The Best Sunglasses for the Outdoors in 2023

All in all, Costa del Mar is one of the best sunglasses brands on the market, particularly for outdoor use. While the brand focuses on water sports and fishing, the durability and lens quality is second to none.

One of its pinnacle products, the Fantail Pro ($277), packs in performance like no other pair of sunglasses we’ve tested this year. It takes the top slot of our best sunglasses of 2023.

In testing, we adored the crystal clear vision afforded by the Premium Polarized 580 Lenses on our test model sporting Green Polarized Mirror Glass. On bright days, the slightly amber lens provides a perfect blend of contrast and brightness reduction, with 10% light transmission.

The lenses are certainly the star of the show with Costa. But the frames also pack a punch. The Fantail Pro has an excellent customizable nosepiece that makes these glasses both secure and comfortable. The rubberized arm ends add a comfortable grip to these high-performance sunglasses.

Whether you’re relaxing on a boat or trudging up a peak, the performance and customization make these some of the best sunglasses for any outdoor pursuit.

A note on fit though: The Fantail Pros are relatively large sunglasses and fit larger faces best. If you have a smaller face, there are many options that carry these same premium lenses on Costa’s website.

Smith’s Wander sunglasses ($199) are a little pricey, but after testing them for a few weeks, they quickly found their way onto this list as an everyday option.

They have quality construction, fit well, provide polarized protection against UV rays, and don’t slip or slide around the face. We’ve worn these glasses casually from day to day, but also tested them while hiking and running. They fit into a unique category, as they’re stylish enough to wear from a run to the brewery.

The Smith Wander shades have Smith’s Chromapop lenses that enhance color and boost contrast — there are actually five different polarized options to choose from (VLT from 10% to 18% based on your preference).

These sunglasses have a lightweight bio-based frame and stainless steel temples. The bridge width is 18 mm, putting these shades in the category of a medium fit.

Finally, the clarity of the Wander lenses is fantastic. No matter how bright the sun gets where our travels take us, these shades haven’t let us down yet.

OK, we aren’t even going to call out a “best” of this brand, because there are numerous styles with a grip of customization options. From our testing, we thought all of the styles worked very well for a fair price. When it comes to decent sunglasses at a great price, Knockarounds are hard to beat.

No, they won’t stack up with a pair of Costas or Maui Jims. But let’s face it — those brands don’t come cheap. And if you can’t afford them, or just happen to be someone who loses or abuses sunglasses, a more affordable pair makes a lot of sense.

At $35, these are about as cheap as quality sunglasses come these days. Don’t know where to start? Read our full review here, and then head on over to the Custom Design Shop and go wild.

If Costa del Mar is the king of the fishing world, Maui Jim reigns supreme among sailors and recreational boaters. During a decade of living in the Caribbean, our head tester made friends with many boat captains. Their choice of sunglasses for long days under the harsh sun was Maui Jim.

The Maui Jim Stone Shack ($349) is a close runner-up to the sunglasses above. These have Maui Jim’s excellent SuperThin Glass lenses, which proved in testing on both bright snow and sand dunes to be clear, durable, and easy on the eyes.

Much like the Costa del Mar, the Stone Shack also thrives on the water with world-class polarization.

It lacks the adjustable nosepiece and comes in at an even higher price, so the Fantail Pro stands a slot above. But these are hard to beat if you love the acetate frame style in a high-end pair of sunglasses.

The Waterwoman ($212) combines Costa’s incredible lenses with a large, stylish frame. These sunglasses give broad sun protection and are wildly popular with women who spend a lot of time on the water.

Our tester used these consistently in the bright sun of Colorado and has also used them traveling in Europe and Hawaii. She loves them for their secure fit and fun style that goes a little outside the norm — and what better place for expression than sunglasses? If these have a downside, it’s one shared with any translucent frames; in bright light, you may see glare through the frame.

These smart sunnies have a medium fit, which should fit many narrow to average-size faces, and a high nose bridge. The nose and ear contact points use grippy pads to ensure a locked-in feel.

The Mainsail ($262) brings the same fantastic Costa lenses (yeah, we see the pattern, too) in a smaller, but still protective, package. The Mainsail is a little less technical and sport-forward as some of the other models, so they work great as a fashion sunglass.

