XREAL Pro One AR Full Light Blocker Lens Shade REVIEW

Lightweight Upgrade for XREAL AR Glasses

Whether traveling by airplane for work, spending a weekend away in a hotel, lounging in bed at the end of the day, or walking on my treadmill, I have grown very fond of my  Xreal One Pro AR glasses.  I have recently watched season 4 of The Legends of Vox Machina and Spider Noir on Amazon Prime and absolutely loved the larger screen and the ability to pin it (anchor) while exercising.  However, I have found that the semi-translucent lens allowed a bit too much light to filter through.  It muddied the picture and took away some of the pizzazz. So, I turned to Amazon for a solution and found the TPU, rubberized Zooplan Full Light Blocker.  

The Zooplan Full Light blocker for XREAL Pro One glasses arrived in a plain tan-brown retail package. The cover panel had a simple white sticker with the Zooplan name, “Made in China” indicator, and large barcode.  I lifted the front panel, opened the box lid, and removed the 0.6-ounce black rubberized lens blocker.  The front face measured 6 inches long by 2 1/2 inches tall and had faint oblique lines from the 3D print bed, as I get when I print with my Bambu A1 3D printer on a textured bed.  There were some gaps along the edges that appeared more cosmetic than functional.  For a finished product, I would have expected smoother lines and finish.

The inner surfaces of the frames had print lines similar to those on the front panel.  The top edge had a 3/8-inch-tall by 1/16-inch-thick rim designed to go around the top of the lenses and along the side portion of each earpiece. The sides had 1 7/8-inch-tall by 1 5/8-inch-wide by 1/16-inch-thick light-blocking panels.  The side panels tapered and curved under the lenses toward the nose piece.  The side panels felt more finished and glossy than the front-facing, outer panel.  I would have loved for the entire device to have that degree of finish.  

The installation process could not have been easier.  First, align the top edge of the blocker along the edges of the glasses, slide the side blockers under the spring-loaded hinge/temple arms, and then press the lower edge of the light blocker under the bottom of the frame.  The nose piece section will fit easily onto the glasses.  I slid the glasses on and liked that the lower edge of the lens blocker did not rub against my face.  The forehead section and nose clip held the glasses nicely against my face.  In total, the XREAL One Pro glasses plus light blocker weighed 3.8 ounces. With the included USB-C-to-USB-C power cable, the setup weighed 4.8 ounces. 

I tested the Xreal One Pro glasses with and without the light blocker in indoor and outdoor scenarios.  The blocker greatly reduced light penetration without adding significant weight to the setup.  If the room were completely dark, I would not need the blocker.  However, if outdoors or in a bright room, I noticed glare and washed-out colors.  When applied, the light blocker still allowed a bit of light to leak from the top and through the bottom of the nose pieces.  The main improvement was with direct and peripheral light exposure.  Simply blocking light through the lenses drastically improved clarity and vibrancy. 

Conclusion:

I was pleased with the improved video’s color and clarity, as well as the ease of installation. However, for a $27.00 accessory, I was a bit disappointed with the texture lines and edge cracks.  For the price, I really expected a bit more polish and surface finish.  I liked the soft, flexible feel of the TPU rubberized material and would have been happier with the purchase at ~$10.00-$15.00, with the current quality.  I turned to the Bambu Handy App and printed two XREAL Pro One Cable clips (credit Silverfoxy) for cable retention on my shirt (12 minutes). 

I also printed an XREAL PRO One AR glasses Light Blocker (credit: wusiu) from the Bambu Handy App (24 minutes) in PLA for comparison.  My Bambu Labs A1 can print in PLA, PET-G, and TPU, but because of my smaller room, I tend to print only in PLA.   Despite the ease and speed of printing, I preferred the feel of the TPU material to the rigid PLA. My next step is to find a case that accommodates the glasses, USB-C cable, and Lens blocker, because the XREAL One Pro’s case only has room for the glasses and lens cloth.  Lastly, I liked that I could fold the glasses with the TPU case installed. This was not possible with the PLA version.

Visit the Zooplan Store on Amazon.