These Stylish, Sporty Shades Help You Stay Active While Protecting Your Peepers

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We’ve all forgotten our sunglasses on the dashboard once or twice, and it’s times like these that remind us how essential shades are to having a good time out in the sun. Sport sunglasses are a versatile piece of gear that protect your eyes while you’re outside — whether you’re running, kayaking, or playing catch with the neighborhood Sandlot crew.

Sport sunglasses don’t just help you see better without squinting when the sun is shining. The right pair can protect your eyes from damaging UV rays and high winds, and prevent eye fatigue; a good pair of sports sunglasses will keep you outside from dusk ‘til dawn.

Best Sports Sunglasses

What to Look For in a Pair of Sport Sunglasses

Lens Shape

The shape of your sunglasses’ lenses dictates both style and fit, so it's the factor that I consider first. For sport sunglasses, it’s important to take a look at the curvature of the lens, or the “base curve.” While sunglasses with flattened lenses, like aviators, look sharp, they allow light to pass through from the sides. Wraparound glasses with a high base curve provide more coverage without impeding your field of view.

Without taking a prescription into account, lens shape ultimately comes down to taste. While large wraparound lenses provide the best protection, most of us don’t mind a little sun sneaking behind our shades. Unless you’re buying your sport sunglasses for a competition, style is an important factor to consider. We picked out sunglasses in all kinds of shapes so there’s something for everyone.

Lens Technology

Many brands talk a big game about the special technologies that go into their lenses and —truth be told— high-quality lenses can make a big difference. They can be made for different purposes like varying light conditions, enhancing clarity or color, minimizing glare, and improving sharpness.

Contrary to popular belief, polarization and UV protection are not the same thing. Polarized lenses reduce glare so you can see more clearly and easily with less squinting, which is especially important for water sports. UV protection, on the other hand, actually blocks the damaging effects of the sun.

Sunglasses come with varying levels of UV protection, but we look for UV400, which blocks virtually 100% of UV rays. In this review, we've only included glasses with either polarization or UV protection (or both).

Frames

I look for sport sunglass frames often made from polycarbonates and recycled resins because they tend to be more lightweight, flexible, and durable than plastic.

Don’t forget to check out the hinges. Barrel hinges don’t overextend, delivering a firm, but rigid fit. Spring hinges are made to overextend so they can accommodate larger faces, and can survive being stuffed in a backpack or jammed in the center console.

Fit & Comfort

Fit is everything. I’ve tried countless pairs of sunglasses that made me feel invincible in the store, but drove me crazy when I actually brought them to the beach or wore them on a golf course. Sport sunglasses should fit snug on your face so they don’t move when you’re running around, though they shouldn't be uncomfortably tight—if you can feel them squeezing your temples, they’re too tight.

The easiest way to check how a pair of sunglasses fits is to simply try them on, but when shopping online, you should check the sunglasses’ frame width. This tells you the width of the glasses from temple to temple. Ideally you want the glasses’ frame to be slightly wider than your face. (You can measure the width of your face with a straight ruler, just look for the distance from one temple to the other.)

Also, look for non-slip grips on the temples and nose pads to ensure the glasses stay put on your head while you move around. Even if you get the perfect fit, plastic frames will slide right off your face the moment you start bouncing and sweating.

How We Evaluated These Sport Sunglasses

To test the best sports sunglasses, I brought these shades backcountry skiing in Colorado, golfing in Florida, backpacking in Patagonia, and everywhere in between. I worked up a sweat, burned some calories, and kept my eyes fresh — because you only get one set.

On top of my field testing, I scoured the market for new glasses from trustworthy and popular brands, and examined user reviews at various retailers. To finalize the list, I considered price, appearance, and availability to make sure I didn’t recommend outdated, discontinued, or hard-to-find sport sunglasses.

Corridor (Low-Bridge Fit)

Oakley’s latest sport shades hover nicely between wraps and classic rounds, with a semi-rimless frame and generously sized lenses. Its trail-meets-town design delivers the just-right amount of coverage, but feels much more casual than a large pair of wraps with sharp, angular sides.

