Sunglasses can be particularly expensive at the best of times. Yet presxcription sunglasses are much pricier. Furthermore, you’ll learn in this guide why polarized sunglasses are the best types of lenses to get.
As well as covering their specifics, we also explore where to buy the best prescription sunglasses. Use the links below to take a closer look:
Where Are The Best Places To Buy Polarized Sunglasses?
Finding the right glasses for you can be a frustrating and arduous task. There are so many different options of sunglasses that you can buy that it’s often very difficult to find the right pair.
Furthermore, polarized sunglasses are usually expensive and there are a lot of dubious sellers online who may sell fakes. Fortunately, we’ve tested many retailers to find the most trustworthy and reliable places to buy sunglasses online.
Whether you’re looking for new prescription sunglasses or just a pair of normal shades, you can use this guide to find the right glasses for you.
If you already know the benefits of polarized glasses, then you’re probably looking for the best places to buy them online. If you’re still not sure, we’ll explain a little lower down in this article.
We’ve tried many glasses from different vendors before we found the places that we believe are the best for buying glasses online. We then put them to the test for polarized sunglasses to see how they competed.
Our current top retailers for polarized sunglasses online are the following:
Note that we didn’t review the frames themselves but their sunglasses service. Virtually any of the glasses that we review in our best styles and different frames can have polarized lenses as an added option. If you’re looking for glasses, we suggest that you check those links out afterwards!
1. Warby Parker Sunglasses
- Polarized Lenses Price: Included/Free! [Shop Now]
- Shipping Costs: Free
- Handling & Shipping Time: 5-12 Days
- Return Policy: 30 Days
- Fitting Options: Free Adjustments At Retail Locations
- Prescription Options: Single Vision & Progressive
- Lenses Available: Clear / Light-Responsive / Sunglasses
- Free Try At Home Option? Yes
We already love Warby Parker for their premium quality and wide range of styles. Therefore, we were really impressed to find that polarized lenses came as standard when ordering sunglasses from them.
Instead of heading into eyewear, you need only check out their sunglasses section to see the wide variety of frames that are compatible as shades. Furthermore, they’re the exact same price as if you were to buy them as standard non-prescription glasses.
This is impressive to say the least so we weren’t disappointed to find that an inscription would instead be presented as an additional option. For those looking for high-quality polarized sunglasses, Warby Parker is first choice!
2. JINS Eyewear
- Polarized Lenses Price: From $90 [Shop Now]
- Shipping Costs: Free
- Handling & Shipping Time: 2-3 Weeks
- Return Policy: 30 Days
- Fitting Options: Some Retail Locations; Virtual Try-On
- Prescription Options: Single Vision & Progressive
- Lenses Available: Clear / Light-Responsive / Sunglasses
- Free Try At Home Option? No
JINS eyewear is an excellent choice when it comes to buying sunglasses online. Not only do they offer a wide range of stylish and high-quality sunglasses at affordable prices, but they also provide a variety of lens options to ensure that your sunglasses meet your specific needs.
JINS’ lenses offer 100% UV protection, blue light blocking, and polarized options. Additionally, they have a virtual try-on feature that allows you to see how the sunglasses will look on your face before you make a purchase. With a commitment to providing excellent customer service and a hassle-free return policy, JINS is a reliable and trustworthy choice for your next pair of sunglasses.
Head to US.JINS.com to discover their entire range!
3. Glasses USA Sunglasses
- Polarized Lenses Price: $114 [Shop Now]
- Shipping Costs: Free USA/Canada [Express & International Options Available]
- Handling & Shipping Time: 3-6 Production Days, 7-10 Free Shipping Days
- Return Policy: 14 Days
- Fitting Options: None
- Prescription Options: Single Vision, Bifocal & Progressive
- Lenses Available: Clear / Light-Responsive / Sunglasses
- Free Try At Home Option? No
With glasses from some of the most reputable designer brands such as Gucci, Versace and Ray-Ban, Glasses USA is an excellent outlet for the fashionably-minded.
Furthermore, their frames are often very reasonably priced for what you get and there are often great deals to be had. Therefore, we weren’t all that disappointed to find that adding polarized lenses to any glasses costs an extra at $114.
