Buy Knockaround if you lose, sit on or scratch sunglasses — which is most people. A polarized Knockaround is the pick of this page because it does the actual job of a sunglass (glare control and full UV blocking) for under $40, and replacing one does not hurt. Buy a Ray-Ban if you want a specific icon shape, a frame that survives a decade of daily folding, and a pair you will still like in ten years. What you are NOT buying with the Ray-Ban is more eye protection.
Let us put the uncomfortable part first, because it decides the page. On the health function of a sunglass — blocking ultraviolet light — a correctly labeled $35 pair and a $230 pair are equivalent. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends looking for "100 percent UV protection" or "UV400" and states plainly that less expensive pairs carrying that label can be just as effective as pricier ones. The American Optometric Association takes the same position. Consumer Reports adds the related correction: polarization is a glare feature, not a UV feature, so check that a polarized pair also carries a UV label. Both brands here do.
So what does the extra money buy?
Four things, all real, none of them protection.
Frame engineering and hinges.A Ray-Ban's acetate is thicker, its hinges are metal and set into the frame properly, and the arms keep their tension after years of opening and closing. Budget frames loosen; this is the single most reliable difference you will feel over a long ownership.
Lens material options.Ray-Ban offers crystal (glass) lenses and the classic G-15 tint alongside polarized options; Knockaround's range is impact-resistant plastic with polarized and non-polarized versions, documented on its own site. Glass resists scratch haze in a way no budget lens does.
Shape fidelity. The Wayfarer and the Aviator are specific, well-proportioned objects. Budget brands make shapes that are near them; near is visible on a face.
Resale of attention.Not a joke — a recognizable frame is part of why people buy it, and pretending otherwise would be dishonest. It is simply not an optical property.
| Factor | Knockaround | Ray-Ban |
|---|
| Typical street price | Roughly a sixth of the Ray-Ban — see the live prices above | Premium, stable, rarely discounted deeply |
| UV protection | UV400 / 100% on the listings we feature | 100% — the same standard, not a better one |
| Polarized option | Yes, clearly labeled per model | Yes, on selected models — must be chosen deliberately |
| Lens material | Impact-resistant plastic | Plastic, plus crystal glass options |
| Frame and hinges | Adequate; loosens over years | Noticeably better, holds tension |
| Colorways | Many, cheap enough to own several | Classic palette, one pair at a time |
| Losing one hurts | No | Yes |
The short answer
Quick picks
#ad · Live prices from the Amazon Product API, as of October 19, 2026. Where we have no verified live price, we show none — we would rather leave a gap than print a number that has rotted.
In detail
The picks, in full
A do-anything budget pair
Knockaround Polarized (Sport)
PolarizedUV400Impact-resistantMany colorways
The other budget default — polarized, impact-tough, and endlessly restyled.
- Glare control
- 8
- Optics
- 7
- Fit & coverage
- 7
- Durability
- 7
- Value
- 9
Pros
- +Polarized UV400 for pocket money, from a brand that has sold millions of them
- +Impact-resistant frame and lens shrug off the drops that kill fashion frames
- +Enormous color range if the look matters
Cons
- −Grip isn't as sticky as goodr's coating for high-bounce running
- −Optical clarity is fine, not remarkable
Don't buy this if…
…you run hard and hate readjusting — goodr's no-slip coating holds better on a sweaty face than Knockaround's standard arms.
Everyday and driving
Ray-Ban New Wayfarer (Polarized)
Acetate framePolarized optionCrystal lensIcon shape
The default answer for everyday and driving — an icon shape with a genuinely polarized option.
- Glare control
- 8
- Optics
- 9
- Fit & coverage
- 6
- Durability
- 8
- Value
- 6
Pros
- +The New Wayfarer's slightly smaller, softer profile suits more faces than the original Wayfarer
- +The polarized version cuts glare off wet roads and car hoods, which is exactly what you want driving
- +Crystal (glass) lens options are scratch-resistant in a way the budget acetates here are not
Cons
- −You pay a real brand premium — the same glare control exists for a quarter of the price if the icon status doesn't matter to you
- −Flat lens and modest coverage mean light leaks in from the sides in bright sport settings
Don't buy this if…
…you want a wrap for running, cycling or the flats. This is a lifestyle frame — it will slide down your nose the first time you sweat, and it lets side light straight in.
