Published , by Ozzie Mejia
Published , by Ozzie Mejia
The Consumer Electronics Show is home to many familiar companies in the tech world, which includes the gaming space. Brands like NVIDIA and AMD are here to show off the best in computer hardware and accessories, but peripheral manufacturers are present at the show as well. That brings us to popular glasses provider Gunnar. Gunnar Optiks has been around since 2006, but 2024 promises to be a particularly big year for the company. On Tuesday, Gunnar showed off a bulk of its 2024 lineup, which includes brand-new lens material, a new tint variety, and some big-time collaborations.
The biggest reveal from Gunnar's CES is the use of mineral glass for its future models, which promises to be a major leap forward from the company's previous polycarbonate and nylon lenses. Mineral glass has mainly been used in camera lenses and telescopes, but Gunnar is utilizing it to create more scratch-resistant, distortion-free lenses for its next line of computer glasses. Gunnar glasses boasting mineral glass will be available in both amber and clear varieties and will be ready to roll out in the first half of 2024.
Gunnar also revealed its latest tint variety. The new Clear Pro will soon be available to professionals hoping to use clear lenses at their workstations. It only offers 20% blue light protection compared to the 35% offered by the previous Clear tint variety, but in exchange, it removes the slight amber color that causes some users at the office to design their visual projects with a warmer hue. Those using Clear Pro can continue to work in the visual arts or in science while seeing clearly without that amber skew. Clear Pro lenses will be available on the new Palomar, Pismo, and Pacifica frames, each of which will be available for purchase on February 14.
With Gunnar flexing its technological muscles, the team has also unveiled its latest Gunnar Optiks styles. The Cupertino utilizes a strong onyx frame, comes with four lens bundles (amber, clear, sun, and amber max), and allows users to mix and match those lenses through the use of magnets placed along the frames. That allows for users to switch lenses to meet their needs, whether they're using numerous electronic devices, out on a hot sunny day, or simply around the house. Gunnar recently sent some out some samples and the Cupertino not only offer a keen sense of clarity, but they look fairly sharp. Just be careful, because those magnets are powerful, as in "Don't bring them near magnetic stripes" powerful.
Gunnar is also looking to be more environmentally conscious with its Spring line. The Muir and Humboldt frames are being heralded as Gunnar's Arbor Collection, which means they're made from sustainably sourced materials with a carbon-fiber interweave. These will launch with amber and Clear Pro tinted lenses and be available on March 19.
Those looking for more fun lenses won't be disappointed by Gunnar's collaborations.
As noted, Gunnar's new lens and tint varieties will be available later this year. Those looking to pick up the Cupertino glasses won't have to wait long. They'll be available this coming Wednesday, January 10 and start at $175 USD. The rest of Gunnar's line will roll out across retailers and the Gunnar website throughout the year. For more on this year's Consumer Electronics Show, be sure to catch up with our CES 2024 topic page.
Impressions of the Cupertino glasses are based on an early unit issued by Gunnar.