Kitchen Blockers is a lens-free pickleball eyewear brand designed to properly protect players’ eyes without the fogging, glare, or visual distortion that often comes with traditional glasses.

Founder Brad Robins came up with the idea after suffering an eye injury while standing at the kitchen line.

“About three years ago, I was playing pickleball and I got hit in the eye,” said Robins. “We had to stop playing, and as we’re driving back home and I had a bag of ice over my eye, I got the idea.”

Fueled by a passion for pickleball, a background in marketing, and the expertise of a friend who served as Chief Engineer at a NATO-based company specializing in military eyewear for long-range snipers and artillery personnel, Kitchen Blockers was born.

“Pickleball is so popular, and so many people are not thinking about how they can seriously lose their vision. Less than 15% of players globally wear any form of eye protection,” explained Robins. “We believe that people should not get on this court unless they have some form of eye protection. Wear something to protect your eyes because why would you ever risk your vision when you don’t have to?”

In just three years, Kitchen Blockers has engineered a precision fit for optimal eye protection, available in a variety of colors.

They’ve also recently introduced a new slim-fit option for an even more streamlined feel.

“We received feedback that our classic line was a little big for some people’s faces, specifically for women,” said Robins. “So we developed a slimmer line that’s tighter to the face, but with the same testing and efficacy.” 

Kitchen Blockers is an official partner of DUPR and the Junior PPA, working to help shape the future of pickleball for players of all ages.

“Kitchen Blockers is for people ages 8 to 80,” said Robins. “We’re excited to work with the Junior PPA to develop sizes for kids.” 

Collaborating with pros like Ford has been key to spreading the word.

Fellow pro Ryan Sherry was already familiar with the brand and passed along a pair to Ford after he shared concerns about the game’s increasing speed.

“After Zane tried Kitchen Blockers, he actually said, ‘I feel way more confident and I can play better because I know my eyes will never get harmed,’” shared Robins. “And to us, what’s better than an ambassador who authentically liked and used the product?”

Since then, Ford hasn’t stepped onto the court for a tournament match without his eye protection.

While the lens-free design has sparked debate and become one of pickleball’s more polarizing accessories, Robins and the team at Kitchen Blockers remain steadfast in their belief: protecting players’ eyes is the most important priority.

“I don’t believe that there’s any competition in the pickleball eye protection space because you should wear what you’re most comfortable wearing,” concluded Robins. “If you’re not comfortable wearing our product and it’s not for you, that’s fine. Pass them on, give them to a friend on the court, but wear something else just to be safe.”

So why take the risk? Consider this your sign to give Kitchen Blockers or any form of proper eye protection a try, and keep yourself safe every time you play.

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