There’s no denying that Oakley leads the way in the world of sport and high-performance eyewear, but we totally get it if you want the Oakley look and performance without the premium price tag.
In this post, we’ll explore cheaper alternatives without sacrificing quality and style, but also explore similar brands for those who demand the best in their sports or technical eyewear.
Whether you’re a weekend warrior or just seeking stylish sun protection, this post will help you find the perfect Oakley alternative.
- Cheaper Alternatives to Oakley Sunglasses
- Best Polarized Lenses: Suncloud Optics
- Best Budget Shades: Knockaround or Goodr
- Best Sport Performance (Cycling/Running): Tifosi Optics
- Best Beach Shades: Blenders Eyewear
- Similar Performance Alternatives to Oakley Sunglasses
- Smith Optics
- Rudy Project
- Costa Del Mar
- Other Performance Brands to Consider
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Cheaper Alternatives to Oakley Sunglasses
Let’s face it, not everyone has the budget to invest in Oakley sunglasses, especially if you’re prone to losing or over-abusing them (guilty as charged!).
Or maybe you love owning a collection of cool shades, and having different sunglasses for different occasions is your jam.
The key here is to look for sunglasses that don’t compromise on the essentials: durability, UV protection, polarization, and, of course, style.
Best Polarized Lenses: Suncloud Optics
Let me introduce you to Suncloud Optics, a subsidiary of Smith Optics, known for their fantastic polarized lenses.
If you’re a fishing or watersports enthusiast, you’ll appreciate their shades. They offer superior glare reduction without hurting your pocket—on average, you can get a pair of SunCloud polarized sunglasses for around $50.
Suncloud Sentry
One of my personal favorites from their collection is the Suncloud Sentry. It’s light as a feather, polarized, and has a comfortable fit.
It’s got everything you’d want from a good pair of sunglasses, and it won’t burn a hole in your pocket.
Suncloud Loveseat
Another great pick is the Suncloud Loveseat. It’s the perfect frame for daily wear with its stylish look and excellent glare reduction.
I mean, who doesn’t love a good pair of sunglasses that can go from a casual day out to an afternoon fishing trip?
Best Budget Shades: Knockaround or Goodr
If budget is your top priority but you still want to look like a million bucks, check out Knockaround and Goodr.
Knockaround
An American eyewear company, Knockaround has been making waves in the eyewear industry since 2005.
Founded by Adam Moyer, Knockaround offers stylish sunglasses made with high-quality materials, but without the hefty price tag.
You’ll find a variety of styles here, from aviators to wayfarers, and round frames. The best part? The average price point for Knockaround sunglasses is just $35.
Knockaround Fast Lanes
One of their best sellers, the Knockaround Fast Lanes is a crowd-pleaser. These sunnies have a timeless, classic style, come polarized, provide UV400 protection, and are available for an unbeatable price.
Knockaround Classics
If you’re a fan of Oakley Frogskins, you’ll love the Knockaround Classics. They come with a similar keyhole bridge, are available in multiple colors, and provide full polarization and UV protection.
Knockaround Snow Goggles
For hitting the slopes, Knockaround also has some great snow goggles. They’re a cheaper alternative to Oakley snow goggles but don’t compromise on quality.
Goodr
Goodr has been on the scene since 2015, providing ultra-affordable sunglasses. They’re specifically designed for runners, focusing on shades that don’t slip or bounce around while you’re beating your best time.
A pair of Goodr sunglasses costs about $30 on average.
Goodr OG Sunglasses
Check out the Goodr OG Sunglasses. They’re lightweight with a grippy frame that stays in place during your workouts. With polarized and UV-blocking lenses, they’re the perfect partner for your outdoor activities.
Best Sport Performance (Cycling/Running): Tifosi Optics
Tifosi Optics has made quite the name for itself when it comes to cycling and running since launching in 2003.
Straight out of Georgia, Tifosi sunglasses are an excellent alternative to Oakley’s sports performance line, with prices spanning from $25 to $80. (Yes really!)
Their performance shades have good durability, adjustable features, and a sleek, lightweight design. With ventilation and grippy hydrophilic rubber components, they’re suitable for cycling, running, golfing, and more.
Optically, their lenses provide good visuals too. While they don’t have quite the crystal-clear clarity you’ll get from a pair of Oakley’s – especially on hazy days – they aren’t shabby at all and certainly punch well above their price point.
Tifosi Vero
First on our list is the Tifosi Vero. These streamlined, semi-rimless sunglasses are built to perform.
They come with vented, shatterproof polycarbonate lenses (either with or without polarization) that don’t fog up during those early morning hours.
Need a prescription? The Vero is Rx-eligible, and you can even get them with Tifosi’s light-adjusting Fototec lens.
Lightweight and comfortable, these frames are ideal for road cycling and trail running.
How Good Are Tifosi Sunglasses?
Tifosi Rail
A great alternative to the Oakley Sutro, Tifosi’s Rail is a pair of shield-style sunglasses that provide excellent coverage, minus the bulk.
The adjustable ear and nose pieces and hydrophilic rubber temple tips provide a secure and comfortable fit, even when exposed to moisture.
Why pay a couple hundred bucks for the Sutro when Tifosi’s Rail is less than $100 and includes 3 interchangeable lenses?
If the tall Rail lens is too big for you, it also comes in a smaller version in the Rail XC.
Best Beach Shades: Blenders Eyewear
If you’re a beach lover and sun-worshipper, San Diego-based Blenders Eyewear is just the ticket for you.
Founded in 2012 by a surf coach, Blenders has been creating fashionable and functional sunglasses for everyday wear, beachwear, and active pursuits.
But that’s not all – they also offer prescription eyewear, blue-light glasses, and reading glasses. On average, you can expect to shell out about $60 for a pair of their sunglasses.
