Bose Frames AR glasses finally get prescription lens option

News
By published

We've finally got Bose Frames for people without 20/20 vision

Bose Frames
(Image credit: Future)

I've been quietly waiting for the Bose Frames audio AR sunglasses to get prescription lenses for about a year. Today (Jan. 9) Bose announced (via a marketing email), that they're working with Lensabl to sell Bose Frames with prescription lenses.

In my Bose Frames review, I noted how much I loved their sound quality — they're like high-quality headphones that don't actually go in your ears — but I groused that I couldn't use them regularly without Rx lenses.

Lensabl lenses for Bose Frames aren't cheap, adding on an additional $127 (for single-vision lenses) or up to $337 (for premium progressive lenses). That's on top of the $199 for the Bose Frames themselves.

Since the Bose Frames were first announced in March 2018, we've seen the glasses released in January 2019 and the release of Bose AR apps last March. Bose AR apps use a mix of spatial awareness based on information pulled from sensors in the Frames and apps on your phone, and it's pretty cool.

Now that an official option exists, I'm ready to give these glasses another go. Admittedly, the landscape has changed a bit, as AirPods Pro and their Transparency mode do a good job of blending audio from your phone with the world around you.

You can buy a pair from Bose and Lensabl here, and I'm looking into options for getting lenses made from the company for existing pairs, like my review unit.

Henry T. Casey
Henry T. Casey

Henry was a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.