I like many works a lot using digital devices and glaring for hours on tablets, smart phones, video games on my TV, reading digital comics/graphic novels as well as designing and content creating on my PC. A part of me felt that it would eventually wear my eyes down creating some form of fatigue. I was not wrong as I started to notice some patterns such as me whipping my eyes consistently while doing those activities and projects. I knew about the "blue light/blocker" glasses before but never really took the time to invest and research in the capabilities, benefits and why it was important to invest in.
From time to time, I would see ads on social media (damn data seeking algorithms) that would advertise the glasses, but I never really budge. I guess all it took was for one my favorite comic book companies to work alongside what is considered a top-quality brand and I became intrigued.
I was even more excited at the idea that they were working on a version for both Spider-Man Miles Morales and Black Panther.
Me being the Spider-Man fan (whether it be Peter Parker or Miles Morales) I had to continue to strengthen my fandom.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT?
As much as I was intrigued with acquiring these glasses, I wanted to make sure there was a need for them. Upon research I found it to be something that I have been needing for quite some time. As much as I am on digital monitors and screens that provide Ultra HD retina display, I started questioning the effects of having our eyes glazed at these monitors for hours on end. I found some informative articles that really explained the benefits of using blue light glasses.
Then when researching Gunnar and the technology they use I was more than ready to invest.
I am a multimedia developer that lives on the daily working on digital devices. This is an investment for the health of my eyes, and I would recommend any gamer or designer to investigate this as well for their own well-being.
Take a look at the video from Gunnar which describes the importance of using blue light/blocker glasses.
The STYLE
When it comes to fashionable accessories, I tend to play it subtly. My philosophy with art and design has always been subtle in a sense that a little can go a long way. The same goes for my fashion sense where it is enough to stand out but not overshadow other fashionable elements that you are looking to bring attention to. With the Gunnar Cruz style glasses, I gravitated to them immediately for their subtle design. They could have easily gone overboard with the design like we see with other fandom wear sold online from shirts to sweaters with our favorite characters patterned all over it, looking unappealing and sometimes gawdy when going "Omega geek mode." However, I found the Cruz SM Miles Morales editions to be exactly what I look for. The black on the outside laced with thin lines of web give it a sleek swagger-esque tone without it screaming to people YES, I LOVE SPIDER-MAN and I LOVE COMICS!!!!
The sides of the glasses have a small Spidey insignia along with the Gunnar logo in metal. The inside of the glasses arms shows the Spider-Man Miles Morales logo on the left and the Marvel Logo on the right making Gunnar the official brand for company. Again, sleek, stylish, and subtle are the key words to why this works for me.
It also makes it easier to wear with a variety of clothes consisting of assorted colors as Black goes with everything and the hint of read layered on the outside doesn't take away from it.
I also appreciated the design of the frames and their choice to go with the rectangular style. I have worn my fair share of glasses over the years dating back to high school (I had a Boyz II Men phase like you wouldn't believe. Trust me, it worked for me) but I never wore the rectangular style. Yet, my Spider-sense gave me the feeling this would work out for me, and it did. From a stylish perspective this may be the best pair of glasses that I have worn to date.
Not only are you protecting your eyes from blue light, but you can also do so celebrating your favorite comic book character in style. But how do they feel when wearing them for an extended period?
The FIT and FEEL
When putting on the frames for the first time I was incredibly surprised at how light the glasses are and how they feel when on my face.
Whether it was glasses I wore with light prescription in high school, glasses I wore just for style (remember the "nerd" era a while back? Yeah, I jumped on it too.), or sunglasses, none of them feel as comfortable as Gunnar glasses. After a while I barely realized that they were on my face. Even with the lens taking away a lot of the blue hue from the screens I feel like it assimilates seamlessly to my face which is exactly what people need.
You don't want to be distracted while working on your computer or gaming for all hours of the day. The glasses quickly adapt to your face like Venom to Eddie Brock.
The comfort level from a scale of 1 to 10 easily goes for a 10 for me easily. No pinching of the nose (thanks to its low bridge fit), no tightness of the arms to the sides of my face which at times have created soreness in the back of the ears with some glasses.
These are very well designed to be comfortable no matter what size head you have.
I also never realized until I put them on for the first time how much blue is on the screens. The "GBLF 65" amber lenses take out the amount of blue that could be damaging to your eyes.
I do notice a difference in the way I work and see things with them as well as how I perform my work and activities for prolonged periods. Since I have been wearing them, I do feel an increase in focus without fatigue. The whipping of the eyes has dropped dramatically.
This product is proving its effectiveness as advertised.
The PACKAGING
The old but true saying of "You get what you pay for." really comes to play with these glasses in a clever way.
Not only am I a fan of all thing's anime, comics, movies, and games, I am a fan and student of marketing and branding.
I have a fandom for branding labels and logos plastered across various products based on my teachings in college and how they are presented is key.
For Marvel to work together with Gunnar without question give them validation and when you see how it is packaged and what your order of these glasses intel's is, you can understand why these are priced higher than other blue light glasses on the market.
You may hear people say that "I can find cheaper versions online that can do the same things" or "there are cheaper pairs that provide the same quality."
Whether that is true or not depends on the research on those products. But if you are a fan of the Marvel brand (which is owned by Disney of course) you expect nothing short of top quality and that is what Gunnar and Marvel provides.
First off, I was incredibly surprised at how fast this was delivered to me (within a week and shipped via FedEx). Money well spent alone there. When I opened the package, it came in a beautifully designed cardboard box with the Gunnar design laced around it.
Opening the box was met with guess what? Another box! This time with the glasses and glasses case within. One thing is for sure, they spent a lot of money on the packaging. It is no way a cheap product.
When I opened the other box, I was extremely excited when I saw the glasses case which once again has the Spider-man Miles Morales logo (most notably from the Insomniac game) beautifully placed on top. When you turn it onto the other side you will see a similar design that matches the design of the glasses with a leather patch complete with the Marvel logo.
The case also comes with a key ring clip on it which lets you attach it to your book bag, belt loop on your pants/jeans or any safe place to keep you from losing them.
It gets even better when you open the case to find a microfiber cleaning cloth with (you guessed it!) the Spider-Man Miles Morales logo on it.
The packaging, the technology, and design make for a well invested product that will help protect your eyes for hours on end no matter what digital activity you are doing.
OVERALL
This is quite the gift for any gamer and/or comic book fan who wants to protect their vision from hours of work, gaming, web browsing on your phone or tablets, and more.
This for me was money well spent. I must admit. As much I hate some of the ads, we see on social media it is good to know at least some of them are legit. Gunnar glasses are authentic and while you can get other glasses for a more reasonable price, I will suggest you make sure the following things.
That you compare and contrast the products to assure that they truly are a worthy investment.
Look at thorough reviews of products before investing your money.
If you wear glasses and need a prescription, make sure the company who makes the glasses provides prescription wear like Gunnar provides.
Make sure they provide a warranty or refund if anything goes wrong with your glasses.
Again, when you have a company that provides you with such quality that brings back the saying "You get what you pay for." For $54.99, you get your money's worth and more. You may find something more reasonable, but you may not have the quality that Gunnar is providing so be sure to approach this (and any product you desire) with critical thinking. For me, the Cruz, Spider-Man Miles Morales Edition is a plus. Lightweight, stylish as hell, durable, protects you from harmful UV rays and blue light and it comes in an awesomely designed package. What can a gamer/designer/web browser/fashion enterprising person/comic book fan ask for?
CLICK HERE to check out a pair for yourself and other pairs they provide.
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