REVIEW – I was looking for some sunglasses with swappable lenses that could also double as a little more stylish eye protection while I’m playing disc golf so when Gunnar asked if I wanted to try their new Cupertino’s that came with 4 magnetic lenses I couldn’t wait to try them out. Let’s see if the Gunnar Cupertino sunglasses can fit the bill.
What is it?
The Gunnar Cupertino sunglasses feature premium acetate frames and magnetized lens inserts that can be easily changed. Four tints are available, so you’ll be prepared for any light conditions. As a nice bonus, Gunnar lenses also block blue light to reduce eye strain caused by digital devices.
What’s included?
- Gunnar Cupertino in Onyx with 4 lenses
- Premium Clamshell Glasses Case
- Magnetic Lens Pouch
- Microfiber Cleaning Cloth
- 24-month Warranty
Tech Specs:
Click to expand Tech Specs
- Lens width: 52 mm
- Nose width: 21 mm
- Frame width: 137 mm outer distance
- Temple: 140 mm
- Weight: 22 grams (without packaging)
- Premium acetate frame material
- Flexible spring hinges
- GUNNAR patented lens technology
- G-Shield™ Premium lens coating suite
- Low-bridge fit compatible
- Blocks harmful blue light and 100% UV
- Interchangeable magnetic lens inserts: 4 tints available
- Clear- 35% blue light blocked at 450nm
- Amber- 65% blue light blocked at 450nm
- Sun- 90% blue light blocked at 450nm
- Amber Max- 98% blue light blocked at 450nm
Design and features
The Gunnar Cupertino frames are considered wide size frames due to their 137mm frame width. Based on the Gunnar size chart, I realize now a 132mm or medium width would probably have fit me better, but the Gunnar Cupertino’s only come in the one size at the moment, which is why they did tend to slide down my face a bit while wearing them.
The lenses though are where the Cupertino’s shine. All Gunnar lenses filter harmful blue light from digital devices. That is what they are originally known for but the Gunnar Cupertino is their first to offer magnetized lens inserts that are very easy to swap out. The outside of the lens has a little ridge that you insert first into the corresponding groove on the inside part of the frame then the magnet holds it in place. To take out just push from the inside where the magnet is and that side lifts right out. You do have to be somewhat mindful when cleaning the lenses, but otherwise, they stay in place just fine.
I wore the Gunnar Cupertino’s with the Amber lenses which have a slight yellow tint to them and are supposed to block 65% of blue light at the 450nm wavelength. I was on the computer for a few hours and they did actually seem to help with eye fatigue. I then had to play Xbox for a few hours (these reviews can be tough) and again my eyes felt less tired. They also worked well to cut just enough sun when it would peak through on cloudy days or when I was playing disc golf in heavily wooded areas.
If you don’t like the yellow tint of the Amber’s the Clear lenses still block 35% of blue light but I ended up not wearing the Clear lenses much and found the Amber’s worked great inside and outside pretty well. When the sun came out I swapped in the Sun and Amber Max lenses to try those out which block 90% and 98% of blue light respectively.
For disc golf or other sporty activities the frames were a little too wide for me to stay in place properly and they wouldn’t stay put on top of my hat. They aren’t really designed for those kind of activities since the nose and temples are smooth with no rubberized coating. I could get a strap to help keep them on and may do that since I do like them. I did like that when I was outside in the sun I could use the Sun lenses which have a bluish tint to them. When I went into the woods I could swap out the Clear lenses super quick and have good eye protection if I had to search for my disc in the rough.
One nice feature is the lens covers are magnetic as well so they all stick together if you need to carry them around. Compared to some other sunglasses that fit me really well the Cupertino’s were only 3mm wider at the frame but the temples were 13mm wider and have spring loaded hinges which doesn’t help them stay on. The bummer is that Gunnar doesn’t have any other frames that can use these lenses or that even have four swappable lenses. It’s odd then that they made these a wide size instead of medium.
The Gunnar Cupertino’s I would say are actually a pretty good deal and would work great if you have a wide face. The frames with one set of lenses are $150. You can select two lenses for $175 but you can get all four for $200. Replacement lenses are also available but cost $50 individually without the frames. If you don’t need multiple lenses you can get other sizes and styles with prescription lenses or readers at common powers such as their Vertex reading glasses that are only $49.99. If you want to reduce blue light from digital devices Gunnar has something to suit your needs.
What I like about the Gunnar Cupertino glasses
- Easy to swap lenses
- Reduce digital eye strain
What needs to be improved?
- Make some other frames in different sizes that use the same lenses
Final thoughts
I originally wanted the Gunnar Cupertino blue light blocking glasses to play disc golf with and swap out lenses quickly based on the light conditions but now I think I’m just going to wear them when I am working on a computer or gaming. I didn’t realize how much blue light was affecting my eyes until I started wearing these. If you are behind a screen much of the day and notice your eyes getting fatigued then Gunnar’s blue light filter lenses are definitely worth checking out. The easily swappable magnetic lenses are a great idea so it’s weird that the Cupertino’s are the only model with this feature for now. Hopefully Gunnar will make some other frames in smaller sizes and colors that use the same lens system so you can mix and match as you see fit.
Price: $200.00
Where to buy: The Gunnar website
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Gunnar.