Blenders Eyewear sunglasses have great durability and offer features like polarization and scratch resistance. With prices spanning from $38 to $68, they offer a broad range of styles, from classic to super cool, each oozing with vibrant colors and unique designs.
Blenders Canyon
If you’re a fan of the Oakley Holbrook, you’ll want to check out Blenders Canyon frame.
With it’s keyhole bridge and large square lens, it fits like a glove and provides excellent coverage for your peepers.
The Canyon comes with polarized smoke lenses to eliminate glare, making them great for both everyday wear and active pursuits.
Blenders Millenia X2
Fancy something fancy? Try the Millenia X2, a pair of super swank, super fun shades to rock all summer long.
They can make anyone look cool with mirrored rose champagne lenses that are guaranteed to make heads turn.
(Not only that, the mirrored coating works wonders in eliminating glare when you’re out on a boat.)
Similar Performance Alternatives to Oakley Sunglasses
So you’re an Oakley fan, but you’re open to exploring other brands that could provide a similar, if not better, level of performance.
Maybe you’re into extreme sports or you just love the great outdoors, and you’re looking for sunglasses that offer the same high-quality lens technology and a snug fit. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Choosing an alternative that matches Oakley’s performance requires considering key factors such as lens clarity, contrast enhancement, color accuracy, impact resistance, and fit adjustment.
With that in mind, let’s delve into some top-performing brands and frames that can stand toe-to-toe with Oakley.
Smith Optics
For serious cyclists looking for good polarized lenses, Smith Optics is definitely worth checking out. The brand excels in providing superior optics, remarkable color contrast, and an easy-to-use lens interchange system.
Smith Optics Attack MAG MTB
This pair is an excellent option for mountain biking enthusiasts. The Attack MAG MTB is like a cross between the Oakley Jawbreaker and Sutro Lite in terms of lens height.
Its polarized ChromaPop lens does an exceptional job of enhancing color and contrast.
Moreover, its shield-style ventilated lens provides extensive coverage but doesn’t fog up.
And if you need to swap out lenses, the MAG lens interchange system makes it easy with its quick-release magnetic arms that allow you to do so in seconds.
Smith Optics Lowdown 2
The Lowdown 2 is a fantastic pair for everyday use but still offers ample coverage and protection for active outdoor pursuits.
The polarized Chromapop lenses filter out light wavelengths that cause color confusion and reduce glare from horizontal light.
Additionally, they’re lightweight and extremely comfortable to wear.
Rudy Project
Looking for technical sunglasses? Then, you might just fall in love with Rudy Project.
This Italian sport performance eyewear company was founded in 1985 and has since become a top choice brand for cyclists, runners, and mountain bikers.
The brand is known for its performance-focused design, which includes lightweight frames and a unique temple arm design that fits well under helmets.
They also produce technically advanced lenses with high optical clarity, UV protection, and impact resistance.
Made from premium Italian materials, their sunglasses are extremely durable and customizable with interchangeable lenses and adjustable components.
Rudy Project Cutline
The Rudy Project Cutline is a pair of lightweight shield sunglasses that has an impressively wide field of view.
It’s got customizable bumpers (brow and underneath both eyes), allowing you to wear it as full-rim, semi-rimless, or totally rimless depending on your preference.
There’s an option to add their ImpactX Photochromic lens that adjusts perfectly to changing light conditions with fantastic clarity, or you can choose from various tints.
And…these shades are even Rx-eligible with an Rx-insert.
Rudy Project Rydon
The Rydon is a pair of streamlined semi-rimless shades that work equally well for cycling, golf, and running.
It comes with tons of lens customization options, including ImpactX Photochromic 2 Laser Purple Golf and Polarized Green G15.
People love how lightweight and comfortable they are – riders have gone an entire day with them on and forgotten that they’re even wearing them!
The lenses are easy to swap out, and built-in Rx lenses are available. Keep in mind that it’s best for narrower faces.
Costa Del Mar
Enjoy fishing, boating, surfing, or other water sports? Then you probably don’t even need an introduction to Costa.
In terms of quality, durability, innovation, and style, they are on par with Oakley sunglasses.
However, they’re more specialized, focusing on water activities and lifestyles. Costa is particularly well-known for their glass lenses, which offer unparalleled optical clarity.
Costa Reefton
Reefton is a large frame model with excellent coverage – a real savior for those with big noggins.
You can choose between polarized polycarbonate (580P) or glass (580G) lenses.
The 580G lenses are generally preferred by anglers for their crystal clear optics, glare protection, and ability to see fish underwater.
Plus, they don’t scratch easily. What’s more, the spring hinges make them easy to put on and take off, and your eyes won’t tire out even in bright conditions on the water all day.
Costa Rinconcito
The Rinconcito is another fantastic pair for fishing and boating. It comes with polarized mirrored lenses, available either in polycarbonate or glass.
If you’re after better clarity and optics, choose the glass lens.
But if you need better impact protection, opt for polycarbonate.
Rinconcito is essentially a smaller version of the Rincon, making it a great fit for smaller heads. On top of that, its durable lightweight TR-90 frame makes it comfortable to wear for long periods.
Other Performance Brands to Consider
Maui Jim
If you’re a water sports enthusiast or a beach lover, then Maui Jim, similar to Costa, should be on your radar.
With its exceptional PolarizedPlus2® lens technology, including glass lenses, Maui Jim sunglasses are suitable for various activities such as fishing, golfing, or driving.
Roka
So you’re a multisport athlete? Roka might just be the right fit for you. They specialize in eyewear for cycling, running, triathlon, climbing, and golf.
What sets Roka apart is their patented GEKO™ technology, which provides a non-slip fit, and their C3™ lenses, specifically designed to enhance color and contrast.