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The Best Prescription Sunglasses Of 2024, Reviewed By Our Team

The best prescription sunglasses shield your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays and make it easier to enjoy outside activities–whether you’re walking the dog, running in the park or driving in the car. They’re also durable enough to withstand getting tossed around in a bag, and stylish enough that you’ll actually want to wear them.

It’s relatively easy to order a pair online: All you need is your current eyeglasses prescription–no extra doctor’s visit required. Ahead, we researched top-notch retailers that offer high-quality prescription sunglasses, whether you prioritize sports performance, comfort or fast delivery. At the end of this story, we also have a buyer’s guide with more expert advice. (And if you’re looking for the best prescription glasses and the best blue light blocking glasses, we have recommendations as well.)

  • Best Prescription Sunglasses Glasses Overall: GlassesUSA
  • Best Value Prescription Sunglasses Glasses: Zenni
  • Best Prescription Sunglasses For Sports: Roka
  • Best Polarized Prescription Sunglasses: Smith Optics
  • Best Stylish Prescription Sunglasses: Warby Parker
  • Best Prescription Sunglasses For Driving: EyeBuyDirect
  • Most Comfortable Prescription Sunglasses: FramesDirect
  • Best Prescription Sunglasses For Fast Delivery: Overnight Glasses

Best Prescription Sunglasses Overall

GlassesUSA: Impressive Array Of High Quality Options

MOST POPULAR

Ray-Ban New Wayfarer

Turnaround time: 9 to 16 business days | Return policy: 14 days for full refund or 100% store credit | Insurance accepted: Yes, as well as HSA/FSA | Virtual try-on: Yes | Virtual Rx renewal: Yes

Pros:

  • Excellent customer reviews
  • Vast supply of quality frames 
  • Virtual try-ons and virtual renewals, plus accepts insurance 

Cons:

  • Limited return period

Customers love GlassesUSA. With a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 based on more than 50,000 reviews via TrustPilot, this company has earned its reputation as a leader for online eyewear. You can shop more than 1,343 options for prescription sunglasses from well-known brands, such as RayBan, Oakley, Coach and Armani. The company also accepts insurance as well as HSA/FSA funds, and provides virtual try-ons and virtual prescription renewals.


Best Value Prescription Sunglasses

Zenni: Highly-Rated Frames That Won’t Break the Bank

Zenni Round Glasses

Turnaround time: About two weeks | Return policy: 14 days for refund (excluding shipping costs) or 30 days for store credit | Insurance accepted: No, but HSA/FSA accepted | Virtual try-on: Yes | Virtual Rx renewal: No 

Pros:

  • Wide array of affordable options
  • Virtual try-on option
  • Hundreds of thousands of positive reviews 

Cons:

  • Only in-house brand styles

You don’t need to pay designer prices for well-made prescription shades. Zenni’s products are high-quality (with a Trust Pilot rating of 4.6 stars based on 140,000+ reviews) and budget-friendly. Frames for prescription sunglasses start as low as $7 and you can browse more than 1,100 different options, including speciality shades for kids. If you need your glasses quickly, their fast frame delivery service ships in 2 to 3 business days for an added cost of $19. 


Best Prescription Sunglasses For Sports

Roka: Lightweight, Durable and Ultra-Protective

Roka Lockhart Prescription Sunglasses

Turnaround time: 4 to 15 business days | Return policy: Returns within 30 days with a $20 restocking fee | Insurance accepted: No, but HSA/FSA accepted | Virtual try-on: No | Virtual Rx renewal: Yes

Pros:

  • Lightweight frames 
  • Shop sport-specific options 
  • Offers virtual prescription renewal 

Cons:

  • Expensive
  • No refunds 

Austin, Texas-based Roka specializes in premium-quality eyewear for high-performance athletes, and on that front, they deliver. Their products are lightweight (a plus for endurance athletes) and the frames are constructed with patented grips to ensure they stay in place as you move. Filter their Rx shades by five different sport types, including running, cycling, triathlon, golf and outdoor adventure.


Best Polarized Prescription Sunglasses

Smith: Ultra-Comfortable To Wear All Day

Smith Lowdown Slim 2 RX

Turnaround time: 7 to 9 business days | Return policy: 30 days for full refund, minus $6 return fee | Insurance accepted: No, but HSA/FSA accepted, as long as HSA/FSA account is connected to major credit card | Virtual try-on: No | Virtual Rx renewal: No

Pros:

  • Six different colored polarized lens options
  • Generous return policy compared to other brands 
  • Relatively quick turnaround time 

Cons:

  • Expensive
  • No virtual try-on

Polarized shades are a great option for any wearer, as they help reduce glare and improve vision quality, but they’re especially recommended for folks who spend time near highly-reflective surfaces like water, sand and snow. Smith offers polarized prescription sunglasses in six different color options: gray-green, black, brown, blue mirror, green mirror and bronze mirror. As a bonus, their polarized lenses include a trademarked technology (ChromaPop) designed to enhance the contrast and natural color you see so that the details in your surrounding environment stand out. The one con: The hefty price. Prescription options start at $278. 


