December 23, 2017
Felix Gray: Why Computer Glasses Are a Must-Have for 2018
Matthew Wexler READ TIME: 4 MIN.
Are you ready to step into the New Year with style as well as a sharp eye on protecting your vision? Entrepreneurs David Roger and Chris Benedict co-founded Felix Gray with you in mind. The duo spent a year of research and development to create a stylish line of eyewear to address digital eye strain.
Whether you're on a computer all day, glued to your smartphone or tablet device, or using LED light bulbs to light your home or office, you're likely spending more time exposed to blue light than ever before, which can result in eye fatigue, headaches, blurred vision and dry eyes. Felix Gray glasses filter blue light with proprietary lenses that are crystal clear and stylish (no more yellow tint!).
Felix Gray glasses have made numerous gift guide lists this year, and with good reason. In addition to the technologically advanced production, their sharp designs draw inspiration from some of the world's most accomplished scientists and inventors - and who doesn't love a good story?
EDGE sat down with Roger and Benedict to discuss their inspiration and reveal some of the inside scoop on what makes Felix Gray glasses so unique.
Regarding style, what were the steps in creating your six unique frames?
We like to think of our design aesthetic as classic meets modernity. To get there, we start with sourcing the highest-quality component in terms of frame material, hardware, and most importantly, optics.
Unsatisfied with lens technology on the market, we actually engineered our own proprietary solution to carefully balance fashion and function, creating a lens to effectively filter the harshest wavelengths of artificial screen light and eliminate glare without using ugly tints or cheap coatings, which allows our lens to remain crystal clear and color-true.
For frame design, we start with simple drawings incorporating classic design elements we dig and then work with current customers and colleagues to, in a way, open source the design process. We then have samples made of numerous designs and evaluate every aspect of each before choosing a final design.
Because every step is done in-house, the process takes months to move from idea to final product and ensures that quality and attention to detail control the process from start to finish.
The signature keyhole bridge is featured in the Turing, Nash and Roebling frames - what was the inspiration behind this design feature?
Simply put, the keyhole bridge is a classic design element we absolutely loved, so we were sure to include it in our flagship frames. It also helps create room for comfort in how the frame sits on the nose.
What is acetate and why is this a preferred material of choice for Felix Gray frames?
Cellulose acetate is the material we use to craft our frames. We chose to use cellulose acetate because it's long tradition of being used in high-end frames. Quality is the main focus for every component used in a pair of Felix Grays, so cellulose acetate was a must.
How does Felix Gray's handmade Italian acetate differ from other eyewear products on the market?
The eyewear industry has a long history of overcharging for the brand name instead of product quality. Many companies make frames with injection-molded plastic, slap a brand name on the side, and upsell at a premium.
Focusing on quality, we reverse this model and instead, source the high-quality acetate from Varese, Italy which has a 100+ year history of producing the world's finest acetates, handcraft each pair, keep the branding to a minimum and cut out middlemen to keep an honest price point.
The result is a product thoughtfully crafted to the same standards as premium fashion brands at a fraction of the price.
From a design perspective, what were some of the key factors you learned during your six months of product development with real employees from companies like Google, Spotify and LinkedIn?
Our Office Try-On program provided extremely valuable feedback from more than 1,000 professionals at over 25 companies in NYC. Through 6 months of in-person interactions with real users, we learned that, to induce focus and productivity in the workplace, our frames needed to sit light on the face as to not distract from the work at hand.
We also learned that we needed to design a variety of frame styles to fit different face shapes for both male and female customers. This "user-engagement" is a process we use when designing any new product at Felix Gray. Customer feedback is the main influence in designing and releasing new products.
To shop Felix Gray, visit: www.shopfelixgray.com.
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Matthew Wexler is EDGE's Senior Editor, Features & Branded Content. More of his writing can be found at www.wexlerwrites.com. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @wexlerwrites.
