When it comes to sunglasses, you don’t want just any old pair of drugstore shades. It is best to get sunglasses that are designed specifically for hiking as these offer the best protection and are also comfortable to wear while helping you to maximize visibility.
The best hiking sunglasses are designed for hiking with ergonomics, materials, and technology that is above par. Your eyes and the skin around them are the most fragile part of your body and also the least resilient, so we have put together this list of 15 best hiking sunglasses to help you choose the perfect pair to protect your eyes as much as you protect the rest of you.
The Best Hiking Sunglasses
Native Eyewear Highline Hiking Sunglasses
These sunglasses are designed for everyday wear and feature a polarized lens with 100% UV protection and 12% VLT. They are very comfortable due to their lightweight design and come with a good warranty. The company is known for having an excellent repair program, and the glasses are one of the more affordable options on the market. These glasses tend to be smaller than average, so are best suitable for persons with a smaller face.
Made from plastic with poly-crystal carbonate lenses, they offer great protection against not just UV light but also against HEV and glare. They are built with blue light blocking and infrared blocking filters and offer some of the most powerful blockers on the market. They are built to be scratch-resistant and impact-resistant, as well as being easy to clean. With a curved design and a bit of cushinol padding, these polarized sunglasses are a pleasure to wear for long hours. Their lightweight and comfortable design make them suitable for both hiking as well as for regular around-town wear.
Vuarnet District Medium Round Hiking Sunglasses
These sunglasses are non-polarized and offer 100% UV protection and 9% VLT. They are suitable for everyday use and provides the wearer with great clarity. They are designed in quite a flattering style and are made to be extremely comfortable. These sunglasses from Vuarnet are designed in a unisex design so that they look good on both male and female wearers. They are built durably and provides protection in cold and wet weather as well as is great for around-town use.
They are designed with a dark hue and have a mirrored finish. This helps to repel glare and thereby allows for top-quality visibility. While these glasses are not equipped with cushioning pads, they are still ultra-comfortable, and the solid construction makes them highly durable. They tend to feel a bit heavy in the front, thanks to the mineral glass lenses.
Oakley Flak 2.0 XL Hiking Sunglasses
These sunglasses are made with polycarbonate lenses and are polarized. This one is designed for the hiker who is looking for lightweight multipurpose sunglasses. They are built lightweight and feature rubberized grips at the nose and ears. This helps them to stay in place while you hike because a pair of sunglasses always shifting is one of the most annoying things you can encounter when hiking.
These sunglasses are standard in their frame size, and the lens is designed to provide enhanced coverage. The peripheral view area of these sunglasses is equipped with high definition optics for the best in visibility and durability. With its wrap-around design, not only do the glasses provide you with the ultimate performance, but they also provide your eyes with added protection. This design allows it to protect you from sun, wind, and even impacts.
With XYZ optics, which is a patented technology, these sunglasses will provide you with continuous clarity so that you can comfortably push the limits of your hike.
Maui Jim Haleakala Hiking Sunglasses
These hiking sunglasses are built with a polycarbonate and glass lens. The lens is polarized and is extremely lightweight. If you are a hiker who wants the best lens where technology is concerned, this is a great pick. It is also a great pick if you are looking sunglasses that can be worn on and off the trail that will still look good for everyday wear. The glasses are extremely impact-resistant and offer impeccable optical performance on the trail and off.
Oakley Holbrook Hiking Sunglasses
These sunglasses are non-polarized with plutonite lenses that offer 100% UV protection. These lenses will also filter harmful blue light for distances up to 400 mm away. They are ideal for day hikers who are looking for sunglasses that can stand up to the rigors of the trail while having the ability to be used for everyday wear. They feature a simple, stylish design and a tough Grilamid frame.
The Holbrook hiking glasses from Oakley features high definition optics with patented technology. This provides the best optical clarity at every angle. The frame is stress-resistant and lightweight while being durable and comfortable enough to provide protection and comfort for all-day wear.
Made with O-matter, an Oakley injection modeled thermoplastic, these glasses exude exceptional strength and flexibility. They are built this way to withstand deforming and prevent shitifng over time. They are also built with a three-point fit, so the lenses are held within precise optical alignment with contact to the glasses only made behind the temples and at the nose bridge.
This is a very versatile pair, and they come in an array of different colors to fit your personal style best.
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Julbo Shield Spectron 4 Hiking Sunglasses
The Julbo Shield hiking sunglasses are a good polarized option made with polycarbonate lenses. They are best for those hikers who are looking for a pair of sunglasses that are ultra-light while providing ultimate all-round protection. The frames on these glasses are lightweight and adjustable and designed to provide good side protection. They are tough but flexible enough to fit persons with different face shapes.
