Sunny weather equals sunglasses, right? Wrong. Sort of. Yes, sunglasses are the perfect summer accessory (next to flip flops). However, you can and should wear sunglasses all year long. Sunglasses protect your eyes from damaging UVA and UVB rays, prevent premature wrinkling and crow’s feet and can mitigate hangover headaches. Plus, they make you look cool.
In ancient Rome, Nero used emeralds as sunglasses when he watched gladiators perform. In China, they used flattened smokey quartz for their lenses, which became popular a little before the 12th century. During the 20s, Hollywood’s new movie stars starting wear sunglasses, and a modern trend was born.
If you’re upgrading your eyewear, it’s important to pick the right style of shades for your style and face. The best men’s sunglasses will add the finishing touch to any summer outfit.
How To Pick the Right Sunglasses for Your Face Shape
There are five basic face shapes: oval, round, rectangular, square, and diamond.
- Square face shapes have a defined angular jaw and can wear any type of men’s sunglasses. For reference, celebrity square-faced gents include Brad Bitt, Dwayne Johnson and Matt Damon.
- Round face shapes are well, roundish in shape. To make a face seem longer, opt for square or rectangular shaped sunglasses. Celebrities with round faces include Leonardo Di Caprio, Jeremy Renner and Jack Black.
- Oval face shapes are evenly proportioned, and like the squared face, can wear any men’s sunglasses style. Jude Law and James Franco have oval faces.
- Rectangular face shapes have cheekbones, jawline and temples with the same width. Idris Elba, Robert Downey Jr. and Adam Levine look mighty fine with that face shape. Wear frames that have rounded edges, hexagonal shaped, oversized and square shaped glasses.
- Diamond face shapes have a narrow forehead and chin, with wide cheekbones. Johnny Depp wears round shaped sunglasses, Ryan Reynolds likes aviators and square frames with rounded bottoms, while Robert Pattinson wears anything from round frames to aviators to square and hexagonal shaped sunglasses.
The Best Men’s Sunglasses for Summer 2020
Summer 2020 men’s sunglasses trends include the return of the aviator. Sure, aviator sunglasses, also known as navigators, are always in style, but we’re seeing them a lot more often this summer.
In addition, we’re seeing a lot of oversized sunglasses. Tom Ford has made some especially stylish oversized sunglasses for men. Other popular styles this summer include wraparound shades (both Prada and Balenciaga showed them on their runways), mixed fabrications, retro looks from the 80s, 70s and 40s, and hexagonal lenses.
Even better, thanks to end-of-summer sales, many of the best designer sunglasses for men are currently on sale at up to 50% off. So if you’re looking to upgrade your sunglasses before summer officially ends, check out the best men’s sunglasses of the season below.
1. Ray-Ban RB3025 Aviator Classic Sunglasses
BEST OVERALL
Ray-Ban sunglasses never really go out of style, and there’s never a bad time to buy Ray-Ban Wayfarer shades. However, if you’re looking for the best men’s sunglasses for summer 2020, you have to go with these gold-frame aviator shades. Every men’s sunglasses roundup always contains at least one pair of aviator glasses and one pair of Ray-Bans, and we’re getting both out of the way at the jump. These sunglasses are truly iconic, as this exact pair, the Ray-Ban RB3025, are the style that Tom Cruise wears in the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick movie.
2. Ted Baker Tenerf Sunglasses
RUNNER UP
Ted Baker’s Tenerf Sunglasses feature a rectangular black frame. These stylish men’s sunglasses will pair well with literally any outfit, which is why they’re the perfect summer sunglasses. They also have a looser fit that’s ideal for men with larger heads and wider faces.
3. Omega Round (OM0019-H5330V) Men’s Sunglasses
BEST SPLURGE
Venerable Swiss watch company Omega has launched its first eyewear collection. Created with Italy-based Marcolin Eyewear, their sunglasses are like their watches; understated elegance that will last forever. Every pair is inspired by Omega watches and can be seen by the materials used to create them. This round style has a gold frame that is etched like an Omega bezel. They also come in gunmetal/red, palladium/black, and pale gold/Havana color combinations.
