A Buyer’s Guide for Prescription Sports Glasses for Pickleball

Pickleball is a fun, fast-growing sport that combines the best aspects of badminton, tennis, and ping pong. It’s suitable for all ages and fitness levels, and only requires three primary equipment: paddles, a ball, and a net. 

When you are out on the pickleball court, you need to have the best vision possible. The game is played fast, and you need to be able to accurately judge the distance, speed, spin, and trajectory of the ball as it flies across the court. This means that picking out the right pair of prescription sports glasses is just as important as having a flawless technique. Not only does it play in defense of the rapidly-moving ball, but it also gives you the competitive advantage to earn a well-deserved score.

Guide to choosing a new pair of pickleball glasses

Impact Resistance

Eye injuries in pickleball usually happen when a player is hit with the pickleball itself, or when another player's elbow or hand pokes them in the eye. 

Rec Specs frames are designed for maximum comfort and protection. These can be fitted with your prescription, which allows you to play safe without compromising your vision. They are designed to withstand impact and are safer to wear than your everyday glasses as they may break upon impact and cause injury to or around the eye.

Sun Protection

Just like any racket sports, pickleball is all about being able to see the ball. Getting exceptional glare and UV protection is crucial for pickleball players because without it, they can experience eye discomfort and vision problems. This could lead to injury or worse—missed shots.

Rec Specs’ full rim, switch frames, and interchangeable lenses reduce the risk of sun damage and can help you maintain your optimal vision while at play.

Frame Fit

Goggles: Goggles for pickleball are closed right around, with a head strap for extra security. The straps are adjustable and will keep the goggles firmly in place. Pickleball requires moving your body with short bursts of physical exertion in all directions, it’s crucial that your prescription glasses are able to keep the frames and lenses in the correct position.

Frames: Frames made for pickleball come with traditional temple arms that fold out and sit along the sides of your head. This is highly recommended as it will keep the lenses centered while you are hitting the ball, which can be very important when you're on game point.

Interchangeable: If you're looking for a frame that’s more versatile and can be used across different sports, then an interchangeable goggle style is ideal.

Lens Technology

Polycarbonate Lenses

Protective eyewear, particularly wraparound frames with polycarbonate lenses, helps absorb the impact of a hard hit or serve. They are also shatterproof, which is a valuable feature for many racket sports, and have built-in UV protection and scratch-resistant qualities.

Tints

Having the right tint can make all the difference when you're playing in varying conditions and environments for pickleball. It's best to evaluate your lenses in several lighting conditions depending on the location or time of the day you play the most.

A clear tint is recommended for indoor matches as it allows the most light. It also works for a cloudy condition outdoors, sunset, and nighttime. For varying light conditions, you may opt for a light transition tint that stays clear (or nearly clear) indoors and darkens automatically when exposed to sunlight. 

Rose and copper tints allow for better vision during daytime or sunny play outdoors.

Polarized Lenses

Polarized lenses are not recommended for pickleball because they affect depth perception—which hinders the player's judgment of the distance and speed of the ball.

Coatings

Lens coatings impact the quality of your vision and the comfort you feel while playing. We highly recommend 2x2 ProCoat, which is included at no additional charge with your Rec Specs prescription lenses. It has a double coat of fast fog recovery and anti-glare that lets your lens quickly recover from fog and eliminates 99.9% of reflected light. 

Top Recommendations for Pickleball Glasses

We have picked out some of our best options for pickleball glasses that will help keep your eyes safe and comfortable while you play.

Sports Shift (XL) Designed for multi-sport athletes, this frame features an interchangeable temple and goggle attachments in one. 

Slam Goggle: Geared with premium optical quality polycarbonate lenses, this frame offers comprehensive protection, combining both high performance and durability. Available for teen and adult fitting.

Maxx Air: Engineered with fast fog recovery to ensure clear vision for maximum performance via its 9-point ventilation system. Available in youth and adult sizes.

Morpheus 3: Made to be durable, yet comfortable! This frame includes a clear single-vision Rx with fog protection coating, and hard coat scratch protection. 

Maxx Series: A crowd favorite! Available in both frame and goggle styles and a variety of colors to match your team. Engineered for protection, style, and confidence to get after it on the court.

Replay (XL): Designed with comfort, durability, and wide field-of-vision in mind—and it’s great for all ages!

Are you ready to take your pickleball game to the next level? Rec Specs offers a range of prescription glasses for pickleball that will help protect your eyes from any stray balls or errant tosses. If you need some help deciding which ones are best, our Outfitters are here to help. Click here to start shopping or chat to our agents from the ‘chat’ icon.