The 22 Best Sunglasses to Keep Your Eyes Safe This Summer While Running, Fishing, Cycling, and More

There’s nothing more annoying than bending over to pick something up and feeling your sunglasses start to slip off your ears. That’s one of the reasons we love these: They stay put. Whether you’re on a hike or running errands, the curved temples, made from soft, rubbery, and comfortable grip-creating material, keep them secure. They also have a shock-absorbing insert on the nose bridge, helping to keep them firmly in place.

The Reactiv lenses — which are a proprietary photochromic technology designed to adjust to lighting conditions as they change — lend themselves well to … any activity at all. And although these are pricey, reviewers say they’re “cute and bulletproof.” What a winning combination. 

Sometimes, classics are classics for a reason, and Ray Ban is the ultimate example of that. The brand, which has been around since the 1930s, still evokes cool in a way that’s tough to beat.

Beyond the cool factor, these wayfarers are well-made and durable. If you choose to customize your pair, you can pick your lens style — beyond selecting polarized or not, you can opt for mirrored and flash lenses (designed to reduce glare), transition lenses (designed to adapt to light conditions), gradient lenses, or classic ones. You can also pick a solid, patterned, or even embossed frame, and add engraving on the Ray-Ban site.

If you’ve got an Rx, Knockaround offers you options — 153, to be exact. Can we get a round of applause?

Beyond the breadth of available designs, we like the brand because it offers polarized and nonpolarized options; the glasses are affordable and hold up well; and, with partnerships with brands and entities like the NBA, Care Bears, and Pride, there are lots of ways to show off your interests and personal style while protecting your (prescription) peepers. 

Goodr was founded in 2015 as a running sunglasses brand. In the years since, it’s become popular not just with runners but also anyone else who is looking for quality, affordable sunglasses. And we’re converts: These lower-priced sunnies are attractive, effective, and comfortable. The frames are made with a grippy coating to eliminate slippage from sweat, as well as lightweight materials that help reduce bounce while you’re on the move. They feel secure on your face and offer plenty of protection.

Not a fan of this particular style? Goodr has many, many style options, and you’re bound to find one that matches your look.

If you regularly lace up and hit the road, we think these smartly designed sunnies are worth the investment. They fit securely, which means they won’t fall off while you’re running, and they’re so lightweight that many reviewers report forgetting they have them on at all. These also have vents to prevent fogging, as well as an extended range of vision. The Prizm lens option — an Oakley original lens technology that manipulates light to enhance colors and contrasts — improves visual clarity, which is key when you’re moving fast or running in populated areas.

You can also customize these sunglasses by choosing your frame color, ear sock color, lens shape, and lens type (standard, polarized, Prizm, or Prizm polarized), as well as by adding a lens engraving. This unique-to-you design could be a fun way to mark a major milestone (pun intended), such as a big race or a new personal record.

With that in mind, these are our favorite glasses for pickleball. Because red- or amber-tinted lenses improve contrast on blue and green courts, we recommend them specifically with Prizm Field lenses, which are a light rose color. Pickleball-playing reviewers say they provide great visibility, stay on their head, and keep their eyes protected while they rack up wins.

The basketball court can be a fast-paced, bright, and sweaty place, but these sunglasses are up to the challenge. Roka uses a technology they call FloatFit to design their durable, lightweight frames. Their lenses are outfitted with scratch resistance and anti-reflective coatings, as well as a hydrophobic-oleophobic coating that repels water and reduces oil buildup.

And speaking of sweat, we’re particular fans of the no-slip pads that are on the arms of these sunnies. Made with a proprietary thermoplastic blend, they become stickier when you get sweatier. In other words, they’ll stay on through sprinting, jumping, stopping fast, shooting, and (of course) scoring. 

If wearing sunglasses for long periods of time tends to give you a headache, we recommend giving these a try. They were designed specifically to avoid that problem (and a few others) by eliminating the arms. Instead, these sunglasses are made with an adjustable nylon cord that has no hinges or screws. The design also makes them easy to pack, harder to lose while out on a trail, and a whole lot more comfortable.

One thing to note: If you have long hair, you’ll likely want to put it into a ponytail or bun while wearing these sunglasses, since wrapping the cord over your head with your hair down can be uncomfortable and unflattering. This may not be an issue for you — many people with long hair wear it up while exercising anyway — but it’s worth keeping in mind.

If you love high-intensity water sports — like stand-up paddleboarding or surfing — it’s likely that you’ve lost your share of sunglasses to the waves. The Meridien sunglasses from Dragon aim to help you avoid that fate: They float.

Beyond that major selling point, these are lightweight, polarized, and color-optimized, making them well suited to long, bright days on the water.

There are a few reasons that these glasses — an updated version of an original style from the late 1980s — are popular with anglers everywhere. For one, they’re lightweight and comfortable enough to wear all day. The side shields also make it easy to increase coverage when you need it, and they’re easy to remove if you want to increase airflow on your face. The Grand Catalinas also feature built-in sweat management channels to help keep you cool.

The most important aspect, though, is the lenses, which absorb high-energy blue light, enhancing reds, greens, and blues, while filtering out harsh yellow tones. This helps block out extra sunlight and leaves you with the clear view of the water that you need for a successful day of fishing.

Multisport enthusiasts, assemble. These sunglasses will take you easily from the baseball diamond to the golf course, from the track to the trail and back again. They’re lightweight, have adjustable nose and ear pads that stay on through sweaty conditions, and offer great peripheral coverage. Adding to their versatility, two models come with three different lenses: dark, light, and clear.

On the Tifosi website, you can also buy these with polarized lenses, or with Tifosi’s proprietary Enliven Golf tint — which sharpens dull colors — or Fototec lenses, which adapt to changing sunlight.

We recommend these wraparound options for optimal protection. Although they are not available with a prescription, they fit over prescription glasses. For seniors, having an extra pair to wear over their primary eyeglasses may reduce the chance of losing their eyeglasses. It may also be easier to remember to pop them on, rather than remembering to swap out their eyeglasses for sunglasses. They’re available in eight frame sizes and a variety of designs — but no matter which you pick, each pair includes side shields, as well as brow and underside protection. They also have a handy sizing tool on their site to ensure you find your perfect fit.

The good news: Sunglasses with proper UV protection can reduce the potential for eye damage from UV radiation in kids. The problem: It’s hard to make babies and kids wear things they don’t feel like wearing. Babiators aims to solve that issue by offering a wide range of colors and making their sunglasses from flexible rubber that’s nice and comfy (and durable, too — because babies and kids like to throw things). As an added bonus, they are extremely cute.

That’s why we like these: The adjustable eye rope design helps them to stay on through hours of running and jumping, and kids report that they’re lightweight and comfy. Plus, they come with a “polarizing test card” — a little cartoon that kids can only see when they look at it while wearing the glasses. It’s guaranteed to be a hit.