Bose Frames Tempo are the perfect running accessory

Keep the sun out of your eyes while listening to music

Hitting the road for some exercise or to clear your mind is a great way to stay in shape and take care of your mental well-being. People use different methods while outdoors to stay focused, with many popping some earbuds in and listening to their favorite upbeat music.

Others prefer to go silently, with their only accessory a pair of sunglasses to shield their eyes from glare. But how about combining both those elements into one gadget? Enter the Bose Frames Tempo — they might just be the device you never knew you needed.  

Testing Bose Frames Tempo 

Testing sunglasses with built-in speakers isn't as easy as just looking through them. There are several elements that the BestReviews Testing Lab needed to investigate, such as the build quality, comfort on the ears and nose bridge, sound quality of the speakers and the complexity of setup process.

The BestReviews Testing Lab strives to investigate every claim the brand/manufacturer makes about the product. For this article, the tester used their experience of wearing prescription sunglasses and their vast knowledge of headphones to review the Frames Tempo under different scenarios.

What are the Bose Frames Tempo?

Bose Frames Tempo fall into a rather unique category of sports equipment. They combine the protective elements of robust sunglasses with the entertainment functions of Bose speakers to give you music on the go.

The primary aspect uses the Bose OpenAudio design with two specially designed Bose speakers that rest on your temples. This means there are no earbuds that go into or rest on your ears, so you can also hear your surroundings. 

The black mirrored lenses are polycarbonate polarized lenses, which block out 99% of UVA and UVB rays and have 12% Visible Light Transmission (VLT). That’s about 3% more effective than regular sunglasses.

Inline Link: See how they compare to other products in the space — check out our reviews for the best audio sunglasses.

Bose Frames Tempo price and where to buy

Bose Frames Tempo are available on Amazon for $249. A black frame is the only option, but there are orange lenses for $35 and blue lenses for $39. Where the mirrored black lenses have a VLT of 12%, the Trail Blue has a VLT of 28% and the Road Orange has a VLT of 20%.

How to use Bose Frames Tempo

The sunglasses element is just like any other — you pop them onto your face and your eyes are protected. However, the speakers take a bit of setting up. For the best results, you should use the Bose Music app, which is specifically designed to help you pair the glasses to a mobile device.

Bose Frames Tempo benefits

The tester found the setup process to be easy, though needing to download a new app to use it on your phone can be annoying.  

In terms of sound quality, the volume is clearer than expected. It sounds like a high-quality speaker system more than high-quality headphones. This makes sense because it’s a speaker by your ear and not one feeding into it. 

When running, they are clear and keep their position during strenuous activities, and the speaker design keeps the sound remarkably consistent. Your ears are wide open, though there might be situations where the loudest volume drowns out subtle noises. However, they’re open enough to let you hear any horns, sirens or loud noises.

The tester rates the sunglasses' features fine to good, noting that the mirrored lenses are a little bit overwhelming to look through if you aren’t used to them. However, given that people will wear these during runs and other outdoor activities, keeping your vision clear is an important factor to consider.

The Frames Tempo have a built-in rechargeable battery for the speakers, and the tester got a solid eight hours of playtime before needing a charge. They charged within an hour in a powerful port, but first-time users will want to make sure they have a good adapter or a powerful cord. On the other hand, a low-voltage port took much longer.

The tester also enjoyed the way the Frames Tempo take advantage of the arms for intuitive controls that are easy to grasp once you get the hang of the basics. 

Bose Frames Tempo drawbacks

Changing the speaker is a dangerous game. However, an option that fed audio straight into your ear when you want more privacy, especially for phone calls, would be a good addition to have. The tiny speakers still project in a decent way, so a little bit more privacy beyond turning it down would help. The tester also wants to see more custom options on the glasses design, as these sports-style shades are not for everyone. 

It’s hard to compare them to other sunglasses, but the tester feels that the people who buy these consider function over fashion. In that regard, they’ll hit the mark. The sunglasses work as well as any mid-tier pair you’ll buy, but for the price they could, perhaps, be clearer.

Should you get Bose Frames Tempo?

As headphones, Bose Frames Tempo have amazing sound but are much louder to those around you than even the largest pair of Apple AirPods or Beats. That said, this makes them ideal for outdoor use where open ears still come in handy and you don’t want to take off earbuds. 

People who prefer darkly tinted sunglasses should enjoy these with the right expectations. Think of them like a pair of bargain sunglasses with a high-quality speaker in them and it’s hard to be disappointed in their function.