Keep your eyes happy and healthy with the best polarized sunglasses that improve your vision and block harmful rays
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Protect Your Eyes from Glare with the 5 Best Polarized Sunglasses
Updated on Sep. 23, 2024
Protecting your eyes from the sun’s damaging UV rays is essential whenever you spend time outside, but it’s especially important for landscaping or tackling an outdoor DIY project. Although the main requirement for sunglasses is 100% UV protection, board-certified ophthalmologist Jerry Tsong, MD recommends UV-blocking, tinted lens that are also polarized to filter out horizontal light waves for greater vision clarity.
We consulted experts like Tsong to help us round up the best polarized sunglasses, focusing on durability, visual clarity and comfort. Our top pick is budget friendly and versatile for any outdoor activity or in place of safety glasses in your durable workwear wardrobe. As sunglasses are also a style choice, we have a few other recommendations, including the best polarized sunglasses for women and a clip-on option for prescription glasses.
Best Overall Polarized Sunglasses
Fuse Egmont Sunglasses
Pros:
- Customizable frame and lenses
- Durable
- Lightweight
- Well-priced
Cons:
- May not appeal to all fashion sensibilities
Purchase a high-quality pair of polarized sunglasses without breaking the bank with the Fuse Egmont sunglasses. Their shatter-resistant polycarbonate lenses protect eyes from flying debris as well as UV radiation, and the frame’s rubberized nose grip doesn’t slip down, no matter how sweaty you get. Choose your lenses from a range of standard polarized and color-enhancing options or upgrade to FusePro lenses, which are anti-reflective and even more durable (to match your toughest workwear). The classic square frames come in six fashionable colors.
Best Polarized Sunglasses for Women
Ray-Ban Erika Classic Sunglasses
Pros:
- Women-specific fit
- Signature Ray-Ban styling
- Many color combinations to choose from
- Prescription option available
Cons:
- Not specifically designed for hard labor
Just as you may prefer workwear designed for women, you may want sunglasses with a more feminine look. The Ray-Ban Erika Classic sunglasses fit narrower across the face and feature Ray-Ban’s vintage Phantos frame shape in 13 color options. Choose from polarized lenses in two solid or gradient colors, which you can customize with a prescription.
Best Splurge Polarized Sunglasses
Maui Jim Kini Kini Polarized Fashion Sunglasses
Pros:
- Enhanced vision color and clarity
- Customizable frame and lens colors
- Stylish, fashion-forward design
- Can be made with reading lenses
Cons:
- No prescription option
- Pricier that others
The Maui Jim Kini Kini sunglasses are a worthy upgrade for fashion and function. They shield eyes from glare and harmful UV rays with lenses that vividly enhance color and clarity. Customize your pair from four frame colors and eight lenses, which vary in color and material—either the brand’s SuperThin Glass, which prioritizes vision clarity, or its MauiBrilliant plastic, which features shatter-resistant durability. While they might not be the best choice for men’s workwear, the acutely angled frames complement round, oval or heart-shaped faces alike. And while these can’t be made with a custom prescription, you may opt for reading lenses.
Best Clip-On Polarized Sunglasses
Warby Parker Durand Clip-On Wide Sunglasses
Pros:
- Clip onto existing glasses
- Durable stainless steel frame
- Lightweight
- Comes with a storage pouch
Cons:
- Only fits the Durand frames
If you prefer your everyday eyeglasses to double as polarized sunglasses, consider the Warby Parker Durand Clip-On Wide, which fit the brand’s popular Durand frames. The clip-on’s lightweight-but-durable stainless steel frame won’t drag down your glasses. Get these in black frames with grey lenses, polished silver frames with blue lenses, or polished gold frames with green lenses. They easily store in an included pouch when not needed.
Best Polarized Sunglasses for Sports
Revo Annika 2 Polarized Sunglasses
Pros:
- Comfortable unisex frame style designed for activity
- Light-adaptive, photochromic lenses
- Block glare from every angle
- Slip-resistant nose pad and temple tips
Cons:
- Only one color available
- Pricier than some options
No matter what type of outdoor sport or exercise you do, you want polarized sunglasses that block glare from any angle and won’t budge regardless of how active you get. The Revo Annika 2 Evergreen Photochromic pair, a unisex design created in partnership with pro golfer Annika Sörenstam, offer a number of smart features that make it easy to follow the action of your chosen sport.
For starters, the polarized lenses are photochromic, adapting from semi-transparent to medium-dark based on how bright the sun is. The technology responds quickly to changing light conditions should a cloud pass overhead. The glasses sit comfortably on most faces with their semi-rimless design and won’t slip from sweat, thanks to a textured nose pad and temple tips.
What to Consider When Buying Polarized Sunglasses
Undoubtedly, it’s best practice to stick with reputable brands when buying the best polarized sunglasses. Consider the size and fit of the sunglasses based on what you’re doing when wearing them. Generally speaking, you want the most amount of coverage that you feel comfortable wearing on your face. “Choose bigger sunglasses that help with better coverage and protection,” says board-certified optometrist Jennifer Tsai, OD, founder of Line of Sight Vision in New York City.
In addition, “when selecting the lens color, make sure it’s the best option to increase contrast for the specific activity you plan on wearing it for,” Dr. Tsai says.
Types of Polarized Sunglasses
All kinds of glasses designs may have polarized lenses, says Dr. Tsai, not just sunglasses, which are tinted to provide shade from bright sun and treated to provide 100% UV protection. “Polarized lenses differ in quality of the material used—that is, the distinction lies in the thickness of the polarizing film,” she says.
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Tinted lenses: Coated to have a colorized tint, i.e., for sunglasses.
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Transition lenses: Also called photochromic, or light-adapting, these become lighter or darker based on the sun’s brightness.
How We Found the Best Polarized Sunglasses
As shopping experts, our only job is to help you find a winning product. We start with the research and reporting basics—what products are made of, what they look like and how much they cost—to ensure that we’re only recommending the buys that are worth your time and money. Then we research the features that speak to the product’s quality, taking advice from industry insiders and subject-matter experts on what makes a product a smart value (or worthy of a splurge). Finally, we do the work of combing through user reviews to see how real people interact with the product, and if it stands up to the test.
FAQ
What is the highest level of polarized sunglasses?
Levels of polarized sunglasses depend on quality and materials. “The highest level of polarized lenses starts with the highest quality lens material, which is typically made out of CR39 [a type of plastic] or sometimes glass,” Dr. Tsai says. “Higher levels of quality polarized lenses come with backside anti-reflective coating as well.”
Is polarized better than 100% UV protection?
This is a frequently asked question as many people don’t understand the difference. But you need both attributes, not one or the other, for a functional pair of sunglasses. Polarization eliminates glare while UV protection shields your eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays. Although UV protection is the main requirement for protecting your eyes from damage, Dr. Tsong recommends sunglasses that offer both 100% UV protection and polarization, as the latter helps filter out horizontal light waves for greater vision clarity.
