We have just taken delivery of a brand-new model manufactured by our sister company Evolution Eyewear Ltd. Called Evolution Tyrol it’s a super versatile combination sunglass & goggle with two interchangeable grey and orange lenses. You can use Tyrol as a sunglass (with or without the detachable shock absorbing foam gasket) or as a goggle by replacing the arms with the elasticated, adjustable strap supplied. The two lenses allow for almost all light conditions. The frame is made from super tough TR90 and lenses are Class 1 Optical Quality lenses with 100% UVR protection. The lenses have hydrophobic (water) & oleophobic (oil) lens coatings that repel water, dust, oil, fingerprints smudges and dirt plus an anti-scratch lens coating. Other features included impact resistant, shatterproof polycarbonate lenses plus non-slip nose pads and temple tips. The Tyrol model is ideal for skiing, road cycling, mountain and trail biking. Supplied with strap, pouch for the spare lenses, cleaning cloth, soft carry pouch and hard case – all for just £29.95! Click here to see it.

With the long hot spell of weather being experienced here in the UK anyone that’s out about taking part in their sport will probably have experienced fogging of their sports eyewear. This happens when the air near the lens is cooled by the lens resulting in the relative humidity of the surrounding air rapidly increasing. As air cools it looses it’s ability to carry water vapour. Once the relative humidity reaches near 100%, water will begin to collect on the lens. Even in fairly dry air, if the temperature difference is great enough you will get lens fogging. The closer fitting the eyewear the more prone they are to fogging. Fortunately there are now some really good anti-fog solutions available – we probably stock more options than anyone else with no less than seven different ones to choose from in our accessories section. Our best seller is this great little pocket anti-fog spray made by anti-fog specialists Klar Pilot in Germany.

Here are some simple tips to keep your eyewear lenses sparklingly clean.

• Rinse your eyewear under a gentle stream of lukewarm tap water. This will remove dust and other debris, which can help avoid scratching your lenses when you are cleaning them. Avoid hot water, which can damage some lenses.
• Apply a small drop of lotion-free dishwashing liquid to each lens. Most dishwashing liquids are very concentrated, so use only a tiny amount. Or apply a drop or two to your fingertip instead. Use only brands that do not include lotions or hand moisturisers.
• Rinse both sides of the lenses and the frame thoroughly. Failing to remove all traces of soap will cause the lenses to be smeared when you dry them.
• Gently rub both sides of the lenses using a clean lint-free cloth (a cloth that doesn’t give up any fluff when used). Ideally use a microfibre or synthetic chamois cloth. Don’t use kitchen towel as this is surprisingly abrasive and will scratch polycarbonate/plastic lenses. Try and clean every part, including where the edge of the lenses meet the frame where dust, debris and skin oils can accumulate. It’s also worth cleaning the nose pads and the ends of the temples that rest behind your ears.
• Purpose-made lens cleaning solutions are widely available and not expensive as even a small bottle will last a long time. Never use general household glass or surface cleaners to clean your eyewear as these typically have ingredients like vinegar that can damage lenses and coatings such as anti-reflective coatings.

See our accessories section for a wide selection of lens cleaning product/kits.

There has been much coverage in the news about data breaches by online companies. It’s true that even relatively small e-commerce businesses sell their database of customer details and for some it’s become a useful income stream. In the 11 years we have been operating Sunglasses For Sport we have never sold or rented out any of our customers’ details. That was our privacy commitment from the start and something we feel very strongly about and we absolutely guarantee that we will never sell or rent out any of our customers’ details (including anyone that registers with us) to any other organisation in the future.

Easter is rapidly approaching and a popular time to head to the slopes in Europe (including Scotland!), especially this year as the snow coverage is the best for many years. If you have your ski tripped booked will you be wearing goggles or sunglasses? It’s true that 20 years ago most skiers wore sunglasses and only a minority wore goggles but the huge growth of snowboarding coupled with greater awareness of the risk of head damage has meant the reverse is now true – there are more goggle than sunglass wearers. By necessity helmets are worn by all snow boarders and more progressive, accomplished skiers tackling challenging snow runs and going off-piste. And helmets and goggles tend to go together. However many skiers simply don’t like goggles as they cut down peripheral vision and are usually less comfortable to wear than sunglasses. Of course there is nothing to stop someone wearing sunglasses with a helmet and again many do. Skiers that are not intending to tackle black runs all day and are content with more “sedate” skiing can quite happily get by with good quality sunglasses. But even at moderate speed cold wind can cause the eyes to water so it’s worth looking out for full frame (not half frame) models with a “full wrap” (wrap-around) fit that will keep out wind (and sun glare). To help you choose your ski eyewear we have a longer article in the ski section click here to read.

Sunglasses For Sport is the only UK eyewear retailer selling the extraordinary Eagle Eyes polarised sunglasses from America that utilise lens technology originally developed by NASA; the only sunglasses inducted into the NASA / Space Foundation Technology Hall of Fame. And we’ve just added five brand new models (Maven, Juno, Stealth, Swifth and Aero) all at just £29.95 – amazing value for a premium quality polarised sunglass. Click here to see them.

We recently set up a new main navigation / search link on the home page where we grouped together different sections and categories all in the one area. We know that visitors to the site are often looking for something specific; good examples being Category 4 (dark lens) sunglasses, Photochromic (light adjusting) sunglasses and Multi-Lens eyewear sets. So in addition to our other two main links of Search By Sport & Search By Brand we now have Search By Category. And whilst we mainly sell sports style sunglasses we do also have a big choice of leisure style sunglasses (over 150 different models). So if you’re looking for a pair of sunglasses for everyday use, driving or a holiday – you’ll know where to find them!

Real, genuine breakthroughs in vision technology are few and far between but the new Eagle Eyes SuperSight® 4-in-1 magnetic eyewear system is certainly ground-breaking; truly innovative it gives you four different lens technologies that magnetically and inconspicuously attach to the lightweight but strong TR90 stylish frame. This four-lens system provides 24/7 vision protection and enhancement in a variety of light conditions day, night, digital & low light.

The 4 lens are:

1. TriLenium® Polarized Lens System for strong sun
2. StimuLight® Vision Enhancement lens for low light
3. Night-Lite® Anti-Glare Lenses for night driving
4. DigiTec™ blue light blocking lens for computer/screen use

Supplied with a soft carry pouch and high quality hard case with compartments for the different lens-frames the complete 4 lens system is available at a special introductory price of just £79.95 – exceptional value.

We have just greatly expanded our range of Kost Eyewear models – now 26 in total each with 3 or 4 colour variations and every single one, including 13 different polarised models, are priced at under £15 including free UK delivery. Kost Eyewear is a Dutch brand specialising in good quality but low price sunglasses for both sport and leisure use; there’s a very wide range of great looking styles to choose from and they really are simply incredible value for money. Click here to see them.

We have just taken a delivery of some brand new Loubsol’s from France. Loubsol was one of the first brands we started selling over 10 years ago. A big name in sports eyewear in their own market, especially amongst cyclists and skiers. Loubsol specialise in high quality but affordably priced sports sunglasses; frames are robust / durable and lenses Class 1 optical quality. All the Loubsol’s we sell come with both a soft carry pouch and hard case making the great value for money. The new models are Guincha, Lobivia, Repi, Endo, Houle and Chervil.

1. Most sports sunglasses use polycarbonate as the lens material. The highest-grade polycarbonate will create a Class 1 lens with exceptional visual acuity. This material has 20 times the impact resistance of glass and is 3 times lighter. The downside of polycarbonate is that it can easily scratch so it’s important to protect lenses when not in use. The easiest way to do this is keep the sunglass in a soft carry pouch (as supplied with almost every sunglass we sell). It’s not a bad idea to have a few spare carry pouches around the house – they’re very inexpensive to buy – see our accessories section.

2. When cleaning lenses steer clear of household glass cleaners as these typically have ammonia or alcohol in them. These are in effect harsh chemicals and can damage any coating on your sunglass lenses especially those with a mirror finish. Use lens cleaners specifically designed for the purpose (again, see our accessories section) or use soapy water (use bar soap not washing-up liquid). Gently wash the lenses with soapy water and wipe dry with a lint-free cloth or microfibre cloth. Don’t use kitchen or other paper towel as these can be abrasive and will make tiny scratches.

