“Kevin Sorbet” or “The worst pun ever.”
There’s been considerable buzz surrounding Knockarounds, the sunglasses start-up, ever since its inception in 2005. Their glasses are known for being inexpensive ($8 - $34) and coming in a multitude of colors. I’ve had an aversion to buying expensive sunglasses ever since I fell off my bicycle as a kid and scratched up a pair of Oakleys I received as a Christmas gift. I searched for practical info and user pics, but they were few and far between. Regardless, my brother and I decided to take the plunge. We ordered two pairs of the “Fort Knocks” ($25 each) which has the classic Ray-Ban Wayfarer shape, and one pair of the “Premium” sunglasses ($14), which are more comparable to Oakley Frogskins. I’ve decided to post my thoughts/ pics for potential buyers who stumble upon this page.
The sunglasses shipped quickly and for free, since our order was over $50. We bought three different color options: Black/ black and matte white/ sunset for the Fort Knocks, and black/ black for the Premiums.
Materials: The frames and lenses are entirely plastic, as one might expect from a pair of sunglasses that’s less than $30. They look good while they’re on you, but they do feel cheap to the touch. The lenses all feature UV400 protection. The sunset lens gives everything a cool hue, and the lenses on the Premiums make things appear warm. There is one issue that I had. After photographing the sunglasses, I noticed some fine scratches on the temple of my black Fort Knocks’. While I don’t expect a very durable product for $25, I was nonetheless disappointed that my sunglasses scratched merely from being on a picnic table.
Fit: For what it’s worth, I wear a 7 5/8 hat, so I have what one might call a “large” head. The Premiums are slightly smaller than the FKs, and I think they’ll be a better fit for most people. Personally, though, I found the FKs to be slightly more comfortable. The temples have some give to help make a better fit on your head. As with classic Wayfarers, the lenses on the FKs do tilt in a bit. After shaking my head violently for a bit, I have determined that both styles of sunglasses stay on my head just fine. There are also fit pics on my Flickr.
Style: This is really the big selling point of Knockarounds. Their sunglasses come in a ton of different color/ lens combinations, and you can also create your own Premiums for $34 on the site. I wouldn’t pay $20 on top of the original price of $14 for that privilege, but I suppose it’s nice to have the option. I personally loved the different lens options on the sunglasses my brother and I purchased. The black lenses of the premiums have a chrome hue that looked cool. My black/ smoke FKs were by far the most reserved pair. I’d recommend them if you aren’t looking for a flashy pair of sunglasses. The matte white/ sunset FKs looked amazing, though. They don’t really fit into my overall sense of style, but they were bold and looked stunning in the light. The FKs also have small gold bars on the front of the frame, and small gold Knockaround logos on the temples. I enjoyed these small details, and they make the sunglasses seem less cheap.
The biggest question is: Would I buy them again? The answer is yes. I understand that you can buy similar sunglasses from Zumiez, Forever 21, or basically any clothing store oriented towards younger shoppers. However, fits differ, styles differ, and colors differ. With the Knockarounds, the styles aren’t too wild, I know what fits, and there’s enough color combos to keep me satisfied for a long time. While I do have some reservations about the quality of the materials, these same reservations will probably apply to any sunglasses in this price range. As someone who is unwilling to spend over $100 on a pair of Ray-Bans that I’ll probably lose eventually, I’ll gladly accept Knockarounds as my go-to for inexpensive sunglasses.
Check out more pics (including fit pics!) on my Flickr.
I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I’ve watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those… moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.
GPOYW: Work edition. (Taken with instagram)
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