Besides looking the part, the latest golf-specific technology helps improve your vision in varying light, so you get performance benefits too
Best Golf Sunglasses
When the sun comes out, we have all gone to hit a shot and been blinded as we try and track where the ball has gone. Inevitably your playing partners haven’t seen it either.
Well you know the one thing that would solve this dilemma? A good pair of golf sunglasses.
A pair of sunglasses is one of the best golf accessories to get especially when playing golf during the summer months and when the sun is low as it rises and sets.
In this aspect of the game, brands have made some enormous strides in the past decade and, whether you are looking for something sporty and colourful or maybe a more traditional type of shades, there is something for everyone. From Oakley, to Bolle, to even Henrik Stenson’s designs, we have narrowed things down with hopefully something for every budget.
The best sunglasses should fit you well, look great and, most importantly, give you a comfortable visual experience.
We’ve picked plenty of classic styles and colors, and there’s loads of different frame and lens color options for you to fully customize your glasses to your personal taste.
Also for other ways to protect yourself from the sun we recommend taking a look at our posts on the best golf hats, best golf caps and best golf polos which are made from fabrics to guard against harmful rays.
Best Golf Sunglasses
Oakley Portal X Sunglasses
Great Comfort
Oakley’s Portal X model is one of the best golf sunglasses on the market because it is perfect for use not just out on the golf course but also away from it too. Importantly the design lends itself to being worn all day because comfort is one of the key characteristics.
After testing we found these to be stylish, comfortable and the Prizm Dark Golf lenses undoubtedly enhance the contrast on bright days, which is especially helpful on greens with subtle slopes.
The tacky material used for the nose pads ensures a comfortable but secure fit while the special Unobtanium material on the inside of the earsocks has a similar feel and increases in grip when wet. This ensures that when you sweat, a common occurrence when playing on hot sunny days, they stay firmly in position when you swing.
Oakley Portal X Sunglasses Review
Adidas Matte Blue Injected Sport Sunglasses
Stylish design
Whatever the weather these will help you to focus. There are 12 ventilation holes so there’s no chance of steaming up nor any slipping due to the adjustable nose pads and non-slip temples.
These are flexible, lightweight and hard-wearing, everything you want when you’re grinding out a score or just enjoying a leisurely round in the sunshine.
Also, as you would expect with adidas, there are lots of colours to choose from especially in terms of the lenses.
Henrik Stenson Iceman 3.0 Sunglasses
Used by Henrik himself
Henrik Stenson more than anyone understands how important it is to get the best golf sunglasses, so much so he started his own eyewear company in 2017.
The Iceman 3.0’s are the signature model in the range and they are suitable for more sporting activities.
They have been designed with TR-90, which is an ultra-lightweight and flexible polymer for the frame, and they sof rubber grips for comfort.
The lenses are also a significant feature here. They are anti-scratch and have a sharp, ventilated HD lens for outstanding visuals out on the golf course. This particular golf specific lens enhances contrast so that the terrain appears more distinct and defined, while natural colour balance is still maintained.
That being said they also work off the golf course too.
Bolle Bolt Photo V3 Golf Oleo AF Sunglasses
Breathable frame design
These are great for when you want to tee it up in the midday sun. They come with interchangeable lenses so you can adapt to the different times of the day and the comfort level is something else, meaning they will suit any sport that you want to try in them.
The ultra-light vented frames and Thermogrip technology deliver a secure but highly comfortable fit.
They also come with a sturdy case and protective bag too.
Oakley Radar EV Pitch Sunglasses
Excellent protection
We are sure you agree these are as futuristic as it gets from an aesthetic point of view.
That being said the technology is very modern and usable too. These come in a variety of different lenses and frames to suit your needs. Pretty much any sport you’re playing these will be an ideal accompaniment and the Pitch lens shape maximises coverage of the upper face and the interchangeable coated nosepiece helps you customise your fit.
The lens features the Prizm technology which helps with any colour contrasting so, wherever you are on the course, everything will be pin sharp. These are suited for a medium to large adult fit.
Tifosi Swick Sunglasses
Off-course versatility
‘Call it sweet. Call it sick. It’s Swick.’ These come in a collection of colours and come from a company that specialises in sporting sunglasses and they are lightweight, durable and comfortable.
And they’re very cool and are a unisex design so handy for when your other half wants to borrow them. Sunglasses can be pretty pricey but these are a very affordable option. Importantly there are lots of different styles, colours and designs to choose from as well so these will suit just about anyone.
Oakley Mercenary Sunglasses
Cutting-edge tech
Mercenary blends fashion with cutting-edge technology designed to assist the golfer. It’s a lightweight, minimalist design with a larger lens for wider field of view. Although the Mercenary is available in various frame and lens combination, we found the best lenses for the course to be the Prizm and Prizm Dark Golf.
