Product Review: Knockaround Sunglasses

As someone who wears prescription glasses, I do not wear sunglasses that often and used to feel like I was missing on the fun and comfort that comes with it. Prescription sunnies are expensive and limited in styles and transition glasses made me feel like life was always greyer than it was. So when I was invited as a BibRavePro to test a growing brand of sunglasses from a runner’s point of view, I thought it would be an opportunity to test if running was an activity I could do without prescription glasses.

"Disclaimer: I received KnockAround sunglasses to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!"

The Website

Not knowing about their brand, the first thing I did before accepting to test their sunglasses was to check their website, and, wow do they have a lot choice! There are hundreds of frame colours and patterns available, coloured and mirrored lenses, limited edition designs, and if you still cannot find glasses that fit your style, you can create your own pair of custom sunnies or even colour your own glasses with markers. I gotta say this is my favourite thing about Knockaround glasses as I really enjoy expressing my creative sides or wearing my team's colours when competing or cheering.

Guess which team I will be cheering for at the  2018 World Cup  

 

I can't wait for my little one to be old enough to use sharpies!

The Brand

Knockaround sunglasses are an American brand of stylish, lightweight and affordable sunglasses. One of their slogans is QUALITY SHADES THAT WON’T BREAK THE BANK.
They do not seem to be that well known in Canada, but I have a feeling the word will get out soon.

The Price

Does the price hold true to their slogan? I would say yes, especially for the glasses with polarized and mirrored lenses. Starting at just USD $10 (CAD $12.96 on May 8, 2018) for the Classics with polarized lenses and USD $15 (CAD $19.43) for the Premiums and with shipping fees of only USD $5 (CAD $6.48 on May 8, 2018), they are definitely on the affordable side. Even the custom glasses were surprisingly less than $30 Canadian! Knockaround sunnies are the kind of glasses that, as a mother, I feel comfortable letting my toddler play with, and as a relatively clumsy person, I do not have to worry about dropping. After years of frustration from not being able to wear colourful glasses, I am seriously tempted to get a few colourful pairs to go with various racing outfits, and to create some custom glasses as needed. BibRave also gave me a discount code that I can share with you for an extra 20% off one order, accessories included.

Delivery and Packaging

I was pleasantly surprised when I opened my mailbox to find a box that perfectly fit in it. No need to go pick them up! The other big surprise was that the box did not include just one, but two glasses! On top of the Navy Blue frames with Smoke Polarized lenses Knockaround Premiums I had picked, I got a pair of Frosted Grey frames with Green Moonshine Polarized and Mirrored lenses. Each pair also came with a soft carry pouch. Because I felt the pouch might not protect the glasses enough when thrown in my bib diaper/gym bag, I ended up recycling one of the boxes from an old pair of prescription glasses.

The Toddler Test

The first person to test them ended up being my little one. I gotta say, she is kind of obsessed with sunnies and caps, especially adult-sized ones. As soon as she saw them in my hand she shouted "Nunettes!" (a mispronounced version of the French word for glasses) and grabbed them aggressively. They were pretty easy to put on and, surprisingly, would stay on her face. So now, whenever she refuses to wear her own pair of baby sunnies, I let her borrow my Knocks. If they do drop from her face or she decides to throw them in a tantrum, at least I will not need to go over my monthly budget to get a replacement pair.

The Runner/Sprinter Test

I decided to first test them on a sunny day sprint interval workout with my friend and fellow BibRavePro Jeannine. She had told me about these hills that are perfect for 45s hill intervals followed by 10s sprints (a staple of my training programs), so I wanted to test them with her. I took both my Knockaround and prescription glasses (just in case) and we trained under the hot (for a Vancouverite) sun for about 40 minutes. I was running, leaning forward, sprinting, and sweating and my glasses did not move at all. Still, they were feeling very light. What also surprised me is that I did not feel impaired by my slightly blurred vision. In fact, I felt that I could see slightly better than with my regular prescription glasses when facing the sun. Thanks polarized lenses! Also, I must say that my vision actually slightly improved since my pregnancy (weird, I know), so it was better than I remembered from past attempt at running glasses-free.

We then decided to pose for a selfie and that is when I noticed that the frames were a tiny bit too big for my face shape as my cheeks and forehead would rub against them when smiling. Jeannine, who has a similar cheeckbone structure, experienced the same thing. It is not really an issue for wearing them when running, as I usually try to run with a relaxed face, but I am thinking of trying Knockaround's other frame shapes when doing my next order. Maybe the Classics or Fort Knocks will be an even better fit for when I want to both smile with all my teeth and wear sunnies :-p

After this initial test, I pretty much ended up wearing them anytime I got to run on a sunny day. They held well through all my workouts, including sprints, stairs, and plyometrics. Not even one do I remember having to push them back in place, something I still do a lot with my prescription glasses. I did skip on wearing them for a trail race, but it was more because I feared missing to notice a root on the ground and falling on the ground than because of comfort.

Wearing the moonshine green lenses taught me to love green again

Would I recommend them?

Yes, the Knockaround Premium sunnies are surprisingly great glasses for running. Their low price and relatively solid build also makes them great for mothers of toddlers. If you are either of them and enjoy bigger-framed glasses, those are a great match for you. Want to get a pair or two? Use the code BIBRAVEKNOCKS for 20% off your next order.

What Do Others Think of Them?

Check out these other reviews from fellow Canucks:

Jeannine: Everything but Weddings
Bradley: Bradley on the Run