The best men's sunglasses you can buy

Quay

A huge variety of styles and sizes, all for $75 or less makes Quay a top pick for men’s sunglasses. 

Hailing from one of the sunniest places on earth, this Australian brand knows a thing or two about eye protection. Theyoffer a wide range of styles, from classic clubmasters like their Evasive option, to chunked up aviators like theNemesis model. They also offer sunglasses in a variety of sizes, including standard, low bridge, and even mini sizes for little ones who want to match dad. 

Addressing the tricky part of trying to size sunglasses to your face when buying online, Quay offers a series of graphics custom to each design to indicate how they might fit on your face, with frame, bridge, arm, and lens specs. There’s also a virtual try-on option using your smartphone or computer camera. 

When it comes to construction, Quay sunglasses are built to last from durable metal and extremely hard wearing plastic. Many are polarized, adding an additional layer of protection by preventing glare.

What to buy:

Nemesis Polarized (small)Evasive Polarized (small)Big Time Polarized (small)
Ray-Ban

A lauded reputation and more than 400 styles keep Ray-Ban a traditional favorite, year after year. 

Synonymous with sunglasses themselves in some parts of the world, Ray-Bans have been gracing the faces of celebrities and the everyman since the ’30s. Worn by everyone from Bob Dylan to James Dean and Barack Obama, you’ll be in good company with one of any of the hundreds of styles and shapes available. 

While we love a classic black frame (like the Blaze Meteor’s take on the beloved Wayfarer shape), a gold metal, thin-framed or well-shaped eyewear such as the Hexagonal Flat Glasses can be the final accent that truly makes an outfit. For something with a little more structure, the Marshall II aviator is an undeniable testament to the brand’s forever-stylish design approach.

In addition to the sheer size of its selection, Ray-Ban doubles and sometimes even triples down on that with multiple colorways of each model, including differently shaded lenses in almost any color you can think of, as well as alternate frame materials such as carbon fiber, titanium, or even wood.

What to buy:

Hexagonal Flat Lenses Sunglasses (small)Blaze Meteor (small)Marshal II (small)
Persol

Handmade in Italy, Persol focuses its design sense on classic styles that look great on everyone.

Italians know a thing or two about artisanal craftsmanship — think bespoke leather shoes and Murano glass — so it should come as no surprise that some of the most refined sunglasses on the market come from the handcraft workshops of Persol. 

Offering shapes and styles that would look as at home on the cobbles of Florence as on the lacquered wooden boats of Lake Como, Perol’s sought-after designs are backed by a demanding need for perfection when it comes to craft. All lenses are optical-grade and polarized to reduce glare, while the frames are constructed from all-natural acetate, perfectly fitted to sit comfortably on most face shapes. 

We love the brand’s playful insouciance, including yellowy-transparent frames, chunky nose bridges, and in contrast, delicate metal accent bridging. With dozens and dozens of options at your disposal, you’ll be forgiven for taking a few days to decide on your next pair from Persol.

What to buy: 

PO3265S (small)PO2480S (small)649 Original (small)
Oakley

An old favorite for all the right reasons, Oakley is still one of the top brands for sports sunglasses.

When it comes to sunglasses for athletes, adventurers, and general outdoorsmen, Oakley still takes the top spot by a wide margin. While some people might balk at the somewhat goofy look of wraparound, reflective, aerodynamic sport glasses, they’re still classic and beloved by loyalists to the brand. 

Oakley has many years of experience engineering eyewear for everything from surfing to golf, all the way running and cycling. The brand consistently upgrades its technology, delivering high-performing sunglasses designed to handle the rigors of outdoor and athletic use. The Trillbe X, for example, boasts Impact Protection tech, meaning they could quite literally save your eyes if, for some reason, debris comes flying at you. 

Other aspects and tech that make Oakley a top choice include Prizm Lens tech for glare-free polarized light filtering, as well as the ability to buy replacement parts for many of the sunglasses styles including nose pads and replacement lenses, ensuring a pair of Oakleys is an investment that can evolve with you over many years of use.

