Gunnar Optiks packaging and thoughts

I first learned about Gunnar Optiks computer glasses at PAX Prime in 2009.

Gunnar Optiks makes glasses designed for computer users.  They are available in prescription and non-prescription flavors.  They use a special tint and lens geometry to improve screen clarity and reduce eye fatigue. You can learn more about the technology here.

A couple months ago I ordered a pair (Anime style in blue).  They work well do make the spreadsheets easier to deal with.  The increased contrast is helpful, and my eyes don't dry out as much following marathon sessions.  They are most effective in bright rooms.   The lenses are least effective when I am not only in a dark environment (like a hotel room where I have many of the lights out), but also when my laptop screen dims to conserve battery life.

Since they are tinted, they do distort color a little bit.  They amber lenses warm the colors on the screen.  It works well for general office work and light image editing, but graphics professionals may prefer the non-tinted version.

They are also helpful when I'm watching an LCD TV.

This post is not primarily about the glasses, though.  It's about the packaging.  I ordered directly from the company, and they shipped them in a padded envelope.

Inside the envelope they added a coupon for my next pair and assorted product literature.

The glasses were inside a cardboard box.

I lifted the lid and found foam protecting an inner box.

That covered a metal box.

Inside the metal box, there is a lens cleaning cloth/bag.

Beneath that, I finally found the glasses, secured in cardboard.

Here they are unfolded.

This is awesome packaging, and if I used them solely at my desk, I might be willing to use the packaging.  It's a little too bulky and pointy (metal corners) to travel with, though.  And I'm not sure what TSA would think of that rectangular metal box.  So I took the cleaning cloth/bag, and re-purposed an old Eddie Bauer sunglasses case. It provides adequate travel protection.

The other problem I have with the packaging is that the literature is too big.    The cards and flyers should be small enough to fit in the cardboard box, but they aren't.  I had to fold and crease them up so they would fit.

This may seem like a stupid thing to complain about, but Gunnar has guaranteed the literature will go  in the trash.  If it was a more basic packaging job, the literature wouldn't bother me. But they spent a lot of money on this.  It seems silly to not coordinate the literature size with the box size.

Regardless, I'm pleased with my glasses.  If you spend alot of time looking at computer screens, and color correction is not critical, you may want to check them out.