Prizm technology fine tunes vision for specific sports and environments. Prizm Golf and Prizm Dark Golf help players see changes in grass texture by improving the contrast between various shades of green.
That really helps you pick out the contours and see the lines on the putting surface. So realistically then they could help you hole more putts and if that doesn’t warrant inclusion in this best golf sunglasses list, I don’t know what will.
Sundog Laser Ext TrueBlue Sunglasses
Lightweight option
One of Sundog’s popular styles has been taken to the next level with a newly designed lens cut for optimal coverage on an open-frame design. Laser are stylish frames that feature suspended open bottom lenses on an open frame design constructed of extreme lightweight materials.
They have the Megol nose pads along with Megol co-injected temples tips for non-slip performance and comfort.
They should fit a medium to large face shape and they offer 100 per cent UV protection.
Oakley Flak 2.0 Sunglasses
Popular frame
One of Oakley’s most popular models, the Flak 2.0 features High Definition Optics that provides superior optical clarity and razor-sharp vision at every angle. Oakley’s Prizm lens technology also fine-tunes vision that comes into its own when you’re on the course and reading greens, for example.
The matte black frame, which looks great, pairs well with a black iridium lens which prevents direct glare and heat. Speaking of the frame it is constructed with Oakley’s O Matter material accompanied by Unobtanium ear socks and nose grips for no slip grip. To put it simply, the sport-friendly Flak 2.0 sunglasses are technologically terrific.
Sunwise Equinox White Sport Sunglasses
Great for any weather
The best golf sunglasses don’t have to cost an arm and a leg. This fantastic value option from Sunwise has colour coded interchangeable lenses covering all weather conditions, so you’ll always be prepared come wind, rain or shine.
The clear lenses (category 0) are for clear conditions, the yellow lenses (category 1) for low light, orange lenses (category 2) for medium light, and finally the red platinum lenses (category 3) are for strong light.
Sunwise has also made them durable, light, water-resistant, impact-resistant, and another excellent feature is the flat arms profile which makes these perfect for wearing under a cap.
Ray-Ban RB2140 Original Wayfarer Classic Photochromic Sunglasses
Iconic sunglasses brand
You can’t shop for sunglasses without considering Ray Bans and one of the brands iconic designs is the Wayfarer. Since its initial design in 1952, Wayfarer Classics gained popularity among celebrities, musicians, artists and those with an impeccable fashion sense.
We think this particular model can transition to the golf course too because these polarized Wayfarers look great and perform great too with a lightweight and durable frame as well as lenses that will stop your eyes straining.
Under Armour Octane Wrap Sunglasses
Sturdy frame design
Under Armour might not yet be a household name in the eyewear market but these Octane Wrap sunglasses are a quality piece of kit. They’re fitted with ArmourSight lenses, which have been engineered for superior optical clarity and impact resistance.
The ArmourFusion frames are built with a high-grade injected polyamide for maximum strength whilst the AutoGrip self-articulating temples conform to your unique head shape without discomfort. As usual with Under Armour, another top-quality product.
Oakley Holbrook Metal Sunglasses
Off-course versatility
This is a classic look from one of the market leaders. They’ve taken all the popular features in this best-selling style and crafted it into a lightweight frame so they’re both comfy and uber stylish.
There is an interior stem pad which improves the grip so there’s no need to constantly readjust and the plutonite lenses offer 100 per cent protection filtering out any harmful light.
From a visual perspective, Oakley has knocked it out of the park with these too. This is because the lenses feature Oakley’s high definition optics that meet the very high standards for eye protection from all possible UV light and impacts.
Maui Jim Cliff House Aviator Sunglasses
Stand out from the crowd
Based in Maui, Hawaii, the company began selling sunglasses on the beach nearly forty years ago, and has grown its collection from seven styles to over 125. Because of Maui Jim’s colourful beginnings, the company prides itself on enhancing the world’s true vivid colours in detail – great for us golfers who frequently find ourselves staring out over lush green fairways.
The Cliff House model – which gets its name from a stunning location on the Big Island – are classic sunglasses that come with polarized lenses that offer bright, clear views everywhere you look. Its PolarizedPlus2 lenses eliminate 99.9% of glare, while reducing light from above and below, allowing your eyes to relax as well.
Henrik Stenson Street Sunglasses Hawk Grey Horn
Great versatility
We’ve established that Henrik Stenson makes quality eyewear and these Hawk Street Sunglasses look great. They work on the golf course and in everyday life, too.
The lightweight frame is precision-carved out of a stainless steel block using state-of-the-art CNC cutting technology, adopting a sleek and streamlined design which is stylish and super comfortable.
