Tomb Raider is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, marking three decades since Lara Croft first strapped on her thigh holsters and went searching for ancient artefacts around the world.
To mark the occasion, game developer Crystal Dynamics has partnered with glasses company Gunnar to create a pair of spectacles inspired by one of Lara’s most iconic looks.
Gunnar has unveiled its new Tomb Raider Croft glasses, the eyewear company’s own version of Lara’s signature accessory from her 1996 debut. These glasses aren’t a 1:1 recreation of the pair in the game, with Gunnar having updated the design for a more modern aesthetic. However, they do take some clear cues from Tomb Raider‘s original design, such as its rounded shape and metal frames. It also includes details such as patterning around the rim, which wouldn’t have been possible to render with ’90s video game graphics.
Credit: Gunnar
The Tomb Raider Croft glasses are available with Gunnar’s Amber, Amber Max, or Sun lenses, as well as their Amber Sun Shift transition lenses. Of these, the orange Amber Max lenses are by far the closest in appearance to Lara’s original red aesthetic. The glasses come with a microfibre pouch, a cleaning cloth bearing the Croft coat of arms, and a case reminiscent of a utility pouch. You’ll also get a fortunately less functional Dagger of Xian pin, the artefact at the centre of Tomb Raider II.
Credit: Gunnar
These glasses aren’t just for looks though, as Gunnar specialises in spectacles that make staring at a screen for hours a bit more comfortable. As such, while all of the Tomb Raider Croft glasses’ lens options offer 100 percent UV protection, they also block varying levels of blue light.
Mashable Trend Report
Blue light is a type of electromagnetic wave generated by the sun, light bulbs, and LED screens — including those found in computer monitors and mobile phones. Long hours at your desktop can suppress your body’s melatonin, disrupting your circadian rhythm and making it harder to sleep.
If you’re unwilling to cut back your late night gaming, at least partially blocking blue light should help you maintain a healthier sleep cycle. Gunnar claims that its Amber Max lenses block the most blue light at 98 percent, recommending it for managing migraines and helping to improve sleep, while the Amber lenses block 65 percent and are more geared toward general computer use.
Both the Amber and Amber Max lenses also have “Gunnar Focus,” which is simply an +0.2 diopter lens. This gentle power is intended to give your eyes a little extra help focusing, helping relax muscles and reduce eye strain. Gunnar states that this option is suitable for anyone with 20/20 vision, or who wears contact lenses.
Credit: Gunnar
Crystal Dynamics sells an official version of Lara’s sunglasses as well, offering both her round red lens look and her black Angel of Darkness pair for $39.90 each. However, these appear to be more geared toward cosplay, as the product description offers no information regarding their effectiveness against UV light, much less blue light. No matter how dark a pair of glasses’ lenses are, they still require UV-blocking treatment to be effective as sun glasses. As such, Gunnar’s glasses offer a more functional, elevated option for Tomb Raider fans.
Gunnar’s Tomb Raider Croft glasses start at $99 for Amber, Amber Max, or Sun lenses, or $135 for Amber Sun Shift transition lenses.