The lens is transition lenses and will block up to 95% of visible light. They are built with shock resistance and come at an inexpensive price. They have been flash treated to provide visible light filtering thanks to the lenses’ mirror effect. There AR coating allows relief from glare, and the lenses are optical category 1 lenses.
Oakley Radarlock Path Hiking Sunglasses
Here is another highly popular and high-quality option from Oakley. These sunglasses are made with polycarbonate lenses and are polarized sunglasses. Hikers who want a pair of sunglasses that are super lightweight and that provide an excellent field of view will love this one. It features an innovative style with a taller lense that extends your upper view, but its size is more suited for smaller to medium faces.
These sunglasses are made with prescription ready removable lenses featuring Radar EV Path. You can find it in a wide range of frame colors to meet your style needs. Your purchase of these sunglasses affords you a carrying case so that your glasses can be safe when not on your face.
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Costa Del Mar Blackfin Hiking Sunglasses
These sunglasses are made with your standard sunglasses design. They feature a polarized polycarbonate lens and are good for hikers that tend to hike close to the water and need more than average glare reduction. This makes them suitable for vacation wear as well as pool days. The lenses are scratch-resistant, so they will survive a toss in the sand and will stand up to the water if you decide to swim in them.
The sunglasses feature bold frames available in a variety of different colors. They are comfortable and ride the temples to block out ambient light. The glasses feature rubberized temple tips and nose pads so that they are ultra-comfortable for all-day wear.
Smith Pivlock V2 Max Hiking Sunglasses
This pair of hiking sunglasses are for hikers that want a great field of view, great visibility, and an ultra-light pair. These are made with polycarbonate frames and are a non-polarized model. With a frameless design, this option has fewer moving parts and, as such, offers more durability than others that feature a frame. This one seems to be designed more for hikers who have larger face shapes.
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Peppers CutThroat Hiking Sunglasses
These sunglasses are a great choice if you are looking for sunglasses that are not complex and offer protection from every angle. Made with plastic lenses, these sunglasses offer good clarity and glare reduction.
Duduma TR90 Hiking Sunglasses
These are a pair of plastic lens sunglasses under $50 that are polarized. They are very comfortable, making them highly suitable for all-day wear. They are designed in a wrap-around style that allows them to provide excellent protection from sun, wind, and glare. They are built to be both comfortable and stylish and come at a very affordable price. They also come in a variety of colors and can be used for other outdoor activities such as biking, running, and much more.
SunSki Headlands Polarized Hiking Sunglasses
These sunglasses from SunSki are made with a frame constructed out of polycarbonate plastic and lenses made of triacetate cellulose. This makes for flexible, durable, and lightweight sunglass. They are made with a 5 spoke hinge design making them durable yet stylish. The manufacturer is so confident in the quality of these sunglasses that they come with a lifetime warranty. These sunglasses also offer 100% UV protection.
MagPul Explorer Hiking Sunglasses
These sunglasses are made by a renowned manufacturer of elite armed forces products. Magpul is known for its military focused gear, and you can be confident that this is a dependable and solid piece of eyewear. These sunglasses are made with TR90NZZ frames, which are ballistic impact rated to provide Z87.1 protection.
The lens features treatment with an oleophobic substance that enhances the glass durability. Other features that add to the durability are the stainless steel pins and the temple and nose pads that are made with over-molded rubber. Made in a low-profile shape, you will be able to comfortably wear things underneath your headgear whether you are wearing a hat or bandana when you are out on the trail.
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Spy Optic Atlas Hiking Sunglasses
These sunglasses offer a good balance between functionality and style. They are made with a high bridge silhouette and feature advanced lenses. Made with Grilamid, these shades are offered in both non-polarized and trident polarized options.
They feature 5 barrel hinges, which make them hard-wearing and durable. The lenses are made with a 6 base polycarbonate ARC that bolsters clarity, contrast, and color for the best visuals when out hiking.
Smith Outlier 2 Hiking Sunglasses
These sunglasses offer a simple and sleek design along with a host of other features that make them an ideal choice for use on trails of all types. They are designed with ChromaPop lenses, which offer some of the most advanced types of polarized lenses available on the market.
The lenses are impact-resistant to ANSI Z80.3 standards and are also feature a coating that provides waterproof and oil proof protection. The lenses are coated with an anti-reflective coating that is vacuum applied. This mitigates side light reflections very well. The nose pads and temple ends are made with hydrophilic megol, and the frame features auto-lock hinges along with a 6 base lens curvature.
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