Some retailers like Zappos, Amazon, thredUP, Backcountry, ASOS, and Topfoxx don't have store locations. Therefore, purchasing sunglasses in person isn't an option. If you're concerned about color, shape, or size, seek out retailers that allow you to try on glasses virtually. Out of those mentioned, Warby Parker allows you to try on sunglasses virtually and pick five frames to try on at home for free.
Where To Buy Inexpensive Sunglasses
Zenni Optical is one of the most affordable online eyeglass retailers around. It sells prescription eyeglasses starting at $6.95. And you can turn any regular frame into sunglasses by paying $4.95 for sunglasses tinting, meaning single-vision sunglasses can cost under $12.
Le Specs carries a range of adult styles. Sunglasses typically cost $59.99 to $129.99. Le Specs also has a line of handmade prescription sunglasses starting at $99 regular price and $39.99 on clearance.
Warby Parker sunglasses start at $95 for adults. Nonprescription lenses are part of frame pricing. Single-vision lenses or readers cost $175, and progressives cost $375. You can also upgrade to thinner lenses for $120.
Sunglasses start at around $39 when on sale, and there are usually several dozen or even hundred styles on sale at a given time. Otherwise, regular-price sunglasses typically range from around $75 to $150.
You can get sunglasses at a reasonable price by sticking to affordable stores or waiting for sales. Plus, if you have vision insurance, you can contact your insurance provider to see if any prescription sunglasses you buy are eligible for reimbursement.
Just remember to extend the life of your eyewear once you purchase it. Even tips like using an inexpensive hard-shell case to carry your sunglasses or putting them away while playing sports can help avoid scratches or damaging your eyewear.
Looking for great shades that won't break the bank? We've tested 12 of the best cheap sunglasses around. We sifted through hundreds of pairs before choosing our lineup for everything from paddling and hiking to trail runs and backyard naps. We tested these sunnies in all kinds of lighting, from intense road glare on long trips to the direct hit of the setting sun. We asked our friends to try them on to see how well they suit different people's faces and styles. Just because you're here on a budget doesn't mean you can't still get a great pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes and augment your style.
While some folks happily commit to one pair of sunglasses for everything, others appreciate having multiple pairs for different activities. If you're on the hunt for a pricier pair for special occasions or a specific application, we can help. From the best cycling sunglasses and multi-sport models to more fashion-focused lenses and our favorite sunglasses for men, we've spent a lot of time testing sunnies. Add in a top-notch sun shirt, and you're ready for almost anything.
The Shady Rays Classic Timber are straightforward unisex sunglasses with a well-executed wayfarer style. Their polarized lenses provide comfortable protection in bright light and high glare situations, and the woodgrain pattern on these plastic frames steps them up a notch over other similar styles in their appearance. They're a comfortable width for most heads, with a unique combination of a smooth exterior with just a hint of a matte finish to add extra grip when you need it most. Our lead tester has put their extensive "Live Hard Warranty" to the test several times over the years, adding even more value to a single pair of shades that can be easily replaced when they get lost or broken.
The Merry's Polarized Aluminum performed far better than their shockingly low price would suggest. The dark lenses are great on a bright day, while the larger size adds both coverage and extra style. Even our friends who aren't normally into this type of look found themselves enjoying the vibe they got while wearing these shades. On top of that, the keyhole bridge is just enough to add a little flair to this already pretty cool pair of cheap sunglasses. The Merry's also come with two cases and a cleaning cloth, all of which are great quality, adding even more value to this impressive budget pick.
Aviators are classically stylish sunglasses, and the Tifosi Shwae are our favorite pair when on a budget. These cool shades have a great mirrored finish and excellent shape that our testers appreciated. The lenses are pretty good, with a slight rosy tint to their brown shade. The Shwae also have numerous small hidden features that put them a step above the other aviators we've tested, like texturized rubber grips at the backs of the bows to hold them to your face and nose pads in sturdy metal plates rather than brittle arms.
Those nose pad plates are, however, not particularly adjustable. The lenses also aren't ideal in lower light conditions, and some back reflection can make them challenging in certain bright situations. The flattened, open aviator design also lowers overall coverage in all the ways you would expect. But at the end of the day, when we want inexpensive aviators, it's the Tifosi Shwae we reach for.
