Your eyes are so valuable, yet reflective glare and UV from the water and sun is incredibly damaging to them over time. I wish I had learned to wear quality protective lenses from an earlier age as the cataracts and damage caused is now irreparably evident.

Cost can often be a prohibitive factor when choosing the best sunglasses, yet it needn’t be. I was introduced to this British brand in its infancy and wrote a review of its Classics2 polarised sunglasses eight years ago. They were impressively stylish, affordable glasses at the time, but the product and company have improved no end in the years since.

SunGod was built on a direct to consumer model – order a pair online from around £60 and they arrive next day, with no middlemen expense. The frames are unbreakable yet each product comes with a lifetime guarantee. The lenses are interchangeable, which is a useful feature as I found the original glasses scratched and peeled over the years (tip – order the case, it’s worth it!).

The company has since introduced triple layer scratch resistant 4KO polycarbonate lenses, and now these 8KO lenses. You can choose on the website which colour frame and lens combinations to go for.

Having used them for a full season now, they are the best lenses I have tried. A sunny day seems even better, crisper, and easier to appreciate. The blue lenses cut out the glare on the water and give crisp polarised clarity through it. Of course they will never have the full wraparound protection or cut out light from all corners, but for some that’s perhaps a style sacrifice!

For me it’s all about the clarity of the lenses and the comfort of knowing they’re cutting out the harmful ultraviolet rays. They’re also lightweight enough to hardly notice them. An average score of 4.9/5 from nearly 8,000 customers on its website is also quite the endorsement.

I went on to buy SunGod’s Vanguard goggles too, which proved fantastic (although for skiing and not the flight piloting Sir Ben Ainslie and his team use similar goggles for). And it’s been exciting to see the company expand to become a leading performance eyewear brand affiliated with the McLaren F1 team and elite crews such INEOS Britannia America’s Cup team and the Emirates British Sail GP team.

A key reason for the latter is the sustainability aspect – two years ago SunGod introduced frames that are manufactured from 100% recycled plastic and all its glasses are carbon neutral.

If the SunGod Renegades 8K0 sunglasses were not what you’re looking for, check out our full guide to the best watersports sunglasses.

Buy the SunGod Renegades 8Ko sunglasses from SunGod

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