GUNNAR Optiks Tahoe Slate Clear Pro glasses review — My eyes can finally relax

I’ve found that as I age my eyes have become much more sensitive to light from nearly any source, but more specifically the light from my dual monitor setup at work seemed to be wreaking havoc on my mornings. At first, I believed my uncomfortableness to be linked to simply being tired or allergies, which I’m sure are factors to some degree, but after trying out the GUNNAR Optiks Tahoe Slate Clear Pro glasses I realized that my computer’s blue light was the main culprit. Who would have thought staring at a bright screen nearly every waking moment of our lives would be bad for us?

Putting on the GUNNAR Tahoe glasses for the first time was a revelation. My eyes no longer had to strain as I answered a never-ending stream of emails, I no longer had to fight the urge to rub my eyes continuously as I attended meetings, and I no longer had to blink profusely in hopes of shaking off whatever obstacle was preventing my eyes from focusing. Put simply, I felt instant relief.  

Now, I know that people tend to be skeptical about the statements made during a review and assume that reviewers spit out a lot of hyperbole, which is fine since ultimately a review is simply one person’s opinion and is biased by that individual’s specific experiences, but the GUNNAR Tahoe glasses were an epiphany for me. I am not new to GUNNAR or blue light filter glasses, but I solely use my GUNNAR Cupertino glasses as sunglasses, which means that I rarely receive the benefits provided by its blue light filter during my work day. My mistake apparently, as I had forgotten just how much my eyes benefited from blue light filters.

It helps that the GUNNAR Tahoe is one of GUNNAR’s top-of-the-line glasses and as such features impeccable comfort and design aspects. More specifically, the Tahoe utilizes mineral glass lens material, which is often found in high-end cameras or telescopes, with the lens packed into a rectangular acetate frame. GUNNAR’s mineral glass lenses are coated in G-Sheild premium plus lens coasting and are essentially scratch and shatter-proof, while still maintaining crystal clear vision and providing blue light and UV blocking benefits. The Tahoe comes in two options: the 65 GBLF Amber or the 20 GBLF Clear Pro. Of the two, the Clear Pro will provide you the highest clarity in terms of brightness and colors, but the Amber is great for brighter screens if you don’t mind your overall view being slightly dimmer.

The mineral lenses are impressive, but thankfully the frame is just as impressive. There is a surprising sturdiness to the frame, which is meticulously crafted from high-quality Italian acetate and lightweight aluminum magnesium alloy, leading to the GUNNAR Tahoe feeling great when in hand or while being worn. Its simple rectangular shape looks great on nearly every face, its mixture of metallic silver and black blend together perfectly and is not only stylish, but allows the Tahoe to be able to blend in with nearly any outfit, and its spring hinges provide just the right amount of give without ever feeling like they may break.

If you want to dive further into specifics, the GUNNAR Tahoe’s lens width is 55 mm, lens height is 35 mm, nose is 18mm, frame width is 136 mm, temple is 140 mm, and the entire thing weighs 20 grams. All orders of the GUNNAR Tahoe come with an impressive mythic-level glasses case, which is sturdy and covered in a nice felt with a magnetic seal to prevent the case from opening on its own, a microfiber porch, a microfiber cleaning cloth, and a 24-month warranty.

I’m someone who originally scoffed at blue light glasses, thinking them a simple gimmick, but after wearing both the Cupertino and the Tahoe GUNNAR glasses, I am fully convinced now of their necessity. GUNNAR has again and again provided proof that they are one of the best blue light glasses developers on the market, and with their GUNNAR Tahoe they have once again scored a home run.

See below for our list of partners and affiliates: