Fallout Season 2 is in the rear view, leaving fans of the show with a long wait until Season 3 debuts. It isn’t a full set of power armor, but GUNNAR is allowing fans of the franchise to bring a bit of the radiated wasteland into their daily lives with their Fallout Brotherhood of Steel glasses. A mix of retro-futurism style and modern day Blue Light blocking technology, GUNNAR was nice enough to send over a pair so I could see for myself (pun intended) how the glasses can help reduce the eye strain associated with long hours in front of a computer screen. Do they look as cool as I imagined, and more importantly, do they fulfill the claim of reduced eye strain? Read on to find out.
Brotherhood of Steel Glasses – Overview
GUNNAR glasses come in many frame styles, from stylish and chic to gamer-centric. The Brotherhood of Steel pair goes full-on geek, leaning heavily into the retro-futurism aesthetic of the Fallout franchise. The rounded, aviator-style glasses are finished in a Brotherhood power armor-inspired weathered gunmetal frame. The lenses are available in Amber (65% GUNNAR Blue Light Filter), Amber Max (98% GBLF), and Amber Sun-Shift (65/90% GBLF).
The pair I received came with the Amber lenses. From a distance, the large amber lenses give off more of a vintage 70s vibe than a Fallout retro look. Up close, fans of the franchise will appreciate the weathered steel look and get where GUNNAR was headed with the design.
Regardless of color, a pair of the Brotherhood of Steel glasses with non-prescription lenses runs $99.99. GUNNAR also ships the glasses with prescription lenses – just upload your prescription from your optometrist, and GUNNAR will do the rest. GUNNAR offers multiple single-vision and progressive lens options, starting at $274. They also offer two additional colors for prescription orders – Clear (35% GBLF) and Clear Pro (20% GBLF).
The Brotherhood of Steel glasses are durable and functional enough for daily use, but GUNNAR has ensured the full package will look spectacular sitting next to your Funko Pops and other collectibles. The glasses come with a bulky metal case emblazoned with the Fallout, Area 51, and GUNNAR logos on the shell and a red Brotherhood of Steel logo on the felt interior. There’s also a more pocket-friendly micro-fiber pouch included if you plan on taking the glasses on the go. Like most glasses, the pair comes with a microfiber cloth, and fans of the show will be pleased to see that it is also Fallout-themed, with an image of Maximus set inside a poker chip on one side.
Brotherhood of Steel Glasses – Reducing Eye Strain
Beyond the cool Fallout theme, the Brotherhood of Steel glasses feature GUNNAR’s patented Blue Light blocking lens technology. According to GUNNAR, intense computer use, like what occurs during long gaming sessions, can reduce blink rate by up to 60%, exposing your corneal tissue to damage. The up-close nature of your computer screen can also quickly fatigue your eye muscles, and the artificial, high-energy blue light emitted by digital screens adds to the strain.
To combat eye strain, GUNNAR’s Blue Light technology blocks much of the high-energy light from your screen. The Amber and Amber Max lenses also use GUNNAR Focus – a small .2 focusing power that allows your eyes to more easily focus on close-up objects, reducing muscle strain during long screen sessions.
The first time I put the pair on, I noticed a stark color change. It’s not quite as dark as wearing a pair of sunglasses – reds are still reds and blues are still blues – but there was a noticeable yellow (amber) hue. It’s similar to the effect of switching from a cool screen temperature to a warm one. That tint never fully disappears, but after several minutes, my eyes adjusted and it wasn’t a distraction.
It wasn’t until I took the glasses off after 15 or 20 minutes of use that I really noticed how much of a difference they made. It was as if my screen was screaming at me – the brightness of the screen was almost painful.
The extreme effect was temporary, but I found myself choosing to wear the glasses more and more. I noticed that the Brotherhood of Steel glasses removed the halo effect around the words on a page of small print. Text just had sharper clarity, and since I was provided a pair with prescription lenses, that was without the added benefit of GUNNAR Focus built into the non-prescription lenses.
I sit in front of a computer for eight hours a day at my job, so I am well aware of the eye strain caused by extended screen time. Using GUNNAR’s glasses makes a difference. I don’t walk away from an 8-hour day at work or an hours-long gaming session without any eye fatigue, but the difference is noticeable.
Final Thoughts
I’m not a doctor, and I don’t have the lab equipment to scientifically test the Fallout Brotherhood of Steel glasses’ blue-light-blocking ability. What I can say is that I could see an immediate difference in screen clarity when switching from my regular glasses to a pair of Brotherhood of Steel glasses. And after a long day at work or play, I can feel the difference the GUNNAR technology makes.
What do I think about the style of the Brotherhood of Steel glasses? One of my co-workers said I looked like an art student going for a retro-hipster vibe, and I have to agree. The Brotherhood of Steel look is okay for Living In My GameSpace, but I’d probably go with a more mainstream style for going out in public.
Still, up close, a Fallout fan will get what GUNNAR was shooting for. If you’re looking for some Fallout memorabilia, I think the Brotherhood of Steel glasses could make a good addition to your collection. And just in case the Brotherhood of Steel style doesn’t quite fit your tastes, you could always check out GUNNAR’s other gaming-themed glasses, like the upcoming Lucky 38 Gaming Glasses.