The lenses used also have several key features which make them perfect for wearing all day long. A super oleophobic coating is used to repel oil, grease, sweat, water and fingerprints – while an anti scratch coating also provides additional peace of mind
Dirty Dog Muffler Satin Black Sunglasses Polarized Grey Lenses
Excellent value
Lightweight and durable, these sunglasses are designed to perform in all manner of sporting situations and will be more than capable on the golf course. Very budget friendly and great value considering that they are polarized, too.
Dirty Dog frames are lightweight, extremely flexible yet super strong with 100% memory allowing the frames to bounce back to their original shape. Put through the harshest testing conditions, Dirty Dog has proven the TR90 polyamide construction will keep its properties in extreme temperature including low and high temperatures, as well as extremely humid or dry conditions. This makes them an excellent choice for any situation.
Oakley Holbrook Mix Sunglasses
Sharp and clear vision
These seriously stylish Oakleys feature the company’s patented High Definition Optics, which eliminates distortion to give you clearer, sharper, and more accurate vision. They’ll look great both on and off the golf course.
Capturing the lens shape of Holbrook, this Mix edition recrafts the best-seller with enhancements that include stainless steel temples, the sure grip of Unobtanium interior stem pads which increase grip even more in wet conditions and lightweight O Matter center. Oh, and they also come with a 2-year warranty.
Bloc P301 Black Scorpion Wrap Sunglasses Polarised
Top-notch stability
With hand-finished frames, these BLOC Scorpion sunglasses look fantastic on and away from the fairways. Along with other factors mentioned above and below, the best golf sunglasses need to be stable too and these Bloc’s are just that thanks to moulded pads that help improve stability and prevent slipping whilst the frames are robust and solid.
The KARBON TX bi-core injected frames are hand finished, durable, flexible, lightweight and designed to be comfortable and performative. We also particularly liked the fully adjustable hypoallergenic nose pads and the non-slip hypoallergenic temple tips.
Oakley Gauge 8 Black Sunglasses
Minimalist design
A new chapter in Oakley’s heritage of wire frame innovation, Gauge 8 is a lightweight C-5 alloy design with the genius of Mono Shock hinges and the classic-meets-contemporary styling of pilot shades with angular lenses.
They also feature Prizm technology lenses which provide unprecedented control of light transmission resulting in colors precisely tuned to maximize contrast and enhance visibility. As you can tell, we’re big fans, are you?
Things to consider when buying golf sunglasses
There are several factors to be wary of when looking at buying new golf sunglasses and below are the ones we consider to be the most important.
Clarity/tint – There are obviously several types of lens and tints that can be beneficial to different people and their eyes. Many brands have their own proprietary lens technology, such as the PRIZM by Oakley. These designs are created to bring out the colors of the golf course and help players see the ball better against grass and sky.
From a tint perspective, have a think about which color you would prefer because they do different things. For example;
- Rose Copper: Sunglasses with a rose copper tint are perfect for the putting green as they remove yellow and red tones from the color green. Therefore this can help players read breaks and how the grains sit on the green. Contours are also seen more clearly.
- Brown/amber: Contrast is important for golfers and lens with a brown or amber tint will work the best for this. These will even help your distance vision by improving the grass contrast as well as the sky so that you can see the ball clearly as it travels through the air. They also work very well in cloudy weather and in low light.
- Gray and Green: Usually these may not be that ideal golf golf but they may help those who have light sensitive eyes.
Strength/durability – Golf sunglasses have to be able to deal with some wear and tear that can occasionally come from the game. Transporting them around in the golf bag, dropping them, and other things can occur so be sure to go for a design that is durable and strong when needed.
Of course given the varying styles of golf sunglasses now, some will be stronger than others and some designs will be made from stronger materials so this is something to be wary of. The good thing is no longer are strong designs massive and chunky, as the growth in technology has allowed super-lightweight models to be sturdy too.
Comfort – If you are going to have sunglasses on all day they have to be comfortable. The materials used have to feel soft and yet also grippy especially on those areas around the nose and ears. Let’s face it, you won’t keep them on if they are uncomfortable so it is worth trying some models on before you buy.
Style – As we mentioned above, there are lots of different styles of golf sunglasses now. From classic designs to aviators, to retro models and sporty glasses, there is a design for everyone. Additionally many of them are incredibly versatile too so if you want a pair to use off the golf course, have a think about a style that can work anywhere.
Price – Some models cost more than others so people should also think about price. Some cheaper models will do the job nicely but then there are also premium models for those who want to spend a little more.
We hope you enjoyed this guide on the best golf sunglasses.
This article Best Golf Sunglasses appeared first on Golf Monthly.