OGs

A brand like Goodr makes you wonder how some sunglass manufacturers get away with charging $200 for a pair of shades. These classic Wayfarer-style shades are great for a casual run or a day at the park, with polarized lenses for clarity, UV400 for eye protection, and a special grip coating on the frame to keep them from slipping and sliding.

Sunglasses are one of those accessories that feel essential when you need them, but it can be difficult to justify investing in a premium pair when they’re so easy to sit on or misplace. The OGs cover all your basic needs, and they’re cheap enough that you can buy a backup pair in case you lose ‘em.

Optics Swank XL

The Tifosi Swank XL has a classic, casual style that looks great and works well for hiking, running, and camping. Its Grilamid TR-90 polymer frames are lightweight and flexible.

I can wear them all-day long, or stuff ‘em in my backpack or pocket without worrying that they’ll crack under pressure. It also features hydrophilic nose pads that get stickier as you sweat to keep them from sliding off.

Pursuit

For maximum coverage against harsh conditions, Smith’s new Pursuit shades provide many of the protective benefits you’d get from a pair of ski goggles, but without a sealed lining. Compared to goggles, they’re very breathable, which prevents fogging lenses when your internal temperature is climbing.

The Pursuit’s oversized shape, which sports a subtle wrap, and attachable magnetic side shields give you complete eye protection—no UV rays will sneak past this force field.

Smith’s proprietary ChromaPop technology, which enhances contrast to reduce eye strain for athletes, has long been one of my favorite lens technologies for cycling, hiking, skiing, and everyday wear.

The Pursuit features a new version called the Glacier Photochromic lens, which adapts to changing light conditions to enhance color and boost contrast in any lighting condition. I wear them for backcountry and resort skiing, even at the resort in warmer conditions, and have yet to be disappointed.

Optics Flynn 5050

Spy’s Flynn 5050 has impressive lenses and a style that will draw attention while you’re working a HIIT training circuit or tossing a football at the beach. Spy’s UV-blocking HD+ lenses boost contrast, and the oversized Flynn shape provides ample coverage to keep the sun out of your eyes, with enough airflow to prevent fogging.

These babies have been in my rotation for more than a year. They’ve been a solid companion while bootpacking from a chairlift, mountain biking in Crested Butte, and tossing a frisbee at the beach. Plus, they’re available in more than 10 head-turning colorways, so there’s bound to be a color for your drip.

Lido

Costa Del Mar specializes in eyewear for any and every kind of fun you can have on the water, like fishing, rafting, and stand-up paddleboarding. With 580 Polarized and mirrored lenses that filter reflective glare and 100% UV protection, the Lido is fully equipped to keep the sun out of your eyes and has a casual style you can wear around town.

They feature top and side shields for added protection when you’re directly under the sun or, worse, when it reflects off the waves. Adjustable, non-slip nose pads and temple tips keep your shades in place when you’re reeling in a big one or catching a big wave. Plus, they repel water, oil, and sweat, so they stay dry and are easy to clean. Given all that, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that these are my go-to pair for water sports.

Capitol

Colorado-based outdoor eyewear maker Zeal Optics specializes in making sunglass frames and lenses using proprietary plant-based materials, such as Z-Resin and Ellume bio-plastic, instead of traditional petroleum-based plastics to reduce the environmental impact of producing and wearing shades.

My favorite pair from Zeal, Capitol, has polarized lenses and highly flexible frames that won’t break easily on a day out. The non-slip inserts at the nose and temple, plus the keyhole bridge, keeps them locked in place on my face. I wear my Capitols when I want to look good on an adventure, whether that’s an evening scramble or a paddle around the lake.

Flak 2.0 XL

Oakley’s classic sport wraps provide incredible coverage in a small, low-profile package. Thanks to the wrap-around shape and semi-rimless design, you should have a perfectly clear field of view with no frames getting in the way. Like my top pick, they feature Oakley Prizm lenses to maximize clarity and reduce eye fatigue.

They’re also comfortable, so you can wear them all day for long-distance competitions like marathons and triathlons. With a very comfortable, universal fit, they’re great when you need to get serious on a sunny day.

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