4 best sunglasses for driving in 2024

What makes a great pair of driving sunglasses?

The best sunglasses for driving should reduce or eliminate glare. Polarized sunglasses offer the best glare reduction from light reflecting off the roadway and other flat surfaces — such as the hood of the driver’s vehicle, plus the windshields and other reflective surfaces of other vehicles.

Other beneficial features for driving sunglasses include a large, wraparound style that provides a wide, unobstructed field of view. An anti-reflective coating on the backside of the lenses helps eliminate glare from sunlight reflecting off the inner surface of the lenses when the sun is behind you while driving.

Finally, a brown, copper or amber tint for your driving glasses will enhance contrast on both sunny and overcast days.

Visibility and clear, comfortable vision are essential for safe driving. When you’re making quick decisions at high speeds, the last thing you want is to be blinded by the sun. Wearing a quality pair of sunglasses for driving is a common first line of defense.

And it won’t hurt if they look great too.

Safety and style with driving sunglasses

Nobody knows all of this better than a race car driver. Josef Newgarden has won 13 IndyCar races and scored his second championship in the NTT IndyCar Series in 2019.

Newgarden races on circuits ranging from natural terrain and street courses to short ovals and super speedways. 

“We’re racing wheel-to-wheel at speeds faster than 230 mph, and having clear vision is very important,” he says. “When you’re traveling more than a football field per second, you rely on sharp, focused vision.”

Newgarden looks for a few things when he selects his sunglasses. Style is at the top of his list.

"Obviously, I want them to fit my style, first and foremost," he says.

Josef Newgarden

Newgarden may not wear sunglasses when he’s racing — he wears a helmet with a built-in sun shield. But judging from his Instagram account, he wears sunglasses just about everywhere else. "Regular" driving included.

"We’re in the sun a lot, so sunglasses are a big piece of my race-day attire," Newgarden says. "I put them on the moment I leave the hotel and have them on all the way up until I put my helmet on. As soon as I’m out of the car, they’re right back on my face again."

1. Oakley Latch: Best sunglasses for fashion and function on the road

As an Oakley sponsor, Newgarden has his pick of the latest models. “Honestly, I live in my Oakleys," he says. 

"Oakley Latch is my favorite. It’s the style I wear the most," Newgarden says. "The latch on the inside of the frame keeps me from dropping them when I’m running around at the track."

Latch has a flexible rim designed to withstand extreme conditions.

Newgarden is also a fan of Oakley Frogskin Lites, with a similar keyhole bridge but a half frame. 

He’s often in tortoiseshell frames with polarized Prizm lenses with a turquoise mirror coating. He’s also been spotted in Latches with clear frames. The strong brow-line frame and rounded lenses look great on his square face.

The best sunglasses for daytime driving

Polarized lenses are a popular choice for daytime drivers, especially during bright conditions. The lenses include a special coating designed to reduce the intense glare caused when sunlight reflects off asphalt, buildings and other cars around you.

Polarization also helps eliminate glare during hazardous driving conditions, including wet pavement, snow and blinding sun. Opt for non-polarized lenses during icy conditions, though. This is one situation where you want to see the reflections coming off otherwise hard-to-see icy patches.

Good polarized sunglasses not only protect your eyes from harmful UV rays, they show you the world in better color contrast, clarity and detail.

2. Maui Jim Wiki Wiki Polarized Aviator: Best polarized sunglasses for daytime driving

Named after the Hawaiian phrase “wiki wiki,” which means “hurry,” these Maui Jim shades are the avid driver’s dream come true. The polarized lenses cut glare. The bronze lenses (pictured) also increase contrast in varying daylight conditions. Finally, the lenses are scratch resistant, keeping your vision crystal clear on and off the road.

Non-polarized sunglasses can be helpful for daytime driving too — just make sure they enhance and protect your vision as a driver. Look for high-quality lenses that increase contrast and frames with enough surface area to protect your peripheral vision and help reduce eye fatigue as the miles roll by.

3. Ray-Ban RB4147: Best non-polarized sunglasses for daytime driving

These oversized, unisex sunglasses provide ample sun protection without obstructing vision with a bulky frame. Plus, the gray gradient lenses sharpen contrast in any outdoor lighting. These Ray-Ban sunglasses are Hollywood-chic and ideal for that picture-perfect Sunday drive.

What glasses are best for night driving?

If you drive to work, you may find yourself in that situation every day in rush-hour traffic, surrounded by competitive drivers who only think they can drive like Mario Andretti or Josef Newgarden.

Driving when the sun is low in the sky and directly in your line of vision can be temporarily blinding. When there’s a curve in the road, the sun can pop up at unexpected spots, rendering a visor almost useless.

Once the sun goes down, you’re dealing with a different problem: reduced visibility and glare from oncoming headlights. While they do block glare, at night, polarized lenses block too much light to be a safe option.

This is where a different lens coating on your regular glasses helps: anti-reflective (AR) coating, also known as “anti-glare” coating.

Anti-reflective coating reduces the distracting reflections that bounce around your eyeglass lenses, including those caused by bright headlights and streetlights.

AR coating can come in particularly handy as you get older, when it gets harder for your eyes to see in the dark and adjust to the stark contrast between the darkness around you and oncoming bright headlights.

The coating only helps if you already wear prescription glasses at night. If you don’t wear glasses normally (or just for night driving), you don’t need to get a pair of non-prescription glasses for their anti-glare coating alone.

You might see products marketed as "night driving glasses" with yellow- or orange-tinted lenses. 

4. SOXICK Unisex: Best night-driving glasses

These sporty shields from SOXICK are available on Amazon and were named by “Smart Motorist” among their pics for best all-around driving glasses. SOXICK claims the yellow lenses “reduce night driving glare and eye strain, enhance night vision, improve color clarity and optical definition.” Plus, the wraparound style widens the field of view to prevent visual obstruction.

Note: We recommend avoiding “night driving glasses” altogether. There is little evidence they actually help. In fact, it’s possible wearing them can actually make night driving more dangerous.

Instead, opt for upgrading your daily eyeglass lenses with an AR or anti-glare coating.

SEE RELATED: How safe are older drivers at night?

What to look for in a pair of driving sunglasses

For your next pair of driving sunglasses, take these factors into consideration:

• 100% UV protection – Not much ultraviolet (UV) radiation makes it past a car windshield, but it’s still important to be completely protected against the harmful rays. Look for lenses that offer 100% UVA and UVB protection.

• Polarized lenses – A special coating that reduces distracting glare during daytime driving hours.

• The right lens coverage – You can’t always control the sun’s position when you’re driving, so wider and taller lenses with a bit of curve protect a larger field of view.

• Durability – The best sunglasses for driving can handle long road trips and being put on, taken off and tossed around your car without breaking or losing their effectiveness.

• Comfort – High-quality driving sunglasses packed with features won’t do much good if they aren’t comfortable to wear.

• Style that fits your face shape – If you know which frames fit each face shape beforehand, you can have a head start on your sunglasses shopping.

The importance of vision on the road

Just how important is eyewear when you’re driving? 

"Very important," Newgarden says. "Driving at high speed is all about precision. When you’re driving cars on the edge of the limit, one small mistake can end the fun pretty quickly. It’s a high-risk game, but there’s no better feeling than putting together that perfectly precise lap."

Driving, in general, can be a high-risk game. Clear, unobscured vision can help you navigate your own high-speed driving and react quickly to the moves of other drivers. So protect those eyes and drive safe!

READ MORE: The complete guide to road-ready vision

Page published on Wednesday, October 2, 2019