Best Stylish Prescription Sunglasses

Warby Parker: Wide Selection of Statement-Making Shades

Warby Parker Brimmer Sunglasses

Turnaround time: 7 to 10 business days | Return policy: 30 days to return or exchange | Insurance accepted: Yes, as well as HSA/FSA | Virtual try-on: Yes | Virtual Rx renewal: Yes (residents of certain states ineligible); can also book an in-person eye exam

Pros:

  • Home try-on option lets you test 5 pairs for free
  • Virtual try-on, virtual prescription renewal and accepts insurance 
  • Generous return policy 

Cons:

  • Some negative reviews criticizing customer service

Some might argue the best prescription sunglasses are the ones you’ll actually wear. Warby Parker provides a sizable selection of stylish, fashion-forward shades–from cat-eye frames to aviators to oversized squared-off round lenses–that will protect your eyes while elevating your overall aesthetic. Another big perk: Their home try-on program lets you test 5 different pairs for free, so you can decide on a pair with confidence. Other notable benefits include the fact that their prescription lenses are made from polycarbonate, a durable, impact-resistant plastic, and that they accept insurance, provide virtual try-ons and offer virtual prescription renewals. 


Best Prescription Sunglasses For Driving

EyeBuyDirect: Comfortable, Stylish And Great For Reducing Glare

Good Vibrations Aviator Black Sunglasses

Turnaround time: 7 to 14 business days | Return policy: 14 days | Insurance accepted: No, but HSA/FSA accepted | Virtual try-on: Yes | Virtual Rx renewal: No 

Pros:

  • Affordable; prescription sunglasses frames start around $36
  • Option to add polarized frame for minimal cost
  • Positive customer reviews 

Cons:

  • Does not accept insurance

The best prescription sunglasses for driving reduce glare and fit comfortably on your face so they’re not a distraction. EyeBuyDirect offers shades that tick all these boxes. For an extra fee, their prescription shades can be polarized in either a basic tint ($40 fee) or mirrored tint ($69 fee), minimizing ultra strong light glares and hazy vision to enhance your eyesight on the road. You can shop a wide range of styles–from classic oval and rectangle-shaped to more eccentric heart-shaped and geometric frames–and customers rave about this products: EyeBuyDirect has a 4.4 rating out of 5 based on nearly 20,000 TrustPilot reviews. 


Most Comfortable Prescription Sunglasses

FramesDirect: Dozens Of Lightweight Styles

Ray-Ban RB4115 Prescription Sunglasses

Turnaround time: 11 to 14 business days | Return policy: 30 days for returns or exchanges; in most cases, $9 shipping charge deducted from return | Insurance accepted: No, but HSA/FSA accepted | Virtual try-on: No | Virtual Rx renewal: No

Pros:

  • Affordable prices 
  • Dozens of wraparound styles 
  • Relatively long window for returns and exchanges 

Cons:

  • Some negative reviews complaining of poor customer service
  • No virtual try-on

The most comfortable prescription sunglasses are the ones that are fitted well to your face. Generally speaking, wraparound styles can up your chances of a pleasant fit by offering a stay-in-place grip, blocking wind and debris from getting in your eyes and providing optimal protection from damaging UV rays. FramesDirect has a robust selection of wraparound prescription sunglasses in 58 different styles, giving you plenty of styles to choose from. Plus, prices start at $49 for frames, so they’re affordable, too. 


Best Prescription Sunglasses For Fast Delivery

Overnight Glasses: Raved-About Service and Quick Turnaround Times

Capri Online Prescription Sunglasses

Turnaround time: 1 to 10 business days | Return policy: 7 days for full refunds; no refunds on rush orders where incorrect size was ordered | Insurance accepted: No, but HSA/FSA accepted | Virtual try-on: Yes | Virtual Rx renewal: No

Pros:

  • Overnight delivery service 
  • Virtual try-on option 
  • Raved-about customer service 

Cons:

  • Limited return policy

When you need prescription shades in a rush, Overnight Glasses has an overnight delivery program that promises to deliver most orders within 24 hours or less. Of course, there’s an added cost for the expedited service–$30 for the pair above–and the company warns that extra time is usually needed for more complicated sunglasses, such as multifocal lenses and rimless frames. Nonetheless, customers praise Overnight Glasses for its responsive customer service team and the company has a 4.4 out of 5 star rating, based on nearly 1,500 Google reviews. 


