In the golf world, few tools can be as useful as a decent pair of sunglasses. Golf sunglasses are specially designed to protect your eyes from the sun’s glare and highlight the contrast between the course and obstacles.
So we put together this review of the top 6 best sunglasses for golf. They have been chosen based on their quality, performance, and overall cost vs value ratio. We also included a buying guide on how to choose the best golf sunglasses.
Without any further ado, let’s get to it.
Top 6 Sunglasses for Golf
1. Best Overall – Oakley Flak 2.0 XL Sunglasses
Oakley is a well-known manufacturer of sunglasses and is known for its high-quality products. These Oakley sunglasses give a high degree of contrast and excellent visibility. The Oakley Flak is made with Oakley’s special PRIZM anti-scratch lenses that are also used in cycling, running, and baseball.
These sunglasses also have 100% UV-protection and feature special rubber grips, so they stay secure and flush to your face. You will appreciate how sharp your vision will be. The pink lenses offer great contrast and definition in a wide variety of conditions. We chose these Oakley glasses as the best overall golf sunglasses because they have the classic design and all the features you want out of a good pair.
2. Best for the Money – Under Armor Igniter
Our next entry has our pick for the best budget golf sunglasses. The Under Armor Igniter are an excellent and affordable pair of golf sunglasses. The Igniters feature an ultralight and tough polycarbonate frame reinforced with titanium. They are made with Under Armour’s signature ArmourSight lenses that are engineered for excellent clarity and impact resistance.
The Igniters also feature a special co-molded rubber nose pads and temple area for grip. These ensure that the glasses will stay put and give the maximum coverage. The Igniters also have 100% UV-protection against UV-A/B/C rays, protecting your eyes from the full spectrum of UV rays.
The best features of the Igniters are their affordable price and extremely durable frame. You can hardly find a better pair of golf sunglasses for a similarly affordable price.
3. Best for Sun and Prescription – Smith Guide’s Choice Polarized Sunglasses
Up at third is our choice for the best golf glasses for the sun. The Smith Guide’s Polarized Sunglasses have a larger frame and are made with special polarized lenses that filter out the most harmful and annoying types of light. These glasses have a lot of color options to choose from, and each lens type is made with an anti-reflective base lens curvature that even further reduces glare.
The Smith Guide’s also has a larger than average frame. This gives them good coverage and contrast. Lastly, these golf sunglasses are made from a durable resin frame that is very light and has a high impact-rating. Overall, they are a great choice if you are looking for sunglasses that have the maximum amount of sunlight protection.
4. Best for Women – Tifosi Jet Wrap Sunglasses
Our best choice of unisex golf glasses for women are the Tifosi Jet Wrap Sunglasses. The Tifosi glasses have a durable polycarbonate frame and an extremely tough shatterproof and scratch-resistant polycarbonate lens. These golf sunglasses also have a unique wrap-around design that gives them excellent coverage over your eyes.
The Tifosi also has several different styles to choose from, including black, white, brown, and grey frames. Each pair also has interior rubber grips, so they stay secure on your face. Overall, this pair of glasses is a lightweight choice with great facial coverage. The lenses are tough, and they also have a stylish angular look that goes well with your golf ensemble.
Lastly, the Tifosis are made out of a special nylon material that makes them lightweight and resistant to chemical weathering and UV-damage.
5. Best Multi-Sport – Duduma Polarized Sport Sunglasses
Coming in at 5th is our choice for the best multi-sport sunglasses. The Duduma Polarized Sports Sunglasses are a great choice for not just golf but cycling, skiing, tennis, and fishing. If you are a multi-faceted athlete, then these multi-sport glasses can be a great choice. These glasses are made with UV400 TAC polarized lenses for handling all kinds of sunlight and have a durable polycarbonate frame. They also come with a generous lifetime warranty so if they ever break you can get a new pair for free.
The Dudumas also come in 9 colors ranging from black to blue, red, and orange. Each lens contains 7 special layers that each work to filter out UV light and keep the lens from breaking. These glasses also have a unique wrap-around design that gives them excellent coverage.
6. Best for Style – Maui Jim Cook Pines
Last on our list is our top pick for the best golf glasses for style, the Maui Jim Cook Pines. Maui Jim is known for its high-class stylish sunglasses, and these golf sunglasses are no different, The Cook Pines features the trademark Maui Jim quality and have polarized lenses that filter out harmful UV rays. These special lenses also have a special tint that changes in different light conditions.
These golf sunglasses have a traditional aviator style that look great and can also be worn for casual circumstances. The titanium frame is very lightweight and the lenses are also scratch-resistant. They are a great pair of stylish and functional golf sunglasses, which is the best of both worlds.
Golf Sunglasses Buying Guide
Picking the best golf sunglasses comes down to more than just looks. Your new shades also need to have the right kind of build, tint,, and overall design. Most importantly, you want to ensure that your golf sunglasses do not obstruct your views and throw off your game.
Tint
The tint is probably the most important part of your golf sunglasses. The tint of your glasses not only protects your vision from the sun’s glare but also can affect your depth perception.
In general, red and yellow-tinted lenses are the best for depth perception. Red and yellow are also good for contrast against the green of the golf course so you will be able to see things better. Red and yellow lenses tend to be the best for cloudier, overcast days.
Conversely, amber and gray do a better job of reducing glare on sunnier bright days. Lastly, green lenses allow you to distinguish objects on the course most accurately. The right tint should be decided based on the typical conditions when you golf.
Fit
One of the difficulties wearing normal sunglasses for golfing is the fit. Normal sunglasses will leave a small gap between the bottom of the frame. This design can be very frustrating when you are teeing up for a shot and looking down, as the golf ball is split between your normal and glasses vision.
So, the solution is to find sunglasses that hug your face and do not leave any gaps. Ideally, you want a pair that wraps all-around your head and covers your entire field of vision. Normal sunglasses are more about style rather than functionality, while golf sunglasses are about utility.
Also, you should make sure that the glasses you get have some kind of stopper or heel so they will grip on your ears and nose. Anyone who has had glasses before knows that glasses that slip on your face can be more trouble than they are worth.
Material
Athletic sunglasses tend to be made from more durable materials that casual sunglasses and golf sunglasses are no different. The best material for golf sunglasses is a polycarbonate composite material. It is unlikely that they will take a hard impact, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Other materials that make good frames are titanium and resin.
Likewise, you should stay away from glass lenses. Glass is heavier and more expensive than other kinds of athletic lens materials. The best kind of material to use for the lenses is some kind of scratch-resistant composite material like polycarbonate.
Type of lenses
Despite what you might think, polarized lenses are not always the best choice for golf sunglasses. There is relatively little reflective glare on golf courses, and many golfers say they negatively affect their depth perception. However, many golfers also say that polarized lenses do not affect their golf performance.
By the same token, you should stay away from bifocal or progressive lenses. These kinds of lenses can give an awkward “fish-eye” view that can throw off your swing. So, we recommend sticking with a single vision lens. These kinds of lenses will keep your vision undistorted.
Conclusions
So there you have it, the top golf sunglasses available now. A good pair of golf sunglasses can make the difference between a par and a sub-par game. So, when you are out on the course, make sure that you have a good pair of glasses to up your game.
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