Hi, with the summer getting closer i want to buy a pair of sunglasses but i have no idea where to start, there’s too many models (and i basically only know the classic rayban in photo and the aviators) so i’d like some suggestions.
My face shape is oval, maybe rectangular but im not 100% sure.
I’m oriented in buying second hand so i’ll be saving money (ideally i would like to spend below 100€) and also i don’t want to be bothered if they get scratched or damaged (since im going to the beach often, playing like beach volley and shit).
Thank you for every suggestion, have a nice day :)
You must log in or # to comment.
I got very expensive prescription Bolle sunglasses, they were stolen from my car. That was back in 2004 and weren’t worth the money for something I wore about 4 times before they were stolen.
I have Maui Jim sunglasses that are great, the polarization is excellent for seeing wildlife in the water. I only wear them occasionally as I’d rather wear 10 dollar glasses I don’t care about wrecking. So I have 4 or 5 pairs of different styles of cheap ones. Most important is to get polarized lenses, other than that if you go cheap you can try every style until you find the right ones for you.
I’ve only ever bought cheap $2 sunglasses and they work fine. They’re cheap, so they break easy, but they’re only $2.
Get lenses with UV-protection. Just because they are tinted doesn’t mean they will protect you
Expensive sunglasses are a waste of money.
Go to the mall, find a sunglasses stand. Try on polarized sunglasses until you find something you like under $12 or so.
You’ll find the brand/model number written somewhere on the frame. Google it, and find someplace to buy them by the case.
By a case of 10, put it in your drawer. Bonus points for getting it in another color (I have a set of white frame chunky glasses, but also the exact same model in black for fancy occasions).
Now you have sunglasses you can afford to lose constantly, a backup supply, and a signature look.
There was a reddit thread a few years ago where insiders from industries were asked what was true about their industry that the moneymakers wouldn’t want the public to know. A sunglasses guy said that the build quality of all sunglasses above something like $10 was identical. Above that price you’re literally just paying for the logo
Make sure they’re UV safe, make sure the lenses don’t distort your vision, and buy something cheap
IIRC it was that anything like ray bans were identical to cheap UV blockers, but there’s a tier at about a hundred bucks (or maybe 150) that use a different method for applying the coating to the lens so that it lasts longer. I think it was in the buy it for life sub bc I get the cheap ones and the lenses don’t last very long for me (as in they get scuffed up despite the fact that I put them back in the case every time I wear them).
I’ll see if I can find the thread when I have time later
I’ve always been a cheap sunglasses guy, I buy whatever brand they’re selling at whatever store I happen to be at when I need sunglasses. I usually go through a couple pairs of them a year, they get lost or broken, or the lenses get all scratched up.
Arguably I could be more careful with them, but $20 a couple times a year for something I use almost every single day seems more than worth it to me.
One time I came across a good deal on a pair of Oakley’s, and I figured I’d treat myself. IIRC they were a return at an REI garage sale, they looked brand new and the tag said they were just returned because the original customer did like them or they fit poorly or something.
It was a relatively cheap model of Oakleys to begin with, and with the discount I think they came out to like $60, which still made them the most expensive pair of sunglasses I’ve ever owned.
I liked them, I don’t think they were in any particular way better than my usual cheap sunglasses.
And about 3 days later I found out that if you drop them and someone accidentally steps on them before you pick them up, they absolutely break the same way a cheap pair of sunglasses would.
So no more fancy sunglasses for me.
My producer, Sendo, likes his custom Oakley pair, of which was around $223 USD at the time he bought it. It’s all back with some white accents if you look at them. Yes, they’re polarized too.
Tbh if you wear even normal Ray Bans, I’d wind up a punch or insult before double checking it’s not a Meta camera.
I do like Knockarounds and Nectars.
My best pair of sunglasses are a pair of dark lenses with a snake motif that I got at a thrift shop for like $15. Keep them in a glasses case and they won’t get scratched.
Fwiw, if I see someone wearing fancy looking thick black rectangular lenses nowadays I assume they’re a predator thanks to Meta
online glasses shops will sometimes have a “shop by face shape” section. I’ve used zenni’s and it was fine.
https://www.zennioptical.com/b/glasses-for-oval-face I’m not the best for recs here since I’ve only used this site ever and got my frames from the eye doctor and lenscrafters before that.
https://www.wikihow.com/Determine-Your-Face-Shape If you genuinely aren’t sure of your face shape, and you care if you guess wrong, get out the measuring tape.
If you have an oval face:
https://www.eyebuydirect.com/guides/sunglasses-for-oval-faces
I’ve bought three pairs of Ray Bans totaling for less than 100€. I don’t know what second hand websites/apps you have but I have a 30€ limit on search term “Ray Bans” and I get multiple hits every week.
And if I don’t end up liking or using them as much as I thought, I can just sell them for the same price or give them as a pretty higly valued present to a friend.
Don’t spend a ton of money on the sunglasses unless you need Rx sunglasses. Fancy name brand sunglasses are a scam - they’re all owned by the same company that creates a false sense of competition between their brands. This allows them to keep prices up on Ray-Ban and other expensive brands. Look up Luxxotica.
If you’re purchasing sunglasses for daily wearing and you know you’ll be wearing or carrying them into situations, just get a comfortable pair of cheapo polarized sunglasses from Walmart. Expensive sunglasses lose value as soon as they’re purchased and if you scratch them, they’ll be functionally and financially worthless from that point forward. Comfort is the most important thing, followed closely by style.
And don’t spend money on fancy prescription sunglasses - that gives you an extra pair of expensive glasses to lose. You can get over-glasses sunglasses for like $20 each. They fit over your regular glasses; provide more sunglare protection from the sides, overhead and even reflected upward; you’ll still be wearing your regular glasses so you won’t lose them; and they’re cheap enough that you don’t need to worry about scratching or losing them.
Yep, if you wear prescription glasses, and are travelling to South East Asia, get a few pairs of ‘Ideal’ brand slip-over sunglasses. Cheap and cheerful.
They also double as birth control.
This is a bit outside the box, but you might want to go to the hardware store and look at safety glasses. There are a variety of tints and they are wrap around, making them superior for actual eye protection. Glasses that are open on the side are harder on your eyes.Granted, you might not care for the look.
This is what I use. The extra protection is great when I ride my bicycle or it’s really windy. I can’t stand sunglasses that are flat/open on sides and sports sunglasses are just expensive safety sunglasses IMO.
Good safety glasses are awesome. When heading home after a field-job, I always bring a pair.
Used those for years in Australia when driving around. Outdoor safety glasses were the best set of sunnies I ever had.
RE: Raybans - my friend gave me shit for purchasing the cheaper “plastic” lens option compared to theirs with real glass.
A number of years later he switched to the plastic lenses also. He complained about the weight of the glass ones being a issue.
/ end shitty story time
Polarized and UV, past that you are just paying for marketing
