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When it comes to computer glasses, Felix Gray and Gunnar Optiks are in a category of their own. They can be priced a bit higher than most other "computer glasses" that you'll find online but it's for good reason. Their frames and lenses are made with higher quality materials and they do more than just block blue light.
So what's the difference? Is one better than the other? Does one have better lenses than the other? Well, the truth is they each have their strengths and weaknesses. Good news is I'll answer those questions for you, so that by the end of this article you'll be able to make a confident purchase.
Magnification In The Lenses
There are two main reasons why people may need to buy computer glasses; to reduce digital eye strain and/or to protect against harmful blue light. The potential solution to address both of those concerns is found in the lenses.
Both Felix Gray and Gunnar Optiks glasses come with eye strain reducing lenses. By using lenses with a slight magnification (+.25) and decentering the optical center just a few millimeters, they are able to provide relief to your eye muscles.
Though both companies have glasses that come with these lenses, the entire Gunnar collection comes with these lenses, whereas Felix Gray, on the other hand, gives their customer the choice between having magnification and not having it.
I'm personally a fan of choice and transparency so I would have to list this as a strength for Felix Gray and a weakness for Gunnar. Most people enjoy Gunnar lenses but for those that can't tolerate the power you'll have no other choice but to pay to have custom lenses made. Felix Gray doesn't charge any more (or less) for different lens options unless you need a custom prescription.
Blue Light Blocking
Felix Gray lenses block 50% of harmful blue light. That may seem low for some but truth is you don't need much more than that. Our eyes have a natural blue light filter so 50% on eyewear lenses is just fine.
For those that want more than 50%, or maybe you just want more options, Gunnar has it. They make a 65%, 35% and 10% BPF lens option. Having 3 (4 with a choice for sunglasses) lens options really sets Gunnar apart. If color accuracy is of the utmost importance to you then you might want the Crystalline lenses with 10% BPF. They may not keep out the most blue light but they still help reduce eye fatigue and they come with an Anti-Reflective coating.
Felix Gray lenses are practically colorless but there is some color there. I wouldn't say it's a weakness, but the fact that Gunnar offers so many BPF choices compared to Felix Gray, I'm going to give the advantage here to Gunnar.
Frame Selection and Price
Gunnar has 51 frame choices and Felix Gray only has 8. Though it must be mentioned right off the bat that each company has a different demographic that they target and the frame styles reflect that.
Gunnar originally marketed their glasses as "computer gaming" glasses and their styles represent the style of such a person. You'll find frames that look sporty with a curved front and they are mostly masculine in style, though they have started to add some variety.
Felix Gray has a totally different client in mind. You can tell by the images on their website and the style of their frames that their target person is between 25-40 years old, works at a startup and enjoys taking their laptop to a local coffee shop to get some work done. They have a small selection, but the choices they have are all trendy.
In regards to the pricing, Gunnar has options starting as low as $49.99 and there are a couple priced at $179. The average Gunnar frame is around $99. Felix Gray, with their smaller selection, has chosen to streamline things and price all their glasses at $95.
Since the average Gunnar frame is $99 and Felix Gray is at $95, they are priced very similarly but since Gunnar at least offers a few low cost options, I'd have to say this is a strength of theirs.
Custom Rx
Prescription lenses may not be the main reason that people look into these two companies but they each offer a custom Rx option for those that want Gunnar or Felix Gray lens technology.
To add custom lenses to a Felix Gray frame you'll pay an additional $50. So if you take the average frame price of $95 + $50 for prescription lenses, your total will be $145.
With Gunnar it's a bit different. They actually have 2 prescription lens options; Standard and Premium. Their premium lenses are Digitally Surfaced and the Anti-Reflective coating is comes with an additional Hydrophobic layer. The interesting thing is their is no consistency with their pricing. On some frames the Standard lenses add $120 to the price and on other its $90. Let's take the highest possible price in order to eliminate any negative surprises. I've found Standard lenses to add $120 to the cost and the Premium lenses cost $160. So if you have a $80 frame + $120 for standard lenses, you'll end up paying $200.
I'll have to give Felix Gray the advantage here just because of how easy everything is to understand. Gunnar makes no attempt and telling you why custom lenses are more expensive on some than on others and I'm not a fan of mystery. Plus, at just $50, the Felix Gray price is much lower than the Standard Gunnar lenses.
In Conclusion
If you want trendy styles and the options to have no magnification, then Felix Gray is the best choice for you. If you want lots BPF% options, frame variety and different price points, then Gunnar is the way to go.
I hope this comparison helps you make a decision that works best for you. Thank you for reading and don't forget to share this post and Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Thank you and have a great day.
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