Best Affordable Sunglasses of 2014
Sunglasses are a fickle accessory. They’re often outrageously expensive, many find them easy to lose or break, and for most… once you find a pair you actually like… you hang onto those things for dear life. They’re not really like shoes, where you might have 10 – 15 pairs. Most guys have one or two pairs. Three at most.
Let’s say you don’t rely on gas-station cheapies, yet don’t want to invest in something that’ll make you weep with anguish if you happened to sit on them. We’ll set the budget at a hundred bucks, and anything under that is fair game. Feel free to leave your favorite reasonably price sunglasses picks in the comments.
AO Original Pilots – $45.00
The be-all-end-all for plenty. Mean but still professional, well proportioned, and made in the USA. Available in black (shown above), chrome, silver, and gold over at Jomers. 52, 55, and 57mm sizes available and they ship free. Meanwhile, even more options available over at Optics Planet, but know that in the past… some have had trouble with ordering through Optics Planet.
Warby Parker Downing – $95.00
Those blue lenses. Very nice. But best for fellas with smaller heads/faces. Lightweight but strong, and the contoured edges sit comfortably on your nose. Polarized lenses. Full review over here.
Ray-Ban Caravan in Gunmetal – $86.89
“Hi there, I’m the Ray-Ban Caravan in gunmetal. And I don’t mess around.”
(sold through Amazon at post time)
Ray Ban 55mm Tortoise New Wayfarers – $77.87 
The center of the Sunglasses universe. Looks good on everyone. Not too clunky, not too squat through the lenses… all kinds of right. Yes, they’re plastic, but they can be dressed up with a summer suit, and look equally as good with a t-shirt and shorts. Currently being sold by Amazon so they’re up for Prime. 55mm is a good size for most guys. Make sure you click on the right color/seller option.
John Varvatos JV 755 – $78.00 ($200)
A risk for sure. A funky sportsman. Like George Clinton went duck hunting or something. Tortoise temples, a brow bar, and wide wire framed lenses. Two hundred retail? Good grief now. But under $80… maybe. For some.
Banana Republic Corbin – $78.00
A bit thicker in the britches but at a real affordable price when a code can be applied. Chunky to the point where they look great casually, but might have to sit on the bench for more dressed up affairs. Ships free. Currently excluded from the 35% off code because they’re a “BR Pick” (which is one of the lamer “exclusion” categories in all of retail).
Lacoste L684S – $59.99
A bit retro, some hints of modern. Keyhole bridge but some sleek curves. Alligator and texture at the temples. Not sold or fulfilled by Amazon, so tread carefully.
Original Penguin “The Keaton” 58mm Aviators- $78.00
The logo in the upper corner of the left lens is pretty big (see the 3/4 view at the Nordstrom site), but at least they ship and return free through Nordstom in case you don’t like them. A pretty close to perfect style of sunglasses… metal frames, but with thicker, less wiry ear pieces. Ray-Ban Caravan-like angles to the lenses.
Warby Parker Griffin -$95.00
Best for the guys who just don’t want to blow $200 – $300 on Persols, but like the S. McQueenesque vibe. Would be nice to see a pair in a darker tortoise instead of two variations of black, but the lighter tortoise still look plenty fine. Good for those with larger faces/melons. Polarized.
Your turn guys… what’s your go to pair of sunglasses? Are they under a hundred bucks? Or are you the type who’s willing to pay for more expensive eyewear? Leave it all below.
Got the Corbin’s from BR a few years back and absolutely love them. They look fantastic on my big melon.
I have a pretty narrow head so finding well-fitting sunglasses has always been a problem for me. Any recommendations for sizes less than 52mm?
The Warby Parker Downings are 48mm. Pretty pricey, but still awfully good.
I really like my 52mm Ray Ban wayfarer with prescription lens in them. Looking to buy an Aviator, haven’t decided which size should i get. 52mm looks small where as 55mm looks too big. Should it be 52mm or 55mm?
I’ve been wearing tortoise shell New Wayfarers for 3 or 4 years now. They are almost everything I want in sunglasses. I have the ones with the polarized lenses, which usually knocks the price over $100, but not by much.
