The Best Hiking Sunglasses of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

While hiking sunglasses can be a fashion statement, afterthought, or impulse buy, they’re a necessity if you spend a lot of time outside. Especially while hiking, sunglasses are a serious piece of eye protection. They protect your eyes from harmful UV rays, blue light, dirt, and branches. While a gas station pair can get you by for a weekend, if you invest in a quality pair, you’ll deal with less scratching, fogging, distortion, and have an overall clearer image. I tested the best hiking sunglasses from top brands to determine how they perform on the trail, and here are the results.

Best Overall: Costa Caleta

Best Budget: Goodr Everglades

Best Ultralight: Maui Jim Wailua

Best for Mountaineering: Julbo Vermont Classic

Best for Hunting: Leupold Cheyenne

Best for Running: Tifosi Seek 2.0

Best Floatable: Dragon H2O Mari

Best for the Beach: Bajio Parasio

How I Tested the Best Hiking Sunglasses

Hiking sunglasses are crucial eye protection even in slightly cloudy conditions as 80 percent of UV rays penetrate cloud coverage. Ashley Thess

I wore all of these sunglasses hiking in the desert and mountains to test the fit, lenses, and polarization. The hiking sunglasses on this list were picked specifically for active outdoor adventures, so I took note of the comfort and reliability of each pair considering the glasses you bring on-trail are usually the only form of eye protection you have for the duration of your trip. I also weighed each pair for ounce-cutters and runners. All weights listed in the key features section were measured, not advertised unless otherwise noted.

I dropped this backpack underside down on concrete stairs allowing for the full weight of the pack to land squarely on the lenses. Ashley Thess

Durability is a huge concern when hiking with sunglasses because if your pair detrimentally scratches or breaks, you’re either stuck with an obscured field of vision or forced to go without. I always scratch my cheap sunglasses backpacking by tucking them into a strap on my heavy pack and then hurling it to the ground once it’s time for a break, inevitably sending my sunglasses crashing into a rock. 

So I recreated this issue by attaching all of the sunglasses to a loaded pack and dropping them on concrete stairs three times. This is extreme abuse, but surprisingly most pairs passed with either no scratches or a mild amount. However, the Under Armour Gameday glasses were removed from testing at this point.

Best Hiking Sunglasses: Reviews & Recommendations

Best Overall: Costa Caleta

Key Features

Lens: Gray polarized glass

Weight: 45 g

Frames are 97 to 100 percent recycled fishing nets

C-Wall coating provides extra scratch-resistance and repels water, oil, and sweat 

Absorbs high-energy blue light (HEV)

Enhances reds, greens, and blues

Filters out harsh yellow

Durability Test: Pass

Price: $209

Pros

Glass lenses

Available in prescription

Sustainably made

True color perception

Cons

Heavier

Warranty only covers manufacturer defects, and you pay shipping

Delicate arch viewed without sunglasses. Ashley Thess

Delicate arch viewed through Caleta lens. Ashley Thess

As soon as I put on the Costa Caleta, I was blown away by the crisp, quality image. There was no distortion and the true colors of the landscape came through while still shading my eyes. The frame is wide with a medium fit, and fits my medium square face well. While they do feel heavier than other pairs thanks to the glass lenses, once adjusted properly the weight benefits the snug fit by resting on the nose bridge naturally. If you tend to look down at the trail most of your hike, these won’t fall off, but you could notice the weight more. During the durability testing these sustained four 1mm scratches and one 2 mm scratch on one lens. While wearing the Caleta, these scratches feel insignificant and my eyes easily adjust to not notice them.

Costa’s Untangled collection, including the Caleta, is also sustainable thanks to the recycled fishing nets that make up the frame. It has a slightly coarser feeling to it than typical plastic, but it’s better for the planet and doesn’t catch in my hair or irritate my skin even when sweating. When working up a sweat in chilly 40 degree temps, I didn’t experience any fogging. While scrambling up a few rocks, these sunglasses did not slide or fall, though after an extended period of time I felt some pressure on my temples. The UV protection, color enhancement, and blue light filtering make these the overall best hiking sunglasses. I’d especially recommend the Caleta for day hikes in gorgeous places where you want to take in the views with clear lenses and sturdy frames.

Best Budget: Goodr Everglades

Key Features

Lens: Mirrored polarized TAC lenses

Weight: 22 g

Glare-reducing

Scratch-resistant

Portion of proceeds from National Parks collection go to the National Parks Foundation

Durability Test: Pass

Price: $30

Pros

Stylish

Lightweight

Comfortable

Cons

Lens quality

Delicate arch viewed without sunglasses. Ashley Thess

Delicate arch viewed through Everglades lens. Ashley Thess

Goodr has tons of styles and colors available at just $25 to $30. This means it’s not the end of the world if you do lose or break a pair. However with the snug fit, these won’t bounce or slip off your face while active. The Everglades didn’t fog up and every pair is polarized to reduce glare. They might not be the highest quality lenses due to the color change, but they passed the durability testing. There were two 5 mm scratches on one lens that did remove some of the green color on the outside, but aren’t very noticeable when worn. The frames received two scratches that are purely aesthetic.

