Lucyd Loud Bluetooth-Enabled Sunglasses review: Rocking shades

Lucyd Loud sunglasses are Bluetooth headphones and sunglasses in one. You wear them like ordinary sunglasses; nothing goes in or directly on the ear. But you can listen to music and podcasts, adjust the track and volume, activate Siri, and take phone calls directly on these sunglasses.

How they work

Lucyd Loud Bluetooth-Enabled Sunglasses: Features

Lucyd Loud Bluetooth-Enabled Sunglasses fills a niche I didn't realize existed. By combining Bluetooth headphones with sunglasses, that's one less item you need to carry with you as you go about your outdoor activities. Perfect for a walk in the park, a run, or perhaps even a bike ride, you can listen to your favorite tunes while remaining fully aware of your surroundings. There is nothing placed in or on your ears at all, so you can easily hear traffic or oncoming pedestrians.

While the frames definitely look bulkier than regular sunglasses, they don't look bulky enough to house speakers inside. And they are surprisingly lightweight. You charge the Lucyd Loud sunglasses with the included cord that attaches to the ends of both arms. It takes about two hours to charge them up, and you'll get about five hours on a single charge. Connecting them to your phone can be a little finicky, but once connected, they work great. Both arms have a microphone hole next to a long button marked "+" at one end and "-" at the other. On the other side of the button on each arm, you'll see three speaker holes.

The button located underneath the right arm controls the volume, though I didn't find that they go particularly high or low. If you hold down the "-" end of that button, you can activate Siri. You also control phone calls with the same end of that button: press once to answer a call, double click to decline it, or hold to hang up the call.

The button under the left arm is the power button; press and hold it to turn the sunglasses on or off. You also control the music with this button. Press the "+" end to go back to the previous track, press "-" to proceed to the next track. Hold down the "-" end to play or pause your music (or whatever you're listening to.) Yes, it's a lot to learn, and you do have to learn it because the only markings you can see are the "+" and "-".

Using the Lucyd Loud 5.0 Bluetooth sunglasses is an interesting experience and takes some getting used to. They are lightweight and pretty comfortable, but not as comfortable as sunglasses in this price range would typically be. I like my sunglasses dark, and these are dark. The sound is fine, but again, you're not going to get the sound quality you would from dedicated, in-ear or over-the-ear headphones. I can "feel" the music vibrating my head, which is an odd sensation for sure. Since the sound comes from the arms of the sunglasses, people around you will likely be able to hear what you're listening to. And of course, since there is nothing in or on your ears, you're hearing all of your surroundings, for better or worse. In certain situations, that's a definite advantage, such as if you are exercising outdoors and need to be able to hear traffic. Talking on the phone through sunglasses was odd; I had a hard time hearing the other person on the line but they had no trouble hearing me.

Lucyd Loud sunglasses come in three sizes: XL, Slim, and Youth. I have the Slim size, which is best suited for prescription lenses. You can order these sunglasses with your own prescription, whether you have a single prescription, progressives, or readers. Prescription lenses do cost more of course. All of the sunglasses are polarized. For an upcharge, you can add extras such as an anti-reflective coating, blue light blocking, blue light plus yellow, and Transistions® lenses.

Convenient hybrid

Lucyd Loud Bluetooth-Enabled Sunglasses: What I like

These sunglasses are great for walking my dog on a sunny day. I can still hear traffic or my neighbor calling out hello while I listen to my music or favorite podcast. I like not having to worry about tangling cords, or an earpiece falling out while I'm walking. It's one less thing I have to carry with me. These are definitely a cool, fun product.

Not the absolute best of both

Lucyd Loud Bluetooth-Enabled Sunglasses: What I don't like

If you're looking for high-end sunglasses and a premium audio experience, you'll probably want to make two separate purchases. This hybrid is surely convenient, but it's not the top-of-the-line of either product. Listening to music through my head rather than my ears takes some getting used to, as do the controls. The button controls are not necessarily intuitive, you just have to learn them. Talking on the phone isn't ideal either; while the other person could hear me clear as day, I had a hard time hearing them.

Two in one

Lucyd Loud Bluetooth-Enabled Sunglasses: Bottom line

It had never occurred to me that sunglasses ought to have headphones built in. This is a great product for someone who wants to listen to music and podcasts while doing outdoor activities. Since the sound comes from the arms of the sunglasses and nothing is in or on your ears, you can still hear what's going on around you. Control the music track, volume, Siri, and even take phone calls on the Lucyd Loud sunglasses. You can get the lenses made to your prescription and custom extras such as Transitions® lenses. They are comfortable to wear and block sunlight effectively. While they aren't the best ever sunglasses nor the best high-end audio experience, they are a cool compromise perfect for certain situations.

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