The Mainsail has grippy rubber on the ear and nosepieces, giving them a locked-in feel. Our tester is using a pair with 580G glass lenses regularly — for running! It’s uncommon for a glass-lens sunglass to fit comfortably for running, so this is a real testament to the fit and finish on the Mainsail.

Yes, it’s another pair of Costas, for good reason. This brand has been firing on all cylinders lately and its products have withstood tons of abuse and shine on like new. We love this model specifically because it fits a wide variety of faces and has a great stylish look that can go anywhere from a saltwater fishing trip in the tropics to a mountaintop or an afternoon at an outdoor cafe.

Tifosi is a pretty great brand for quality, well-priced sunglasses. While definitely a big improvement from cheap gas station sunglasses, they still only hit your wallet for about $60. If you’re prone to losing sunglasses, it won’t sting too badly.

Overall, the Tifosi Swank ($60) is our favorite model from the brand. With a very classic design, they look great on most people’s faces. The polycarbonate lenses are clear and light and offer 100% UVA/UVB protection.

“They feel sturdier and I honestly trust they’re protecting my eyes better than other budget brands,” said our tester. The Tifosi Swank also comes in an XL model, which we’ve tested and liked as well.

If you’re looking for high-end lookalikes in a cost-efficient package, give these affordable sunglasses a try.

The Julbo Fury ($140-230) is one spectacular pair of sunglasses for athletes. We’ve been testing a single pair for more than three years and still reach for them every day for our morning run or post-work ride.

These sunglasses are light, comfortable, protective, and have the best adaptable, light-adjusting lenses on the market. Julbo calls its tech “REACTIV” and it’s an appropriate name. In low light, they become nearly clear. This is awesome during winter morning runs before sunrise as they protect eyes from freezing winds.

And as the sun rises, they darken to block the rays. They’re also great for post-work bike rides as you can wear them into the night, maintaining protection but not blocking light.

Julbo designed these sunglasses for cycling. We wear them for pretty much any sport, from running or biking to backcountry skiing. If they were a bit more stylish for everyday use, they’d be our best sunglasses on this list, as they really are unbeatable.

Editor’s Pick: Julbo ‘Fury’ Are My Favorite New Sunglasses for Endurance Sports.

Oakley introduced its iconic Frogskins ($195) during the Reagan administration. And if you don’t remember trickle-down economics and the fall of the Berlin Wall, let’s just say the fashion of the time was lit! And the Oakley Frogskins fit right in.

Oakley revived the Frogskin for the modern era, and they still look both good and bold. But more importantly, they perform extremely well. In our testing, the PRIZM JADE lens provides very good contrast in both bright sunlight and overcast conditions. And as with all Oakleys, they have excellent impact resistance.

The Lightweight O Matter frame material fits snuggly on the nose and temples but is very comfortable. They won’t slide around on the face and work well in moderate athletic situations. If you’re looking for a pop of color and retro style, there are a lot of options available on Oakley’s website.

Bajío is relatively new to the fishing sunglasses market, but it is already crushing it. Among its options, the Vega ($209) stands out as an all-around performer. The brand’s most significant advantage over the competition? Clarity.

Unlike most other sunglass manufacturers, Bajío is focused on blue light. Cutting the blues by 95% results in less eye fatigue and a crazy crisp view. When our tester put on a pair for the first time, they just sat and stared at the mountains. It’s like they make the real world just a bit more HD.

The lens color options are tailored to fit your specific fishing environment. We don’t know much about fishing the salt flats, but the rose mirror lens makes fish pop out of mountain streams. They’ve become our go-to daily wearers for clarity and my obvious choice for the river.

If you like to hike up to mountain streams and lakes to fish, these are hard to beat. Check out some of the other best fishing sunglasses here.

The brand Ombraz launched some of the most unique sunglasses ($160) on the market in 2018, and we’re glad to see they’re getting attention from retailers.

What makes them unique? They have no arms! Instead, a fabric strap holds the sunglasses over the ears. This means they have no arms to break, so you can stow them in a jacket pocket or pack without the worry of crushing them.

Our Editorial Director put them to the test for several months and was consistently impressed with the utility and quality of these sunglasses. They also look great, which was surprising considering the innovation.

Four years ago, Costa built a line of sunglasses with frames made from recycled fishing nets. Aptly named the Untangled collection ($229), it’s a wonderful idea. It gives us one more way to support plastic recycling and helps remove one more drop from the ocean of plastic that pollutes our seas. And furthermore, they’re excellent sunglasses!