I was impressed that a budget frame outperformed the Under Armour Gameday glasses (which are four times the price) in the durability test. My favorite thing about the Everglades though is the weight. They’re extremely light and comfortable without bouncing during high-intensity exercise. I’d recommend these for tough trips when you need protection and optimal performance, but don’t have the option to baby your gear.

Best Ultralight: Maui Jim Wailua

Key Features

Lens: MauiPure blue Hawaii PolarizedPlus2

Available Lenses: Neutral gray, high contrast bronze, and Hawaii lava

Weight: 15 g

Bi-Gradient mirror

Scratch and shatter resistant

Rubber nose and ear pieces

Water and oil proof

Blue light protection 

Durability Test: Pass

Price: $249

Pros

Ultralight

Adjustable nose pieces

Available in prescription

Cons

Expensive

Delicate arch viewed without sunglasses. Ashley Thess

Delicate arch viewed through Wailua lens. Ashley Thess

The Wailua are comfortable and clear with impressive features that just might justify the price tag. The MauiPure lens is a composite lens that gets close to the crispness of glass while weighing the same as a CD. They sustained eight scratches under 1 mm during the durability test on one lens. This is an admiral performance, and the scratches don’t bother me, but they are more noticeable than the other glasses that sustained similar damage because it is obvious that the advanced polarization has been removed in pinpricks, resulting in a negligible glare when you move your head. 

However, this proves that the PolarizedPlus2 technology efficiently blocks the horizontal glare that is usually responsible for eye-fatigue. Since the frame is narrower, it does allow more light in from the edges. Because the lenses are water and oil resistant, I’m able to easily wipe away fingerprints and sweat during my hikes. These are ideal for an ultralight backpacker looking for a quality pair of sunglasses to bring on every trip.

Best for Mountaineering: Julbo Vermont Classic

Key Features

Lens: Brown/multilayer gold polarized Spectron 3 polycarbonate

Available Lenses: Smoke/multilayer green, Brown/gold pink, smoke/multilayer blue, brown/silver flash

Weight: 41 g (40 g advertised)

Grip Tech temples with Earbend

Leather side shields

Metal Frame

Replacement parts sold separately

Durability Test: Aced

Price: $159.95

Pros

Leather side shields

Breathable

Unique, vintage look

Cons

No peripheral vision

Delicate arch viewed without sunglasses. Ashley Thess

Delicate arch viewed through Vermont Classic lens. Ashley Thess

Glacier glasses are specially designed to block light reflecting off of snow from alternate angles, hence the leather side shields. While there are other versions using plastic shields, the originals used leather and Julbo is bringing back the vintage style. I didn’t feel any pressure from the arms or side shields while hiking. The Vermont Classics are the best hiking sunglasses for snow, because they use exclusive Grip Tech material on the flexible, hooked arms that don’t stick to hair, feel soft on your temples, and don’t fall off your face. Afterall, if your glasses fall off on trail, you might have to brush some dirt off; if they fall off on top of a mountain, you could never see them again, lost in deep powder or over the edge. 

Ashley Thess

Ashley Thess
Generations of mountaineers have used this unique design to protect their eyes from snow blindness.

These mountaineering sunglasses are more breathable than I anticipated thanks to the lack of nose piece. While the majority of your eye is protected from any harmful light, there’s plenty of airflow through the middle to prevent fogging while sweating in cold conditions. At first, I experienced some minor fog once I stopped, but adjusting them a bit higher on my face fixed the issue. The Julbos aced the durability test with no damage whatsoever. But if something does break (or you want to Frankenstein a one-of-a-kind pair), Julbo offers replacement parts sold as a pair. The lack of peripheral vision didn’t bother me on trail, allowing my eyes to relax in the extra-bright conditions, but don’t drive in these.