What to buy:

Trillbe X (small)Radar EV Path (small)Conductor 6 (small)
Sunski

Expensive looks at an affordable price make Sunski an amazing alternative to some of the higher-end eyewear brands.

Inspired by a few pairs of vintage ‘0s Australian sunglasses, the founders built Sunski from the ground up with a successful Kickstarter campaign that has since turned into a much-loved eyewear brand with a cult following. 

Designed in San Francisco, the style of Sunski shades vary from the sedate and simple to the loud and luxurious. But no matter the design, each pair is also wallet-friendly, with almost all the brand’s options coming in at under $100. But just because these sunglasses are affordable doesn’t mean they’re cheaply made. 

In fact, flexibility, durability, and lightweight are three of the key features engineered into each pair of sunglasses, with most of that flexibility and durability coming from their Superlight recycled resin frames. Sunski fully backs that durability with a  forever warranty, guaranteeing replacement if your glasses break during normal wear. Other standard benefits include polarized lenses, UV protection, and genuine metal accents as seen in the Bernina.

What to buy:

Foxtrot (small)Foothill (small)Bernina (small)
Raen

Behind the bold designs of Raen eyewear, is a dedication to quality almost unrivaled in other brands at this price point. 

The best thing about Raen — aside from its bold design, as seen in the brand’s Burel pair featuring a “dipped” color appearance in the flower frame — is its impressive attention to detail and construction materials. Each of the brand’s beautiful frames feature temples that can be adjusted and balanced to fit any face thanks to the durable, embedded wire core through the frame, and hinges that accomodate the slight difference in the height of your ears or the bridge of your nose. 

The brand’s lenses are polarized, and feature 100% UVA and UVB protection, so you can be confident that regardless of the depth of shade of the pair you choose, your eyes are still safe from the scourge of the sun’s rays. 

We love the lightweight body of most of Raen’s frames, as well as the wide-range of styles that it offers. From chunky options to the thinnest of the thin, you’ll never be short on options to pair with your outfits. 

What to buy:

Remmy (small)Burel (small)
Vuarnet

Sporty without looking like sports sunglasses, Vuarnet’s variety of shapes and styles pair performance with style. 

When it comes to lenses, Vuarnet spares no expense, including time. Made in France using a 17-step, weeklong process, the brand’s mineral-based lenses are not only long-lasting and scratch-resistant, but also block 100% of UV rays, 99% of blue light, and 95% of infrared, ensuring your eyes are protected across the spectrum. 

Boasting a slew of forward-thinking styles that range from the edgy to high-fashion, like the appropriately named EDGE 1613, with its sports-inspired stainless steel frames with acetate accents, to the haute couture such as the ICE 1930 and it’s mirror-like lens that not only looks cool as hell. 

One final bonus? The lenses are all recyclable, unlike most plastic lenses found in comparable brands, so you can feel confident you’re doing your part to be at least a little bit more sustainable.

What to buy:

District 2101 (small)Ice 1930 Monoscreen Panoramic Sunglasses (small)Edge 1613 (small)
Tom Ford

One of the world’s best menswear designers also makes some of the world’s best men’s sunglasses. No surprises there. 

Some might argue there is no justification for spending hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on something as seemingly “unnecessary” as a pair of designer sunglasses,  but those people are wrong. While the cost for a pair from the legendary Tom Ford might seem excessive, the inarguable quality, high-impact styling, and precious metals that go into each pair more than deserve its high price point. 

High-grade Japanese titanium, rose-gold and gold plating, leather inserts, and photochromic lenses that brighten or darken according to light conditions are just a few of the materials used in a our higher-priced Tom Ford favorites including the Tom N.16 and N.4 Runway, while flawless acetate or shiny metal frames make up the lower-end options. 

What to buy: 

Tom N.16 (small)Lionel (small)