3. When on holiday have a pair of ‘beach’ sunglasses with you – anything costing under £20 (we have plenty of those too!). Avoid wearing your expensive sunglasses anywhere near a beach. Tiny crystals of salt or sand can easy scratch your lenses.

4. Don’t leave sunglasses exposed inside your car on a warm day, for example on the dashboard. Behind the windscreen / window glass the heat built up can become intense and damage both the frame and lenses, especially polarised sunglasses – intense heat can cause the polarised film to ‘bubble up’ and this is not repairable.

5. Try to avoid keeping your sunglasses on the top of your head when you’re not actually wearing them. Though it might be convenient or look stylish, you risk stretching-out the temples (arms). Also, natural oils from your hair and scalp can smudge or otherwise affect the lenses.

Just in from our partner factory – another two brand new Evolution models and we think they’re great (we’re only slightly biased!). They are Evolution Mistral and Evolution Chase. Both are loaded with features you would expect in eyewear costing a great deal more with TR90 super tough frames, Class 1 lenses, adjustable nose pads, vented frames, hydrophobic & oleophobic coatings to repel water, dust, oil, fingerprints smudges and dirt plus anti-scratch lens coatings.

Mistral has a detachable strap and two lens two colour options:

Category 4 very dark grey lens – click here 

Grey lens with orange revo – click here

Chase also has two lens colour options:

Grey – click here

Silver-Blue Revo – click here 

They all retail for just £19.95 apart from the Mistral Category 4 which is £24.95.

The Chase model can also take a prescription optical insert – see our prescription options section

The peak daily ultraviolet radiation level changes over the year, the strongest being at the time of the Summer Solstice (21st June) which is rapidly approaching. Short-term exposure to UV can lead to photophobia – visual discomfort and sensitivity to bright light or photokeratitis, a sunburn-like condition that can last 48 hours or so. However, cumulative exposure to UV can lead to permanent sight loss – it is one of the main risk factors of age-related macular degeneration (the leading cause of sight loss in the UK) and cataracts, a clouding of the eyes lens, which affects one in three people aged over 65 years. Other potential eye health problems related to UV exposure include pterygium – a growth on the white of the eye, which encroaches onto the cornea and can obscure your vision. Repeated exposure to sunlight can also increase your risk of cancer of the eyelid and the skin surrounding the eye.

David Cartwright, Chairman of Eye Health UK, comments: “We should all be aware of the harm UV can do to our eye health. Popping on a pair of sunglasses when slapping on the sunscreen is a habit that would benefit us all and prevent future avoidable sight loss.

David continues: “Ideally all children – and adults – should wear good quality sunglasses and a peaked hat when spending any time outdoors. It’s especially important for parents to safeguard their children’s eyes when they are playing on the beach or by water where there is a lot of reflected light.”

Just arrived – two brand new, superb looking Evolutions! Evolution Rockport has a black frame and polarised grey lenses; together with its full wrap fit it will completely keep out glare. It’s also very light for all-day comfort. At just £19.95 including soft carry pouch, cleaning cloth & hard case it’s great value for money. Click here to see it. Evolution Polo is equally stylish, with a black frame and two lens colour options: Grey with flash mirror or Smoke with blue-green mirror. Polo is also light and it’s polycarbonate impact resistant, shatterproof lenses means it can be used for any sport. Supplied with a soft carry pouch it’s priced at just £16.95! Click here for the Blue-Green mirror and here for the Grey with flash mirror.

• the position of the sun in the sky
• forecast cloud cover
• ozone amounts in the stratosphere

• 1-2 Low
• 3-5 Moderate
• 6-7 High
• 8-10 Very high
• 11 Extreme

Just arrived from America, a new delivery of Floats including lots of brand new 2017 models. Floats really are “fab” in every way – terrific styling, superb glare-blocking polarised lenses and strong, durable frames. At under £30 supplied with a soft carry pouch and hard case they are exceptional value for money. Click here to see them.

For those of us who will only ever aspire to running a single marathon, spare a thought for William Sichel, one of our sponsored athletes. William is a multiple world record holder and one of the UK’s most successful ultra distance runners. He’s taking part shortly in the 3100 mile (that’s not a missprint!) Sri Chinmoy Ultra Marathon, where competitors must average 59.6 miles a day for 52 days straight to finish. That’s some race! William took part in 2014 and is still the only British person to finish this race. The upcoming event starts in NYC on June 18th and we wish William the very best of luck! Click here for more information about William.

We have been alerted to an article in Cycling Weekly which makes sobering reading. Club rider Jamie Maidment was racing in the Alan Rosner Memorial Races at Hog Hill on Easter Monday when he crashed heavily, landing on his face.This would be a nasty crash in any circumstances, but as Maidment wrote on Twitter, his choice of eyewear made his injuries particularly bad. Reluctant to race in and potentially break one of the genuine pairs of Oakley sunglasses that he owned, Maidment decided to go online to find cheaper alternatives. “I found some cheap Jawbreaker copies for £15 and took a punt on them thinking that if they’re rubbish then I can just scrap them, no bother.”

Maidment travelled to east London for the race where he would discover why his sunglasses cost £15 rather than the £175 RRP of the genuine Oakley product. “The problem is that genuine Oakleys are impact tested to quite a high degree whereas these are not,” Maidment, who is now back on his bike, continued. “I discovered this when I faceplanted.

“The right earpiece snapped clean off and caused quite a significant laceration above my right eye. Frankly, I’m lucky it didn’t blind me.

“Please bear this in mind next time you’re shopping for cycling sunglasses. The cheap copies are great if you never intend on crashing them.”

An Oakley representative told Cycling Weekly that the company would encourage consumers to only buy its sunglasses from certified shops (like Sunglasses For Sport), and that this would never have happened with genuine Oakley sunglasses.

Read the full article here

We have just taken delivery of lots of new (2017) Uvex models. Uvex are made in Germany. A large company (over 1000 employees) they are, like many German manufacturers, still family owned, taking huge pride in the quality of their products. They also support hundreds of athletes worldwide. The styling is superb and both the frames and lenses are first class. And compared to some other big eyewear brands they are not expensive – really good value money. Click here to see them.

Just in from America some new additions to our Eagle Eyes range. These extraordinary sunglasses use lenses developed from original NASA optic technology. The TriLenium® Triple Filter Polarized lenses block out 99.9% of harmful UVA & UVB radiation plus scattered blue light and allow in vision-enhancing light rays for optimum visual acuity. The only lenses Certified by the Space Foundation for UV and Blue Light Eye Protection. And Sunglasses For Sport is the only UK eyewear retailer for these really exceptional sunglasses. Click here to see them.

Any eyewear can fog up and close fitting, wrap around sports sunglasses are more prone to misting up as there is less air flow between the lens and the face. Fortunately there are now some really good anti-fog products available and we probably have most of them! We now have a choice of 7 different options, the latest being 2 products made by Pilot GmBh, Germany’s leading manufacturer of anti-fog solutions, whose clients include the German armed forces and emergency services. Both have 3-in-1 propertes: anti-fog, anti-static and cleaning. These two new anti fog products are the Klar Pilot pocket sized spray and the Klar Pilot anti fog gel that comes in a squeezable tube. Both will last a long time making them good value.

Another delivery just arrived of 2017 stock including brand new models this time from Tifosi. It may have an Italian name but Tifosi is an American brand and arguably the fastest growing sports eyewear brand worldwide. It’s certainly taken the US cycling market by storm becoming the No. 1 cycling sunglass in US cycling stores. The styling is really superb and each model is absolutely loaded with features that you’d expect from eyewear costing a great deal more, so they really are very good value for money and with super tough nylon frames should give years of use. Click here to see them.

This is the time of year we get deliveries of new stock from our suppliers including their brand new 2017 models. We’ve just added lots of new Sea-River models. Sea-River is the French brand that specialise in polarised sunglasses with all their lenses being the highest Class 1 optical quality. A great range of styes is on offer and included in the range are some photochromic polarised models at just £39.95 – really great value.

We have just reduced the price of quite a few Eyelevel models – around 50% off their previous price with polarised models down to just £9.95 and non-polarised at the really low price of £6.95! Fantastic value! You’ll find them in our ‘Special Offers’ section.

