Chances are good that if you’re a gamer, you’ve heard of Gunnar gaming glasses. These amber tinted bits of glass and metal supposedly reduce strain on your eyes while you work or game, and are targeted at consumers who spend much of their time in front of a PC.

Do they really work? Well that depends who you listen to. Below we’ve detailed a list of technologies found in the gaming glasses, as well as quotes from various reviews around the web:

Lens geometry

The first part of i-AMP technology is the lens geometry of the glasses. Gunnar glasses have lenses with a high degree of curvature, making them “wrap closely to the face”. This traps humidity closer to the eye, preventing eyes drying out.

This trapped humidity is important, since your blink rate drops dramatically when you stare at a computer monitor, according to CTO of Gunnar, Joe Croft. Blinking less means the eyes can dry out quicker, making the humidity around the eyes important.

Fractal lens geometry also focuses light before it reaches the eye according to their site. This allows the eye muscles, which flex to view objects near to you, to relax. Relaxed eye muscles improve long term comfort says Gunnar, allowing for longer computer sessions.

Gunnar curve lens

Lens material

Gunnar lenses use DIAMIX lens materials, which offer the highest optical quality in the industry according to Robert Joyce in the Gunnar lens material overview video. The lenses are low density, and have a low refractive index value for better image clarity. The material also features low colour distortion for a true representation of colours.

Gunnar daimix lens material

Lens tints

The most noticeable of the i-AMP technologies is the Ionink tint found on Gunnar gaming glasses.

The tint comes in amber and crystalline. The amber tint cuts out parts of the lighting spectrum from both computer monitor backlighting, and fluorescent ambient lighting to give a warmer picture that is easier on the eye. It also increases contrast making text easier to read.

Meanwhile the crystalline provides an equally balanced colour spectrum for those who need colour accuracy, such as graphic designers and video editors.

Gunnar glasses with amber tint

Lens coatings

Gunnar eyewear has an anti reflective i-Fi coating which reduces visual noise, including reflections and glare.

There is also a hard-coat layer to prevent scratches and oil build-up on the lenses, both of which can degrade image quality.

Gunnar glasses coating

What the reviews have to say

A quick Google search yields the following reviews from around the web:

Jason Chen, Lifehacker: “Again, these Gunnar glasses aren’t for everyone. If you have perfect eyesight and have no history of eyestrain, eye fatigue or vision-based headaches, there’s no reason to buy one. Zero. Don’t let their marketing lead you into thinking you need one when you don’t. But if you do start getting tired from looking at a computer or a TV—and after getting old, I’m one of those people now—they’re indispensable.”

Will Greenwald, PC Mag: “Gunnar’s Indoor Digital Performance Eyewear make working in front of a computer and playing video games a slightly more pleasant experience, but they’re not necessarily worth the $80 price tag. If you find yourself under white fluorescent blubs and tapping away at a computer for hours on end (and especially if you’re prone to light-based headaches), you might want to consider a pair. Just don’t expect them to work the endless miracles Gunnar claims.”

Scott Wimmer, TopTenReviews: “After reading up on proper eye care and taking the time to understand the purpose and technologies behind the product, only then did I see the value of their product. Having said that, I believe that the lenses do everything they set out to do – relieve dry eyes, reduce eye strain and improve contrast and colour on digital screens – all in a durable, comfortable, and stylish package. Now begs the question, “Would I spend $99 for this pair?” My answer is a confident, “Yes”. However it took my actual use of the product for 10 days before I was able to say that.”

Final thoughts

The jury is still out on the Gunnar computer eye-wear. If anything can be taken from the above reviews, it’s that the technology isn’t for everyone. With this in mind, try getting your hands on a pair to test before you hand over R600 for a pair of gaming glasses.

Alternatively you can wait for the Mygaming review, which will be up shortly after I receive my pair of Gunnar Phantom Mercury glasses.

Will you be buying a pair of Gunnar gaming glasses? Let us know in the comments below or on the Mygaming forums.