens could make a difference.

The concept behind Gunnar's tightly arced amber-tinted lenses is that they form a personal ocular 'micro-climate' that helps prevent dry eyes. Imagine this as a theoretical 'cap' that seals moisture in the eye, although the lenses never actually touch you. With the aviator style frames there was a much larger lens 'cap' to help trap moisture, but the Shredder series has wide yet short lenses that don't offer the same ocular cup. Thankfully this is just one small aspect of Gunnar's digital eyewear, because the first thing most users will notice is improved visual clarity.

Gunnar uses fancy trademark terms to describe their features, such as AMBeR lenses, or diAMIX lens material, i-Amp lens technology, and fRACTYL lens geometry. What these terms really define is the the +0.2 diopter tuned for viewing neoscopic digital screens (AMBeR), tougher-than-polycarbonate material (diAMIX), and independently curved front and back lens surface (fRACTYL). But wait, there's more...

Gunnar Optik's also goes trademark crazy with i-FI lens coating, which boasts proprietary nano-filters to capture safe light and block out glare and reflective light. They also offer iONik lens tints, which you probably didn't think was worth trade-marking. iONik lens tints take harsh light from artificial sources and uses organic dye compounds (via Trader Joe's) to condition and shift light into a more acceptable color spectrum.

Now that you've heard the list of barely-familiar trademark terms, I'll explain how they worked. The AMBeR lenses seemed to magnify objects on the screen, likely a result of the +0.2 diopters increase combined with fRACTYL front and back lens surface curvature. I found the amplification to be noticeable, increasing fine detail roughly 15-20%, but not nauseating. Disregarding their intended indoor close-range use, if you decide to wear these glasses outside expect for distant viewing to become a little disorientating.

Gamers and non-gamers alike will both benefit from digital performance eyewear. On the morning these glasses arrived I put them on and immediately forgot I was wearing them; they're that light weight. The Gunnar Catalyst Shredder glasses helped to keep my eyes relaxed and unstrained, especially improving my ability to read small text (which is all I get at 1920x1200 resolution). After playing Call of Duty: Black Ops for a few hours, it surprised me when the killing was done and I didn't have scorching red eyes. After several days of use, I now consider these glasses a necessary tool for my extended work day. They're not just for gamers, they're for anyone staring at a screen for hours on end.

As a disclaimer I've noticed that already tired, dry, and red eyes aren't going to be saved by slipping on Gunnar's digital eyewear. The local climate where I live already causes dry eyes, and I usually don't get enough sleep on most nights, yet the Gunnar lenses still added a noticeable level of relaxation to my strained eyes. To me, it seemed like digital eyewear is a lot like sun block: it merely extends the time you're exposed and helps to protect against over-exposure. But to be clear, they're not magical glasses.

While the retail version of this digital eyewear is made for people with corrected or perfect vision, Gunnar Optiks does offer prescription lenses through Carl Zeiss Vision. People who wear contact lens will really like the way they keep the eyes for drying, but this will depend on the ocular 'cap' created by different lens size and frame styles. The Gunnar Optiks Shredder series worked well in this regard, but it seemed to me that the aviator style frames helped to form a better 'micro-climate' behind the lens.

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