  It may not always seem like it but according to the UK’s Met Office the number of sunny days in the UK has been rising since 1977. During the decade 2007-2016 there was the equivalent of 633 sunny days across most UK regions an increase compare to the previous two decades when the number of sunny days were 612 between 1997 and 2006 and 598 between 1987-1996. Last year is still among the years with the highest number of sunny days since 1929.

What does the next couple of months (in the UK) hold in store? Long-range predictions suggest Britain will bask in above-average temperatures towards the end of spring with plenty of sunshine during the countdown to summer. So let’s be optimistic – and keep our sunglasses close at hand!

We don’t add new brands that often – only when we think it would offer something different to our customers. And that’s why we’ve taken on Kost Eyewear; a Dutch brand well-known in The Netherlands. They specialise in good quality but affordably priced sunglasses for both sports use and leisure wear. All frames are lightweight and the lenses are remarkable quality for the price. With most models, there are 3 or 4 different frame/lens colour options to choose from. Included in the range is a great selection of polarised sunglasses all under £20! Click here to see them.

We have just taken delivery of our new Evolution Hunter range. This is safety eyewear but with sports styling. It’s available in four individual colours: Grey, Yellow, Clear and Grey with Blue Mirror. Lenses are Class 1 optical quality with full impact protection complying with BS EN166FT (Independently tested & certified by INSPEC). The 7-base curve provides complete eye protection and the rimless, frameless design means totally unobscured vision. Lenses also have an anti-fog coating to both sides and are UV400 rated providing the maximum protection from harmful UVR.  The Hunter model also has a soft non-slip nose piece and flexible temple tips for a comfortable fit.

A lot of safety eyewear is ‘industrial’ in appearance. We wanted to introduce safety eyewear that looks good. And most safety eyewear does not provide full UVR protection or come with anti-fog lens coatings. So with all its features the new Evolution Hunter range, at just £14.95, really is exceptional value.

We feel sure that Evolution Hunter will have broad appeal amongst cyclists, cricketers, runners, shooting and Airsoft BB enthusiasts. Click here to see them.

We have just taken delivery of several new models from both Loubsol and Montana.

Loubsol are one of France’s best known sunglass manunfacturers specialising in high quality but affordably priced sports eyewear. They can be used for many different  sports but some are highly suitable to cycling enthusiasts (not surprising for a French company!). They also have a number of different Category 4 (dark lens) models in the range for skiing, high altitude climbing/walking or for anyone with eyes sensitive to strong sunlight.

The Montana brand is owned by a very large, long established Italian eyewear company with their own Swiss- based design team. ALL models have polarised lenses. They really do look good and with prices starting at just £14.95 they’re exceptional value. Click here to see them.

If you go for a morning or late afternoon run, Luke Arundel, spokesperson for Optometry Australia, has pointed that whilst it’s important to wear sunglasses any time the sun is out it’s the ‘shoulder periods’ of the day, when the sun is lower on the horizon, that we’re actually getting more UV radiation. He said, “When the sun is directly above us, the brow knocks a lot of those UV rays, but when it’s lower on the horizon we are getting UV radiation directly inside the eye.” He said this tip applies all year round, “even when it’s cold or overcast as we still can get up to 90 percent of UV radiation on days when it’s cloudy so sunglasses should be worn all day year round.”

Mr Arundel went on to say that anyone not wearing sunglasses outdoors  on a regular basis is risking serious damage to their eyes; the outcome of which can lead to:

Macular degeneration: The macular, which sits at the back of the eye, is responsible for central vision and is thought to be linked to exposure to bright sunlight. Macular degeneration results in severe vision impairment.

Cataracts: Cataracts occur when the lens of the eye goes cloudy, causing blurred vision and eventual blindness. While cataracts are linked with ageing, up to 20 percent of cataract cases are caused by UV exposure.

We have some big reductions on H30 polarised 3 lens interchangeable sets – up to 50% off! To our knowledge these are the ONLY 3 lens interchangeable sets where ALL 3 lenses are polarised. A single polarised sunglass is good value at £24.95 so how about a set with 3 polarised lens at the same price! Unbeatable value. Click here to buy now while stocks last.   

Right now we have some great reductions on Serengeti – widely regarded as the world's best driving sunglasses and many optical professionals (such as opticians) believe Serengeti have the best lenses ever created. All Serengeti lenses are photochromic and will automatically adjust to different light conditions. In our own experience "once a Serengeti wearer always a Serengeti wearer"! Our sale prices on this premium range of super stylish sunglasses is at least 30% off! Click here to see them. 

  A sleep expert has suggested that if you have trouble getting to sleep you might want to try wearing sunglasses first! We’re not making this up! The sleep expert is Glenn Landry, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of British Columbia’s Aging, Mobility, and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab. He thinks that wearing sunglasses before going to bed might help to regulate the body’s circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms are essentially the body’s clock, telling you when to be asleep and when to be awake.

These rhythms are deeply affected by light exposure. In general, the human body is programmed to be sleepy when it’s dark and wakeful when it’s light, which is all well and good when your main light source is the sun. But when you bring in artificial light at night— especially the blue light emitted by cell phones, tablets, and televisions — it can make your circadian rhythms go out ‘sync’ resulting in problems with falling and staying asleep. Mr Landry said, “Beginning at eight at night, two hours before the time I want to go to bed, I wear sunglasses….I’m trying to avoid light and I’m trying to tell my body clock that this is the end of the day.”

So there we are; another reason why you should never be far from your sunglasses!
 

According to ABTA around 12 million Brits take a winter hoday of some kind, with 43% (over 5 million) heading for some winter sun (very sensible!). So if you're planning a winter break in sunnier climes don't forget we have also  have a great range of "leisure" style sunglasses in our Just Leisure section with prices starting from only £7.95 including free delivery! See them here.   In that same ABTA research it also revealed that around 1.5 million Brits take a snow sports holiday every winter (skiing and snow boarding). So if you've booked your ski holiday and need some new ski eyewear (goggles or sunglasses), check out some of the fantastic bargains in our Snow Sports section – click here.  

  Optometry Australia, the professional association for Australian optometrists, has just issued some guidance on why children as young as three should wear sunglasses. The association’s senior resident optometrist Luke Arundel said, “Our eyes are 10 times more sensitive to UV than our skin. Too much exposure to UV light increases the risk of various eye diseases and cancer.

“UV damage is cumulative and irreversible so it is important to protect children’s eyes as early as possible because sun-related eye damage occurs in the early ages of childhood, particularly between the ages of three and 12. The simple precaution of ensuring children wear sunglasses will help reduce a child’s chance of developing eye problems such as macular degeneration and cancer of the eyelids later in life.”

Research in Australia showed about 56 per cent of adults wore sunglasses every weekend, but the figures for children were far less. This is true of the UK too – a report undertaken by the College of Optometrists showed that nearly a third of parents in the UK do not buy their children sunglasses at all.

We know from our experience of doing consumer shows and selling children’s sunglasses from the stand that kids absolutely love sunglasses – they think it’s “cool” to wear them – so usually they need very little encouragement! And good quality sunglasses don’t cost much – we have a big range available on the site with the majority under £10 in price.
 

We have just taken delivery of a brand new Evolution model with Category 4 grey lenses. We’ve called it K2 after the world’s second highest mountain. It features a matt black frame and its dark grey lenses are intended for intense sunlight and high glare conditions (e.g. when high altitude walking, climbing or skiing). It will also appeal to anyone with eyes that are sensitive to sunlight. It also has an Anti-Fog coating to the inside of lenses and its robust frame construction will cope with the toughest of environments. The full wrap fit with deep side temples will keep out wind and glare and its shatterproof polycarbonate lenses are UV400 (Maximum UV protection). Supplied with a soft carry pouch, cleaning cloth and hard case, it’s priced at just £19.95. Click here to see it.

Really brilliant value our Christmas Sunglass Gift Pack has got the lot! Two Evolution sunglasses including a polarised model, sports cord, anti-fog solution, lens & screen cleaner, two cleaning cloths, ‘Lens Care To Go’ cleaner and an eyewear pouch all supplied in a really useful canvas bag. Worth over £55 it’s half price at just £27.45! Limited stock – click here to buy now!