Softening a square or angular face on a budget
Knockaround Rounded Square Polarized
Rounded square shapePolarizedUV400Impact-resistant
The softened-corner Knockaround — the budget answer for a face that hard squares are too harsh on.
- Glare control
- 8
- Optics
- 7
- Fit & coverage
- 7
- Durability
- 7
- Value
- 9
Pros
- +Rounded corners take the hard edge off a square frame, which is the standard counterweight to a strong jawline
- +Polarized and UV400 at a price where owning two shapes is reasonable
- +Knockaround's impact-resistant build survives the life a cheap pair actually gets
Cons
- −Budget coatings will scratch before a premium lens does
- −One size within the shape, with no adjustment
Don't buy this if…
…your face is already round or soft. A rounded frame on a round face echoes the curve instead of balancing it.
A larger, more casual Ray-Ban shape
Ray-Ban Justin (RB4165)
Rubberized nylon frameOversized squareGreen G-15 lensFull UV protection
The oversized rubberized Wayfarer variant — a style buy, and this listing is not polarized.
- Glare control
- 4
- Optics
- 8
- Fit & coverage
- 7
- Durability
- 7
- Value
- 5
Pros
- +The larger, slightly squarer shape suits wider faces that the standard Wayfarer pinches
- +A rubberized nylon frame is lighter and less fragile than acetate
- +The classic green lens is a genuinely good neutral tint for everyday wear
Cons
- −This colorway is NOT polarized — it is a tinted lens, so it dims glare rather than canceling it
- −Oversized styling overwhelms a smaller face, and there is no size option within the model
Don't buy this if…
…glare control is why you are buying. Take the polarized Wayfarer or Aviator instead — a tint alone will not remove the mirror off a wet road.
The icon, with a real polarized lens
Ray-Ban Aviator Classic (RB3025, Polarized)
Metal framePolarized optionTeardrop lensAdjustable nose pads
The most recognizable sunglass ever made, in the version that actually cuts glare.
- Glare control
- 8
- Optics
- 9
- Fit & coverage
- 6
- Durability
- 7
- Value
- 5
Pros
- +The teardrop shape has softened faces for seventy years, and it flatters square and angular faces particularly well
- +Adjustable nose pads are rare at this level and let you dial in fit in a way molded bridges cannot
- +The polarized version does the real glare job on wet roads and water, not just the look
Cons
- −You pay a substantial brand premium — the glare control alone is available for a tenth of the price
- −Thin metal arms and a large lens mean modest side coverage and no grip when you sweat
Don't buy this if…
…you want a sport pair. Metal arms and a flat teardrop lens are the wrong tool for a run, a ride or a bright flat.
Who each pick is for
- Knockaround Polarized— for the reader who wants real glare control, full UV blocking and no anxiety about the pair.
- Ray-Ban New Wayfarer (polarized)— for the buyer who wants the icon shape and will keep it for years.
- Knockaround Rounded Square— for softening an angular face on a budget, where the rounded shape does the work.
- Ray-Ban Justin— for a larger, more casual Ray-Ban at the lower end of the brand's pricing, with the classic G-15 lens.
- Ray-Ban Aviator Classic (polarized)— for the taller lens, which is the better Ray-Ban for low sun and driving.
The argument for owning several cheap pairs
This is the case most premium comparisons skip. Sunglasses are lost at a rate that has nothing to do with their price: in a car, at a beach, on a bar, in a jacket you have put away for the season. If you own one $230 pair, there will be bright days when it is not with you — and a pair you do not have on your face is worth nothing. Three polarized Knockarounds, in the car, the gym bag and the hall, is a defensibly better outcome than one Wayfarer at home.
