We spent months wearing sunglasses on all kinds of adventures, both near home and on far-flung adventures. We noted how much we liked each pair across all five of our testing metrics along the way. From there, we compared them all side by side, testing their details and ability to withstand all manner of outings. Curious how we did it? You've come to the right article.
Lens Quality
To test lens quality, we compared each pair across identical lighting conditions. We assessed them in the midday sun and the harsh horizontal light of golden hour. We considered their protectiveness, including polarization, visible light transmission, and any manufacturer's claims that they block other wavelengths of light (like HEV or infrared). We considered their rendition of colors and how well they maintain, enhance, or detract from contrast. We checked their clarity and noted how much of our own faces we could see staring back at us. We considered how comfortable each pair kept our eyes too. We also noted which ones are easy to clean and which seem to collect dust or fingerprints at a higher rate.
Comfort
We asked our whole team of testers to give us feedback about the comfort of every frame. We weighed them all and checked their balance points, testing whether they would slide off the nose due to their design. We wore them for hours to see if they became too tight or created pressure points. We noted where they touched our faces and how they felt when that happened. We also evaluated other features influencing comfort, like rubber nose pads, flexible frames, and winged bow tips.
Style and Versatility
While style is a personal choice rather than an objective measurement, we gathered as many opinions as possible. We asked our full panel of testers to tell us which pairs they liked, noting trends along the way. We considered popular components and recorded emerging trends following general lines — like pairs enjoyed by those with certain-sized faces. And as a bonus, we also considered models that can easily cross into activewear glasses without looking out of place.
Frame Quality
We wore these glasses a LOT, evaluating and testing their frame quality. We checked every piece critically, examining hinges and connection points with rubber pieces, and scrutinizing materials and build. After several years of testing dozens of pairs, we used our vast experience with different quality frames to evaluate and score each pair. We noted which scratched easily and which ones became wiggly or loose in their hinges. We also combed through hundreds of reviews online to find common complaints about every pair and see if we found similar issues.
Coverage
We first checked the base curve of every pair of shades. We noted which ones have a better face-hugging wrap and which are flatter, with larger gaps around the edges. We asked our team to report where the sun still crept around the frames. We also tried wearing each pair when sweaty to see which could maintain its coverage in tougher conditions.
Case Quality
Though it doesn't factor into our scoring of the sunglasses themselves, we also noted what every pair comes with. Our team assessed each accessory from cases and cleaning cloths to keychain screwdrivers and leashes.