2016 Open Champion Henrik Stenson is so convinced that sunglasses have been a key element of his success he has launched his own sunglass company! It also means that both the 2015 (Zach Johnson) and 2016 Open Champions are sunglass wearing golfers – concidence? We think not! It's true that more and more top golfers are now wearing sunglasses such as Zach Johnson, Paula Creamer, David Duval, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, Michelle Wie, Hunter Mahon, Lee Westwood and Adam Scott. At the bottom of our golfing sunglasses section we have an article on why it makes sense for golfers to wear sunglasses.

As you know one of the 18 brands we sell is our own-label Evolution range that’s become a great success story. We wholesale it to other retailers and overseas distributors and of course sell Evolution direct to our customers.

We have set up a crowdfunding project where we’re looking for £12 each from 500 individual contributors with an objective of raising £6000 to help fund the manufacture of a new range of Evolution sports safety eyewear. In return each £12 contributor gets two of the new model (two different lens colours) worth a minimum of £30.

We have worked with the largest safety eyewear manufacturer in Taiwan to identify the ideal model. It will be called Evolution Hunter and have four lens colour variants: clear, yellow, grey and grey with a blue mirror finish.

If you can help us please click here for the full story and how to take part in the crowdfunding.

Right now we have some really great offers on Bloc. Many at half price. Even at the full recommended retail price Bloc are good value with tough, durable frames and Class 1 optical quality lenses. At our reduced prices they're fantastic value. Click here to see them.

We have just taken in another delivery of Oakley’s EVZero model (the first delivery having sold out). One of Oakley's newest sunglass models, whilst multi-sport it will especially appeal to cyclists, golfers and shooting enthusiasts. The EVZero range is completely frameless making them incredibly light and really comfortable for all-day or extended wear. This rimless styling also helps to increase the field of vision. Oakley say they are the lightest model they have made to date.

This model is available with the new(ish) Prizm-coated lenses. PRIZM™ is a revolutionary lens technology that fine-tunes vision for specific sports and environments and provides unprecedented control of light transmission resulting in colours precisely tuned to maximize contrast and enhance visibility.

EVZero is now available in two lens shapes – Path and Pitch – both look and feel fantastic! Click here to see them.    

We are delighted to announce that we have added the American brand Eagle Eyes to our range, becoming the only UK eyewear retailer selling these extraordinary sunglasses.

The origin of Eagle Eyes began at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory where scientists developed ground-breaking technology that would protect human eyesight from the harmful effects of solar radiation light. The lens technology created by NASA resulted in Eagle Eyes which has earned official recognition from the Space Certification Program and is the only sunglass lens to receive the Lifetime Certified Space Technology™ seal of approval and the only sunglasses inducted into the NASA / Space Foundation Technology Hall of Fame.

Key features of Eagle Eyes:

• Developed from original NASA optic technology
• Utilise TriLenium® Polarized lenses that block out 99.9% harmful UVA, UVB radiation plus scattered blue light, and allow in vision-enhancing light rays for optimum visual acuity
• Triple Filter Polarization (UVA, UVB and Blue Light Eye Protection)
• 2 x Scratch-Guard™ Inner and Outer Lens Coatings
• Certified by the Space Foundation for UV and Blue Light Eye Protection

Now you might think that such premium technology comes at a premium price but actually Eagle Eyes are remarkably affordable with most models under £80. And FREE with every purchase is a very useful Eyewear Travel Kit worth £8. The styling of Eagle Eyes is really superb and we are sure that this will become one our best selling brands. Click here to see them.

Why do lenses mist up? Fogging happens because of the so called ‘phase change of matter’.  Water vapour (from exhaled breath and sweat from your forehead) cools down when it comes into contact with the lenses. The cold lenses cause a phase change as the warm vapor surrounds the lenses and turns the air into a liquid. Fogging also occurs when the lens is colder than the air surrounding the lens. That often happens if you move from outdoors to the indoors. Or if you take your eyewear out of the relative warmth of a kitbag in cold air. A more technical explanation (should you be interested!) is that when the air near the lens is cooled by the lens, the relative humidity of the surrounding air will quickly increase.  As air cools it looses it’s ability to carry water vapour. Once the relative humidity reaches near 100%, water will begin to collect on the lens. Even in fairly dry air, if the temperature difference is great enough you will get lens fogging.

Fortunately there are now some really good anti-fog remedies available, many specifically designed for close fitting sports sunglasses and ski goggles. We now have several options in our accessories section including a new addition of anti fog wipes.

Evolution is our own label range manufactured especially for us. It's become a great success story and we like to think that's because for sheer value for money Evolution is very hard to beat. But low prices doesn't mean compromising on quality – of the many thousands of Evolutions sold every year very few come back to us (a really tiny percentage) due to any sort of defect. That's why we provide a 2 year guarantee – we have that much confidence in their quality. Now we have set up a new section of the website where we're seling off discontinued and end of line models. However these are all new – not "returned" stock from our Evolution outlets. So you'll find some real bargains with prices starting at just £7.95 (including free UK delivery!). Click here to see them.

We have just taken in a new delivery of Uvex. Uvex is one of the world's largest eyewear manufacturers employing over 1000 staff at their factory in Bavaria (still a family owned business). As you would expect from a German company the quality is superb yet prices are highly affordable with most models under £30. Included in our new stock are several Category 4 (dark lens) models that will appeal to climbers, high altitude walkers and skiers. Click here to see them.  

We have some great reductions on all Oakley models right now – up to 40% off the normal retail price. Oakley is one of the most counterfeited brands in the world – there are loads of fake Oakley's out there. So if you see Oakleys being sold at prices that look too good to be true they are almost certainly fakes. We are an official Oakley stockist and needless to say all our Oakley's are 100% geniune. Oakley also have an exceptional customer care policy – on the very rare occasion that something goes wrong they really do have a "no quibble" exchange policy.  Click here to see our Oakley section.   

We've just added a lot more models to our 'Special Offers' section. Lots of great discounts across many brands – many at half price or less! Have a look here 

    A really fantastic summer offer on 5 different Evolution polarised models; all featuring high quality glare blocking polarised lenses and supplied with a soft carry pouch, cleaning cloth and hard case. The normal price is £19.95 but for a limited period you can buy the Reflex, Catch (two colour options), Offshore, Pacific and Atlantic models with 25% off – now just £14.95 each! All Evolution models come with two-year guarantee covering materials and workmanship and we have a permanent offer on our Evolution range – buy any 2 models and get the lowest price one at half price! As an illustration if you bought one polarised model at £19.95 and one non-polarised model at £16.95 you would only pay £8.47 for the non-polarised one! Even if you bought 2 at £19.95 the second one would still be half price – only £9.97!

We do quite a lot of shows during the year and often get people coming on to the stand that say they don’t usually wear sunglasses but “probably” should. Usually we can tell they are not regular sunglass users by the wrinkles around their eyes! So no apologies for coming back to the subject of why it is so important to wear sunglasses outdoors, especialy in middle summer when the sun is stongest. Ultra-violet (UV) radiation from the sun can damage not only the skin of the eyelid but also the cornea, the lens and other parts of the eye – and lead to “crows feet” around the eyes. It’s well establised that UV exposure contributes to the development of cataracts and macular degeneration. To maximise protection for your eyes look for sunglasses that are UV400 rated (and CE Marked) as these block 99-100% of both UVA and UVB rays.

Every sunglass we sell on our website is UV400 rated. It’s also a myth that the darker the lens the greater the protection. The UV filter applied to sunglass lenses is actually clear so even eyewear with a clear lens can provided maximum UV protection. Closer fitting, sports style sunglasses that have a greater wrap will also prevent UV rays from coming in at the side, protecting eyes from every angle.

Another new delivery of brand new Evolutions – made specially for us – adding to our ever popular and brilliant value own label range.These 4 new models are:

Evolution Revel

Featuring a 10 base curve full wrap fit, this multi-sport model will especially appeal to cyclists and triathletes. It has a black frame and grey one-piece lens with the option of a blue revo mirror finish. Featuring adjustable nose pads and flexible temple tips for a firm but comfortable fit. The UV400 rated lens is made from impact resistant, shatterproof polycarbonate and is also vented to eliminate misting. It’s supplied with a soft microfibre pouch and priced at just £16.95! Click here for the grey lens and here for the blue mirror.

