Pickleball is war.
I play on a team where 3 out of my 12 teammates have suffered eye injuries in the past 4 months.
One girl even needed surgery to fix a detached retina and had to pay $5,000 in hospital bills!
Friendly fire happens too.
More recently, my friend was playing doubles when his partner mishit a volley and sent the ball into my friend's eye, rupturing a blood vessel.
Fortunately, there's a simple fix.
Glasses!
Over the past 2 months, I've spent over $1,000 on pickleball glasses trying to find the perfect one. (More about me and why at the bottom of this post.)
I've discovered many solid options and wanted to share them with you.
Here are the 8 best pickleball glasses you can get in 2024.
For each model, I offer runners-up and cheaper alternatives.
Best shields
High-wrap shields look like ski goggles and offer the widest coverage and field of vision.
Unfortunately, you end up looking like RoboCop (unless that's your thing) and have to use inserts for prescription lenses, which can be awkward.
- + Meets ANSI Z87.1 safety requirements
- + Surprisingly comfortable
- + Adjustable nose pads
- + Photochromic lenses (clear lenses that turns dark in the sun) for both indoor and outdoor play
- + Interchangeable lenses
- + Prescription inserts
- - You look kinda silly
- + Virtually identical to CRBN but less than half the price
- - Unclear whether they are impact resistant
Best wrap-around sports frames
Wrap-around frames are traditional sports sunglasses with 8-base curve lenses, lightweight frames and straight temple arms that fit under helmets.
Unfortunately, wrap-around lenses are prone to fogging because they are close to your face, trapping sweat and moisture.
Also, the extreme curvature of 8-base lenses limits them to lower prescription values (< 3.00).
- + Meets ASTM F3164-19 safety rating for racket sports
- + Interchangeable lenses
- + Adjustable temple tips for a better fit
- + You can order them with prescription lenses
- - The large nose piece can distort vision
- + Oakley's best-selling multi-sport sunglasses since 2002
- + Rubbery Unobtanium® nose pads and temple arms ensure grip
- Interchangeable lenses
- + You can order them with prescription lenses
- + Safety-rated for selected sports (ASTM F803-11)
- + A favourite with squash players
- - Not available with prescription lenses
- + Vented lenses minimise fogging
- - Not available with prescription lenses
Best lifestyle frames
These frames look like everyday sunglasses but come with features to enhance your performance on the pickleball court.
Plus, because these lenses are flatter, they can accommodate all prescription levels.
The main drawback is that most lifestyle frames are not safety-rated.
- + Interchangeable nose pads
- + Rubberised temple tips prevent slipping
- + Spring hinges absorb impact
- - Polarised lenses can affect depth perception
- + Cheap and cheerful
- + Lightweight
- + Don't slip
- - Polarised lenses can affect depth perception
My pick
If you have a low prescription or don't need prescription lenses at all, go with RIA Reflex.
You can fit them with photochromic lenses (suitable for indoor and outdoor play) adjust the temple arms for a personalised fit.
If you have a high prescription, ROKA Barton 2.0 is your choice.
It is lightweight and comfortable, and even though it isn't safety-rated, its shatterproof polycarbonate lenses are strong enough to protect your eyes from pickleballs.
About me
I'm Ming, and I've been running a sunglasses brand called Rocket Eyewear for the last 7 years.
I play pickleball twice a week and am developing a line of pickleball glasses, which is why I've spent nearly $1,000 researching different options.
I have a high prescription — over 400 in both eyes — and am therefore leaning towards Roka but don't wanna spend well over $200 (once prescription lenses are added) for sunglasses that aren't safety-rated for pickleball.
I have nothing to sell right now and wrote this post to share everything I've learned so that you can pick the right pair of glasses for your next pickleball game!
Conclusion
Just wear glasses when you play pickleball.
You could even wear regular glasses frames without lenses!
That's what my teammate who suffered the detached retina does these days.
As new paddles become more powerful, pickleball-related eye injuries are increasing.
Pickleball is war.
Protect your eyes!