Smart Shades or Smart Headphones?
| Pros | Cons |
| Affordable Comfortable to wear and lightweight Great audio for an open design | Proprietary charger Design may not be to everyones taste Lacks any real bass response |
Ghostek’s Shades are perhaps one of the most innovative audio fitness devices on the market right now and feel like a big step forward in ‘smart’ wearables for runners and cyclists alike, and for under £100 these have dethroned my Airpod pros as my goto while out and about.
In terms of design, I think Shades are going to be pretty polarising, for me they are a little too ‘In your face’ for everyday use but of course, I am no fashion expert and some people may find the design to be perfect for them. You can however remove and change the lens quickly and easily so if the colour isn’t right for you replacements are going to be available down the line. The arms are where the tech is housed so naturally, these are going to be a little thicker than a standard pair of sunglasses but honestly while wearing them I didn’t tend to notice and overall they are pretty sleek in their design.
Fit
The fit of these glasses is a pretty important factor because of their intended use case and I am happy to report they fit well and sit comfortably on the face, in the box you do get a few different nose pads which are a nice addition to help you find the perfect fit for you. When running, cycling or vigorously shaking my head the glasses did not move or slip and coming in at just 44g too these are exceptionally light so wearing them for long periods is not fatiguing either.
The Tech
So what is so special about these shades? Well opening the arms reveals all as a mellow voice exclaims ‘Shades are powered on’ and ‘Shades are connected’ this should give you enough of an idea as to the tech going on here but these are open ear bluetooth speakers with directional drivers allowing you to hear crystal clear audio while still being present with the world around you.
Will these be the best-sounding earphones you have ever heard? No, but that’s by design, these aren’t meant to be the best audible experience these are however meant to give you a way to enjoy the music you love while still being aware of your surroundings and this is particularly important while running or cycling outdoors where spatial awareness is key but music is a major motivator. There is a distinct lack of bass here but this is mainly due to the open-backed style of the device and for the most part, I didn’t miss it because the mids and highs were exceptionally clear and crisp.
I found myself using these glasses mostly while out riding, They were a valuable tool for listening to turn-by-turn navigation and for that purpose these are perfect and I would say are a tool I would recommend to any cyclist or runner time and time again. It was a great way to ensure I could stay aware of my surroundings while still being comfortable in the knowledge I knew where I was going without having to continually glance down at my phone.
In terms of battery, you can expect around 8 hours on a single charge which is pretty great considering the size and weight, charging is a breeze too thanks to the magnetic charging cable, USB C would have been nice so it’s 1 less cable to carry around but for convenience this choice is understandable, This charger also helps to give the glasses their IPX water resistance too meaning that come rain or shine these shades won’t let you down
These aren’t smart glasses in the way you would think of Snapchat spectacles or even Google glass but these are still steps in the right direction to wearable tech in my eyes, they don’t try to do too much but what they do they do incredibly well. Controlling the device was a little tricky however as all actions rely on a single very easy-to-press capacitive button, allowing play and pause, answering calls and even calling the voice assistant of choice yet with no way to change volume and for the price I would have loved to have seen a capacitive touch panel to allow this sort of control with a swipe as currently the only way to change volume is to do it on the device itself.
In conclusion, I think for the right audience, that being athletic and outdoorsy types this is a perfect tool and a step in the right direction for wearable tech however if you are looking for an audible experience unlike any other these may not be for you but for just £100 why not give them a go? these shades may just surprise you.
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