Evolution Trail

Appealing to cyclists, runners, triathletes, bikers and other sports enthusiasts, Evolution Trail has the look and feel of sports eyewear costing many times the price. It features a lightweight but durable frame with adjustable nose pads. Lenses are made from impact resistant, shatterproof polycarbonate and are UV400 rated. It comes with a black frame and a grey one-piece lens with the option of a revo mirror finish. It’s supplied with a soft microfibre pouch and priced at just £16.95! Click here for the grey lens and here for revo mirror finish.

Evolution Catch

Primarily aimed at fishing and boating enthusiasts, Evolution Catch is a polarised model with timeless styling and features an ultra light lightweight frame for all-day wear. It is also “fold flat” which makes it ideal for carrying around in the smallest of pockets. It has a black frame with two lens colour options: polarised grey and polarised brown. The high quality glare blocking, distortion-free lenses are shatterproof and UV400 rated. It’s supplied with a soft carry pouch, cleaning cloth and hard case for just £19.95! Click here for the grey lens and here for the brown lens.

Evolution Antibes

Evolution Antibes is a unisex, ‘cross-over’ style (suitable for sports and leisure use) sunglass with glare blocking, polarised lenses. This model is small to medium fit making it ideally suited to teenagers, women or anyone with a smaller face.  The high quality lenses are distortion-free and UV400 rated. The black frame is super strong and comes with two lens colour options: polarised grey and polarised brown.  Priced at just £19.95 it’s supplied with a cleaning cloth, soft carry pouch and hard case. Click here for the grey lens and here for the brown lens.

All Evolution models have a two year guarantee covering materials and workmanship and don’t forget we have a permanent offer on our Evolution range – buy any 2 models and get the lowest price one at half price! As an illustration if you bought one polarised model at £19.95 and one non-polarised model at £16.95 you would only pay £8.47 for the non polarised one! Even if you bought 2 at £19.95 the second one would still be half price – only £9.97!

There are many reasons for wearing good quality sunglasses – here are our top 5:

1. Prolonged exposure to solar UV radiation can result in acute and chronic health effects on the skin and eyes. Worldwide some 12 to 15 million people become blind from cataracts annually, of which up to 20% are caused by prolonged sun exposure. The two main eye problems associated with UV rays are:

• Macular Degeneration: this is the main cause of vision loss especially for older people.
• Cataracts: UV rays, especially UVB rays, can lead to cataracts. A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s natural lens, the part of the eye that focuses the light we see.

So apart from wearing sunscreen to prevent skin cancer (which causes at least 2000 deaths annually, just in the UK) wearing good quality sunglasses is essential the moment you step outdoors and especially in summer.

2. Spending time in windy, dusty areas can irritate and damage your eyes and the best way to protect yourself is by wearing sunglasses that keep your eyes safe from the elements. Getting sand in your eyes can be very painful and dangerous. Tiny grains of sand can actually scratch your eye and can cause permanent damage. Sunglasses that fully cover your eyes are a great way to keep sand out.

3. Bright sunlight can be a trigger for migraines and bad headaches. Wearing sunglasses will help reduce both the frequency and intensity of these painful occurrences. Even if you’re not a headache or migraine sufferer, wearing sunglasses when out in the sun can help reduce eyestrain and fatigue, meaning you’ll enjoy your time outdoors even more.

4. In addition to eliminating harmful UVR, close fitting sports styles sunglasses with polycarbonate lenses will keep out wind, dust, dirt, rain and most importantly provide impact protection to your eyes.

We have already done a few Shows this year (5 so far). Our own label Evolution range is usually the big seller at events (because it's fantastic value for money!) and it's gratifying when customers come up to our stand and say they bought a £15 pair of Evolutions 3 years ago and they're still going strong! We have a few more shows still do thids year:

UK Game Fair, Stoneleigh (Coventry) 22-24 July

The Game Fair, Ragley Hall (Stratford Upon Avon) 29-31 July

BBC Countryfile Live, Blenhiem Palace (Oxford) 4-7 August

Midland Game Fair, Weston Park (Telford) 17-18 September

The one we're most looking forward to is BBC Countryfile Live. The TV programme gets between 6 – 8 million viewers every Sunday so it will be interesting to see just how big the visitors numbers are!

If you're planning to visit any of the above please do come and see us – we always have very special show offers!  

We have just taken delivery of two brand new Evolution models and we could not be more pleased with them.
Evolution Nantucket is a unisex leisure sunglass with contemporary styling. It’s available with a black or tortoise frame and Class 1 optical quality UV400 rated lenses. It’s lightweight and really comfortable for extended wear. It also has other special features like an anti-scratch lens coating. Priced at just £19.95 it comes supplied with a cleaning cloth, soft carry pouch and hard case. Click here for the black model and here for the tortoise. 

The other new addition is called Evolution Switch and it’s a 3 Lens Interchangeable Set supplied with grey, yellow & orange lenses. Lenses are one piece and Class 1 Optical Quality. Lens changing is simple and quick and the rimless frame provides totally unobscured vision. Lightweight for all-day wear the lenses have hydrophobic (water) & Oleophobic (oil) lens coatings that repel water, dust, oil, fingerprints smudges and dirt. It also has an anti scratch lens coating. The UV400 rated lenses are made from impact resistant and shatterproof polycarbonate. It also featues non slip nose pads & temple tips. Priced at just £39.95 it’s supplied with a cleaning cloth, soft carry pouch & hard case. Click here to see it.

We've just recieved a delivery from Floats, the American brand based in South Beach, Miami. Lots of fantastic new 2016 models. All Floats models use high quality polarised lenses. They seem to have a knack of coming up with ever more stylish sunglasses – they look terrific. We have been selling Floats for over 8 years and in all that time have had a tiny number back – so you can be confident that they are very well made. They are all sold with both a soft carry pouch and hard case – at under £25 simply amazing value! See them here.     

Some coverage in the media recently about a property sales company that was using Trust Pilot for customer reviews. But the '5 Star' overwhelming positive reviews featured on their website didn't match the actual overall rating on the Trust Pilot website – it was actually far less positive. So what this company had done apparently is simply feature the good reviews on its website.  Well that cannot happen with our independent quality mark which is Trusted Shops. We have no control at all on the reviews – they are posted (by our customers) on the Trusted Shops website which is linked to our website. So they are real, actual "undoctored" ratings. And currently 5 Star!  Incidentally if you're wondering why we don't have thousands of reviews it's because Trusted Shops will only feature recent reviews – all older reviews (and the rating generated by them) drop off after a few months. So yet again you know that the rating reflects recent customer experiences. 

We have just taken in many brand new 2016 H1N1 models. This Italian brand specialise in super stylish (from Italy – what else!) polarised sunglasses – indeed every single model has polarised lenses. They have some sports styles frames but most are leisure styles – and they look stunning. All the frames are lightweight – some are incredibly lightwight so you would hardly know you’re wearing them. They are also all supplied in a very high quality hard case with cleaning cloth. With most models in the range priced at under £25 they really are brllliant value for money. See them here.   

As our name suggests, we specialise in sports sunglasses and eyewear but we also have lots of leisure styles too – probably 20% of the 1000+ models on the website are leisure styles. Some brands we sell like Montana, Floats & H1N1 have more leisure style models in their range than sports styles. Summer is nearly here so if you need a new pair of sungasses we have a very large choice of high quality but affordable options – we have put most (but not all) of the leisure style sunglasses we sell in our 'Just Leisure' section. Have a look!

Driving at night can be dangerous due to limited light and blinding glare from headlights and streetlights. The latest generation of superbright HID ‘white light’ headlamps can really dazzle on-coming drivers. To deal with this Hilco, the specialist Optical distributor, have just introduced a new addition to their range of Haven over glasses called ‘Night Drivers’ with yellow lenses. Yellow lenses have been proven to be beneficial for night driving since they improve contrast, reduce glare and improve overall visibility in low light & during rain and fog.

Feature / Benefits of these new Night Drivers include:

• Subtle yellow lens tint passes global standards for traffic light transmittance
• Polycarbonate lenses with  anti-reflective coating  to reduce glare
• Impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses provide 100% UVA/UVB protection
• Night Driver TM Pro lenses make objects distinguishable in low light conditions by enhancing depth perception, clarity and detail.
• BendToFit™ temples for a custom fit.

