Korean 3D printed eyewear firm Breezm makes customized sunglasses using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) 3D printing and its own app. I’ve tried out the app, and the process of scanning and measuring your face is surprisingly easy. The Breezm app is much more intuitive and easier to use than others I’ve tried, and works well.
Aside from this, the company usually has people come to their stores in New York or Seoul to get direct advice about the looks and different types of glasses. The staffer 3D scans you on site, and your scan is then used to extrapolate 1,200 data points, which are matched with their glasses models. You can then see the glasses virtually positioned on your face, and virtually try them on. This process as well really helps you find the right glasses for you. You can choose different colors, lenses, and finishes as well. The scan is then used to make a specific, unique-to-you frame.
Now, the firm has come up with the Breezm Motion collection. These are custom-fit, 3D printed glasses for sports and the ubiquitous (in marketing, perhaps not so much in life) active lifestyle. Sporty glasses for sporty people could fit you on the padel court, the beach, or walking to the ice cream store.
The case for active sunglasses that are custom-fit is a good one. An improved wraparound effect that closes off your brow is much better for boating and other aquatic high sunlight activities, for example. A tighter fit should stay on your face better during horseback riding or other jostling pursuits. And a better fit could be much more comfortable during hours of hiking or hitting a ball somewhere.
The Breezm Motion glasses are all wraparound. You can see that they’re made to clasp your ear precisely. Ear position is one thing that the app measures, so this could be a source of some comfort. The two available designs at the moment are the Forte and Brio. The Forte is “a bold, angular design defined by clean lines and a modern aesthetic, and Brio, a more fluid wraparound silhouette inspired by movement and speed,” as Breezm explained.
The company thinks that the glasses will have a “secure, slip-resistant fit informed by a precise 3D facial scan.” They feature “grip enhanced temples,” which should be more stable than alternatives. Breezm also says that the 3D printed sunglasses in its new Motion collection will be lightweight, durable, block peripheral light and dust, and can even be combined with prescription lenses. The current frames are available in the (in vogue at the moment) earth tone matte colors of Mocha, Deep Forest, and Charcoal.
You can go to the store or use the app to try them out. I think that for now they only work in North America and Korea, but can’t be sure. The glasses cost $238, but this includes prescription lenses. I really like what Breezm is doing. The company has a stellar app and its glasses wear well. Now it has to reach out, tweak its go-to market, and get people who recommend the product through its doors.
The company seems to have a good product, and now needs to push hard or find the right customers. To me, very specific glasses for very specific groups of people would be the most advantageous. I’d partner with padel players and get custom padel glasses, custom golf glasses with pro golfers, custom hunting glasses with gun brands, that kind of thing. To me, the key element here is to use the specificity of the design, and the unique low volume production technology of 3D printing, to offer the perfect glasses for one sport. Then, with the reach of a trusted person in that sport, you can develop and present the ideal glasses for that sport. That would be how I’d push Breezm forward.
Images courtesy of Breezm