Looking for more of the best cheap sunglasses? Start with our guide to the foremost UV-blocking brands on the planet—and check out our list of warm-weather vacation essentials while you’re at it.
We love a nice pair of sunglasses. Probably too much, if you ask the mythic creature that collects the lost and broken pairs no longer in our possession. But we’re also aware of their impermanence—how quickly a great pair can come in and out of our lives, and how fleeting that relationship can be, regardless of investment.
Despite this inherent fickleness, we’ll never stop buying the nice ones. But that doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate their more affordable counterparts, too. And when we find the right pair, they almost always take the top spot in our sunglasses rotation: they stir up zero anxiety, require little care or attention, and instill no feelings of regret if (or when) the relationship ends, even when it’s sudden and unexpected. They’re like a summer fling that, under the right circumstances, has long-term potential but no expectations. So, to make your own search just a little bit easier, we thought we’d round up all the brands making the best sunglasses for under $100, and pick a couple we like from each along the way. Enjoy.
The Best Cheap Sunglasses, According to GQ
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Best Cheap Prescription Sunglasses: Warby Parker Beale
Warby Parker
Beale Sunglasses
Warby Parker is no longer a little upstart, but they’re still pushing the most value-packed, well-priced frames on the market. You can get a little spendy if you’d like, but its line of $95 frames is absolutely stocked with timeless, effortlessly styled options. And despite coming in under $100, they don’t cut any corners: hand-polished cellulose acetate; impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses; scratch-resistant, UV-blocking finishes, it’s all there. We’re partial to the brand’s Beale frames, a timeless classic that brings a little A-list appeal to even the most Z-list nobody. (Editor’s Note: You’re always in our A-list, friend.)
Best Cheap Round Sunglasses: Le Specs Odyssey
Le Specs
Odyssey Sunglasses
Le Specs has been around since 1979—45 years for those playing the home game—elevating itself from an IYKYK brand into a global force. Hailing from Australia, a notoriously sunny place, its catalog is one of those “flavor for every palette” situations: flashy, spicy, classic, minimal, maximal and basically everything in-between, there are dozens of turns you can take and basically no wrong ones to be made. The brand’s Odyssey frames make anyone wearing them look like they could write the next great American epic, slightly larger than the typical round frames you would’ve seen on Ozzy or Lennon.
Best Cheap Wayfarer-Style Sunglasses: Huckberry Weekenders
Huckberry
Weekenders Sunglasses
Huckberry’s a great website for finding your next new favorite brand, but don’t sleep on its in-house brands, which includes Flint and Tinder (y’know, the one that makes that famous Hollywood jacket) and even a line of super-affordable sunnies. Arguably the most popular style of eyewear, the Wayfarer (trademarked by Luxottica), has been reworked and revamped by many brands to bank on its popularity courtesy of Ray-Ban. For a cheap take on the silhouette, Huckberry’s Weekenders fit the bill, taking the traditional trapezoidal shape and softening its edges with rounded corners. Plus, they’re lightweight and have polarized lenses so you can block out those UV rays comfortably all day.
Best Cheap Aviator Sunglasses: Quince Halston
A relative newcomer in the space, Quince has a penchant for making things that look, and feel, like they should cost a fortune but very much do not cost a fortune. Naturally, its sunglasses are no exception. Every single pair in their massive collection costs exactly $50, yet they’re made with the same high-quality materials—like acetate, stainless steel, and polarized lenses—found on frames that cost four times as much. Or, more simply, Quince glasses are further proof that you don’t need to spend a fortune to look like you did.
