| Quick Verdict: All in all, the GUNNAR The Witcher, White Wolf and Ciri glasses are unique enough that they’re going to be cool to wear for those who enjoy retro styles with a modern twist. I wish they did more with the Ciri license, but they’re sturdy and come with a fantastic new glasses case. |
| Brand: | GUNNAR |
| Product: | The Witcher, White Wolf and Ciri glasses |
| The Witcher, White Wolf Review Score: | 8 |
| The Witcher, White Wolf Cozy Score: | 8 |
| The Witcher, Ciri Review Score: | 8 |
| The Witcher, Ciri Cozy Score: | 7 |
| Pros: | Unique design with the steel frame and leather wrap, beautiful leather-style case, retro look for both glasses |
| Cons: | Metal wire frame can be constricting on some heads, non-flexible hinges, Ciri feels like they could have done more with it, IP seems to be the 10-year-old Witcher game and nothing from the modern fandom |
| Price: | $99 |
| Lens Options: | 65 Amber, Prescription, Sunglasses (White Wolf only) |
The Witcher may have started as a series of books in the early 90s, but it’s taken on an entirely new life over the years, between both an incredibly popular video game series and a highly regarded Netflix series.
For the few people who don’t constantly have the song “Toss a Coin to your Witcher” stuck in their head, the series centers around various characters in the magical and mystical world that is based on Slavic folklore. The protagonist, Geralt of Rivia (also known as the White Wolf), is a witcher, a type of monster hunter who is dealing with a classic trope of having to care for a younger kid. Ciri, being that kid, is a headstrong girl who also wants to be a Witcher and also happens to be a Child of Prophecy.
That’s oversimplified, but this review is about licensed glasses, not the books, show, or video games. So, how do the GUNNAR The Witcher, White Wolf and Ciri glasses rate among other licensed gaming glasses?
What’s in the box?
Since the GUNNAR The Witcher, White Wolf and Ciri glasses are around the $100 mark from GUNNAR’s lineup, you’re going to expect a few things: a hardshell case of some sort, a microfiber travel pouch, and a microfiber cloth. As these are licensed, you’re also going to expect some cool art based on the IP in question.
Right out of the box, let’s talk about the new cases that GUNNAR rolled out with this line. This “leather-style” case is easily among my new favorites from the brand. Both the White Wolf and Ciri glasses come with the same style, but each is catered to the character they’re trying to invoke with etched symbols pertaining to the character.
The case is meant to look like brown leather and has a button clasp to close it, and it seems to fit nearly all of the glasses I’ve been sent from GUNNAR. So, all in all, this might be one of the only times I’d give the GUNNAR glasses case a perfect 10 out of 10.
The art on the microfiber cloths leans into The Witcher games, using character designs from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Gwent. With The Witcher 4 recently announced and a new season of the Netflix show coming this year, it’s weird that they chose to go with the now-decade-old game over anything else. But, that’s pretty normal for GUNNAR to pick up old licenses.
Also, since GUNNAR never gives art credit, both the White Wolf and Ciri art is by Anna Podedworna from CD PROJEKT RED Studio and is several years old, used across the franchise for licensed things like puzzles. But, they may have originated from a Witcher spin-off, the Gwent card game.
The microfiber pouches are at least unique from the standard GUNNAR logo, but the people making them just must not have had much creativity or access to options. While the White Wolf pouch has the Wolf School emblem at least on one side, the Ciri pouch only has the generic The Witcher logo.
Tech in the Specs (or, Holding a Lens Up to These Glasses)
Let’s get the technology of the glasses out of the way. If you’re buying GUNNAR, you’re always going to get the high-quality lenses that make the brand so good. With comfort and design of the frames aside, the lenses are the real product that GUNNAR offers.
They’re going to be good blue light blockers, with 100% UV protection, anti-reflective coating, water resistance, and smudge-resistance. They’re also fantastic for those who deal with wind shear on their eyes, like me.
The GUNNAR The Witcher, White Wolf and Ciri glasses come in the standard 65 Amber coating or under prescription. The White Wolf also offers a sunglasses option. This review focuses on the 65 Amber, which adds a yellow filter to your life, play, and work day.
Wearing the GUNNAR The Witcher, White Wolf and Ciri glasses
Looking at both of the GUNNAR The Witcher frames, initially, you may think of retro-style glasses. The GUNNAR The Witcher, White Wolf glasses look directly out of the 1970s, with the large lenses and top bar connecting the two sides.
The GUNNAR The Witcher, Ciri, on the other hand, invokes a very 1960s-inspired look. In fact, my wife said I looked like John Lennon when I was wearing them.
They’re both made with brushed gold stainless steel, meaning they’re sturdy. They also come with a little leather wrapped around each arm to look more natural. Where the case seems to be faux leather, the website seems to claim the wrapping is actual leather.
There is also symbolism across the arms of each frame. While the White Wolf is a little more blatant, visually, the Ciri could entirely pass as a non-Witcher-inspired look due to basically no visible obvious marks. It adds to my qualm about the pouch earlier that GUNNAR seemingly has no idea who Ciri actually is.
If you’re not new to my reviews, you’re familiar with the fact that I have a larger head. While the White Wolf pair is slightly wider for my head, the Ciri pair is possibly designed more for women with smaller craniums. With hinges that don’t flex, the Ciri can dig into my head a bit after a while of wearing them due to the stainless steel architecture. But someone with a smaller head may have a different experience.
Final Verdict – GUNNAR The Witcher, White Wolf and Ciri glasses
All in all, the GUNNAR The Witcher, White Wolf and Ciri glasses are pretty good, especially for being among GUNNAR’s licensed gaming glasses.
While I give relatively high marks to the design of the GUNNAR The Witcher frames and the case, my usual qualms are present, which is the lack of representation for the artists involved and the frame or hinges on licensed glasses not really being designed for people with larger heads.
If you’re interested in checking out the GUNNAR The Witcher, White Wolf and Ciri glasses for yourself, they’re both $99 on GUNNAR’s website. You can also check out my review on the Borderlands, Ripper glasses from GUNNAR, which put you partially into the mask of a psycho from Borderlands.