4. Eye Buy Direct – Sun Soar Geometric Sunglasses for Men
BEST CHEAP SUNGLASSES
One of the biggest styles for spring and summer 2020 has been the hexagonal shaped sunglasses, usually with a dark lens. Popular in the late 60s, this style is making a major comeback. These black lensed frames come in gold, black or silver frames. And at just $30, these hexagonal sunglasses are also some of the best cheap sunglasses you’ll find this summer.
5. Tom Ford Lionel 60mm Navigator Sunglasses
BEST DESIGNER SUNGLASSES FOR MEN
Tom Ford sunglasses have a lot of celebrity fans. Ryan Reynolds, Brad Pitt, Justin Timberlake, George Clooney, Jake Gyllenhaal… the list is endless. Showcasing the oversized sunglasses for men trend, the Lionel is a squared-off pilot or navigator style — trivia note, only Ray-Ban can use the word “aviator.” If you like to invest in designer eyewear, these are the best men’s sunglasses of the summer.
6. Fitz Frames Certainly Custom Sunglasses
BEST 3D PRINTED MEN’S SUNGLASSES
Created by entrepreneur Heidi Hertel, Fitz Frames has six unisex styles that can easily be customized to fit your face. Since they’re created via 3D printing, the arms can be popped out, with no screws required to keep the glasses together. Download the app (iOS only for now), and it will measure your face for the perfect fit. The base price is $95, and prices range from $30 to $50 extra for light-sensitive, polarized and tinted lenses. Celebrity stylist Adam Weitz is a big fan. His clients include Elon Musk, Tom Brady and Ari Emmanuel. The next time you see any of them, they may be wearing custom sunglasses from Fitz Frames.
7. David Beckham Eyewear – DB 1004/S Aviator Sunglasses
BEST DEAL
Soccer star, model and entrepreneur David Beckham has partnered with Safilo to create a line of eyewear. DB Eyewear by David Beckham includes men’s sunglasses and prescription frames in a variety of classic designs. His sunglasses for men are sleekly styled. Even better, you can find a lot of DB Eyewear sunglasses at a major discount. The classic aviators below feature a darker lens that contrasts sharply with the tortoise shell accents, and you can buy them for 50% off.
8. Shady Rays X Series Black Emerald Sunglasses
BEST MEN’S SUNGLASSES FOR SPORT
The X series Black Emerald wraparound men’s sports sunglasses protect your peripheral vision with lenses that have a hydrophobic and anti-reflective coating and are polarized with 100% UV protection. The frame was designed to stay on no matter what sport you indulge in. The frames come in black or clear. Choose lenses in matte black, black, blue, or emerald green.
9. Yunizon Carrezz Sunglasses
BEST FLAT-TOP SUNGLASSES
Yunizon is a unisex eyewear company where you shop by size: narrow, medium, and wide. The Carrezz has a flat-topped, rectangular frame that incorporates the classic wayfarer style with a dash of science fiction. These shades come in a few different color options, but we like the more out-there styles. Don’t like ‘em after you buy them? Yunizon offers free returns. Even better, a part of each purchase goes to benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
10. Persol PO3237S Sunglasses for Men
BEST RETRO STYLE
Based on a 40s men’s sunglasses style, these two-tone sunglasses have a honey frame and green polarized lenses. These shades are also handmade in Italy, and they add a touch of class to any summer outfit. You can personalize them with a monogram for an extra touch of sophistication. This style comes in six other colors: black/green, Terra de Siena/gray, caffe/brown, Havana/polar brown and black/polar green.
11. Paradigm 20-50 Sunglasses
BEST USE OF NEGATIVE SPACE
Paradigm sunglasses are designed in Kentucky, made in eco-friendly facilities, source ethically raw materials and the frames and packaging are created with recyclable materials. In a market full of eco-friendly sunglasses made from wood and other natural materials, that’s not so unique. What is unique about these sunglasses? Oh, yeah, they’re cutting edge cool. These squarish frames are highlighted by the negative space at the top of the frame, and they also come in silver. Thanks to the unique design, these are hands down some of the best men’s sunglasses for summer 2020.
12. Pixel Eyewear Asper Sunglasses
BEST ALL-AROUNDER
Sometimes called “The English Schoolboy,” this mixed fabrication (stainless steel and acetate) are the all-rounder because the lenses are non-reflective on both sides, polarized, and also block blue light. They come in black too.
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