GAME-CHANGER
Just tested out the Bose Bluetooth sunglasses for the first time on a long run. I don't know what I was expecting, but these blew me out of the water. Most impressive is the richness and balance of the sound. The music sounded like what I'd expect out of a home or car stereo system, not itty-bitty little speakers embedded in a sunglasses frame. You'd think, looking at these, that the sound would be tinny, lacking in depth - NOPE. Ease of the controls is straightforward. There's just a single button on the frame. Tap once to power on or off. During playback, tap twice to skip forward a song, three times to skip back. Slide your finger along the right side of the frame to adjust the volume. It's that simple. Battery life is also impressive. (Charging cord included in the box). I ran for almost three straight hours today and started out at a 90% charge - and the battery still had juice in it at the end. Brilliant. When you first unbox the frames, they look heavier and thicker than traditional sunglasses. I was a tad suspicious they'd feel heavy on my ears and the bridge of my nose. Not so. Super lightweight and comfortable, they felt the same to me as wearing plain-old sunglasses. I honestly couldn't tell the difference. Bonus: the cat-eye look is quite stylish. I don't think anyone looking at me would be able to tell these weren't "regular" sunglasses. As someone who runs exclusively outdoors (I hate treadmills) and spends a lot of time outside, generally, how these function as sunglasses is just as important to me as having a highly portable audio system. Polarized lenses are a must for eye protection during hours and hours spent in the summer (or winter, for that matter) sun. I was happy to see that these were designed to be BOTH functional sunglasses as well as a source for music. Haven't connected my cell phone to them yet. At first, reading other reviews, I thought the idea of taking phone calls via your sunglasses was - well - kinda weird. Who wants everyone in earshot to be able to listen in on their phone conversation? Based on the crystal-clear sound quality, even at low volume, I suspect my tunes (and therefore, my phone calls?) would be audible to anyone around. But I haven't yet had the chance to test if or how far the sound output reaches to other people. Will update this review once I have a better idea of that. My main reason for this purchase was to be able to take my music with me on my runs. As I mentioned, I run exclusively outside and until now had forgone music altogether, because I didn't want buds in my ears or headphones covering them. I need to be able to hear what's going on around me. These allow me to still do that, AND finally run with music. As I said in the title, GAME-CHANGER. Side note: the instructions will tell you to download the Bose app. You can, but I didn't, and music playback works just fine without it. Are they expensive? Yes. But honestly, if you buy a quality pair of just regular sunglasses, you could easily spend $150-$200. Considering their performance, I don't think the price for the Bose frames is outrageous. At all. You pay for quality, with anything - and these deliver. I would suggest if you're interested in these, you scoop 'em up here while you can, as it appears that Bose is no longer making them. (WHY? If you're reading this, Bose, I urge you to reconsider!) Cannot wait to continue using these. I have a feeling I'll be taking them out on every run from now on. Obsessed. No, Bose did not pay me for this review. YES, the sunglasses are THAT good. Read more