The only time I won’t wear them is during a triathlon. The polarized lenses make it difficult to read the screens on my bike computer and run watch, and they don’t feel as secure as I would like them to. But, races account for maybe 1% of my sunglass needs, so I think a 99% of the time perfect pair is pretty good.
I love mine, too. Must be the massive dome.
I’ve got the same problem. I’ll second Joe’s recommendation for the Downings – I bought a pair after his review, and I love them. I’ve also had a 52mm pair of AO Pilots, and wore them just about every day until I bought the Downings. Just about the perfect pair of glasses for my narrow face.
Where did you get them with prescription lenses? I’ve been considering doing the same but can’t settle on a source.
Cosco Kirkland Wayfarers are about 51mm and are well received, just picked up a pair on ebay for $13, about $27 in store http://imgur.com/a/acO0F
Does anyone have a go-to for prescription sunglasses? I have a pair of Warby Parker black Winstons – a little small for my face, but they get the job done. Looking to branch out, though, for the next pair…
I have the new wayfarers, maybe my third pair. I look terrible in most sunglasses, but these seem to rescue me. The only thing that kills me is that to get them in a polarized lens usually costs more than twice as much. And polarized lenses make life better. Maybe a warby parker?
Joe, I’d like to see a post about sunglasses and face shape. I think this is very important, especially since I have a diamond shape with pronounced jaw/cheek lines…most overly rounded sunglasses look out of place on my noggin
I appreciate the suggestion, but in all honesty, I think guides that promote “sunglasses for certain types of face shapes” can often be too limiting/miss the mark. I think when it comes down to it, each person has to try on glasses/sunglasses and judge for themselves. I might be in the minority here, but I don’t think those X type of frame looks good on Y type of face shape guides are true to form. Just my take though. Thanks for the suggestion James…
I’ll agree with that, to an extent. I think there are some basic generalizations that can be made. Large face/small face, square vs round. Some faces tend to lean more toward a rounder glass, while some tend more toward a square frame. I think some people, regardless how long they’ve been in the “style arena,” could use a refresher on a starting point for glass frame shape. This site already does it for shoes, blazers, pants, etc. Just my two cents 😉
And my two cents has a very low exchange rate 🙂
Ha – have to agree. I have the first 3 on the list. Although I have the polarized Ray-Bans so they ran me quite a bit more. They are also the ones I am least happy with. I wear the downings on most average days. I wear the AOs for days when I will be outside longer/on a boat/etc. as the larger lens provides more protection against glare etc – less chance of looking around the edges.
I bought the non-prescription glasses and frame online and took them to my local optometrist and got the prescription lens fitted in them. Sold just the non prescription glasses on ebay.
I have something of a diamond shaped face and the Original Pilots look good on me. I have a hard time finding glasses that fit my face (my head is a little on the small side) but I think those things work with any face shape. I think you can order them straight from the manufacturer. I sprang for the polarized polycarbonate lense and gold frames and they were still only about $100.
They also make a small adult size of the Ray Ban original aviator (the one with the teardrop-shaped lense) – I think the lense size is 55mm but the bridge width is only 15 rather than 20-22mm, so it fits small relative to the lense size – don’t just go by lense size because bridge width + lense size is what determines the width of the frames.
Primermag did something like that. http://www.primermagazine.com/2013/spend/the-gentlemans-guide-to-sunglasses
A little disappointed not more was said about the lenses in these. I love my Corbin’s but the lenses just aren’t as good as my wife’s Ray Bans. When I next lose my Corbin’s I’m totally happy to upgrade.
If you are concerned (or just interested) about how the glasses will complement your face, I can’t recommend Warby Parker enough. Order the 5 sample pack, take pics of yourself wearing them (a webcam helps here), and post them on Warby’s Facebook page. They will give you very constructive feedback, assuming you are comfortable posting your face online. Don’t worry, you won’t get styleforum’d.
anyone know of a good set of glasses that come in 57mm. I have the AO’s in gold, but looking for other options for those with larger heads
Lookin’ like a boss though, in head-to-toe Costco.
The Von Zipper “Fultons” are my favorite pair. Can pick them up at bunkeronline.com for under $100 and look great with everything.
Anyone have the Griffens? I have been looking for a pair of keyhole aviators but have yet to find a pair that fits my face well. I found that the overwhelming majority of Warby Parkers were on the small size (for me) but ended up with a pair that fits pretty well (the Spencer) which I really like. They are still a touch small though.
