Sunglasses for sports are essential. They protect your eyes from harmful UV rays and enhance visual clarity during activities like cycling, running, and water sports.
The aesthetics of your sunglasses are of course important, but so are the protection, performance, and comfort of them.
When choosing a pair of high-quality sunglasses you should think about what you will be using them for since this influences the features you need in your sports sunglasses.
Our guide below will discuss all the ins and outs of choosing the best sunglasses for sports such as important features, different lenses, and where to shop for the best sunglasses.
The Best Features Of Sports Sunglasses For Different Sports
Running
For running, sports sunglasses need to be lightweight and have a secure grip so they don’t fall when running. The best sunglasses for running will also have a ventilated frame to reduce fogging and a wraparound design that offers full coverage and protection from the wind.
Cycling
Cycling sunglasses need to be aerodynamic and reduce glare. They should offer clear vision at high speeds, have UV protection, and be polarized to reduce the glare from wet roads when cycling.
Hiking & Snow Sports
Durability and comfort are key in hiking sports sunglasses. You want to look for anti-scratch lenses and frames that fit well under hats and helmets. For snow sports, the best sunglasses for skiing and the best sunglasses for snowboarding must fit under your helmet for safety.
Photochromic lenses for both activities can be great since they adjust conveniently to different lighting conditions.
Archery
Sports sunglasses are needed for clarity and contrast when doing archery. The fit of your sunglasses should be secure enough to avoid movement so that you can maintain focus.
Paragliding
Flying spots like paragliding must have UV protection, side shields are another bonus to help block peripheral light. Of course, ensure your sports sunshades have a snug fit so they don’t fall off.
Shooting
For enhanced target visibility choosing sunglasses with an orange or yellow tint can help with target visibility by increasing contrast against darker blue and green backgrounds.
Ball Sports
The best sunglasses for basketball and other ball sports like baseball and soccer must be impact-resistant, offer full UV protection, and have a wrap-around design for better peripheral vision.
Frames of the best sunglasses for baseball should be flexible and durable. You can buy prescription sunglasses for these ball sports if you need vision correction and choose contrast-enhancing tints for better precision.
The best sunglasses for sports like golf must have no distortion and a stable fit for ultimate precision when playing.
Watersports
For watersports, of course, choosing sports sunglasses that have UV protection is key to protect your eyes and polarized lenses are a must to reduce the glare from the water.
Sports like fishing in particular need polarized lenses for accuracy and clarity when looking into the water beneath the surface.
Sunglass Lens Features
Sunglasses can come with different lenses depending on your needs or the sport you will be wearing them for.
At GlassesShop we have a large range of sunglass lenses to customize your sunglasses with, from polarized to tinted and more.
Polarized Lenses
Polarized sports sunglasses work by having a special chemical applied to them to help filter light, protect from UV, and reduce glare.
Pros Of Polarized Lenses For Sport
Enhanced eye comfort by reducing glare from water reflections or sun.
Very effective for snow sports, improving clarity.
Comes in various colors.
Helps see better on surfaces such as water or metal on cars. The best sunglasses for fishing will be polarized.
Where depth perception isn’t needed, polarized sunglasses are the right choice for water sports such as fishing and kayaking. Some of our most popular options are Beryl and Walnut.
Cons Of Polarized Lenses For Sport
Difficulty seeing LCD screens meaning using your phone or GPS devices may be difficult.
Vision can be distorted in specific environments.
Photochromic Lenses
These sunglass lenses automatically adjust to changing light conditions, getting darker in bright conditions and lighter in dark conditions to improve vision clarity.
Pros Of Photochromic Lenses For Sport
Convenient since they change according to the environment.
Protect eyes from UV rays.
Cons Of Photochromic Lenses For Sport
These lenses can be sensitive to temperature and might not work in very cold conditions.
Doesn’t work when driving a car since UVB rays cannot penetrate through the windshield.
At GlassesShop we offer a type of photochromic lenses called Transitions XTRActive which are new generation transition lenses that give extra light protection and work well in both indoor and outdoor spaces, even the car.
The lenses are polarized for outdoor use and perfect for people who are sensitive to light. Take a look at the range here.
Interchangeable Lenses
Interchangeable lenses for sports sunglasses are also known as removable lenses and come in different colors.
Pros Of Interchangeable Lenses For Sport
Allows you to tailor your eye protection according to different lighting conditions or sporting activities.
Easy to swap out.
Cons Of Interchangeable Lenses For Sport
Can be difficult to swap out lenses when doing sports activities like riding for example.
Tinted Lenses
Tinted lenses for sunglasses come in various colors like yellow or brown and have UV protection too.
Pros Of Tinted Lenses
They are fashionable, allowing you to customize the colors according to what you like.
Dark colors such as gray and brown are great for daily use and outdoor sports. Darker lenses are ideal for cutting through glare and reducing eye strain in bright conditions while green and gray are great options to avoid distorting your vision.
Light colors such as yellow, gold, amber, rose and vermillion excel in moderate to low lighting conditions. Since these tints provide great contrast they help with vision in flat light conditions and visibility to make surroundings appear brighter they are perfect for outdoor snow sports like skiing or snowboarding.
Cons Of Tinted Lenses
Tinted lenses do not always mean they have UV protection, make sure to check this beforehand.
Lens Coatings
Lens coatings are the last important feature to consider in your sports sunglasses.
Hydrophobic coating to repel water.
Anti-scratch coating to improve durability.
Anti-fog coating for humid conditions and high-energy activities.
Mirrored or flash coating - These are the best sunglasses for snow and top fishing sunglasses. They help to reduce glare by reflecting light that hits the lens surface.
Mirrored coatings can make objects appear darker than they are, lighter tints can help compensate for this. Some of our favorites are Randolph and Seattle.
You can find all the above customization options for your sports sunglass lenses at
GlassesShop.
Shop Sports Sunglasses At GlassesShop
GlassesShop offers prescription eyeglasses such as single-vision, reading, bifocal, and progressive lenses. We also have polarized, tinted, and prescription sunglasses with different lens colors.
If you want to see how your sunglasses look before buying, use our virtual try-on service and free home try-on service allowing you to see how your glasses fit and look before you make a final decision.
Our eyeglasses and sunglasses have a 30-day exchange and refund policy and a 365-day guarantee, you can get customer support from our live chat during working hours.
Enjoy our BOGO offer currently which allows you to get two pairs of glasses with different lens functions to experience the best of both worlds for your sporting activities.
Shop the full range of sports sunglasses here.