Background
OptiShokz is the child of AfterShokz, a company that makes bone conduction headphones. The Revvez are OptiShokz’s debut product – a pair of sunglasses that delivers stereo sound through your ear cartilage to your brain.
With Revvez, you can listen to audio from a smartphone or any bluetooth device and keep your ears free to hear your surroundings.
Recently, Aftershokz sent me a pair of Revvez to test out and provide feedback on.
Full Review
Unboxing
The Revvez are packaged in a box that resembles an Apple product, with white glossy cardboard. Mine came with a hardshell case and microfiber pouch.
Confusingly, mine says XTrainerz – Bone Conduction Sunglasses. Maybe they changed the name after the ones I received were manufactured?
Pairing
Nothing is worse than a bluetooth device that won’t pair and I’m happy to report that the Revvez did with ease.
To turn the sunglasses on, you press and hold the volume up button for a second until a blue light appears and they vibrate. To put them in pairing mode, you press and hold the same button for a few seconds, until the blue light flashes. To turn them off manually, press and hold the same button for a second until a red light appears.
Sound
Using the Revvez for the first time was a novel experience for me. At first, it’s hard to believe you can hear music in your head without earbuds or headphones. I did notice a slight tingly feeling behind my ear, but got used to it pretty quickly.
Through your ear’s transducers, audio has a different quality to it. Bass tones are deeper and stereo frequencies are more pronounced. The sunglasses are comfortable to wear and even have a built in omnidirectional microphone so you can make phone calls.
I’ve been using the Revvez to listen to music while hiking/running and I love being able to hear my surroundings with open ears. We’re entering snake season in Tucson, and I am hyper vigilant of rattlesnakes. With these, I feel comfortable listening to music and hitting the trails.
Tip: Want to hike Tucson’s best trails? Read my Best Hikes in Tucson article or check out our individual Tucson Hiking Guides.
Comfort
I found the Revvez to be plenty comfortable. The frame is lightweight, well-constructed, and once you get used to the little arms that flip down behind your ear, you’re fine.
Style
I’ll let you judge the style for yourself, but my wife Kim sees this as an area for improvement. The Revvez are kinda dorky, but I’m not exactly a fashionista so it doesn’t bother me.
Reservations
It’d be convenient if music automatically played and paused when you put your shades on and off. There’s a play/pause button next to the lens (underneath the right sunglass arm), but it’s a hassle to find and press on the move.
You also have to turn the Revvez off or manually disconnect them from your smartphone settings for Bluetooth to unpair.
Also, the lenses are interchangeable and the polarized one was unavailable to me. Polarized lenses are a must when you’re out in the Arizona sun.
Final Thoughts
With its Revvez Sunglasses, OptiShokz has made an exciting advancement in wearable tech. The bone conducted, open-ear audio sounds great, is a fun experience, and it’s safer than traditional headphones.
Specifications
- Battery Life: 6 hours continuous play, 10 days standby
- Charges in: < 2 hours
- Microphone: Yes, MEMS
- Speaker: Bone conduction transducers
- Wireless: Bluetooth 5.0
- Weight: 1.7 oz
For more specification info, visit the OptiShokz Revvez campaign on Indiegogo.
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OptiShokz Revvez
$104
