Flows audio sunglasses review: an affordable entry into audio eyewear
If you've been curious about trying a pair of audio sunglasses with your iPhone, Flows allows you to snag a pair for less than other high-end brands.
While Bose may be known for leading the audio eyewear genre, other designers have chosen to jump on board. One such designer is Flows, who have designed a startlingly similar pair of audio glasses -- but how do they stack up to others we've tried?
Bose Frames Alto (left) and Flows Bruno's (right)
For example, the molded nose pads on the Bose Frames Alto are a bit thinner than the Flows Bruno, but this isn't particularly noticeable to either the wearer or anyone looking at them.
The only real significant difference between Bose Frames and Flows is the comfort, and Flows takes the lead on that front.
Bose Frames have some uncomfortable seams in and around the earpieces that can dig in, which we had to modify with some silicone pads to make them more comfortable. Unsightly, but they go unnoticed when wearing them.
The Flows, however, are significantly more comfortable. The earpieces have no sharp seams, and they are comfortable enough to wear for hours on end.
Even better, these packs include clear lenses, which allow you to use your glasses at your computer, outdoors at night, or indoors where sunglasses might not be appropriate. We had to purchase a pair of clear lenses from a third-party retailer for our Bose Frames.
Flows lenses can be purchased at an additional cost
Again like Bose Frames, your eye-doctor or online lens crafter can create prescription lenses for your Flows glasses.
Since Flows are equipped with Bluetooth 5.0, they do get a bit of a boosted range, but tap out at around 50 feet. This wasn't a problem for us, but if you have a large home and wander too far from your devices, you may experience dropoffs as you move from room to room.
Where the Flows fall short, unfortunately, is sound quality. Had we not been able to compare them with our Bose Frames directly, we likely wouldn't feel as disappointed as we do, but unfortunately, we did.
Let's be clear -- the sound quality isn't terrible, it's just not great. The mids and highs are decent, making them perfectly serviceable to use for most things, but the lows are severely lacking. It's even more readily apparent when you put them against the Bose Frames.
If you're going to use them to listen to podcasts or audiobooks, or for casual music listening, Flows are up to the task. However, if you're watching movies or shows or looking for a high-quality music experience, Flows may not be your first choice for audio.
As far as sound bleed goes, they performed nearly identically to the Bose Frames. Unless the audio is turned up unreasonably high, most people aren't going to notice any sound coming from your glasses unless they're sitting right next to you.
This makes them ideal for wearing at the office or in public spaces, especially if you'd prefer to keep your ears unblocked.
Flows also have a built-in microphone that performed reasonably well. The call recipient said that we could be clearly heard, though they did note they could hear persistent background noise, such as traffic or others' conversations.
This is a big deal for those who may not be able to charge their glasses every few hours.
The underside of Flows, showing the charging connector and speaker
Unfortunately, just like Bose Frames, the Flows require you to keep track of a magnetic charging dongle that requires a USB-A slot to use. Again, we'd appreciate the option to buy an additional charging case if it meant that we could charge our Flows on the go.
Flows come in at a much more reasonable $150, making them a decent first pair of audio glasses or a good pair for a younger wearer.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Pros
While Bose may be known for leading the audio eyewear genre, other designers have chosen to jump on board. One such designer is Flows, who have designed a startlingly similar pair of audio glasses -- but how do they stack up to others we've tried?
Design
If you've ever seen the first-generation Bose Frames, you're not going to be surprised by anything Flows is doing. We own a pair of Bose Frames' "Alto," and Flows' "Bruno" is nearly identical, with only slight differences between the two.Bose Frames Alto (left) and Flows Bruno's (right)
For example, the molded nose pads on the Bose Frames Alto are a bit thinner than the Flows Bruno, but this isn't particularly noticeable to either the wearer or anyone looking at them.
The only real significant difference between Bose Frames and Flows is the comfort, and Flows takes the lead on that front.
Bose Frames have some uncomfortable seams in and around the earpieces that can dig in, which we had to modify with some silicone pads to make them more comfortable. Unsightly, but they go unnoticed when wearing them.
The Flows, however, are significantly more comfortable. The earpieces have no sharp seams, and they are comfortable enough to wear for hours on end.
Swappable lenses
Like Bose Frames, Flows allow you to swap lenses out of the frames with relative ease. Unlike Bose Frames, Flows sells a three-pack of additional lenses for $40.Even better, these packs include clear lenses, which allow you to use your glasses at your computer, outdoors at night, or indoors where sunglasses might not be appropriate. We had to purchase a pair of clear lenses from a third-party retailer for our Bose Frames.
Flows lenses can be purchased at an additional cost
Again like Bose Frames, your eye-doctor or online lens crafter can create prescription lenses for your Flows glasses.
Performance
Flows were very easy to connect with every device we tried, including our iPhone 11, MacBook Pro, Apple TV, and our iPad Air. If you're already familiar with connecting to devices via Bluetooth, you won't have any trouble using Flows.Since Flows are equipped with Bluetooth 5.0, they do get a bit of a boosted range, but tap out at around 50 feet. This wasn't a problem for us, but if you have a large home and wander too far from your devices, you may experience dropoffs as you move from room to room.
