Bose's audio sunglasses, the Bose Frames, were released in early 2019 and frankly I was surprised how good they were. They sounded great and looked almost like regular sunglasses despite having pretty niche appeal and being kind of expensive. When I reviewed the original Bose Frames, I remember thinking they would make a great running companion if they had a more athletic design. Well, that's exactly what Bose has done.
The company just announced the Bose Frames Tempo, which are sport-focused versions of the Bose Frames. They work the exact same way as the original Frames — they connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth and play music — but have a more aerodynamic and rugged design. Plus, Bose gave them polarized lenses which were the original Bose Frames were lacking. According to Bose, the Frames Tempo are specifically engineered for outdoor workouts like biking, running and climbing. The catch is that the Tempo cost $250, which is $50 more the original Frames.
A lot of runners and bikers already wear performance sunglasses while they workout, and the Frames Tempo kills two birds — music and shades — with one stone. Like previous Bose Frames, the Tempo has built-in microphones and intuitive touch controls that allow you to seamlessly answer calls without disrupting your workout. Plus, as a runner, the most annoying thing with sport earbuds is worrying about them falling out during your workout. With audio sunglasses, you obviously don't have worry about that.
Bose announced two other designs for the Bose Frames in addition to the Tempo. There's the Frames Tenor, which have a square frame design similar to many surf/skate sunglasses. And there's the Frames Soprano, which are cat eye sunglasses. Both the Tenor and the Soprano designs have polarized lenses and cost the same as the Tempo.
If you don't care for the new sport designs and polarized lenses, and you're looking to save a little dough, Bose is still selling the two original designs for the Frames, the Alto and Rondo, for $200.
Buy Now: $250 (Tempo) Buy Now: $250 (Tenor) Buy Now: $250 (Soprano)
