We review Everything to know about Oakley Thump Sunglasses, the first MP3 wearable eyewear!
Table of Contents
Release and History
There are be a lot of ways to describe Oakley Thump sunglasses, but ordinary is not one of them. They are the first sunglasses to incorporate an mp3 audio system and were one of the first wearables to exist. Long before the Google Glass or Apple Watch, we had the Oakley Thump.
Naturally like all other technology in the early 2000s, mp3 players moved quickly. And the Thump was no exception. Over the span of 4 years, Oakley released 5 variations of the thump. All with slightly varying designs, and updated technology to keep up with the times. Keep reading as we compare all of the Oakley Thump models and the differences over the years.
Oakley Thump Sunglasses Review
Thump (2004)
The Oakley Thump, introduced in 2004, was a first of its kind. At the time, wireless music was a novelty. The Apple iPod released in 2001, but in 2004 it still wasn’t quite as mainstream as the brand today. The market was littered with MP3 players and the Thump was looking to take its place.
First, the Thump features an integrated MP3 player built directly into the earstems of the frame. The earstems are wider than your typical Oakleys to accommodate the electronics. And the headphones themselves are integrated directly into the stems as well with the ability to flip them up when not in use.
With a maximum of 256 MB of memory, you could store up to 60 of your favorite songs with a battery life of around 6 hours. It small size may seem trivial today where most phones have 256 GB of storage, but at the time it was on par for the market. Users could transfer music onto the sunglasses from a computer via USB (which was included with the sunglasses when bought new).
The frame itself is made of O Matter material and featured Plutonite lenses. Not that it needs any more novelty, but the Thump also has lenses that flip up in case you want to keep listening after it clouds over. The Thump was produced in a variety of frame colors including Crystal Clear, FMJ Copper, Matte Black, Night Camo, Red Camo “Lil Jon”, Rootbeer, Tortoise, and White Camo!
Overall the Thump was revolutionary. Yes, like most MP3 players at the time, the technology was clunky. Loading songs was never easy. But they were still an innovation like no other and the world took notice.
Thump 1.5 (2005)
The next iteration of the Thump kept up with technology bumping up the memory for a maximum of 512 MB, increasing storage to 120 songs. It featured the same six hours of battery life and the rechargeable lithium battery system as the original.
Additionally, the Oakley Thump 1.5 Sunglasses retains the same design as the original with an O matter half-frame and wrap style. However, with the Thump 1.5, we began to see the colors become toned down. Overall the brand released fewer colorways, all fairly basic including Dark Grey, Matte Black, Polished Black, Tortoise and Tribal.
This time was the peak of the storage wars, with new hard drives and flash storage doubling almost every year, brands needed to keep pace. The Thump 1.5 was exactly that – it kept up with the competition, although the pair only ultimately lasted for a few months.
Thump 2.0 (2005)
The Thump 2.0 introduces a major design change to the line in addition to upgraded tech. Looking to capitalize on the Oakley Gascan Sunglasses’ success earlier in the year, the Thump 2.0 modified the Gascan frame to include the thump electronics. This clearly was an appeal to the broader market with the ever-popular Gascan frame. Similar to the 1.5, Oakley stuck to basic colorways including Brown Smoke, Polished Black, and Polished White.
The Thump 2.0 increases storage up to 1 GB of space or room for 240 songs on the technology side. In line with the market, Oakley introduced three versions, with 256 MB, 512 MB, or 1 GB of space. The sunglasses still featured the same 6-hour battery life and core technology. However, it did add a battery level indicator and 3 point hinged arms for the earbuds that fold up and out of the way when not in use.
The pair received a positive reception with initial users enjoying the Gascan design and reporting that the hinges on the earbud arms significantly improved terms of comfort and range of adjustability.
Thump Pro (2006)
Though the Thump experiment was only two years old, 2006 brought the Oakley Thump Pro, iteration number four. This Thump Pro goes back to the O Matter half-frame while keeping the rectangular wrap shape of the Thump 2.0. The Oakley Thump Pro also keeps the sleeker design of the 2.0, without the stylized ridging of the earliest models.
Despite going back to the half-frame, Oakley did decide against returning to the flip-up lens. They did stick to fairly basic colorways (Brown Smoke, Crystal Black, Polished Black, and Polished White) except our favorite Fluoro Yello.
On the tech side, this Thump Pro keeps the 256MB/512MB/1GB options, battery level indicator, and lithium battery with 6-hour playback from the 2.0. It also keeps the hinged earbud arm and adds extra maneuverability to the earbuds for a better fit. They also added compatibility with digital content platforms like iTunes (with some caveats), WinAmp, and Audible. This made syncing songs much easier compared to earlier versions.
Overall the Oakley Thump Pro sunglasses were marketed for athletes. The pair seemed to retrace the brands routes after the lifestyle inspired Thump 2.0.
Split Thump (2007)
Finally, in 2007, the Oakley Split Thump sunglasses were released. These would become the last iteration of the Thump family.
The design reverted back to the O matter the full-frame design, with similar curves to the Oakley Hijinx sunglasses. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the awesome Hijinx Colorways, instead, Oakley stuck to Brown Smoke, Crystal Black, Polished Black, Purple/White Camo, and White. But once again Oakley was marketing the Thump as an everyday lifestyle pair. However, the big difference with the Split Thump sunglasses was the ability to remove the speakers. This meant when you didn’t want music you were left with what appeared to be an ordinary pair of Oakleys.
Additionally on the technology, the Oakley Split Thump offers up to 2 GB of song space (500 songs), playlist capability, digital music platform compatibility, increased battery life for seven hours of playback, and the same great sound users report in all the models.
Ultimately this pair would mark the end of the Thump line. By 2007, the Apple iPod had begun to dominate the market and the writing was on the wall. As Oakley was winding down the Thump line, they were still producing similar Bluetooth wearables with the O Rokr and Razrwire lines. Still, the Thump family will live on in history as an epic pair of sunglasses and the first mainstream wearables on the market!
Are Thump Replacement Lenses Available?
Yes, Oakley Thump Replacement lenses are available from several aftermarket retailers. But, since this frame is discontinued Oakley no longer sells replacement lenses. This isn’t bad news though. Especially since aftermarket replacement lenses are often 50%+ cheaper than direct from Oakley.
Check our our Oakley Replacement Lens guide for a complete comparison of your options!
Where to Buy Oakley Thump Sunglasses?
Oakley Thump sunglasses are no longer sold by Oakley after the Split Thump was discontinued. But you can still find the Thump on several aftermarket sites like our Oakley Forum Exchange Areas and eBay. Be sure to also check out our guide to buying rare and discontinued Oakleys for more information!
Prices for Thumps range wildly based on the model and condition. New and like new pairs with all the original parts will sell for several hundred dollars. But older used pairs, which may or may not have working electronics often sell cheaper.
Final Thoughts
The Oakley Thump sunglasses are an iconic pair. They embody everything we love about Oakley. From the design of the frame itself to the fact that they practically created the idea of wearable technology.
Today with unlimited songs on everyone’s phone, the Thump tech is definitely outdated. But the concept is still cool. These sunglasses were almost 10 years before Google tried their hand at wearables with the “Glass”. For that reason, we love the Thump!
Are you a fan of the Oakley Thump sunglasses? What’s your favorite variation? Join the largest online Oakley community and let us know in the thread below!
