Gunnar Optiks Wi-FIVE Digital Performance Eyewear

Form, Function & Fashion

The Wi-FIVE glasses came safely nestled in a black coffin-esque hard plastic box with a thin layer of black foam on the underside of the lid and half-inch thick red foam at the bottom with a perfectly carved groove for holding the glasses in place. While this isn’t a compact case for travel, it does do a wonderful job of keeping the Wi-FIVE’s protected from most destructive forces that may prey upon it.

The Wi-FIVE frames themselves are light and fit comfortably on a variety of face shapes and sizes. We had a handful of people try them on and no one felt that they were uncomfortable or had poor fit. While the style for the Wi-FIVE frames may not work for everyone, Gunnar does have a variety to choose from that should suit your style. This particular design didn’t look the best on me as the frames are squarish which clashes with my roundish head. As such, I got some chuckles around the office; although this is in no way a knock on the design as, when polled, several co-workers really liked the design.

This particular model has the AMbeR lenses which are supposed to be very effective for enhancing contrast and reducing eye fatigue. The disadvantage of this tinted lens is that it adds difficultly to editing graphics or photos since it impacts the color hues you see. However, Gunnar does offer lenses with the moniker of “CRySTAL” which are designed specifically for those who require visibility to accurate colors for graphics or photo work. All of the indoor lenses are “tuned for NEOscopic” which is a term they use to describe near viewing. This is employed by using their fRACTYL lens geometry that mimics nature by focusing light. Having a physical lens in front of your eye also helps block ambient air currents, like that created by forced air HVAC, which can contribute to dry eyes.

The Gunnar lenses are also precision crafted for optically pure performance and are specially coated for scratch resistance in addition to coatings for anti-reflectivity, hydrophobic (repels water), and oleophobic (repels oil) properties. If this sounds familiar, these specifications are also found on many of the Oakley glasses as well. I wore glasses for many years prior to LASIK and can personally attest to the benefits of anti-reflective coatings. I found the performance of these features to be very good and while the lenses didn’t resist fingerprints, they did wipe off rather easily with a microfiber cloth (Gunnar recommends optical quality cloths only).

The frames for the Wi-FIVE pair we received are in the Onyx color but are also offered in espresso, crimson and ash. The arms are plastic and attached via a screw hinge to the the fame holding the lenses which are comprised of metal. The arms are flexible and the nose pads float on metal wires so can be adjusted as needed although I think they should fit most right out of the box. The lenses are held in with a clamping type design of the frames held together by a single screw on each side.

The overall fit and finish is top notch. Since they are so light, wearing them for hours is not a problem and there were actually times when I forgot I was wearing them and went wandering around the house or office for a bit before I realized I was still wearing them. Now it’s time to see the most important part – how they perform.