Of course you don’t have to be a spectacle wearer to benefit from them – you can wear them alone!

Click here to see them

Recently a traffic pile up in North Carolina involving 130 cars was caused at least in part by the glare of evening sunshine reflecting off a wet road after recent rain. We have all experienced this – heavy rain followed by a spell of bright sunshine. This can lead to very high glare conditions. When combined with low sun it can dazzle drivers making it very difficult to see – and clearly hazardous. According to an analysis by the AA, dazzle is a factor in the injury of 3900 road users each year – an astonishingly high figure. These are the conditions when polarised sunglasses really help – that's exactly what polarised sunglass lenses are designed to do – stop glare reflecting off a hard surface like a road. The difference between normal sunglasses and polarised sunglasses in cutting out glare reflecting off a surface is huge. So why not keep a pair of polarised sungases in the car? We have a huge choice available starting at just £14.95. Click here to see them.

This is the time of year we take in new stock from our numerous suppliers – some is to replenish winter stock levels but the majority are new editions – brand new 2016 models. Two recent deliveries are Sea River and Montana. Sea River is the french brand specialising in polarised sunglasses with many aimed at fishing enthusiasts (hence the name!). They all have high quality glare blocking lenses and most models are under £30 – great value. Have a look here.

We've also taken in many new models from Montana, the Italian brand. Again these are all polarised. They're stylish too as you would expect from an Italian company! And for sheer value for money they're very hard to beat with several models at just £14.95! See them here.    

A little while back we set up a new e-commerce website called SunOptical to enable customers to buy prescription sunglasses online. It runs as a subsidiary operation to Sunglasses For Sport but features all styles of sunglasses with a very wide selection of both leisure and sports styles. We're very pleased with the reaction from customers and much feedback that the online ordering (including entering prescription details) is really easy to use. There is a lot of competition out there with many of the big high street opticians offering prescription sunglasses at low prices but we are doing our best to keep competitive with fully inclusive prices (frame and prescription lenses) starting at just £49.95 including free delivery. So, with summer coming, if you know of anyone – family member, other relative, friend or work colleague – that needs prescription sunglasses please tell them about www.sunoptical.co.uk

We have just added several new 2016 Eyelevel models. For sheer value for money Eyelevel are very hard to beat. Almost all the EyeIevels we sell have polarised lenses and we supply all these polarised models with both a soft carry pouch and hard case. The new models are: Clearwater, Expert, Floatspotter, Jetty, Quayside, River and Sicily. Great quality yet affordably priced at just £19.95 ea. Check them out in our Eyelevel section.  

There can be few brands worldwide that have been more copied by counterfeit operations than Oakley. Some are brazen and actualy use the name, others try and con unsuspecting customers by using 'Oakey'. Recently one our customers bought an 'Oakley' from an online store but was immediately suspicious as the quality of both the frame and lens didn't look right, yet this store insisted it was genuine. He sent us an image and we could tell right away it was a copy. We suggested he went to trading standards as this outlet was clearly dealing in counterfeit goods – a very serious offence in the UK. Typically these copies are offered at around £30 – and that is well under our trade buying price from Oakley for the genuine article. So if it looks too good to be true it usually is! So don't take chances with Oakley – only buy from an official, authorised Oakley stockist. And as an official Oakley stockist we have a great range available including some brand new 2016 models.  Oakley really do deserve their premier reputation. Any (genuine) Oakley will give years of use with an unrivalled combination of style, function and performance. Click here to see all our Oakley's.     

Right now we have 4 different Evolution polarised models at just £14.95 including a cleaning cloth, soft carry pouch, hard case and of course free delivery! Each has strong, durable frames and glare blocking polarised lenses. The 4 models are Evolution Offshore, Evolution Atlantic, Evolution Reflex and Evolution Pacific – their normal retail is £19.95 but you can buy now for just £14.95! Offer ends 29 February 2016.

      On holiday in some sunny resort or even closer to home we have all seen the street vendors and market stalls selling cheap sunglasses. Some will even (fraudulantly) have a CE Mark and UV400 label on them and we've all been tempted by their ultra low price. But it's not worth the risk. Whilst these cheap sunglasses with have tinted plastic lenses many will not have the correct UV filter on them which screens out harmful UVR. And that's where the problem comes in – wearing cheap sunglasses with no UV filters poses an even greater danger than wearing none at all because the pupils will dilate allowing more harmful rays into the eye. Don't take the risk! Stay clear of these cheap sunglasses and only buy established, reputable brands. It doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune either – many budget brands selling at under £20 (including our own Evolution range) provide 100% protection from UVR – the same level of protection as brands costing 5 or 10 times as much.       

Ski conditions in the Alps have improved dramatically in the last 7 days – what were bare pistes now finally have snow. As much as 300cm has fallen on upper pistes and at least 50cm on many lower pistes. Skiers that have been holding back on booking their holiday are now making plans to head off to the slopes again as the forcast is for a lot more snow to come. And some good news too if you're looking for new goggles because we have just reduced virtually all the prices on the ski goggles we sell with as much as 50% off! We have several models including some really great quality BLOC goggles for just £19.95! Click here to see them all!   

  We have just added quite a few new Uvex models. We're always amazed at how a German company can make such a high quality product at such low prices – especially when they are actually made in Bavaria and not in the Far East. These models are just packed with features like anti-fog and anti-scratch lens coatings but some are retailing at just £14.95 (including free UK delivery) – really incredible value. Click here to see them in our Uvex section .

We've just reduced many of the prices on our extensive range of Tifosi sports sunglasses. Tifosi is probably the world's fastest growing sports eyewear brand. A family owned business based in Georgia in America they are now the No 1 brand for cycling eyewear in US cycling stores. But whilst they are building a rapidly growing following amongst cyclists their excellent value eyewear is suitable for many other sports such as running, golf, tennis and shooting. Included in the range is a genuine first in sports eyewear – the Escalate model which is actually 3 models in 1! Check our our reduced prices by clicking here. 

If you’re looking for Christmas gift ideas here are a couple of great value offers:

Christmas Sunglass Gift Pack – over £50 worth of sunglasses & eyewear accessories for just £24.95.

Bushnell Powerview 8 x 21 Pocket Sized Binocular – Just £17.50 (Over 40% off).

Lens Care To Go Kit – a great little stocking filler and just £4.95!

In our Special Offers section we always have a big selection of reduced price sunglasses on offer with up to 50% off. Click here for that section.

A Manchester company called Tyres on the Drive have just issued a 10 point safety list for winter driving. Number 1 on their list was 'Don't forget your sunglasses' the reason being that even if you set off in horrible weather it can change suddenly (as we know only too well in the UK) and the sun can come out; at this time of the year that means low sun which can de direct in your eyes making it difficult to see. So why not keep a pair of sunglasses in the car at all times! And what better way to do that than with our Shade Dock Station – available from our accessories section. To see the 10 point winter driving tips click here http://bit.ly/1PLAPNj

In the new James Bond movie Spectre, Daniel Craig as James Bond is seen wearing a pair of Glacier Sunglasses made by Vuarnet, the sunglass company created by Olympic downhill skiing gold medalist Jean Vuarnet in 1957. This particular vintage model, seen in the Bond movie, first appeared in the 1980s and featured polarised glass lenses and leather side shields. They were not only highly popular on the slopes but became the sunglass of choice with some famous personalities like Miles Davis, Mick Jagger and Jeff Bridges. Now we might not stock this actual model but we do have some that are very similar in style: the Loubsol Cortina and Jorasses models and the (quite) new Cebe Lhotse model. Check them out in our Ski Sunglasses section. 