Best for Hunting: Leupold Cheyenne

Key Features

Lens: Brown mirror polarized

Available Lenses: Shadow gray flash, blue mirror

Weight: 31 g

ANSI Z87-2+ ballistic rating

In-fused polarization won’t scratch or deteriorate over time

Hydrophobic lens coating sheds dirt and water

DiamondCoat

Decentered lens

No slip nose bridge and arm tips

Limited Lifetime Guarantee

Durability Test: Aced

Price: $189.99

Pros

Scratch resistant DiamondCoat

ANSI rated

Made in the USA

Cons

Large lenses for small faces

Delicate arch viewed without sunglasses. Ashley Thess

Delicate arch viewed through Cheyenne lens. Ashley Thess

The Leupold Cheyenne has a full wrap design that offers increased protection from the sun, debris, and casings. It’s the only pair rated for shooting making it ideal for hunting. The excellent visibility and air flow make them great for scouting, spot-and-stalk, and long pack outs. You can get some serious vertical feet in while working up a sweat with no fogging while being sure your eyes are protected if you take a shot. The brown polarization is great for bright, green environments and acquiring a moving target. These lenses are also decentered, which sounds counterproductive, but actually improves clarity. Each lens is designed to fit within the perspective frame so that the clearest part is directly in front of the eye.

Author chases chukar up Hell’s Canyon in the matte black Cheyenne. Ashley Thess

The Cheyennes aced the durability test with no damage. I have managed to minorly scratch my black pair of Cheyennes over the past three years, but I do tend to abuse sunglasses more than any other piece of gear I own. The 8 mm circle of scratches don’t distract me while wearing the glasses. Happily, if you damage any performance eyewear from Leupold, they can repair or replace them for a fee. There is a lifetime warranty on manufacturer defects. While Leupold says these frames are low-profile, they are still large for my face. This doesn’t affect fit, only aesthetics. 

Best for Running: Tifosi Seek 2.0

Key Features

Lens: Iron polarized polycarbonate

Available Lenses: Enliven golf, smoke, smoke bright blue 

Weight: 18 g (21 g advertised)

Grilamid TR-90 frame

Embedded polarized layer

Shatterproof

Hydrophilic rubber ear and nose pieces 

Comfort Grip 

Durability Test: Aced

Price: $59.95

Pros

Lightweight

Hydrophilic grips

Durable

Cons

More functional than aesthetically pleasing

Delicate arch viewed without sunglasses. Ashley Thess

Delicate arch viewed through Seek 2.0 lens. Ashley Thess

If you want to protect your eyes while feeling like you aren’t wearing sunglasses at all, the Tifosi Seek 2.0 is for you. These are excellent at comfortably staying in place thanks to the Comfort Grip technology. Essentially, the ends of the arms are a stiff rubber that can be bent to 90 degrees and immediately returns to its original shape once you let go. It adds a flex to the ear pads that holds the sunglasses securely without causing pressure, also allowing them to fit a wide range of face sizes. The Grilamid TR-90 frame is a durable and lightweight material that retains its shape. This material paired with the Comfort Grip and rimless lenses makes for a barely-there pair that won’t bug you, even during high-intensity workouts.

Besides the comfortable fit, the Seek 2.0 is best for running because it handles sweat differently than other sunglasses. The hydrophilic ear and nose pieces increase grip the more you sweat. The other best hiking sunglasses relied on fit to stay in place while sweating, but the Tifosi’s material was even more grippy when wet. I also appreciate that the streamlined frames decrease the footprint susceptible to embarrassing glasses tan lines. One drawback is that these frames don’t look great on everyone, but they’ll only see you for a second before you pass them, right?

Best Floatable: Dragon H2O Mari

Key Features

Lens: Lumalens Smoke Polar 6-layer nylon

Available Lenses: Sky Blue polar

Weight: 24 g

Floatable TPX frames 

Hydrophobic and oleophobic

Hard coating

Filters blue and green light

Durability Test: Pass

Price: $219

Pros

Floats in water

Comfortable fit

Filters blue light to reduce eye fatigue

Cons

Expensive

Delicate arch viewed without sunglasses. Ashley Thess

Delicate arch viewed through Mari lens. Ashley Thess

Dragon’s Lumalens technology filters out blue and green light attributed to haze and glare while enhancing the landscape’s true color. The reduction of blue light also prevents eye fatigue. These are comfortable to wear but have a large frame which felt a bit big for my medium sized face. During the durability test these sustained shallow 5 mm scratches on both lenses and five pricks under 1 mm distributed across both lenses. They’re easy to ignore though not unnoticeable when wearing the glasses.

If you’ve ever lost a pair of sunglasses in the water, try the Dragon H2O with floating technology so you don’t have to replace as many pairs. Ashley Thess

If you’re floating a river, scrambling through a stream, or hiking to your fishing spot, the Mari are the pair for you. I’ve lost plenty of sunglasses in bodies of water, and it makes the rest of your hike a lot less enjoyable. The Mari’s frames are made with injection molded resin that has a lower density than water, allowing them to float.