For anyone who has a narrow face, some of these (even 55 or 52 Wayfarers) may be too wide. You should check out Warby Parker’s Beckett – http://www.warbyparker.com/sunglasses/men/beckett#striped-chestnut
Perfect width for narrow heads/faces. Plus not as ubiquitous as the Ray Bans.
Sunglass Warehouse = 2 pairs of polarized aviators that look identical to “the keaton” by Original Penguin for a total of <$30 shipped. Best part is I can wear them out and not care if I even come back with them.
Whoah. What’s the quality like on Warby Parkers? As long as the quality is equivalent to Ray bans, I’d pay $150 for prescription sunglasses.
I always had a hard time finding aviator style shades that didn’t look comically large on my face, and I finally found the perfect pair. The Smith Optics “Serpico Slim.” Polarized, too, and a shade under $100.
I have two pairs of Knockaround sunglasses, and I like both of them. I have the Fort Knocks, which are Wayfarer-ish, and the Mile High, an aviator look. Each was $25-30, they’re durable so far, and I’m very pleased with them. I have been getting a pop-up lately for $5 off a $35 min. purchase when you give them your email, YMMV.
I have usually stuck with the Ray Ban aviator style for my narrow but large head as they seem to fit better. However recently I did try the AO, and was it just my pair or do they not have any curve to them? The lenses stuck out way to far on the sides of my face for my taste, and I could actually see where the edge when looking straight forward. I’m going to chalk this up to the fact that you have to try lots of sunglasses on to see what actually fits your face/head.
Ordered two prescription pair of the New Wayfarers; one in shiny black and one in the tortoiseshell. I spent months trying to find the perfect sunglasses for this summer (yes, I have few hobbies) and I kept coming back to these. The 55mm is just about perfect…the larger 60mm in some of the Ray Ban line are great only if you are in bulky clothing to balance them out.
Three pair of various Wayfarer designs here…plus a RB4147 (60mm)
There are a few companies set up pretty much just like Warby Parker (but without the great marketing that has put WP on all of our radars). I have a pair of regular specs from Penn Avenue Eyewear, and I like em even more than my WP’s. I’ve also seen some things from Dharma Eyewear that looked pretty sharp (if you head over to WideEyesTightWallets.com, I recommended a pair or two this past Friday).
Didn’t know Knockaround was making wire frames now. Nice. Seems like the logo on those will be much more palatable than the logo on their plastic frames.
Get the smaller ones. You don’t want your face dominated by lenses, aka BCGs.
If you live in Mass, I suggest signing up for Randolph Engineering email updates. They have factory sales every couple months (located in Randolph, MA). Prices are usually 70% off and the glasses run in the $49, $59, and $69 range. Much better quality than AO
I just picked up a pair of the Costco wayfarers for $21.xx after taxes at my local store. The packaging gives the impression that they’re cheap beachwear. But they’re solid Italian craft!
Optometrists will do this? Interesting. I might have to give it a shot.
Depends on your face size, though, doesn’t it? I’m not the guy you’re responding to, but I’ve got a 7 3/4 hat size, and smaller frames definitely look wrong on me.
I’m pretty sure you can knock another 20% off the Wayfarers by signing up for Amazon fashion news. New accounts only.
http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=8439053011
Love the Caravans… I bought them on Joe’s recommendation a while back and they continue to receive regular compliments. Great price they’re being offered at now..
Electric Knoxville http://www.electriccalifornia.com/sunglasses/knoxville.html
It did really knock 20% off the Wayfarers. Thank you, Jay!
resorting to these tactics means you’ve already lost what you were fighting for 😉
Another great pair are by knockaround they make some great durable polarized sunglasses. Might want to check out this San Diego company.
I am sorry to say that I am a little disappointed in these recommendations. While I do like all of them, they are basically slight variations on two main themes….tortoise shell plastic “wayfarer” style or a squared off aviator. Are there no other styles of interest to the dappered crew?
Specifically, due to my large nose bridge, most plastic frames sit too high on my face. I need to stick to ones with adjustable nose pads that I can spread out. However, I have plenty of aviators….any other ideas?
Those exact Griffins… I wear them every day (if the sun warrants it)
Great call. They are awesome