GUNNAR Optiks has done a lot to make themselves the first name in computer eye wear. As more studies seem to find health issues from the blue light of our various screens, and everyone from Apple to Microsoft goes about introducing some form of Night mode into their various operating systems, a good pair of glasses becomes an increasingly vital defense. For 2019, GUNNAR looks to sink the competition by introducing the Torpedo.
The contents of the box are all standard GUNNAR. There is the pair of glasses comfortably contained within a branded cloth bag, a cleaning cloth, warranty card, and a GUNNAR products flier. Nothing unusual here.
Lightness has a cost, however, and in this case, it comes in the form of material appearance. The spec sheet lists the material used in these frames as “Nylon” though it could just as easily have been a light-weight plastic. The slim temples have some surprisingly sharp edges. After a couple hours of wear, they felt like they were starting to dig into the side of my head; an unpleasant experience that I’ve only had with the cheapest of gas station wrap-around sunglasses. Admittedly, this may be a personal problem. The fit on the Torpedo is listed as “Medium-Large” but my dome usually wears an XL motorcycle helmet, or a 7 ¾” hat. People with slightly smaller head shapes may not experience these issues. At the very least, I haven’t heard similar complaints from my teenage son, who has also been wearing the Torpedo glasses during his streams on our shared Twitch channel.
The soft case does a good job of keeping the glasses scratch free.
Style may be another sore point for some. I personally like the wrap-around style for my sunglasses, especially when running. However, there’s something about the slightly amber tinted lenses that makes me think these belong in my range bag alongside my ear protection and speed loaders. That would be a mistake, since the Torpedo lenses are not impact resistant.
At $79.99 per pair, the Torpedo is prices at roughly the midrange of GUNNAR’s lineup. That puts them up against some of GUNNAR’s top sellers, such as the Intercept, and above entry-level frames like the Riot. Like the American Mark 14s of World War 2, I’m not sure these torpedoes are up to the challenge. Unlike many of GUNNAR’s other frames, the Torpedo also isn’t currently available with prescription lenses.
The side pieces are thin, light, and a little sharp.
Bottom line, the Torpedo isn’t going to be my glasses of choice when I’m on one of my PCs. That doesn’t make them wrong for everyone, just for me. For consumers who value the unobtrusive nature of big wrap-around lenses, or want a very slim side-piece to go under a pair of over-ear headphones, the Torpedo may be the right choice. At the very least, it’s a great way to look like someone who just got back from the gun range while playing a few rounds of Fortnite or Apex Legends on stream.
A pair of GUNNAR Optiks Torpedo glasses were provided for this review. Find out more about GUNNAR Optiks at their website, or on their Twitter page.
