The following GUNNAR Fallout Vault 33 Gaming Glasses was provided by the manufacturer for review.
Off the back of a successful ‘Fallout’ TV series run, months back glasses maker and lens tech company GUNNAR Optik collaborated with Bethesda Game Studios to bring the world a pair of Fallout-themed gaming glasses. The “Fallout Vault 33” gaming glasses take quite a bit of inspiration from the post-apocalyptic hellscape that is the basis for the game franchise, sporting a bulky “heavy duty” goggle-style of rim while keeping the temples slim and sleek. It’s a heavy contrast but it works quite well, bringing a modern touch to the retro (read 50s) glasses aesthetic.
GUNNAR’s gaming glasses tend to rest on the subtle side of visuals. No one will genuinely be able to tell if you’re wearing gaming-themed glasses or not (and frankly speaking, who cares?) but they will likely love the retro fashion choice. No, the gamer part of the Fallou 33 glasses is the case itself, and I love this thing. The case uses a magnetic mechanism to stay closed while sporting the heavy “Fallout Blue” colour the series is known for alongside the dirty yellow and Gothic-styled typefacing for the text atop. The glasses also come with a Fallout-themed microfibre cloth to go with it. It’ll make the Fallout fan squeal with joy, at the very least it’ll be worth displaying upon the mountains of other Fallout merch they likely own.
I’ve been wearing these shades on and off for the last couple of months with a bit of pause in-between. The first thing I can tell you is that the Fallout 33 shades aren’t for the people with wide faces like mine. See, these glasses do not flex beyond their hinge’s capacity. I typically wear my Columbia C3000 prescription glasses for day-to-day use, which measure about 145mm across the temple, which is in line with the specs of the Fallout 33 shades. But because of the aforementioned issue, wearing these shades for longer than 10 minutes at a time is a pain point for us large-faced people. Good news though—the Call of Duty Aviators do not have this problem! Go check ’em out here.
These shades are also advertised as smudge resistant, but my chunky fingerprints did make their way onto the lenses with little trouble—however they clean off easily with any microfibre cloth on hand, which is what I presume their patented G-Coating is meant to do.
Now the Fallout 33 glasses by default come with GUNNAR’s patented UV and blue-light blocking lenses, which primarily blocks “65% of blue lights” from sources at 450nm “high energy” light sources. They work great for indoor gaming and general electronic use, but if you need a pair of these to work as sunglasses (using GUNNAR’s 90% rated lens tint) or a prescription version, the company also offers flexible customisation options. The former options will run at $99 USD while the latter increases greatly depending on the lens features you choose along with your prescription. As I covered the default 65% unit, I can safely say that it’s a great price for the tech and the quality of the glasses.
Thing of it is, you’re always surrounded by electronics (presumably, if you’re reading this review!). The amount of blue light that emanates from these devices is compounded by the hours we spend on them, and you’re likely straining your eyes without even realising it. Some devices come with built-in colour dimmers, which is great, but I use these glasses in conjunction with those night light features for maximum effect while working against brightly lit PC and Mac screens at night. Since I sit so close to the screen anyway, wearing GUNNAR’s glasses have been a boon for my eyes.
Would I recommend these glasses! Yes, but only if your face measures less than 145mm across the temple. If you have glasses, check the right-hand side for the temple measurements. Anything larger than that and you’ll likely find these glasses uncomfortable to wear. Keeping your eyes healthy won’t do much good if you’re crushing your temporals in the process. The company is looking to ship larger sized frames in the future, and I can’t wait to check out one of them for myself.
But besides that, if you’re looking to keep the blue lights at bay and love Fallout, these Vault 33-themed glasses are a love letter to the series while keeping a lovely retro aesthetic with modern touches. You won’t be disappointed. ∎
You can pick up a pair of the “Fallout 33 Gaming Glasses” from GUNNAR’s website starting at $99 USD, more if you choose to fit in your prescription lenses. Free shipping is available to the domestic United States on orders over $50.