We quite literally hunted through hundreds of sunglasses to find the best budget-friendly models to buy and test. Once they were in our hands, we wore them practically non-stop, taking them on vacations and up mountains. We drove long distances and spent afternoons doing yard work, enlisting the help of our friends, family, and colleagues to help test and rate these cheap sunnies.
Our lead tester for all these budget sunnies is Maggie Nichols, aided by our consultant, Bradley Nichols. Bradley has been an outdoor adventurer for most of his life, living and recreating around sunny Tahoe and the intense sun of the northern Nevadan desert. From summer hiking to winter skiing, Brad is always looking for the best pair of sunglasses to protect his eyes. Maggie has been a backcountry guide for over 15 years in some of the brightest areas of the planet. From exploring the Galapagos and paddling the Virgin Islands to backpacking the Sierra Nevadas and dog-sledding the North Pole, Maggie does it all. She's a self-described "glasses junkie" who's been wearing glasses since she was 4 years old and has a lot of demands for her eyewear. Together they make a knowledge team when it comes to this essential accessory.
Just about any pair of cheap sunglasses will sit on your face, but if you're here, you're like us and want to know that your money is well-invested in whatever pair you buy. We put all the models in this lineup through rigorous side-by-side testing to tease apart their performances across five metrics. Each pair is given an overall score by weighting these metrics based on their overall importance. Below, we break those scores down and get nitty-gritty with the details.
In a group of cheap sunglasses, there are still some pretty significant differences in value. Some of the best-performing glasses are far from the most expensive in this review. The Knockaround Paso Robles are one great example of this. They offer excellent clarity and color, fairly sturdy construction, and come in a staggering array of colors to suit your personal style. The Merry's Polarized Aluminum are another noteworthy pair. These classicly styled shades looked cool on most everyone, with dark lenses and solid coverage, all for a surprisingly low cost. Even our top-scorer, the Shady Rays Classic Timber, aren't the most expensive option we tested, but they have outperformed the rest for the last few years now.
Having bad lenses is the number one way to hate your sunglasses. We took this testing seriously, looking into all the specifications each pair claimed and testing them side-by-side to see how well they performed. We checked their tint, color, and clarity, and we wore them in all kinds of challenging lighting conditions. We noted details like the reflections on the backs of the lenses and how comfortable they kept our eyes for hours in the bright sun.
Our full panel of testers checked and judged how comfortable each pair of these sunglasses are to wear for long stretches. We noted where each pair touched our faces and if they were tight on some heads or face shapes. We checked adjustability where applicable and considered any additional features like rubber cushioning and nose pads. We gauged if they felt heavy, imbalanced, or squeezed any of our testers over several hours of wear.
We first evaluated coverage by looking at the obvious factors, such as the base curve of each pair of sunglasses and their overall lens size. We then went further, asking our range of testers to wear each pair and point out gaps and places they saw flaws in the coverage of each pair. As everyone wears their glasses a little bit differently and we all have different shapes and sizes of faces, coverage can vary between wearers. We noted where we found trends and glaring issues in any given pair.
Want the perfect pair of sunglasses for your every occasion? Hit up the Knockaround CUSTOM Shop. You design them, we build them! With over 1,000,000 possible combinations you're sure to create the perfect pair for you.
Are expensive, designer sunglasses worth their high price tag? While pricier shades are usually made of higher-quality materials and tend to be more durable, even inexpensive sunglasses can offer adequate sun protection.
Inexpensive polarized shades help to reduce glare, but the coating may be cheaply applied to the back or front of the lenses instead of in between layers of lens. This could easily make cheaper polarized sunglasses more prone to distortion, scratches and warping.
High-end sunglasses typically come with these additional lens coatings manufactured into the lenses, which will help keep the lenses in good shape and resistant to superficial wear and tear. They also may feature glass or polycarbonate lenses that will stand up to everyday wear for years.
Because pricier sunglasses are available with prescription lenses and additional lens coatings, the frames and hinges need to be flexible enough to be taken apart and reassembled. And they must be durable enough to safely accommodate potentially heavier prescription lenses.
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