Whether you’re shopping for yourself or as a gift for someone, when you’re looking for the best pair of men’s sunglasses, there is a lot to think about. On top of everything you need to take into consideration, there are also literally hundreds of brands and thousands of styles to choose from.
So, if you’re buying a pair of sunglasses for one of the men in your life or for yourself, keep reading our guide to sunglasses for men.
What You Need to Know When Buying Men’s Sunglasses
You might think it’s as simple as choosing a pair of sunnies of the rack – and while theoretically it could be – a lot of time and research has gone into the eyewear and sunglasses industry, with some pretty cool developments and design features that have been created to make your sunglasses work even harder for you.
To make your sunglasses shopping journey a whole lot easier for you, here are our top 5 things you need to factor in when buying sunglasses. Trust us, when you think about each of these elements, you’re going to make finding that perfect pair of men’s sunglasses so much easier.
1. What are you buying them for?
Now, we don’t mean are you buying them as a gift or anything, we mean what are you planning on doing with those sunglasses?
Are you going to be wearing them out on a boat fishing? Perhaps you need a pair of sunglasses that aren’t going to slip while you’re jogging or cycling? Or maybe you just need an everyday pair that is going to protect your eyes while you get from point A to point B.
Knowing how you (or they) are planning on using their sunglasses will give you a way to narrow down the many options of sunglasses styles out there. This can help to dictate the best fit, the best materials and even the colour of the lenses of the sunglasses.
Some sunglasses have been made with certain materials, like rubber grips on the inner frames to make them stay put, especially in sweaty conditions, while others have been made with materials that make them floatable on water; and some have been made from flexible or super sturdy materials to make sure they can handle a little more pressure.
The colour of the lenses of a pair of sunnies is also about a lot more than just a fashion statement. Certain colours can actually provide better visual clarity in certain conditions and environments. For example, yellow lenses sunglasses are great in foggy conditions and are also effective at filtering out blue light from computers and phones. Blue lenses sunglasses are particularly great in snowy conditions as they help to improve colour perception and define contours and edges of things.
While you could always opt for a standard black or grey lensed pair of sunnies, which are great all-rounders – if there is a specific purpose in mind there might just be a perfect lens colour for you. You can learn more about lens colours and your sunglasses here.
2. What shape is your/their face?
If you’re not sure what styles look good on you then having an idea of your head shape can help you here.
While you can realistically wear any style of sunglasses that fits well, if you want that guidance, there are certain styles of sunglasses that suit certain face shapes better than others.
The below are the 5 most common face shapes, their characteristics and the kinds of sunnies that suit them best.
Round
A round face is characterised by having the widest point across the cheek bones and soft features. While the forehead and jawline will be more narrow than at the cheekbone area, a round face tends to be wider than other face shapes.
It’s recommended that round shaped faces stay clear of round sunglasses, but shapes like rectangular, square, and other geometric shapes will work wonders. Even rectangular or square shaped sunnies with slightly rounded corners will look great too.
Oval
An oval face is characterised by the face being longer than it is wide, with rounded features and edges. Amazingly, faces of this shape will suit almost any kind of sunglasses shape. If you do have more angular features, then oval or rounded cornered sunglasses will look incredible. If you don’t have these angular features, then sunglasses in rectangular, square and aviator styles will provide a very balanced fit.
Square
Square shaped faces tend to have a strong jawline and wide forehead, as well as wide cheekbones. Faces that are square in shape tend to have quite angular and sharp features, making them look best in softened styles like round or oval sunglasses.
Heart
A heart shaped face will have a wider forehead and narrower jawline. The jawline is usually quite well defined, and luckily this means that people with a heart shaped face tend to suit most styles of sunglasses, particularly geometric shapes and aviator styles.
Diamond
With a defined jawline and striking cheekbones, a diamond shaped face tends to also have quite angular features. While diamond shaped faces tend to be able to pull off just about any style, we recommend staying away from sunglasses that are too angular or square.
If you can determine your face shape as one of the above, then you’ll be able to narrow down the styles of sunnies to choose from – unless you’ve got a heart shaped face!
3. What’s your style?
In the previous step we talked about face shapes and how certain styles can look better than others. Well, just because some styles suit certain face shapes more than others, it doesn’t mean you have to stick to those rules.
So, now it’s time to think about what you like and your style. Perhaps you’ve already got a bit of a signature style – maybe you’re rock star cool, you might be super sporty, or you might be traditionally classic.