Other Top Picks To Consider

Pair Eyewear: Customizable Frame Colors

Pair Eyewear The Casper

Thanks to their smart swappable top frame system, Pair lets you get two (or three, or four...) styles out of one pair of sunglasses. Each base frame has a pair of small magnets at the top corners that allow a different-colored top frame to easily click in place, essentially creating a new pair right on top of the old. This feature is available for different widths, frames and lens colors.


Sunglass Hut: Designer Styles With

Persol PO3327S

Sunglass Hut has been around for a while but it’s designer eyewear selection is still impressive, with more than 45 brands like Persol, Ray-Ban, Oakley and Prada. Prescription frames start at $73 and they offer protection plans, free cleaning and adjustments, and a virtual Frame Advisor to help you find the best shape, size and color of sunglasses for your face.


Costa: Designed With The Water Sports In Mind

Founded in 1983 in Florida, Costa designs eyewear specifically for being on the water. Its polarized lenses are popular in water sports like surfing and fishing while still being an option for everyday wear, too. Its proprietary lens technology blocks out harmful UV rays while filtering blue-violet light and enhancing reds, greens, and blues for high contrast and protective vision while looking at reflective waters. With 90 durable prescription sunglass styles, there’s an option for everyone, angler or not.


Diff Eyewear: A Stylish Way to Give Back

Diff Eyewear Jade Optical Glasses

Just as its name suggests, Diff Eyewear does things differently. The brand not only sells handmade glasses made of ethically-sourced materials, it also has a social impact mission of helping others to see. For every pair of glasses purchased, someone in need gets a pair donated, along with access to surgery, medicine or other vision aid. The selection of prescription sunglass frames might be smaller than others on this list, but its give-back model and high-quality materials make this brand stand out.


Caddis: Make A Statment

Caddis Grappelli Rx

Caddis reminds you that wearing sunglasses can—and should—be fun. With a collection of unique styles and surprisingly chic color options like polished clear pink or camo, its prescription sunglasses promise to be anything but boring. Caddis’ loyalty program is also unique: Points earned can be redeemed for sunglass products or cool freebies like a signed surfboard or a session with a personal stylist.


Lensabl: Affordable Style With Customizable Lens Options

Everyday Eyewear Hammersmith

Direct-to-consumer brand Lensabl was founded to disrupt the notoriously expensive eyewear industry by cutting out the middleman. Expect stylish options from its own line, Everyday Eyewear, as well as national designer brands—even bluetooth-compatible Bose AR sunglasses—for less than traditional retail. All of the Everyday Eyewear sunglass frames are actually free if you buy a pair of lenses. Or if you already have a favorite pair, there’s also an easy option to replace lenses—think polarized, mirrored, transitions or even readers—in the sunglass frames you currently own.


Why Trust Forbes Vetted

We’ve covered a lot of eyewear at Forbes Vetted. From the best reading glasses to the best blue light-blocking glasses to the best polarized sunglasses, our team has assessed, wear tested and written about many styles and types of glasses. Some of us wear glasses ourselves and understand the importance of a high-quality, well-fitting pair. We spend hours interviewing experts, researching the market, reading real customer reviews and testing glasses ourselves, all to help guide you in the right direction on your quest for the best eyewear.


My Expertise

I was born and raised in sunny Colorado, so I’ve been wearing sunglasses pretty much my entire life. I also wore prescription glasses and contacts for 20-something years before getting Lasik surgery in 2021. I know firsthand how important it is to find eyewear that is protective, comfortable and functional.

For this review, I sought advice from two eyewear experts: Yuna Rapoport, MD, MPH, board-certified ophthalmologist and founder of Manhattan Eye in New York City; and Lynn Julian, a Boston-based performer who, due to chronic migraines, has to wear prescription sunglasses every time she goes outside. I also researched recommendations from reputable sources including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Food and Drug Administration, the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic.


How I Selected The Best Prescription Sunglasses

I consulted the experts on what features to look for are in a quality pair of prescription sunglasses and evaluated different brands, reading online reviews to understand which retailers are deliver well-rated products.

When compiling the winners, I considered price, quality, comfort, durability, as well as other factors like the option for virtual try-ons, a company’s return policy and whether a brand accepted insurance. The sunglasses selected here delivered in many of those categories and all had positive reviews (4-stars or more).


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