Choosing the best brand of sunglasses for men is kind of a good news/bad news/even-more-good-news situation.
The good news is that there are dozens – if not hundreds – of brands out there offering thousands of different styles of shades.
The bad news is that there are dozens – if not hundreds – of friggin’ brands out there, making it all too easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of options.
Making matters worse, sunglasses are one of the more expensive accessories a man can buy.
That means there’s added pressure to ensure you make the right choice and invest in a high-quality (and of course, stylish-as-hell) brand.
And that’s where the even-more-good-news comes in.
While the men’s sunglasses market is huge, there are only a handful of brands that consistently crank out well made, stylish shades that are worthy of your hard-earned dough.
In this post we’ll take a look at the six best men’s sunglass brands, explore why each brand deserves your attention (and possibly even your money), and look at a few must-have frames from each brand.
The Top Mens Sunglass Brands
Where to Buy Well-Made Shades That Look Sharp as Hell
Warby Parker
About the Brand:
The newest brand on this list is also the best.
Warby Parker burst onto the scene about 10 years ago, and became famous for both its online-only business model and the modern, stylish shades they offer.
Today Warby has grown to the point where they have actual brick-and-mortar stores across the U.S.
But while their business has grown and expanded, the quality of their glasses remains unchanged – and undeniably stylish.
Why They’re Great:
In addition to great style, I like Warby because they’ve basically mastered the whole “ordering onilne” thing.
They offer an at-home trial where you can order five frames, try them on at home, pay for the ones you want to keep and send back the rest.
They’ve even created a quick online quiz you can take to help you pick the types of frames that best suit your face shape, style and tastes.
Between the stylish options, the reasonable price points and the ease with which you can order, Warby Parker easily tops my list of men’s sunglass brands.
And keep in mind that they’re not limited to shades – they’re also an excellent option if (like me) you also need prescription glasses.
Two to Try:
Two of my favorite Warby frames are the Madox and the Abe.
The Madox is a perfect pair of go-anywhere acetate frames that looks just as good with a t-shirt and jeans as it does with a suit.
The Abe, meanwhile, is Warby’s bad-ass take on the square aviator.
While it’s available in multiple colors, for my money the polished silver option, complete with steely blue lenses, is about as sharp as it gets.
EyeBuyDirect
About the Brand:
As their name implies, EyeBuyDirect is a direct-to-consumer brand whose goal is to make high-quality eyewear available to everyone.
Eyebuy offers both regular glasses and sunglasses, including prescription sunglasses.
Fortunately for style-conscious guys, they also happen to have pretty great taste, so in addition to high-quality eyewear they also offer a pretty wide range of pretty stylish frames.
Why They’re Great:
One cool thing about Eyebuy is that they offer more options than a lot of other brands, which allows you to customize your shades.
In addition to offering multiple frame colors for most styles, they also give you the ability to select your preferred lens style.
You can choose from a wide range of lens color options, and decide whether you want your lenses to be polarized, mirrorerd, have a gradient or be enhanced for color blindness.
Two to Try:
Persol
About the Brand:
One of the oldest eyewear companies in the world, Persol has been crafting perennially stylish sunglasses for more than a hundred years.
Founded in Turin (or as the Italians would say, Torino), in 1917 by Giuseppe Ratti, Persol derives its name from the Italian per il sole, which literally means “for the sun.”
Why They’re Great:
Today the company is owned by Luxxotica, the world’s largest eyewear manufacturer.
But don’t let its new corporate home fool you: every single pair of Persols is still scrupulously hand-crafted in Italy, and refined to be as perfect and precise as possible.
Two to Try:
Persol makes what, for my money, might just be the most stylish, most iconic, and most all-around coolest pair of sunglasses of all time: the 714s.
Famously sported by style icon Steve McQueen both onscreen (in The Thomas Crown Affair) and off (when he was on the race track), the 714s are the epitome of timeless masculine style.
Today, Persol actually makes a version specifically dedicated to McQueen, dubbed the 714SM.
The 714s are awesome, but at nearly $500, they’re also a splurge.
For a more affordable, but almost-as-stylish, alternative, you might want to check out the 3059S.
It has a few features similar to the McQueen 714s – the tortoiseshell frames, the blue lenses, the keyhole nose – but at $325, they’re a bit more affordable.
Ray-Ban
About the Brand:
Another classic brand now owned by Luxxotica, Ray-Ban may be even more iconic (or at the very least more ubiquitous) than Persol.
Ray-Ban is the brand responsible for some of the most stylish and famous sunglass models of all time, including the Wayfarer (and the updated New Wayfarer) and the Clubmaster.
And while they didn’t invent the aviator, they launched the tear-drop shaped frames to fame in the ’80s when Maverick himself, Tom Cruise, wore a pair of Ray-Ban 3025 aviators in Top Gun.
Why They’re Great:
Much like Persol, Ray-Ban is well known for mixing quality and style.
I’ve had the same pair of New Wayfarers for nearly 10 years now, and after a ton of wear, there’s very little tear.
I expect my Ray-Bans to keep holding up – and keep looking sharp as hell – for decades to come, making them one of the smartest and most stylish investments I’ve made.
Two to Try:
After years of wearing the New Wayfarers in tortoiseshell brown, this year my wife bought me a pair of Original Wayfarers in black, and I’ve completely fallen in love with them.
They’re the most versatile shades I’ve ever owned, look great with everything, and feel as sturdy as they are stylish.
If you prefer a lighter pair, I recommend foregoing the traditional aviators and opting for a pair of square aviators instead.
