Knockaround: Lens Categories, Polarisation and Fit

Knockaround sells affordable sunglasses, which raises a fair question: at this price, is the eye protection real? It is — but only if you read which lens you are buying, because the range spans several types.

UV protection and tint are different things

This is the single most important fact about buying any sunglasses.

UV protection is a coating, and it is invisible. A clear lens can block UV completely and a very dark lens can block none.

Dark lenses without UV protection are worse than no sunglasses at all. The tint makes your pupils dilate, which lets more unfiltered UV into the eye. This is a genuine harm, not a marketing point.

Look for a stated UV400 rating or equivalent, which blocks essentially all UVA and UVB. Knockaround states this across its range, which is the reason a Knockaround pair is a reasonable cheap buy rather than a risky one.

Never buy unbranded sunglasses with no stated UV rating, at any price.

Polarised, and when it is worth it

Polarisation is a separate feature from UV protection and does a different job: it cuts glare reflected off flat surfaces.

Worth it for: driving, water, snow, fishing, cycling. Anywhere light bounces off a horizontal surface into your eyes.

Not worth it for: general wear, and actively unhelpful in a few cases — polarised lenses can make some LCD screens, including car dashboards and phone displays, go dark or patchy at certain angles.

Pilots are generally advised against polarised lenses for exactly that reason.

Polarisation costs more, including at Knockaround. If you mostly wear sunglasses walking around town, you can skip it without losing eye protection.

Fitting sunglasses that stay on

Frame width is the measurement that matters. The frame should be roughly as wide as your face — arms should not press into your temples, and the frames should not slide down.

Check the nose bridge. A bridge too wide and they slide; too narrow and they sit high and press. This is why a frame that looks right can still be uncomfortable.

Larger frames give more coverage and block more peripheral light, which matters more than people expect on bright days.

For sport, look for a Knockaround style with rubberised nose pads and arm tips. Plain plastic slides once you sweat.

Care

Clean Knockaround lenses with a microfibre cloth and water, or lens spray. Never use a shirt tail — fabric drags grit across the lens and scratches the coating, which is what makes old sunglasses hazy.

Never clean with paper towel or glass cleaner. Ammonia strips lens coatings.

Store your Knockaround pair in a case, lenses up. A pair thrown into a bag face-down is a scratched pair.

Do not leave them on a car dashboard. Heat warps frames and can delaminate lens coatings.

Do not push them onto your head repeatedly — it stretches the arms and they stop gripping.

Knockaround frames and lens colours

Knockaround sells its sunglasses in named frame families, such as Premiums and Fast Lanes, and each family has its own shape and fit. Compare the width and lens height of the Knockaround frame you want against a pair that already fits you.

Lens colour changes what you see, not how well your eyes are protected. Grey lenses keep colours natural and suit driving. Brown and amber lenses add contrast, which helps on changeable days and on the water. Mirrored lenses cut a little more brightness and suit very bright conditions.

Knockaround lists whether each lens is polarised. Filter for it if you want polarisation, rather than assuming every pair in a style has it.

Prescription wearers should check whether a Knockaround frame can take prescription lenses before buying, rather than assuming an optician can fit any frame.

Where the Knockaround savings are

Knockaround discounts regularly, and much of the range is affordable enough that the codes are a bonus rather than the point:

The referral-style Knockaround codes naming individuals are affiliate codes and sit at a consistent level, so any working one gets you the same result.

The genuine argument for Knockaround and other cheap sunglasses is that you will lose or break them. Sunglasses are the most-lost accessory there is, and buying two affordable pairs beats one expensive pair you are anxious about.

Try one of the 20% codes first and fall back to GET15 if it fails. Knockaround normally accepts one code per order, so a 20% code on a basket of two pairs is the best use of it.

Common questions

Are cheap sunglasses safe for your eyes?

Yes, if they state UV400 protection. Dark lenses with no UV rating are actively harmful.

Do I need polarised?

For driving, water and snow, yes. For general wear, no — and it can dim some screens.

Why do mine keep sliding down?

Nose bridge too wide for your face. Frame width and bridge matter more than style.

Which Knockaround lens colour should I pick?

Grey for true colours and driving, brown or amber for contrast. Colour does not change the UV protection.