When you get behind the wheel of a vehicle, the best sunglasses for driving can make your time on the road a little safer and more comfortable. Sunglasses that are polarized are an absolute must for driving, as they’re designed to reduce glare, allowing you to see clearly even when conditions are bright. Lenses come in a range of tints, but the best ones for daytime driving are gray, amber, or copper in color, as other tints (particularly blue, green, pink, and red) can distort colors on road signs or traffic lights. Some yellow-tinted glasses claim to be helpful for driving at night, but the jury is still out on whether these glasses are actually beneficial, since they can diminish visibility, so I’ve not included any here. Whatever tint you choose, make sure your sunglasses are described as blocking out 100% of the sun’s UV rays.
While sunglasses come in a range of styles, some are more suitable for driving than others. Generally speaking, the larger the lenses, the more protection the sunglasses provide against the sun, even when you look to your sides. Aviators and rectangular sunglasses are just two examples of styles with larger lenses. Sunglasses that are curved can also be helpful for driving, since the shape follows the contours of your face, providing more protection — wraparound styles (where the frames wrap around to the sides of your head) are especially great for this. However, you’ll want to avoid sunglasses with super thick or bulky frames that can impede your vision.
Finally, if you need prescription glasses to drive but don’t want to invest in a pair of costly prescription sunglasses, look for sunglasses that are designed to fit over your regular frames.
These four pairs of sunglasses are perfect for driving, featuring high-coverage, polarized lenses. They’re all under $30, making it easy to snag a backup for when your OG pair inevitably disappears beneath the front seat.
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1. A Fan-Favorite Pair Of Sunglasses
With more than 20,000 reviews on Amazon and a solid 4.5-star rating overall, these rectangular sunglasses from SUNGAIT are tremendously popular on the site, with tons of people indicating that they specifically utilize them for driving. And it makes total sense that this is the case. For one, the sunglasses feature polarized lenses that are super useful for reducing glare, particularly when the sun is high in the sky, and their thin metal frames won’t impede your vision while on the road. Another major plus is the curved shape of the frame: It hugs the contours of your face, ensuring a snug fit. Adjustable nose pads, spring hinges, and flexible arms increase the comfort level of these sunglasses. And for general eye protection, this pick has a coating that offers 100% protection against harmful UV rays.
These sunglasses come in a range of frame and lens choices, but keep in mind that the brown and gray lens options are the best options for driving, as the other colors might make it more difficult to see important road signs.
This pick also comes with a pouch for storage, a cleaning cloth, and a mini screwdriver. A scratch-resistant coating ensures that the sunglasses won’t get easily damaged, though they do have a lifetime breakage warranty, too.
Enthusiastic Amazon review: "I bought these sunglasses not expecting too much from a relatively inexpensive product. I must say, I am pleasantly surprised by the quality. I’ve had more expensive sunglasses that, frankly, were less in quality than SUNGAIT’s Ultra Lightweight Polarized sunglasses. They have become my go-to pair while driving. […] They are definitely polarized and do the job filtering the rays."
2. A Pair Of Sporty Wraparound Sunglasses
These sunglasses from HULISLEM feature a sporty wraparound style, polarized lenses, and a curved frame, all of which combine to provide plenty of protection from the sun — a must for driving. But don’t just take my word for: Amazon reviewers are totally into this pick, too, giving it a solid 4.3-star rating overall on the site after more than 7,000 ratings.
Besides the aforementioned features, this pick also comes with a UV protective coating that gives you complete UV protection, plus a lightweight polycarbonate frame for comfort without bulk.
While this pick comes in a variety of frame and lens colors, the smoke gray lenses are ideal for driving since the green, blue, white, purple, and red options can distort colors on the road.
Enthusiastic Amazon review: "Beyond impressed and extremely happy with the quality of these sunglasses. Recently had LASIK and my eyes have been very sensitive to the glare/light while driving. Problems solved with these sunglasses. Slightly wraparound help prevent glare and very crisp images make for happy driving. Very comfortable and like them so much I have ordered 2 more styles from them."
3. A Pair Of Oversize Aviators
If aviators are your preferred style, this pair from SUNGAIT is an exceptional pick for driving. The sunglasses feature an oversize shape and lightweight metal frame, with polarized lenses to give you plenty of protection from the sun. And Amazon reviewers? Well they’re all about them, giving the sunglasses a knockout 4.5-star rating overall after more than 7,000 ratings. Some reviewers specifically mentioned the slight curve of the sunglasses is what makes this pick a standout among other aviators since they hug the face well.
These sunglasses provide 100% protection from UV rays, and they come with a lifetime breakage warranty.
While these sunglasses come in a variety of frame and lens options, you’ll want to stick with the gray and brown lenses for driving, since all of the other options can cause problems with colors on the road.
Enthusiastic Amazon review: "This is my first pair of polarized sunglasses and I just love them. When wearing them I can see things so much better while driving and no sun glare. I like the way they look & fit and the price was right. Very pleased with purchase."
4. A Pair Of Sunglasses To Wear Over Prescription Glasses
These genius sunglasses from DUCO work with your existing prescription glasses for easy sun protection. The glasses literally fit right over your regular frames, allowing you to reap all of their benefits while maintaining your vision correction. And the best part? The sunglasses are only $25 (aka much, much cheaper than prescription sunglasses). It’s worth noting that these sunglasses may not fit over all glasses, so you want to measure your frames first to be sure — DUCO’s medium-size sunglasses should fit over prescription glasses that measure under 5.35 inches across and are less than 1.45 inches tall. And there’s also a large option available.
In terms of features, these sunglasses boast lenses that are both polarized and anti-reflective for protection against glare. A coating with total UV protection is a general must for sunglasses, and this pick protects against 100% of both UVA and UVB light. The frames themselves are curved and they wrap around the sides (with a side-view window) to allow for better peripheral vision. They’re also super lightweight (they’ll float in water!) and flexible (they can literally bend to 90 degrees without breaking).
This pick comes in a number of colors. While blue lenses are an option, you’ll want to avoid them as they’re not great for driving. All other frame and lens color combinations should be a-okay, though. These sunglasses have a lifetime breakage warranty, just in case.
Enthusiastic Amazon review: "Love my shades! I’m a trucker driving often into the sun always having to adjust my seat to get out of the direct rays. No more with my Duco covers. The fit perfectly over my glasses, are light weight, they cut out the blinding sun and protect my eyes. And, they look very cool."
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