Where the original aviators have become associated with Top Gun cosplay and Joe Biden, the Caravan square aviators are just as sharp but carry none of the pop cultural baggage.
(Although astute fans of both menswear and peak TV will note that Don Draper rakishly rocked a pair of square aviators on Mad Men, which is an association I can get behind.)
Tom Ford
About the Brand:
The only men’s sunglass brand on this list that’s not exclusively known for eyewear, Tom Ford belongs on this list for a lot of reasons:
Exceptional style, incredible quality, the iconic “T” rivets that span from the lens to the arms.
But one reason stands above all others:
This is the brand that makes sunglasses for Bond. James Bond. As in 007. As in Daniel (Friggin’) Craig.
Tom Ford has been designing both Bond’s suits and sunglasses since 2008’s Quantum of Solace.
Over the years, Daniel Craig’s Bond has sported some incredibly memorable sunglass styles, including the steely blue FT108 aviators he wore in Quantum, the more traditional Marko FT0144 aviators he sported in Skyfall and the Snowdon shades he wore in Spectre.
Why They’re Great:
Fashion and style can be complicated things, but if you want a simple rule for looking sharp (and if your budget allows), you really only need to remember this: do what 007 does.
From sunglasses and suits to shawl collar cardigans and NATO strap watches, this simple rule will get you very, very far in the style game.
Two to Try:
Not surprisingly, the exact models that Bond sports in his movies tend to sell out almost immediately after each film is released, and are almost impossible to find thereafter.
I couldn’t find the FT108 aviators he sported in Quantum anywhere (much to my dismay).
But the good news is that you can (and absolutely should) pick up both the Marko FT0144 aviators from Skyfall and the Snowdon acetate shades from Spectre.
Carrera
About the Brand:
What the Persol 714s were to Steve McQueen, Carrera Champions were to Paul Newman.
Newman put Carrera on the menswear map back in the 1960s and 70s, when he wore the Champion model basically everywhere:
From the March on Washington to the famous 24 Hours Le Mans race in France.
The company was founded in the 50s by Wilhelm Anger, who was inspired by Mexico’s Carrera Panamericana car race.
(Newman was a well known race car fanatic, so it’s not surprising that he found and embraced a brand that was founded for and by fellow auto enthusiasts.)
Why They’re Great:
Since then Carrera has continued its legacy of making stylish shades inspired by the world of auto racing, which look just as good behind the wheel as they do while walking the streets.
Two to Try:
Very few men in history have ever had Paul Newman’s jawline or facial symmetry.
But fortunately for those of us who didn’t win the genetic lottery, we can at least have his shades.
Carrera still makes the Champions, and they still look as devilishly handsome as when Newman wore them all those years ago.
For those looking to channel a more modern style icon, the Carrera 166/S KJ1/IR has a distinctly Tony Stark feel (if, admittedly, a much less catchy name than “Champion”).
Randolph Engineering
About the Brand:
Named for the small town outside of Boston where it was founded by former Royal Air Force navigator Jan Waszkiewicz and machinist Stanley Zaleski, Randolph has some serious bona fides.
They’ve been providing the U.S. military with aviators for more than 40 years now, meaning that while Maverick wears Ray-Bans, real life fighter pilots wear Randolphs.
Why They’re Great:
It’s no surprise that the military picked Randolph for its shades.
Founders Waszkiewicz and Zaleski didn’t just build sunglasses that meet strict military standards—they also built the machines that make the shades.
The result is a company that specializes in precision, and sunglasses that over-deliver in both looks and performance.
Two to Try:
The matte chrome Aviators are about as bad-ass as sunglasses get, come in nine different potential lens colors, and look as good with a three-piece suit (as JGL shows us above) as they do with a pilot’s jumpsuit.
The Hamilton, meanwhile, gives off some seriously laidback and stylish summer vibes (a pleasant surprise from a brand known for peak performance), which reminds me of Chris Evans’ character in Knives Out.
The Summary
What are the best mens sunglass brands?
The best men’s sunglass brands are Warby Parker, Persol, Ray-Ban, Tom Ford, Carrera and Randolph Engineering. In addition to classically masculine frames, each brand offers a wide range of styles, options and price points that will fit the face (and the budget) of most guys.
Take The Next Step Toward Sharper Style
Now that you know the best men’s sunglass brands, you’ll know where to turn when you want to step up your shades game.
But as sharp as sunglasses are, the truth is that they’re just one small (if admittedly sharp as hell) piece of the larger picture that is a man’s overall appearance.
If you really want to out-dress the other guys, you need to know how to nail the small-but-crucial details that will help you put your best face forward.
Enter your email address below and I’ll send you a head-to-toe checklist outlining the Nine Details You Need to Nail to do just that.
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More Resources:
More Men’s Sunglasses & Accessories Advice from Irreverent Gent:
- The 7 Most Classic Sunglass Styles for Men
- The 11 Best Warby Parker Sunglasses for Men
- The 19 Best Pairs of Men’s Wood Sunglasses
- The 29 Best Warby Parker Alternatives
- The Best Affordable Sunglasses Brands
- The (Absolute) Best Leather Bags for Men
- The Best Ridge Wallet Alternatives
- The Most Stylish Types of Glasses Frames for Every Face Shape
Dave – if you had to choose just one brand, or even just one pair, from this list, what would it be?
Hey Erik. Ooof, that’s tough. I would either go with the Steve McQueen Persols – which are my personal favorite sunglasses of all time – or the Ray Ban Wayfarers. Gun to my head, I think I’d go Wayfarers. I love the McQueens, but they’re not quite right for every situation, whereas an all black pair of Wayfarers can work with just about any get up, in any situation.