Razer Gunnar

Written by Sean Cahill on 1/8/2016 for PC  

Accessories are rampant in this day in age. There is no arguing this point and, honestly, there are times where I think that the industry in general needs to pull back a bit and realize that less is definitely more. However, exceptions can be made if the accessory lives up to the high standards that the companies are known for. Gunnar hasn't been around for very long, but pairing up with Razer, a company that prides itself on putting out the best quality possible, is a smart move. The result are glasses that aren't just for gaming, but for everyday use in the form of the RPG and the Cerberus glasses.

The two pairs of glasses we were sent for review gave us a taste of both worlds. The RPG glasses were meant for indoor use as they had the standard yellow tint that Gunnar has become known for, while the Cerberus glasses are sunglasses meant for outdoor use. Personally, I was more looking forward to trying out the indoor glasses for a couple of reasons. Firstly, my job consists of staring at computer monitors, TVs, and phone screens all day, every day. Doing this on a regular basis can cause eye strain and result in headaches, dry eyes, etc. Secondly, I'm about a year removed from having LASIK surgery done on my eyes, taking my 20/125 vision down to 20/15. It seems a little odd to say that I was eager to put glasses on again after 25 years of wearing prescriptions, but headaches are a problem and I wanted to see if wearing these glasses would help.

Starting with the RPGs for indoor use, I was impressed with the frame and design. Designed to be tough, durable, and stylish, the RPGs sport a double bar frame on the sides and a single durable frame around the eyes. The eyepads are as comfortable as one could expect and sit rather comfortably on the bridge of the nose. The lenses specialize in eliminating 65% of the blue light spectrum in order to make things clearer for the user. Putting these on and looking at a computer screen made a world of difference. Almost immediately, I felt the standard squinting and straining that I normally do go away and I was able to read the data on my screen easily. The RPG lenses also offer a slight magnification, making smaller words appear just slightly bigger and easier to read. The lenses are quite durable, though I found that they spotted up very easily even after just a short period of time using them. The lenses are scratch resistant, so cleaning them off even with a paper towel resulted in the lenses showing no signs of wear or tear.

A downside to the RPG is simply an aesthetic problem. I feel that the green color, which is certainly part of the pairing with Razer, doesn't look great on the frames. I would prefer a simple black frame all around or at least some color options. This is a minor quibble to have, but variety is a great thing, especially with accessories that are worn by anyone.

While I enjoyed my time with the RPGs and found little issue with them, the Cerberus outdoor glasses I felt were a step down. First, let me say that the lenses are just as great as the RPGs for outdoors. Glare is not an issue in any way and I enjoyed using them for driving, primarily. I tried them out in various activities, such as running, golfing, and just walking on a bright day. Golfing I wouldn't necessarily recommend as it became hard to spot a golf ball in the distance due to the darkness of the lenses, but everything else felt great.

My problem with the Cerberus glasses comes in two forms: Style and feel. While the RPGs felt great sitting on my nose with little issue, the slight change in the frame design results in an uncomfortable feel. The arms of the glasses were fine, but the change with the solid top portion of the glasses themselves made it feel as though they were sitting too high up on my nose and off center. The Cerberus frames also didn't feel as sturdy as the RPGs, mainly due to the single frame all around, unlike the RPGs. There's also no magnification on the outdoor lenses unlike the slight boost I got with the RPGs, so unfortunately I feel as though the outdoor lenses, while great for blocking out glare and bright days, are a step down from the indoor lenses.

Wrapping it all up, I definitely favored the RPG over the Cerberus frames and the indoor lenses over the outdoor lenses. The RPG frame just looks and feels better to wear while the Cerberus frame just feels awkward to me. It could simply be personal preference, but there's no denying that they don't feel as strong or as sturdy in comparison to the RPG. The outdoor lenses work fine, but are not of the same quality as the indoor lenses. I appreciate that Gunnar is stepping outside the box and trying to offer accessories not just for gamers, but I think a second look is needed at the outdoor lenses. The indoor lenses are top notch and are well worth the purchase price if you get headaches when staring at your monitors for a very long time.