Fans of the British TV drama Downton Abbey have always been quick to spot historical innacuracies in the series. This happened in one of the last episodes of the final series when several of the cast members were seen wearing sunglasses at a race track in 1926. And you can understand why many viewers felt the producers had "dropped a clanger" because it's always been widely accepted that Sam Foster, founder of Foster Grant, first introduced sunglasses in 1929. He is certainly credited with getting sunglasses into mass production. From selling his first pair on the 'Boardwalk' at Atlantic City in 1929 they immediately took off, helped in no small part by the quick adoption of several big movie stars of the day. However, W H Brock, Professor of History at the University of Leicester, writing to The Times newspaper, said that the characters in Downton Abbey were correctly portrayed wearing sunglasses in 1926. And he's right! Sir William Crookes was developing sunglasses in the early part of the 20th Century and he went into partnership with a Wigmore Street Optician (owned by another Sir William – Willam Wingate) and by 1920 sunglasses (then known as 'Crookes Lenses') had become the very height of fashion. 

As you may know we have our own label range of sunglasses and eyewear called Evolution. Launched in 2007 with just a few models it now comprises over 40 different models including polarised sunglasses, interchangeable multi-lens sets and options for prescription wearers. It’s been a great success story because we genuinely believe that for sheer value for money Evolution is very hard to beat! All models comply with BS EN ISO 12312-1; they are CE marked and UV400 rated providing the maximum protection from UV radiation. And we provide a 2-year guarantee (please note this excludes scratches to lenses but covers materials and workmanship). Click below to see the online Evolution catalogue.

We've just added some more Montana models to the range we sell – this affordably priced sunglass brand is owned by one of Italy's largest eyewear companies that operate throughout the world and they're designed by the company's own team in Switzerland. They are well made with ultra light frames making them ideal for all-day wear. And they ALL feature glare blocking polarised lenses.  At under £20 and most models supplied with a high quality case they really are fantastic value for money. Click here to see them.

We’re constantly adding to the range of eyewear accessories we sell and we’ve just added a brand new, really innovative ‘Lens Care To Go’ kit and as you might imagine with a name like that it’s from America! It’s a super handy, simple, portable and highly effective kit containing a refillable 5ml lens cleaning spray and a 14cm circular Microfibre cloth encased in a handy, compact hard-shelled carrier. This can easily be clipped to a belt, sports bag, button hole, rucksack, handbag and much else. Simply spray the lenses, clean with the Microfibre cloth, pull the cord to retract and it’s ready for next time. We think it makes a great gift too (Christmas is coming…..!).

We are coming up to that time of year that ski enthusiasts planning their winter holiday realise that some new ski eyewear is needed. And of course each year there are many first time skiers needing a full complement of kit. And the question is goggle or sunglasses? For sure if you are a snowboader then goggles are essential but recreational skiers don't always want to wear large tight fitting goggles – with or without a helmet. So why not consider a new model we've had made for our Evolution own label. It's called Evolution Elan and it's really 3 models in one: it can be worn as a sunglass (either full frame or half frame) or as a compact goggle by replacing the arms with the elasticated, adjustable strap supplied. In goggle mode it is worn with the full frame shock absorbing foam gasket. In sunglass mode it can be worn with and without the gasket (without the gasket it becomes a half frame sunglass). There are two colour options and both feature temples with striking graphics to the temples. One of the options features Category 4 very dark lenses making it ideally suited to high altitude walking, climbing and skiing. All this and it's only £24.95 with soft and hard case supplied! You can find both colour options of Elan in the Evolution section.   

Most sports eyewear has close fitting wrap around style frames – to keep out the sun, wind or even rain. That can however limit air movement and make them more prone to fogging / misting up. This time of the year it can happen more frequently as sungasses kept in the 'warm' of a pocket, kit bag or home hit much colder outside air – it's that sudden change of temperature that causes misting up. The good news however is that there are some really effective low cost anti fog remedies around. We have 3 in the 'Accessories' section of the website that all work well (we've "road tested" each one!). One is made for us (we call it Super Anti Fog) by a German company that specialises in anti fog solutions solutions, another is from the British lens care company Calotherm (called Calosport) and the other is an American product called Fog Buster (does what it says on the tin!!). Click here to find them. 

We will again be exhibiting at The Midland Game Fair over the weekend of 19 & 20 September at Weston Park near Telford in Shropshire. It will be our 8th year at the Show. It's a great celebration of country and field sports, attracting around 80,000 vistors over the 2 days. Our stand is at the top of 'Gunmakers Row' and as usual we'll have some very special Show offers. If you're visiting do please come and say "hello". 

We have some terrific "end of season" special offers on BLOC, the British pioneers of sports eyewear. There's a great selection to choose from with discounts ranging from 30 – 50%, yes some are half their normal price! BLOC are renowned for their durability with really strong frames and all BLOC lenses are class one optical quality with exceptional visual acuity and excellent impact resistance. And with these big reductions they're simply fantastic value! Find them in our Special Offers section.

A short while back we added a new lens and screen cleaner to our range and as we said at the time we have tried (and sold) many different lens cleaners over the years but this British made solution is truly outstanding and easily the best we have ever used. You can use it on sunglasses, goggles, visors, spectacles, device screens (mobiles, tablets & laptops) & more. It’s brilliant at effortlessly removing finger prints, traffic film, dust, dirt, grime and smudges. We sell it in a small 15ml bottle with a free high quality microfibre cleaner. What has also surprised us is just how long this little bottle lasts – it will easily clean two standard sized lenses 40 to 50 times. So at just £3.95 (with the free cloth) it’s fantastic value.

We have just taken delivery of additional Oakley stock including a couple of new models one of which is the amazing Jawbreaker. Only Oakley with their extraordinary track record of innovation could design a sunglass that has all the key elements of success – striking design, truly superlative optics and yet another incredibly clever way of lens changing (it's an interchangeable model). In Oakley's own words: 'Jawbreaker™ is the ultimate sport design – answering the demands of world-class athletes with a 40 year heritage of uncompromising excellence. Oakley innovation has reached the pinnacle of performance by offering everything from surge ports for cooling airflow to Unobtainium® components for a comfortably secure fit, and with the hassle-free lens changing of Switchlock™ technology for vision optimization in any setting'. See the new Jawbone in our Oakley section

The most popular sunglass colour is grey and the majority of sunglasses sold, especially those you might categorise as ‘designer’ and ‘fashion’ styles have grey lenses or grey-green lenses (as favoured by Ray-Ban). It’s always a surprise to us when we do shows that there are so many people that have never tried sunglasses with brown lenses, the most obvious option to grey. Both grey and brown lenses are typically Category 3, that is they provide the same (high) protection against strong sunlight – the same level of tint. But there is a big difference in what you will see. A grey lens only dulls light – it doesn’t change the colour of objects. A brown lens on the other hand adds contrast and gives a ‘warm’ appearance. Importantly everything in the field of view will appear ‘sharper’ than with a grey lens. Often it will come down to personal preference but it you are not familiar with brown lenses give them a try – you might be surprised at how contrast can help with vision. Incidentally, as we have mentioned before, the level of tint or the darkness of the lens has nothing to do with UV protection. The UV filter applied to lenses is actually clear so a clear lenses can be UV400 rated – the maximum protection from harmful UVR.

William Sichel is a renowed ultra distance runner and sponsored by Sunglasses For Sport. He's just setting off on his latest adventure and we wish him the very best of luck. He's taking part in 'La Ultra', the World's Highest Ultra-Marathon which starts on August 16th in Indian Kashmir.

The race has an average altitude of 14,500 feet/4400m with three mountain passes to cross which are around 18,000 feet/5000m. These are, apparently, the highest motorable roads in the world. Runners have been warned to expect temperatures ranging from minus 10C on the mountain tops, to plus 35C in the valleys – so a huge range to cope with.

Just 16 runners will be involved in total, with 5 of them joining William in his part of the event which is 207 miles long and last year, the first running of the 207 mile event, just one runner was able to finish.

If anyone can do it William can, a remarkable man and multiple world record holder. Have a look at: www.williamsichel.co.uk

As a follow-up to the last blog many congratulations to Zach Johnson on winning The Open golf championship at St Andrews, after a nail biting and thrilling 3-way play-off held in the evening (of 20th July) on the Old Course.Zach was wearing his Oakley's throughout the 5 days and wore them to the very end. Did they make the difference? We'd like the think so! Zach is an Oakley sponsored athlete (he also wears their golf apparel). As far as we could tell he was using Oakley's persimmon lens for the play-off which is basically orange and that would be a good choice at that time of day in overcast conditions. Orange filters blue light which is the hazy end of the light spectrum. It means everything appears in sharper focus – in "high definition" It's also a great colour if your eyes are tired. If you have never tried an orange lens (many of our interchangeabkle sets come with one) you'd be amazed at the difference they make.   