However, if you’re not prepared to pay so much for polarized lenses, note that their normal sunglasses lenses can be fitted for free!
Head to Glasses USA to discover everything that they have to offer!
4. EyeBuyDirect Sunglasses
- Polarized Lenses Price: $30 [Shop Now]
- Shipping Costs: Free USA/Canada [Express & International Options Available]
- Handling & Shipping Time: 3-6 Production Days, 7-10 Free Shipping Days
- Return Policy: 14 Days
- Fitting Options: None
- Prescription Options: Single Vision, Bifocal & Progressive
- Lenses Available: Clear / Light-Responsive / Sunglasses
- Free Try At Home Option? No
Eye Buy Direct are probably our favourite retailer when it comes to stylish glasses at reasonable prices. Very few of their frames ever go over the $70 price point and each one we’ve tested has been durable and stylish.
Therefore, we were delighted to find that adding polarized lenses was remarkably cheap. In fact, it’s the lowest price compared to any of the others on this list at only $30!
If you’re not prepared to pay the premium from the more high-end retailers listed above, then we highly recommend that you head to Eye Buy Direct.
5. Zenni Optical Sunglasses
- Polarized Lenses Price: $32.99 [Shop Now]
- Shipping Costs: Free
- Handling & Shipping Time: 7-10 Days
- Return Policy: 14 Days
- Fitting Options: None
- Prescription Options: Single Vision, Bifocal & Progressive
- Lenses Available: Clear / Sunglasses
- Free Try At Home Option? No
We have quite the soft spot for Zenni Optical. With lots of unique and funky frames on a dime, they’re the perfect choice on a budget. So it comes as no surprise that they offer polarized lenses added to any frame for only $32.99!
Although Eye Buy Direct’s option is cheaper and the lenses are usually similarly priced, if you’re looking for fun and exciting frames, Zenni may be your preferred choice.
Check out Zenni Optical and see what they have to offer!
What Are Polarized Sunglasses?
Specially treated to block intense light, the best sunglasses are almost always polarized. Due to their increased protection, polarized sunglasses are perfect for summer days, low winter suns as well as driving or even a day on the beach.
Polarized sunglasses are highly desirable as they reduce glare without the lenses being darkened so your vision won’t be impaired.
Flat surfaces such as water, snow, and car hoods have a tendency to reflect light very intensely. In fact, it often becomes polarized, which means that it travels in a uniform direction (typically horizontally).
This is different from light’s normal behavior, which is to scatter about in all directions.
Polarized lenses are specially treated to block this particularly intense light. See the graphic below for an idea as to how they work:
There’s a lot of competing information regarding whether or not polarized lenses are something everyone who wears sunglasses needs.
While it’s true that not everyone finds themselves in a situation in which polarization is a make-or-break detail, it has never hurt to give your eyes as much protection as possible. When the option to do so is within your budget, buy polarized lenses.
To that end, it’s important to note that there’s a cost increase going from non-polarized lenses to polarized lenses. It varies from brand to brand, but polarized lenses typically cost about 35% more than their non-polarized equivalents.
Still, as our eyes are deteriorating more quickly than ever due to increased usage of electronic devices, we think that any additional protection is well worth some additional cost.
What Different Colour Tints Can You Get For Sunglasses?
As you’ve probably noticed just from being out in the world, sunglasses lenses are available in a wide range of colours, or “tints.” These serve a couple of different purposes.
Aesthetics
Some look trendy, some look conservative, some are loud, others fade into the background. Part of selecting which sunglasses you like is based on how much you like the style, and given that the lens is arguably the focal point of eyewear, you should give this serious consideration. Ask yourself, “What’s the image I’d like to project when wearing sunglasses?”
If you’re a more conservative guy, stick with green, brown, or grey. If you’re perhaps a bit more eccentric, try blue or yellow.
Functionality
Certain lens colours are better suited to specific purposes than others. If you play winter sports, you’ll want different lenses than if you stare at a computer all day.
Even with this in mind, remember that any protection is better than no protection, and polarization in any shade of lens will be quite helpful.
We’ve broken down the following most common sunglasses tints and gone over their intended purposes:
Feel free to jump to the ones that interest you the most or scroll down to discover them all.