The flip side is equally honest. If you are the sort of person who has owned the same sunglasses for six years, the per-year cost of the Ray-Ban is modest, the frame will still be tight, and the budget pair would have been replaced twice in that window anyway. Our are expensive sunglasses worth it page runs that arithmetic properly, and when to replace sunglasses covers how long a lens actually lasts.
Where the budget pair genuinely falls short
Three places. Edge clarity: cheap lenses distort slightly toward the edge, and on a long drive some people notice it as mild eye fatigue. Hinge life: expect looseness within a couple of years of daily use. Scratch resistance:no budget plastic lens holds up like glass, so keep a cloth with the pair — see how to clean sunglasses, because dry-wiping is what actually destroys lenses.
What does not fall short, on the listings we feature: polarization and UV blocking. A polarized budget lens really does remove the glare sheet off a wet road. If you want to check your own pair rather than trust a label, the test is in how to tell if sunglasses are polarized.
If you want the middle
There is a real middle ground this page does not rank: $60–$100 pairs with better frames than Knockaround and none of Ray-Ban's brand premium. That tier is covered in best sunglasses under $100. And if you came here because Knockaround was one of two budget brands you were weighing, the head-to-heads are goodr vs Knockaround and Knockaround vs Tifosi. For the version of this page where the premium brand is a sport brand rather than an icon — which changes the answer, because sport frames are engineering rather than heritage — see Knockaround vs Oakley.
How to decide in 30 seconds
When did you last lose a pair of sunglasses?
Within a year → Knockaround, and buy two. Never → the Ray-Ban is a fair purchase.
Do you want a specific iconic shape?
Then buy the Ray-Ban. Approximations of a Wayfarer read as approximations.
Is polarization the reason you are shopping?
Both offer it; the budget pair delivers it. Just make sure the Ray-Ban SKU you pick is actually the polarized one.
Do you need more UV protection?
You do not get it by spending more. Look for 100% UV / UV400 on the label at any price, per the AAO.
Will the pair be used for sport?
Neither. A lifestyle frame slides when you sweat — read running sunglasses or cycling sunglasses instead.
How we picked
We don't run a testing lab
We compile each pair's published specifications — lens material, polarization, coating, frame material, coverage, UV rating and price — normalize them, and score each against a published rubric. The scores are judgments from documented research; they are notmeasurements we took, because we don't own a lab and we're not going to pretend we do. Pairs we claim to have lab-tested: 0.
Questions
Frequently asked
Are Knockaround sunglasses as good as Ray-Bans?+
On glare control and UV protection, close enough that the difference is hard to notice. On frame build, hinge life, edge clarity and lens material options, Ray-Ban is clearly better. Whether that is worth roughly six times the price depends almost entirely on how long you keep sunglasses. See
are Knockaround sunglasses good.
Do cheap polarized sunglasses really block UV?+
Yes, when they are labeled for it. The AAO's position is that inexpensive pairs marked 100% UV-blocking can be just as effective as expensive ones, and UV blocking comes from a lens treatment that costs very little. Polarization is separate — a pair can be polarized without being UV-rated, which is why you check for both labels.
Which Ray-Ban is the best value?+
The Justin sits at the lower end of the brand's pricing with the classic G-15 lens and a larger, more casual shape, so it is the cheapest honest way into the brand. The New Wayfarer costs more and is the more enduring shape. The Aviator is the one to buy if low sun and driving are the problem.
Is Knockaround or Ray-Ban better for driving?+
A polarized lens matters more than the brand, and both have one. The Ray-Ban Aviator's taller lens handles sun coming over the top rim better. The strongest argument for the budget pair is that a car cooks and loses sunglasses — see
best sunglasses for driving.
Are Knockaround lenses polarized by default?+
No — Knockaround sells both polarized and non-polarized versions of most frames, and the cheapest listings are often the non-polarized ones. Read the lens line on the specific listing. Every Knockaround we rank on this site is a polarized model.
Receipts
Sources
We do not run a testing lab, and we do not pretend to. Where a spec or measurement came from a manufacturer or a third party, we name and link it. Where we could not verify something, we say so on the page rather than quietly leaving it out. Read our full method.