Watching The Open golf championship it's noticeable that more and more of the world's top golfers are now wearing sunglasses including some of the big British names like Justin Rose, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter. Of course in recreational golf you're more likely to see a golfer wearing sunglasses than not so it is a mystery why even more pro's don't wear them. From our perspective there are two very big reasons why they should be worn:

– The right sunglasses will help a golfer judge distance, focus without glare interfering with vision and see the contours of the green far more effectively.

– The damage that long term exposure to UVR causes. Pro golfers are spending vast amounts of time outdoors. Without sunglasses protecting their eyes they are risking damage to their eyes from extended exposure to UVR such as macular degeneration and cataracts, not to mention deep lines around their eyes.

If you scroll to bottom of our golf section you'll find a longer article on why golfers should wear sunglasses.

We're just starting to get everything ready for our stand at The CLA Game Fair, our most important event of the year. The Game Fair is one of the UK's largest outdoor consumer shows attracting over 130,000 visitors in 3 days. It's the biggest celebration of field and country sports in Europe with over 850 exhibitors. This year it's being held in the wonderful grounds of Harewood House near Leeds from 31st July to 2nd August. Our stand is in 'Gunmakers Row'  stand no. T1533. As usual we'll have some very special show offers!  For information about the event click here 

Yes, they’ve all come at once! Another big delivery of brand new Evolution models made especially for us. And as with all Evolution models they are very well made with high quality frames and lenses yet retailing at really affordable prices. Where to start?!

Evolution Dude…this is a smaller fit model ideally suited to teenagers and people with smaller faces. It’s a true sports style model suited to multiple different sports. The straight, super slim temples make it ideal for wearing with a helmet. It’s priced at just £14.95! Two colour options are available.

Evolution Tours… as with our new Evolution Dynamo model, Tours is made with cyclists in mind but will nonetheless also appeal to other sports enthusiasts. Looking like it should cost at least 5 times its (£14.95) price it has impact resistant, shatterproof vented lenses (to stop misting). Two colour options are available; click here and here to see them.

Evolution Freestyle… this is a floating frame design meaning it will not sink in fresh or sea water. It’s a sports goggle that has POLARISED lenses and comes with an integral elasticised, adjustable strap. It will appeal to many different sports enthusiasts such as off road cyclist, surfers, water skiers, para gliders, snow skiers, climbers, freefall parachutists and other extreme sports /adventure enthusiasts. And it’s priced at just £19.95! Two colour options available click here and here to see them.

Evolution Elan… now this something a bit different! It’s a versatile combination sunglass and goggle. The Elan is really 3 models in one: it can be worn as a sunglass (either full frame or half frame) or as a goggle by replacing the arms with the elasticated, adjustable strap supplied. In goggle mode it is worn with the full frame shock absorbing foam gasket. In sunglass mode it can be worn with and without the gasket (without the gasket it becomes a half frame sunglass). There are two colour options and both feature temples with striking graphics to the temples. One of the options features Category 4 very dark lenses making it ideally suited to high altitude walking, climbing and skiing. Click here and here to see this amazing new model.

Evolution Ocean (black frame).  This is a new colour option on our highly popular super stylish Evolution Ocean polarised model (previously only available with a tortoise frame). Not only that but it now comes with a premium grade 1.6mm optical quality polarised lenses. Fantastic value at just £19.95. It’s even available as a 3 lens set too! Click here to see it.

This is the time of the year (here in the UK) when the sun is at its strongest – this strength of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation is expressed as a Solar UV Index or Sun Index. The UV Index does not exceed 8 in the UK (8 is actually rare; 7 can occur on exceptional days such as this period around the summer solstice). Indices of 9 and 10 are common in the Mediterranean area. What we do know now is that prolonged exposure to solar UV radiation can result in acute and chronic health effects on the skin and eyes. Worldwide some 12 to 15 million people become blind from cataracts annually, of which up to 20% are caused by prolonged sun exposure.

There are 3 types of UV rays but only two are potentially damaging i.e. UVA and UVB.

UVA – can hurt your central vision. It can damage the macula, a part of the retina at the back of your eye.

UVB – can affect the front part of your eye (the cornea and the lens) and these rays may cause even more damage to your eyes than UVA rays.

The two main eye problems associated with UV rays are:

• Macular Degeneration: this is the main cause of vision loss especially for older people.
• Cataracts: UV rays, especially UVB rays, can lead to cataracts. A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s natural lens, the part of the eye that focuses the light we see.

So apart from wearing sunscreen to prevent skin cancer (which causes at least 2000 deaths annually, just in the UK) wearing good quality sunglasses is essential the moment you step outdoors and especially in summer. All good quality sunglasses should be UV400 rated providing the maximum protection from harmful UV rays and every single sunglass we sell on our site is UV400 rated.  And as we always say “don’t forget the kids”, since eye damage from UV radiation builds over time, it is important to protect the eyes of children, which are particularly sensitive to UV radiation.

Genuine innovations in the world of sunglasses and eyewear are few and far between. Hard to believe for example that polarised lenses were invented in the early 1930's! But we've just taken delivery of a new range from the American brand Tifosi (I know….it doesn't sound American….it's actually the Italian word for "super enthusiast"). Their new model called 'Escalate' is genuinely ground breaking. It's a concept they have called Interchangeable Componet System and for the first time, you not only get a multi lens interchangeable set but a choice of full frame or shield (frameless) styles – all in the same kit. It’s basically 2 models in 1. You can quickly connect the arms to either of the two shield (frameless) lenses or opt for the either of the two lens held in the full frame to give a completely different look and feel. Each Kit has two different shield (one piece) lens colours and another two lenses that fit the full frame (4 lenses in total). Clever stuff! We have 4 Escalate models in the Tifosi section – click here to see them.

Hot on the heels of the new Evolution Bermuda comes another great brand new Evolution model which we’ve called ‘Dynamo’.It’s been designed with cyclists in mind but we’re sure it will be popular with runners, triathletes, bikers and other sports enthusiasts. It features a really well made, high quality durable frame with shock absorbing foam sweat strip. It also has non-slip temple tips and nose pads. Lenses are Class 1 Optical Quality made from impact resistant, shatterproof polycarbonate and they are UV400 rated.

Two colour options are available:

White frame with grey lenses having a sunburst mirror finish

Black frame with grey lenses

The Dynamo is supplied with a soft carry pouch, hard case and cleaning cloth for just £19.95!

Click here to see the white frame and click here to see the black frame.

Just arrived is a brand new Evolution model which we’ve called ‘Bermuda’. It’s terrific looking with a translucent dark grey frame and full wrap fit with high quality distortion-free polarised lenses. Ideal for boating, watersports, fishing, cycling, motorbiking and driving. Priced at just £19.95 it’s supplied with a soft carry pouch, hard case & cleaning cloth! Click here to see it.

Stuck for a Father’s Day gift? Well we have something every Dad would want! A Father’s Day Sunglass Gift Pack! It’s got the lot… 3 different Evolution sunglasses including one of our best selling polarised models, a multi purpose lens & screen cleaner (with cleaning cloth), our German made anti-fog solution and an adjustable sports cord. All supplied in a really useful Canvas Bag with Velcro fastening.

Individually the contents of this pack sell for over £65. But you can buy this great Father’s Day Sunglass Gift Pack for just £35! And that includes free UK delivery.

Limited stocks so buy now!

As you might imagine we have tried many different kinds of lens cleaners over the years but this new one we have just added to our accessories range is the best we have come across. It’s incredibly effective at removing finger prints, traffic film, dust, dirt, smudges and grime. You can use it on sunglasses, goggles, visors, spectacles, device screens (mobiles, tablets & laptops) camera lenses and more. And it’s British made. Not only that it’s supplied with a FREE high quality microfibre cleaning cloth.

We've just taken delivery of many brand new 2015 Floats models. From South Beach, Miami, we've been selling Floats for over 7 years and for sheer value for money they're very hard to beat with optical quality polarised lenses and strong but lightweight frames. Most models are under £25 and that includes a soft and hard case (and free UK delivery of course!). And they're fantastic looking; take a look – click here