I’ve been doing an insane amount of staring at a computer screen lately. Between our digital imaging project at work, NaNoWriMo, and working for Beth at Web Strategies, my eyes have been doing over time on the computer. I’d be lying if I told you that I simply loved staring at a computer screen and I could do it for hours and hours at a time without so much as needing to blink.

I can’t exactly remember how it started, but I must have sent some kind of tweet about wanting to rip my eyeballs out of my head because of the serious eyestrain that I was experiencing. @TristanPT suggested that I get a pair of Gunnar Optiks. At first I didn’t understand what he was talking about, but then I remembered an ad at my eye doctor’s office talking about all the new technology that’s out there for coatings and lenses specifically designed to reduce eyestrain for computer users.

Right before NaNoWriMo I purchased a pair of Phenoms. They’re über comfortable, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I chose that style specifically because it came in green. In fact that was probably the selling factor. At any rate, they are lovely, look awesome on top of my head (which is a must for any piece of eyewear fashion regardless of whether or not it’s practical), and they’re light! When I ordered them I had them shipped 2nd-day Air because I was so anxious to get them. But 2 days came and went and no Gunnars. I tweeted them (@GUNNAROptiks) and eventually the customer service people got in touch with me. They apologized for the shipping snafu and agreed to take the shipping off! Score! I did get my glasses later that week, not within the 2-day window, but they were awesome about fixing what they could.

The Gunnar Optiks website is pretty impressive itself. On their page discussing the technology behind their lenses, they tell you about how their glasses create this special little microclimate for your eyes. In short, they’re developing a special little environment for eyeballs that have to stare at computer screens all day and don’t blink a lot. That little microclimate is supposed to help keep your eyeballs more lubricated; keep them from drying out too much. I’ve got incredibly dry eyes and I’m not lying when I say that when I wear my Gunnars my eyes are happily moist and my contacts aren’t nearly as uncomfortable as when I don’t wear them.

The lenses are designed to help you focus better on “digital typography” (which is actually built completely different than printed typography and that’s why you get more eyestrain). The coatings are also supposed to help reduce smudges (which honestly, I haven’t noticed all that much… mine still get fingerprints on them), reduce water spots (I haven’t really cleaned mine that much so I’m not sure if this is true or not), and be anti-reflective. The anti-reflective part I can vouch for. I’ve got one of those shiny Mac screens and when I wear the Gunnars it seems like I see less glare on the screen (same with my iPhone).

My only real complaint at this time is the yellow tinting. Apparently Gunnars is developing a clear tint that’s supposed to be able to do the same thing as the yellow tinted ones, but they aren’t available yet. I do some graphics work and even though the yellow tinting isn’t really heavy (it’s not like sunglasses or anything), it does distort the color just enough to make you wonder if it’s going to be the same thing that everyone else sees. So when I’m doing my graphics work I’m constantly pushing my Gunnars up on my head to see if the colors are right.

I enjoyed my Phenoms so much that I used my “Thank You” discount that came in my packaging to purchase a pair of Marley sunglasses. I was surprised at how delicate they are! It’s so hard for me to find nice, “girly” sunglasses without being too too girly. These fit the bill perfectly. A guy could certainly wear them without being emasculated, but they’re also feminine enough without having rhinestones all over them and looking like you just stepped out of the pages of some horrific fashion magazine. Unfortunately, we haven’t had enough sunny weather for me to really comment on how well the perform in super sunny skies. I’ll leave that for a future review.

All in all, I’m tremendously happy with my purchase. I held off doing this review for a little over a month to be sure that I really did like them. The first thing I noticed is that you have to get used to them. If you wear glasses, it’s a lot like when you get a prescription change and things are just slightly crisper. If you’ve never worn corrective lenses then don’t be surprised if you feel a little disoriented when you first start wearing them; you are seeing in HD for the first time, after all! Bottom line, seeing in HD isn’t just cool, it’s safer for your eyes!

Gunnar Optiks didn’t pay me to say anything nice about their product, and they didn’t send me any free samples. I am a participant in their affiliate program and could profit from any purchase that you might make from clicking on any of the links in this blog post.

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