Our New Favorite Sunglasses Under $25: Fort Knocks by Knockaround

 

arrowIf you’re anything like us, dropping $150+ on a pair of sunglasses isn’t only an assault on your budget, it’s impractical. Sunglasses need to be priced low enough so it isn’t a nest egg emergency when you lose them, sit on them, or crush them in your messenger bag.

That’s where Knockaround comes in. The San Diego based start-up offers designer-worthy shades for less than two tickets to the movies.

My favorites are the “Fort Knocks” in Frosted Grey. The translucent plastic is a welcome addition to this modern, streamlined take on the classic Wayfarer shape. The spring-loaded frames are light on your face, but don’t feel chintzy in your hands.

Here’s to looking great in your sunglasses on the cheap before you crush them/leave them in your friend’s car/lose them to your girlfriend.

For more shapes and colors check out Knockaround’s site.

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Andrew is the founder and editor of Primer. He's a graduate of American University and currently lives in Los Angeles. Read more about Primer on our About page. On Instagram: @andrewsnavely and @primermagazine.

20 Comments

  • Reply June 27, 2011

    Dead Sea

    But are the lenses glass or plastic? I wait for Sunglasses Hut to have a 2-for-1 sales and get my Ray-Bans for 80$ or so each, two at a time. Some people still think that’s too expensive, but once you get a pair of sunglasses with glass lenses you’ll NEVER want to go back.

    If I could get a pair of quality sunglasses with glass lenses for 25$ I’d go wild.

    • Reply August 6, 2015

      Henry Perry-Friedman

      I thought most ray bans are polycarbonate now

  • Reply June 28, 2011

    Andrew

    Hey Dead Sea,

    I believe the lenses are plastic. The 2 for 1 sale is awesome! Good deal on Ray-Bans.

  • Reply June 28, 2011

    Bryan

    Agree with Dead Sea… once you go Ray-Ban it’s hard to go with anything else. I have a pair of polarized New Wayfarers and a sportier pair as well. I’ve owned Smith, Oakleys and even went the uber-cheap throwaway pair route for a while… but now that I’m back to Ray-Bans it’s pretty hard to see me going with anything else.

    And these are really just another pair of inexpensive Wayfarers at the end of the day. The look might be there, and cheers to my hometown of San Diego, but I can’t imagine the feel is there.

    • Reply August 6, 2015

      Henry Perry-Friedman

      Oakly and ray bans are the same company

  • Reply June 29, 2011

    Andrew

    Bryan,

    They are indeed another pair of inexpensive, cool looking wayfarer types. That’s why I like them! Cost vs quality is something everyone wrestles with, these shades would be perfect for a guy who wants to look great on the cheap. For someone like you who places a lot of value in the heft of their sunglasses, higher priced options make the most sense.

  • Reply June 29, 2011

    Jennifer

    Considering the rate at which my boyfriend loses his sunglasses, it just doesn’t make any sense to spend more than $25 a pair. Even if I find a good deal but still have to spend twice as much, there’s still that subsequent guilt when they get lost, stolen or broken. I’ll take the Knockarounds any day 🙂

  • Reply June 30, 2011

    Dave

    The only problem is most of the decent Fort Knocks colors are out of stock…

  • Reply June 30, 2011

    Andrew

    Dave,

    I checked with Knockaround, they said the frosted grey should be back in stock in mid-July.

  • Reply July 17, 2011

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  • Reply September 29, 2011

    Ben

    Just leaving this comment for potential future readers – I have the Fort Knocks in tortoiseshell and I like them a lot. Awesome shades for the money. And unlike a lot of plastic glasses I’ve tried on, they are comfortable and sit well even on my slightly asymmetrical schnoz.

    However, they are quite large on my small-to-medium sized face. If you’ve got a tiny noggin, these might be way too huge for you. Fairly ye be warned.

  • Reply October 17, 2011

    Constantine

    This is a sure way to look great on the cheap. They look awesome!

  • Reply December 4, 2011

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  • Reply December 5, 2011

    Jose

    I’m too big of a fan of my Maui Jim’s to try anything else.
    IMHO, great value for your money ($80-$100 a pair). I own too and am never looking back.

  • Reply January 4, 2012

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  • Reply June 8, 2012

    Jonathan Levine

    Anyone looking for the frosted gray/smoke, its out of stock right now.

  • Reply August 13, 2012

    Peter W

    Got a pair of matte black polarized smoke shades, feel great and look sweet but WATCH OUT, if you wear theses at the beach, the salty sea air tarnishes the studs and wording pretty badly

  • Reply October 8, 2012

    Attackmen8

    are you able to see through the smoke lenses?

  • Reply March 25, 2014

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  • Reply September 11, 2018

    G

    10$ discount on your first purchase when signing here: https://share.knockaround.com/x/q903EU

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