Best for the Beach: Bajio Parasio

Key Features

Lens: Rose mirror polarized polycarbonate

Available Lenses: Gray, blue mirror, green mirror, silver mirror, copper, violet mirror

Weight: 30 g

Frame is durable bio-based nylon

Proprietary non-slip rubber nose pads

Rubber temple tips for no-slip fit

Blue light-blocking LAPIS technology

Scratch resistant and oleophobic 

Durability Test: Fail

Price $209

Pros

Filters blue light

Available in prescription

Available in glass for $50 more

Cons

A little tight on the temples

Delicate arch viewed without sunglasses. Ashley Thess

Delicate arch viewed through Parasio lens. Ashley Thess

These lenses are coated to allow for easy cleaning; when I touch the lenses my fingerprints barely leave a mark, which is easily wiped away. If your trail takes you along the coast or you plan on scrambling by the ocean, these glasses are designed for it. They filter blue light to ease eye strain and eliminate glare off the water. On trail they fit snugly and provide a clear image. The polarization and blue light filtering does change the colors of your view significantly. They are also a bit tight on the temples. However, they will stay put thanks to rubberized nose and ear pads. 

Unfortunately the Parasio failed the durability test. They sustained a 20 mm scratch accompanied by three 5 mm scratches, and a collection of scratches under 1 mm on one lens and three 1 mm scratches on the other. For $50 extra dollars I would recommend buying the glass lenses for increased scratch resistance. You can also send your glasses back to Bajio for a warranty or repair. Though if you take care of these sunglasses, they will take care of you.

How to Choose the Best Hiking Sunglasses

Lens

All of the sunglasses on this list provide 100 percent protection from UV rays. Sunglass lenses are typically either plastic, usually polycarbonate, or glass. There are pros and cons to each. Glass lenses are heavier and more fragile (never wear glass lenses while shooting or hunting), but they are extremely scratch resistant and provide the clearest image with no distortion. Plastic lenses can be shatterproof, lighter, and offer more versatile color options, but they can also scratch more easily and are more prone to distortion. 

Polarization

Different colors of polarization provide different effects. Ashley Thess

Polarized lenses reduce glare and are usually preferred when hiking. If it’s a shady day you might not notice, but otherwise it’s an extremely helpful tool. When you’re near water or snow, polarization is especially important because these surfaces reflect light back to your eyes. If you’re on the water, it can help you see fish, wind, and current more clearly. The different colors of polarization each have a purpose for helping you see more clearly. Reference the table below for an idea on what each color lens can offer.

PolarizationPurposeRed, PinkEases eye strain by reducing harsh contrasts and better depth perceptionOrange, Yellow, GoldProvides clarity in hazy conditions and helps focus on movementGreenBrightens shadows, versatileBlue, PurpleReduces glare from snow and waterBrownIncreased depth perception and color contrast. Warm tonesGrayAccurate color representation and glare reduction

Fit

The best hiking sunglasses should fit just as well as the best hiking shoes; you’re wearing both near constantly on trail. They should fit snugly so they aren’t moving around on your face during extreme movement or falling off when you look down to avoid a rock. The nose and ears sometimes utilize grippy sections to keep them in place. However, they shouldn’t be so snug that they hurt or stifle airflow. Your glasses should be breathable and not fog up once you work up a sweat. Some offer more peripheral protection from sun rays. When hiking long distances, a lightweight pair can be more comfortable. 

Durability

Your sunglasses should be able to withstand some mild abuse if you’re constantly wearing them on the trail. Frames that won’t permanently bend out of shape and lenses that don’t scratch easily will prolong the life of your sunglasses. 

Budget

Performance isn’t always reflected in the price of sunglasses. Brand name glasses sometimes fail and our budget pick is surprisingly capable. If you constantly lose sunglasses, consider the best floatable sunglasses so you don’t have to replace them so often. If you do choose to tackle a big mission, investing in a quality pair of hiking sunglasses could make your adventure a lot more enjoyable. Keep in mind that these are sitting on your face all day, if they are constantly slipping, fogging, or bothering you, it’s going to mess with your whole day, or trip. 

Style

The best hiking sunglasses are a daily accessory worn with all different outfits and they will be in all of your photos. While the most functional pair has its benefits, don’t rule out how certain colors and styles look. Researching what styles look best on your face shape can help. Your face shape can also affect how certain designs fit you and if they’ll fog up or not.

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Final Thoughts

The best hiking sunglasses are necessary for sun protection, but can also make your hike more fun. I recommend a polarized pair for better vision in high-glare situations. Glass lenses like the Costa Caletas have superior clarity and scratch resistance, but are more fragile and heavy. The ANSI rated Leupold lenses are shatterproof and the only pair on this list that you should be shooting in, but plenty of the other polycarbonate lenses are also durable and surprisingly crisp. 

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