The 7 Best Sunglasses for Golf in 2025, Tested by Gear Editors

You can find a pair of Tifosi sunglasses for as low as $25. However, if you want to get the best bang for your buck, especially when it comes to sport shades, we recommend going up to the $50 Rivet sunglasses.

What makes the Rivet so great for golf is the crystal smoke lens with Enliven Golf tech. The Enliven tech helps highlight contrasts on the course, pulling the color of the golf ball while also revealing hidden slopes on the green. When playing with the Rivet ourselves, we definitely could tell a difference in how the lens created starker contrast. If you were to compare a $50-$100 pair of your everyday shades to the Rivet, the Rivet would be the obvious choice to use for golfing every time.

The Rivet comes in a sport design most of us have worn before, so there’s no unexpected digging or inconveniences. The rubber pieces on the nose and temples hold firm, but not too tight. Overall, the comfort level is moderate. The plastic frame is a little heavy and thick when compared to the premium eyewear picks we have on this list. Alas, you have to remember you get what you pay for. If you want to prioritize the best comfort, you’ll likely be set back $150-$200 a pair.

Perhaps you’re new to golf and have discovered that you need a dedicated pair of golf sunglasses? Or maybe you already have a pair of sunnies you like and need a backup pair? In any situation, the Rivet is an easy frame to recommend.

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Oakley is a chosen go-to for pro-golfers like Rickie Fowler, Ryo Hisatsune, and Hideki Matsuyama; almost all of whom are never seen without their sunnies on their head during a tournament. At the core of Oakley’s golf sunglasses is the Prizm Field lens, which is hailed by many for its ability to absorb the right amount of light (the lenses absorb 85% of light transmission) and create an ideal contrast between a white golf ball and the greens.

The shades are even great when approaching to putt—which is worth highlighting because some high-quality shades can clash with putting greens and create a grainy look.

You can buy Prizm lenses in polarized and non-polarized lenses, but since many golfers won’t have to combat glare very often while golfing, we loved how we could select the non-polarized Prizm lenses and save the extra cash. The Sphaera Slash is our go-to Oakley frame for golfing, though, because of its clever slash tech that prevents the frames from wrapping too far around your cheeks (something Dr. Fuerst advised us against), while still providing above-average coverage.

“Cheap sunglasses” are useful for occasions where you risk losing and/or breaking your shades and don’t want to feel the pain in your wallet. For most of us, golf is one of those occasions. Knockarounds sell for less than $50 and include polarized lenses with remarkably clear vision. And, like Oakleys, Knockaround are trusted by PGA Tour pros like Joel Dahmen, Peter Malnati, and Harry Higgs. Unlike Oakley, they won’t drain your bank account.

The real knockout here is the Knockaround’s Knockterra+ Lens Tech, a color enhancing technology that makes these absolutely dynamite on the varied terrain of the golf course. We had no issues seeing down range and up close with excellent clarity and no issues with depth perception.

We found the construction and materials to be very sturdy for the price. Knockaround utilized a prototypical sports sunglasses design for the Flight Paths (Moonshot is the name of the lens), which is likely the most versatile frame style for sports, and, in 2025, for style as well. There are a variety of color options available at any given time, with new options introduced each season. You can spice up your look with something bold or keep it classy with timeless black frames. Even at this price, it’s not entirely fair to call these sunglasses cheap.

When it comes to optical acumen, few brands do it as well as Smith. We’ve tested pairs for golf, running, cycling, fishing, and just about any other activity that requires sunglasses, and in each case, Smith has left us impressed. When we received our pair of Lowdown Metal frames, it didn’t take long to see that these would be another win for Smith.

Smith’s ChromaPop lenses are probably the brand’s standout feature. These give some of the best color we’ve seen from a pair of sunglasses, and the tech translates flawlessly to the golf course. The fairways and greens were, well, as green as can be, and we had no issues seeing the differences between the fairway and the rough or the green and the fringe. This makes every shot a confident one, even when the sun is blazing.

The metal frames are also excellent. They weigh next to nothing, fold up easily, and are very comfortable on the face. The nose pieces are customizable, so you’ll always get the right fit and won’t have to worry about constantly adjusting them to the right spot across your nose.

The Maui Jim Kanaio Coast is some of the lightest sunglasses we’ve golfed in. That’s thanks to a lightweight, injected nylon frame—and no, it doesn’t cut down on their durability one bit. While playing in these it felt like we didn’t really have glasses on, so their ability to be distraction-free is a huge plus.

The fit is also extremely comfortable with spring hinges on the arms and adjustable silicone nose tabs, making them great for all head shapes and sizes. While the style is the trendy wrap style Dr. Fuerst advised against, we didn’t notice any distortion around the edges. If you do want to go with a style like this, just be aware that it can happen and to try not lean on your peripheral vision.

The lens tint and color also provided us with great brightness and contrast, allowing for undulations to be accentuated. And we had no issues distinguishing between greens, fairways, and rough. They’re a great pair of sunglasses for all sorts of outdoor activities, and certainly ones that have a home on the course.

The Ace Driver frame is made from titanium, leading it to be the lightest pair of sunglasses we tested without any compromise to durability. The silicone nose pads and temple tips offer elite comfort and lock-tight grip (even against sweat).

As for the lens, Nike outfitted the Ace Driver with a polarized lens, which is helpful for driving off the tee box when the sun is beaming right in your face. The best detail about the lens, though, is the brown Course Tint color. Like Dr. Fuerst mentioned, a moderate brown tint has shown to enhance readings on the green. Dr. Fuerst noted the moderate brown tint can help see undulations and slopes more clearly too.

We took all this lens info into account before playing a round in the Ace Driver. After play, we found the Ace Driver provides exceptional course clarity, especially when the sun is at its highest point of the day. The combination of the polarization and the brown tint helped limit eye strain while providing clear views of course terrain and golf balls.

If you need to be sold more on the price, the Ace Driver also has potential as an everyday pair of sunglasses. We received several compliments on how stylish they looked, and the fact they have polarization makes them even more appealing for wear outside of golf. The verdict: absolutely consider buying these if you’re willing to pay a premium. The investment is well worth the purchase.

Costa Del Mar sunglasses are well-known for their lens superiority on the water, loved by fishermen and watermen of all types. But Costas can certainly hold their own on the course—even Tiger Woods has been spotted in a pair in recent years.

The Reefton Pro is a premium pair of shades that’ll cost you a pretty penny (they’re the most expensive in our guide). But the performance is also on that premium level. The larger frame is well-fitting and provides a ton of coverage area, helping to keep dust and dirt out of the eyes. And these lenses employ some of the top tier tech that Costa has to offer.

Another perk is the sweat management channels and eyewire drains to keep things from fogging up and sweat dripping into your eyes. We found this extremely helpful during some steamy rounds this year. And if you happen to be playing a course on the water, the supreme polarization will come in very handy.

Meet the Expert

• Dr. Randy Fuerst is an optometrist with 40 years experience and a an eye doctor within the Vision Service Plan (VSP) network. Dr. Fuerst is also a sports vision expert, and he served as the team optometrist for professional teams like the Sacramento Kings, San Francisco 49ers, and San Jose Sharks between 1988-2007. When Dr. Fuerst is not serving patients, the chances are he’s golfing. Dr. Fuerst’s ability to cross-reference his knowledge as an eye doctor and his ability to break down what makes a pair of sunglasses good for golf is a key reason we interviewed him.