Gunnar Clear Pro Review: Blue Light Glasses That Are Perfect For Creators

Anyone that’s been in a meeting with me knows that I’m always wearing blue light glasses, usually made by Gunnar Optiks. The latest I’ve been sporting are called Muir and Humboldt, both of which are the first to use Gunnar’s new Clear Pro lens tints.

Firstly, I’m a big believer in blue light glasses. I started wearing them at the recommendation of my doctor, after telling him that I was getting frequent headaches in the afternoon. Gunnar’s products have changed my life, and the bottle of aspirin in the closet mostly goes untouched these days.

Gunnar sent us its Muir and Humboldt glasses for review. It had no input on the contents of this article.

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  Gunnar Optiks Clear Pro Lens: Muir

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  Gunnar Optiks Clear Pro Lens: Humboldt

Gunnar Muir and Humboldt pricing and availability

Gunnar Optiks Muir and Humboldt glasses are available now for $119. They’re available with Clear Pro and Amber tints, although we were sent the Clear Pro versions for this review. There’s also a sunglasses option for the same price.

• 	Gunnar Optiks Clear Pro Lens: Muir	Gunnar Optiks Clear Pro Lens: Humboldt
  Brand	Gunnar Optics	Gunnar Optics
  Lens Type	G-Shield lens coating	G-Shield lens coating
  Lens Length	50mm	54mm
  Bridge Length	20mm	17mm
  Arm Length	145mm	142mm
  Lens Color	Amber, Clear Pro	Amber, Clear Pro

What is Clear Pro?

It’s the most Pro version of Clear, obviously

We all joke that the word ‘Pro’ in product brands is no longer aimed at professionals, but in this case, it actually is. Clear Pro is aimed at creative professionals that need color accuracy.

Gunnar makes four types of glasses: Amber Max, Amber, Clear, and Clear Pro, which block 98%, 65%, 35%, and 20% of blue light, respectively. However, the higher that number goes, the more the colors are distorted. There’s also a ‘Sun’ lens that blocks 90%, but those are designed to be sunglasses.

The standard across the Gunnar Optiks portfolio is Amber, which looks yellow, while Amber Max looks dark orange. Clear Pro provides the least color distortion, while still reducing eye strain.

In my usage, I found it to be quite comfortable. While I do have an array of Gunnar glasses on-hand at this point, I didn’t find myself having to switch to the Amber ones that I’ve used in the past.

Gunnar Optiks Muir and Humboldt: What I like

The products are inspired by Muir Woods and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, and they’re made of ebony wood, reinforced with carbon fiber. They’re essentially two different styles of the same glasses. They both weigh in at just 20g, although Humboldt is more of an aviator-style.

I really love wooden glasses. In fact, the sunglasses I normally wear are woodgrain, so these (particularly Muir) fit my style perfectly. Of couse, style is a personal choice; however, these two products are currently the only two that come with Clear Pro lenses.

Speaking of which, I do very much enjoy Clear Pro. It’s been great for when I’m editing photos, and it would really mess up my white balance editing if everything looked like it was tinted yellow.

Everything looks a little prettier though. If I decide to watch a TV show on my monitor during my lunch break, that looks better than if I’m wearing the traditional Amber glasses too. You might suggest just not wearing glasses on my break, but eye strain can really creep up on you.

Gunnar Optiks Muir and Humboldt: What I don’t like

I have two main complaints about much of Gunnar’s portfolio. First, I really hate the Gunnar branding in the corner of the lens. Occassionally, it gets in the way and for the life of me, I can’t imagine why the company would put it there.

The other is that the lenses aren’t replaceable. Earlier this year, I reviewed its Cupertino glasses, which did have replaceable lenses, and it’s great. You can swap them out for whatever you want at the time.

Related

These are not cheap products. Both Muir and Humboldt come in at $119, so you really have to be sure that Clear Pro is right for you if you choose it. They’re available in Amber too, but you have to decide when you order. If you go with Clear Pro and the minimal tint doesn’t do enough to eliminate your eye strain, you’re out of luck.

Also, and this is specific to me since the sizes of these products are listed on the website, the Muir glasses feel too tight. The listing promises “flexible spring hinges” for a more comfortable fit, but these are tight enough that they slide down my nose a bit. Just keep in mind that the hinge is tighter than the listing implies.

Should you buy Gunnar Optiks Clear Pro glasses?

You should buy Gunnar’s Clear Pro glasses if:

• Your work flow requires color accuracy
• You just don’t want much of a tint on what you see

You should NOT buy Gunnar’s Clear Pro glasses if:

• The Muir and Humboldt styles aren’t for you
• You want significant protection from blue light

While I wear blue light glasses throughout the day due to afternoon headaches, I consider my case to be fairly mild, which is probably why Clear Pro was fine for me in daily use. Amber is still the standard on Gunnar’s website, and it probably still should be for most. I think that ultimately, Clear Pro is designed for a pretty specific use case.

Overall, the Gunnar website currently lists 78 styles of Amber glasses, seven Amber Max, 37 Clear, and two Clear Pro. Many of the products come with an option for lens tint, and some, like the Cupertino I mentioned earlier, even have swappable lenses.

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  Gunnar Optiks Clear Pro Lens: Muir

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  Gunnar Optiks Clear Pro Lens: Humboldt