Remember when we mentioned owning sunglasses that are four years old and still going strong? Well, it’s these, with the blue polarized 580G glass lenses. We cannot believe how well they’ve held up to seriously hard use on boats, in the field hunting, and in everyday use.

We struggled to decide where these should fit in our lineup. One tester thought they should be best overall. But in reading reviews, it’s clear that they don’t fit people with smaller faces well at all.

They are also a little heavy and don’t protect from glare on the side as much as the overall winner. But they do look great and are excellent everyday sunglasses if they fit your face well.

All sunglasses in the Costa del Mar lineup are superb, but if you want to lend a hand in reshaping the environment, you won’t sacrifice performance with the Pescador ($229).

Nathan’s Adventure Polarized Running Sunglasses ($60) were just released last year, and we already love them. These glasses have a lightweight TR90 thermoplastic frame, are durable yet light enough for hiking and trail running, and provide great coverage on the face. They’re also comfortable for hours on end.

These Nathan sunglasses are the first from the brand, offering 100% UV protection and nose and temple inserts with grippy TPE. We’ve thoroughly tested these and can testify to their no-slip powers while running.

Another reason to love these sunglasses? They come in four color options and are also prescription lens compatible.

Overall, while we love these sunglasses’ simple design and polarized protection, the real reason they made our list is the quality for the low price — just 60 bucks. Moving fast in sunglasses increases the odds of mishaps, and at the price, we’d consider them replaceable.

ROKA burst on the scene a couple of years ago with aviators for running. Since then, the brand has churned out some really cool styles that are function-forward.

The Phantom — the brand’s first aviators ($290) — remains one of our favorite sunglasses of all time. At 19 ounces, they are remarkably light. And with no-slip “Geko Pads” that cling to the face when wet, they’re ideal for running.

The titanium frames are both light and strong, but the standout feature of these sunglasses is the lens. They are clear, sharp, and durable, holding up to a year of testing with no scratching.

If you’re looking for the aviator style with functionality that goes far beyond sheer looks, these are a great choice. For more details, read our full review.

The Spy Discord starts with super-durable Grilamid frames. That’s the material used for top-tier ski boots and it’s tough but flexible. Next, it adds clear and vibrant lenses. Our tester is a fan of the Happy lenses ($200), which the brand claims are “tuned to boost mood and alertness while enhancing color and contrast.”

Do they work? Well, that’s arguable. But we can say they are clear and provide nice color vision. They’re also durable. We’ve had a pair in testing for more than a year and the lenses show very minimal wear.

This model fits medium to larger faces and brings classic 80s styling into the modern era.

Serengeti may lean toward the fashion market, but it makes fantastic sunglasses for driving. We tested the Serengeti Lenwood ($290) and fell in love with the Italian-made acetate frames. They look stunning in the Shiny Dark Havana pattern holding Mineral Polarized Drivers Cat 2 to 3 lenses.

The deep orange-brown hue of these sunglasses looks understated and classy on the face. And the view through the mineral lenses is warm, sharp, and, in our opinions, mood-boosting. On a sunny day with a blue sky, the world looks warmly rosy through this lens.

While we don’t have a “best sunglasses for driving” category in our outdoor-oriented buying guide, these shades would be a top choice for driving. If your commute or regular drives have a lot of bright sunshine, our team strongly recommends the Lenwood in Mineral Polarized Drivers Cat 2 to 3 to enhance your day.

Another fabulous brand that is a little underrepresented in our testing is Kaenon, and the Burnet ($175) is among our favorite frames. The reason these didn’t rank higher among our testers is largely because we didn’t find a pair that fit our larger head size very well. All our test models were somewhat tight at the temples.

But while that isn’t great for us with big heads, that could be a win for those who find most sunglasses too loose. The Burnet packs excellent Japanese-crafted SR-91 Polarized Lenses into a light, flexible TR-90 frame material. The result is excellent visual acuity and a stunning, protective package.

We really want to love the Kaenon, and expect this brand to climb in our ratings over time. We’re always adding to our testing crew also, and are sending this pair to a reviewer with a narrower head. If you are looking for a somewhat narrower pair of sunglasses, these could fit the bill.