GlassesShop Bristol Eyeglasses review

REVIEW – Wearing your prescription eyeglasses out on a sunny day may improve your vision, but it doesn’t provide adequate protection from the sun’s intense light. But the Bristol eyeglasses by GlassesShop help solve this problem by offering both functionality and style.

What is it?

The Bristol eyeglasses are lightweight round frames that come with five interchangeable magnetic clip on sunglass lenses. The frames are made from durable and flexible TR90 thermoplastic material which allow the frames to safely bend when pressure is applied. The included sunglass lenses come in a variety of colors, such as pink, blue, yellow, gradient, and of course black.

What’s included?

• Bristol eyeglasses
• Pink magnetic sunglass lens
• Blue magnetic sunglass lens
• Yellow magnetic sunglass lens
• Gradient magnetic sunglass lens
• Black magnetic sunglass lens
• Multi-colored eyeglass case
• Green plastic eyeglass case
• Microfiber cloth
• Zippered pouch

Tech specs

Frame: Full

Shape: Round
Lens: Progressive
Weight: 15.1g (0.53 oz)
Material: TR90
Gender: Men/Women

Design and features

Prior to jumping on the GlassesShop website, I knew that I wanted to choose an eyeglass frame that was different from the usual rectangular shape that I normally go with. This time I wanted to try out a frame that had more of a round shape. As I was browsing for eyeglass frames on their website, I came across the Bristol model which caught my attention, or caught my eye, so to speak.

In the past, I have ordered eyeglasses that came with a clip-on sunglass lens. Typically, eyeglasses only include one clip-on lens. This time, it was a pleasant surprise to find not only the standard one clip-on sunglass lens but also four additional clip-on sunglass lenses included with the Bristol eyeglasses.

The other included four clip-on lenses was greatly appreciated. I kind of like the idea of having several lenses to choose from to go with your mood, maybe match with your outfit, or just because you want to try something different. Either way, you have some options to choose from with the other clip-on lenses.

On the GlassesShop website, I carefully chose the features I wanted on the eyeglasses. I picked the progressive lenses so I could still read things up close as well as see far away. As a photographer, having progressive lenses is the way to go since I have to regularly check the screen on the back of the camera. Without progressive lenses on my previous eyeglasses, when I would look at the camera’s LCD screen I would have to lift my eyeglasses each time to see it clearly.

I didn’t anticipate that constantly having to lift your eyeglasses to look at your camera’s screen would become so inconvenient and annoying, but it did. And I was over that very quickly.

For me, having the progressive lenses is much better than the typical bifocal eyeglasses. Mainly because there isn’t that hard bifocal line that screams out old fashioned. When I got my first pair of progressive eyeglasses, it took a short time getting used to them, but I’m glad that I decided to get them.

On the Bristol eyeglasses, I also opted for the Blue Block Pro protection to go with the progressive lenses. I figured since I spend most of my time editing photos and videos on my computer and laptop, and looking at my smartphone, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to help reduce the strain on my eyes from all the screens.

Upon receiving the eyeglasses, I immediately noticed the look and feel of frames. They aren’t too glossy nor are they too flat. It’s kind of like a cross between both finishes. The eyeglasses were light, which I definitely liked, and oddly enough, I even liked the slick feel of the smooth plastic finish.

The frames were  solid and had very little flex in them. I could bend the end of the temples slightly, but that’s to be expected since they are the thinnest part of the whole eyeglasses. As I mentioned, the frames had barely any flex in them even when I tried to twist the main front part of the eyeglasses. I just wanted to see how sturdy these frames were considering how thin they are. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised at the rigidness and strength of the eyeglasses.

On the GlassesShop website, I only saw the black color for the Bristol frames. As I really like the shape of these frames, I would have liked to seen them in other colors like a gray, or a tortoise shell, or maybe even clear frames.

I only expected a generic case to come with the glasses, which it did; however, there was also an extra eyeglass case in the shipping box. This additional eyeglass case was nice to have since I usually don’t use these plastic eyeglass cases that come with a new pair of eyeglasses. Although I have an eyeglass case I typically use for my eyeglasses, I decided to use this colorful case to keep the Bristol eyeglasses in.

Also included with the two cases was a small zippered pouch for the clip-on lenses. The pouch also has several pockets designed for inserting the lenses into.

Performance

These eyeglasses are lightweight, so wearing them for long periods of time didn’t put much pressure on my face. If I wear my other eyeglasses too long, they would put those tell-tale dents on the side of my nose due to the eyeglasses’ weight. I really like being able to wear these Bristol eyeglasses for long periods without feeling any strain on the bridge of my nose.

I believe that because the Bristol frames have a larger and wider nosepiece, so it distributes the weight of the eyeglasses more evenly across my nose. This way, it reduces the amount of pressure exerted on my nose that causes those indentations.

These eyeglasses have magnets just behind the back of the frame. Although there is a small hook in the middle of the clip-ons to attach to the eyeglasses, the magnets help keep the clip-ons securely in place.

I really like that the black clip-ons are dark because that’s they way I like my sunglasses. The other clip-on lenses are lighter and are not as opaque but still they still look good. And I definitely like that the black sunglass lenses are polarized, which is a major plus for me.

I think the colors of the clip-on lenses are a good selection that most people will wear. In addition to the black clip-ons, I can see myself wearing the yellow and blue lenses on occasion.  But it’s nice to have the other clip-ons as an option. The clip-ons are just as easy to remove as they are to put on.

What I like about GlassesShop Bristol Eyeglasses

• Lightweight frames
• Progressive lens
• 5 Clip-on Sunglasses lenses
• Blue Block lens filter
• Broad nosepiece

What needs to be improved?

• Needs more color selection

Final thoughts

I have to say that really like these Bristol eyeglasses from GlassesShop . It’s a great bonus that they include five clip-on sunglass lenses instead of just one. I really appreciate how effortless it is to switch between regular eyeglasses and the clip-on sunglasses using the magnetic lenses.

Whether I’m inside working on my computer or stepping outside into the bright sunlight, the versatility of the Bristol eyeglasses has been incredibly convenient. The Bristol frames themselves are both stylish and durable, which makes them comfortable to wear throughout the day. These Bristol eyeglasses not only meets but exceeds expectations in terms of design and functionality.

Price: $45.95
Where to buy: GlassesShop Bristol
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by GlassesShop. GlassesShop did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.