Green Sunglasses Lens Tint
Green-tinted glasses are good for general, everyday use. They dim glare, brighten shadows, and provide good contrast in low light. These are great for replicating “natural vision.”
Brown/Amber Sunglasses Lens Tint
Brown and amber frames are another day-to-day lens tint. Best for sunny days, they enhance contrast and depth perception. As such, they work particularly well for outdoor sports and driving.
Yellow Sunglasses Lens Tint
Yellow lenses are good for low-light conditions such as fog and haze. They’re great to wear for those of us who use electronic devices constantly because they filter the harmful blue light that emits from these devices and cause eye strain. Computer glasses, if tinted, will be yellow.
Blue Sunglasses Lens Tint
Blue lenses are a trendy look, to be certain. They’re great at reducing glare, which means they’re great in snowy conditions and for winter sports like skiing and snowboarding.
Grey/Black Sunglasses Lens Tint
Grey and black lenses are a common tint that, like brown and green, are good for everyday use. They reduce eye fatigue and minimize glare, especially off of water.
Pink/Red Sunglasses Lens Tint
Red lenses are similar to blue in that they’re a very trendy, fashion-forward look. Also good in snowy conditions, red / pink lenses reduce eye strain and improve visual depth.
Click Here For A Downloadable Infographic On Sunglasses Tints
How Should Sunglasses Fit?
Eyeglasses’ purpose is to correct vision, while the purpose of sunglasses is to block UV rays and protect the eyes. This difference in end use can often lead to slight differences in how they should each fit.
In a nutshell, the lenses of sunglasses can be deeper and their frame width can be a bit wider than the lenses of standard eyeglasses. This is to block out additional peripheral light to further protect the eye from the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
This is the main reason that wraparound sunglasses are constructed the way they are, and it’s the reason that aviator frames came into existence in the first place.
In certain cases, temple length will need to be slightly reduced to accommodate this.
In general, lenses on sunglasses can be a bit bigger and creep up more on the eyebrow than you would typically want for a pair of prescription eyeglasses.
The keyword here is can. They don’t necessarily have to be larger than eyeglasses. However, this does give you more leeway and freedom when choosing a pair for yourself.
We’ve assembled the 3 most popular types of frames and how they should generally fit as sunglasses:
If there’s one that interests you the most in the list above, simply click on it to jump straight to it!
Browline Frames
You can see that the horns (the bit at the top outside corner of each lens that stick outwards) are a bit wider in the sunglasses version of the browline frame. Additionally, the lenses can be slightly larger.
If you’re quite fond of this style, you can head to our full guide to browline glasses. There you can discover the best ones to buy as well as whether they’ll suit your face shape!
Aviator Frames
Though we don’t often see aviator eyeglasses nowadays, they’re still around, and they can fit a bit more compactly against the face. Note that the sunglasses version (made to offer additional sun protection for fighter pilots, hence the size) features wider, longer lenses.
A bit of a style note: aviators make for excellent-looking sunglasses but have an unfortunate Unabomber vibe about them when worn as eyeglasses. If you’re going to venture into prescription eyewear territory in aviators, the rest of your look needs to be sharp as a tack.
If you particularly like these frames, head to our detailed guide to aviator glasses. You can learn about the best ones to buy as well as a detailed face shape guide!
Square Frames
Square frames are extremely popular as both eyeglasses and sunglasses. Below, you can see that the sunglasses’ lenses are larger and that the overall look is a touch wider.
Like square frames? Check out our dedicated square frame guide to see the best to buy online and styling for your face shape!
What Next?
Now that you’ve learned where to buy the best polarized sunglasses, explore our other eyewear guides to find the perfect glasses:
"I always wear mine when driving in the sun. The polarised sunglasses I found through this guide have changed my commute!"Rating: 5.0 ★★★★★
Glasses Content
Some sunglasses with polarized lenses can affect your reading car/plane instruments and screens.
That’s interesting, Louis. Now that you mention I do believe I’ve experienced it with auto screens but never had the chance to test with plane instruments (if you can believe that.) Certainly something to keep in mind for pilots.
Rafael