Where the Flows fall short, unfortunately, is sound quality. Had we not been able to compare them with our Bose Frames directly, we likely wouldn't feel as disappointed as we do, but unfortunately, we did.
Let's be clear -- the sound quality isn't terrible, it's just not great. The mids and highs are decent, making them perfectly serviceable to use for most things, but the lows are severely lacking. It's even more readily apparent when you put them against the Bose Frames.
If you're going to use them to listen to podcasts or audiobooks, or for casual music listening, Flows are up to the task. However, if you're watching movies or shows or looking for a high-quality music experience, Flows may not be your first choice for audio.
As far as sound bleed goes, they performed nearly identically to the Bose Frames. Unless the audio is turned up unreasonably high, most people aren't going to notice any sound coming from your glasses unless they're sitting right next to you.
This makes them ideal for wearing at the office or in public spaces, especially if you'd prefer to keep your ears unblocked.
Flows also have a built-in microphone that performed reasonably well. The call recipient said that we could be clearly heard, though they did note they could hear persistent background noise, such as traffic or others' conversations.
Go all day
However, when it came to battery life, Flows lasted over five hours. Our first-generation Bose Frames have only ever managed to get two hours before needing to be recharged.This is a big deal for those who may not be able to charge their glasses every few hours.
The underside of Flows, showing the charging connector and speaker
Unfortunately, just like Bose Frames, the Flows require you to keep track of a magnetic charging dongle that requires a USB-A slot to use. Again, we'd appreciate the option to buy an additional charging case if it meant that we could charge our Flows on the go.
A lower bar to entry
Where Flows beat out other competitors, including the Bose Frames and the recently reviewed Fauna, is the price. First-generation Bose Frames still cost $200, and Fauna glasses come in at a steep $300.Flows come in at a much more reasonable $150, making them a decent first pair of audio glasses or a good pair for a younger wearer.
Overall
While we're not going to swap our Bose Frames for Flows, we think that Flows are a good choice for a first-time pair of audio glasses. The five-hour battery life and lower price point make them stand out against other offerings. You can pick up a pair of Flows in Bruno's (square) or Tiffany's (round) style for $150, with a three-pack of lenses available for $40.Rating: 3 out of 5
Pros
- $150 price tag is $50 cheaper than Bose Frames
- 5 hour battery life more than double most competitors
- Additional lenses can be purchased for less than competitor's lenses
- Extremely comfortable to wear
- Lacks bass, making them less ideal for cinematic sounds and serious audio listening
- Magnetic charger requires USB-A port or wall adapter to charge glasses, expensive to replace if lost or damaged
- Microphone may pick up background noise, making them less ideal to use in noisy locations
Comments
1. If you jog, bike, hike, or walk in areas where you may be exposed to other hikers, bikers, walkers, runners, cars, kids, dogs, stray cats, or errant basketballs, having your ears truly open is a lifesaver. I dislocated my shoulder as a teenager because I had over-ear headphones on while riding and wound up swerving to avoid an errant basketball I would have heard otherwise.
2. Pass-through audio doesn't sound as good to everyone as actually having their ears open -- I haven't found anything that actually mimics open-ear headphones as well as leaving my ears open. I've tried a lot of pass-through audio headphones and they don't ever seem to get the mix right. I will still miss a lot of background noises if I use pass-through audio, which hasn't been my issue with audio glasses.
3. People find it significantly less rude if you're wearing these when you're in a space when you may need to interact with people. I know you're worried about sound bleed, but with both the Bose Frames AND the Flows, the sound bleed is extremely minimal. My girlfriend can't hear my audio unless she's sitting within a foot of me. (She also appreciates not having to shake me/yell to get my attention when I wear them -- they've definitely kept me out of the dog house more than once!) I've worn them in stores, restaurants, the bank, etc, and no one has scowled at me the same way they would have had I been wearing AirPods, earbuds, or on-ear headphones. Plus, I don't have to take them out/off to understand people.
4. I've never accidentally lost a pair of audio glasses on a train, down a storm drain, on an airplane, or on train tracks. And I lose a lot of stuff if given the chance.
5. It can be hard to find in-ear headphones that are comfortable. Related to number 4 -- I can't wear first-gen AirPods or EarPods because they're too big for my ears and fall out immediately. A lot of in-ear wearables also cause some pretty bad pain after a while.
6. And I absolutely get that this only applies to a small chunk of people, but if you have in-ear hearing aids or piercings (specifically the conch, tragus, anti-tragus, and daith,) these kinds of headphones are much more accessible!
Again, it's one of those things where they're not for everyone, and I totally get the appeal of in-ear headphones. I also don't think it needs to be an either-or situation. You could easily own both if you find the value in doing such. I scored my Bose Frames for $100 off eBay after someone scuffed one of the lenses and didn't want to pay to replace them. I then paid $60 to put in clear lenses, and I couldn't be more pleased.
I hope that helps!