Whatever your style, there is a style of sunglasses to suit. That’s the awesome thing about sunglasses, with so many varieties out there, you can find a pair that has the power to totally transform your look.
So, in this step, it’s time to take a step back and think about what you like and what vibe you’re trying to create.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with the shape of the frame and even the colour.
4. Don’t skimp on protection
Now, while your sunglasses can elevate your overall look and keep you looking pretty cool, their most important function is to provide protection for your peepers.
There is no excuse for subpar protection in the sunglasses realm, especially with almost every single major brand offering their styles with 100% UV protection. UV rays, as we’re sure you’re aware, can cause major damage to your eyes and the delicate skin around them, so don’t settle for sunglasses with inadequate protection.
Make sure you also consider the size of the sunglasses lenses too – 100% protection won’t mean much when your lenses are only the size of a 20 cent coin.
5. To polarise or not to polarise?
Whether you should buy sunglasses with polarised lenses is easily one of the most polarising questions out there.
People often misunderstand the purpose of polarised lenses. They help to reduce glare and can provide additional visual clarity in environments where glare is prevalent. So, while they don’t add extra protection from UV rays, the benefit of polarised lenses are that they can reduce eye strain and make it easy to see in those particularly glare-y conditions, like near water or at the snow.
If you or the person you’re buying for, spends a lot of time outdoors or near water, then a pair of polarised sunnies might be a great option for them. However, if you’re buying a pair for the daily 20 minute commute to work via public transport, polarisation may not be a necessary feature.
You can learn more about polarised sunglasses here.
Now that you know the most important things to think about when shopping for men’s sunglasses, let us tell you about some of the best brands with sunglasses for men.
5 brands offering amazing sunglasses for men
1. Ray Ban
We thought we’d start off with a classic – Ray Bans. Probably the world’s most well-known sunglasses brands, Ray Ban are the epitome of effortlessly cool styles of sunglasses.
Their sunglasses have become iconic, being beloved by celebrities and featuring in various films and tv series – almost becoming a main character themselves.
Some of the best pairs from Ray Ban include the Clubmasters, the Wayfarers and the Aviators. Shop Ray Bans here and learn more about the iconic Ray Ban brand here.
2. Oakley
With the perfect balance between style and function, Oakley offers a huge range of sunglasses that have been made with performance in mind.
Offering amazing technology like Prizm lenses that offer prolific colour enhancing technology and Unobtanium which has been developed to keep the sunglasses in place, Oakley has always been at the forefront of design and development when it comes to performance sunnies. You can learn more about Oakley sunnies here and shop their styles here.
3. Otis
Otis sunglasses provide a range of classic styles of sunglasses that are made from some of the most premium materials out there. Developed back in the year 2000 in Australia, Otis sunglasses all feature lenses made from mineral glass, which offers more strength and durability than standard glass but is half the weight. It’s also an environmentally friendly material, made from natural materials and able to be endlessly recycled.
Though they are made from premium materials, they won’t set you back an arm and leg. You can learn more about this unique sunglasses brand here and shop their range here.
4. Dragon
Developed in a California garage back in the 90s, the Dragon range of sunglasses combine the effortlessly cool feel of that surf and skate Californian lifestyle, while offering high performing and comfortable styles of sunnies.
Dragon has become one of the most popular sunglasses brands for men, and when you try on a pair you’ll see why. It’s the perfect combo of high performance, visual clarity and just so cool in a pair of sunnies. Learn more about the Dragon brand here and shop Dragon sunglasses here.
5. Raen
Another brand born in California, Raen sunglasses have been designed so you can safely spend time in the sun and make the most of being outdoors all while looking pretty great doing it.
The team at Raen are total perfectionists, with every pair of Raen sunglasses only complete once they have been meticulously inspected and hand polished.
With a hint of retro free spirit in their designs, you can totally see why people love Raen sunglasses. Shop their range here.
Shop with GSS for Men’s Sunglasses
If you’re looking to buy a pair of sunnies for yourself or a man in your life, then Great Southern Sunnies, should be your first and only port of call. We offer a huge range of brands and styles all at super low and competitive prices. In fact, if you find a pair of sunnies at a lower price, we’ll match it. We also offer free shipping Australia-wide for orders over $80 as well as flexible payment methods and a 30-day no questions asked return policy.
It couldn’t be easier to buy a pair of men’s sunglasses than it is when you shop with Great Southern Sunnies.