David Harding picks out 8 pairs of the best sailing sunglasses and explains why good quality sunglasses are so important for sailors...
Those of us who go afloat expose ourselves to a lot of ultraviolet (UV) radiation – even on cloudy days in northern Europe. We all know that too much UV is bad for our skin, but it can damage our eyes too: over-exposure can cause cataracts, macular degeneration and photokeratitis (a type of sunburn of the eye) among other conditions.
That’s why we need good quality sunglasses. Any that you buy should filter out UV rays – carrying the CE mark in Europe to show that they meet the required standard – but the best sailing sunglasses will do more besides.
They will make for easier and more comfortable vision in strong sunlight by reducing glare and increasing clarity. Glare is an obvious problem on the water, and bear in mind that water reflects 100% of the UV radiation from above. For these reasons and more, you might decide it’s worth paying for more than just a basic pair.
At a glance:
Our pick of the best sailing sunglasses available now
Gill Corona sailing sunglasses
Best sailing sunglasses from a big-name yachting apparel specialist
Specs: Filter category – 3 | Polarized – Yes | Floating – Yes
Reasons to buy: Light weight, polarized, float if dropped in water, suit a smaller face.
Reasons to avoid: If you have a really large face or head these might not be the ones for you.
Few of the big names in sailing clothing include sunglasses in their range, but Gill does. Available with frames in black, dark blue or silver/grey, Gill’s Corona sunglasses claim to block 100% of the three types of UV radiation – UVA, UVB and UVC.
They feature a hydrophobic coating to shed water (thereby reducing salt residue) and an oleophobic coating on the inside too, to help prevent smudgy vision from fingerprints and sun creams.
They’re designed to float if dropped overboard, though if you’re travelling at 6 knots in a little bit of a chop then good luck finding them. They provide a good close fit and are light and comfortable to wear. They’re also suitable for smaller faces.
Long term tested by Fox Morgan. They said “I bought these for 2021 sailing season after I misplaced my Gill Classics. I really like a lighter coloured frame and Gill have a few options for those styles too. I have a narrow face so finding sunglasses that don’t make me look like Brains from Thunderbirds is tricky.
“I have owned a few pairs of Gill sunglasses and they usually last a few seasons before I ruin them through abuse. They stand up to being chucked about and covered in salt spray really well and they are great value for money. The frames are light and I often forget I’m wearing them.”
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Tribord 100 Floating Sunglasses
Best budget polarized sunglasses
Specs: Filter category – 3 | Polarized – Yes | Floating – Yes
Reasons to buy: Light weight, polarized, float if dropped in water, don’t fall off easily
Reasons to avoid: Lack of rubber grips on nose/ear pieces, wouldn’t suit those with a wider head
This budget option from Decathlon recently came out on top in our sister title Yachting Monthly‘s 2022 review of the best polarized sunglasses for sailors.
“As the cheapest shades in our test, we weren’t expecting much from these, but were pleasantly surprised when we took them out of the box as they looked and felt pretty good for such a budget pair,” writes editor Theo Stocker.
“The mirrored polycarbonate lenses sit in an understated frame with in-built buoyancy, making these one of only two floating sunglasses on test. There is no grippy rubber on the nose or ear pieces, but the arms do hook behind the ears with holes to attach a strap.
“Amazingly, these were some of the most secure sunglasses on test, requiring over 500g force to pull them off, perhaps in part thanks to these being the narrowest glasses we tried.”
Oakley Clifden sailing sunglasses
Best sailing sunglasses for the fashion-conscious
Specs: Filter category – 3/4 | Polarized – Yes | Floating – Unclear
Reasons to buy: Unique style from a big name, plus side protection from winds or spray.
Reasons to avoid: Unclear if they’d float or not.
If you prefer flatter lenses to the curved wraparound style, but still want protection from the sides, Oakley’s Clifden might be what you’re looking for.
Oakley says that the polarized lenses are set apart by the fact that they’re made using an infusion moulding process that forms a single layer, as opposed to several layers bonded together with adhesives.
Side shields provide protection around the outside edges of the lenses and a ‘bridge blocker’ fills the gap in the middle over the nose. Lenses are available in a range of tints, the ‘Deep Water Polarized’ being suggested for sailing.
Eyelevel Clearwater sunglasses
Best budget sailing sunglasses
Specs: Filter category – 3 | Polarized – Yes | Floating – Unclear
Reasons to buy: An affordable that offers full UVA/UVB protection.
Reasons to avoid: Shape may not suit a slender face.
Despite their budget price, these stylish, partially-framed shades from EyeLevel’s Polarized Sports range claim to block 100% of UVA and UVB and come with mirrored lenses in a choice of red or blue.
They felt a little more flexible than some alternatives with frames that extend around the entire lens. On the other hand, the full wraparound shape, close fit and generous size of the lenses all combine to give good protection from every angle, which is important when you’re on the water and often surrounded by highly reflective surfaces on boats.
Gill Race Vision Bi-Focal sailing sunglasses
Best bi-focal sailing sunglasses
Specs: Filter category – 3 | Polarized – Yes | Floating – Yes
Reasons to buy: Designed to float; bi-focal element means they can be used as an alternative to reading glasses.
Reasons to avoid: Comes in a soft pouch, rather than a hard case; some reviews report blistering on the interior after a couple of years’ use.
Like Gill’s Classic sailing sunglasses, the Race Vision Bi-Focals are polarized, coated to repel water, oil and fingerprints, designed to eliminate UV rays and also offer built-in flotation. The injection-moulded lenses are said to offer high levels of impact protection as well as scratch-resistance.
As their name suggests, their principal extra feature is the bi-focal element. Virtually undetectable from the outside, and set into the lower part of the lenses towards the nose bridge, it’s available in strengths +1.5 and +2.5 diopter.
If you need reading glasses, Gill’s Bi-Focals might well allow you to leave them at home when heading afloat for the day. Frames come in black or wood-effect.
Triggernaut Transmission sunglasses
Specs: Filter category – 1/3 | Polarized – Yes | Floating – Yes (with additional £3 float)
Best high-tech sailing sunglasses
Reasons to buy: Interchangeable lenses allow you to swap from polarized to low-light lenses; head strap is ideal for watersports; comes in a hard case.
Reasons to avoid: Unclear if they’d float or not.
German technology comes to the fore in these ‘performance sports’ sunglasses from Triggernaut. For a start they come with interchangeable lenses: if the polarized grey ones are too dark in low-light conditions, you can change them for an orange pair that will give you a lighter and brighter outlook.
Both are made from a polycarbonate that’s described as shatterproof. Also said to be shatterproof, as well as flexible, are the polyamide frames.
Setting the Triggernauts apart from many sunglasses are two features that make them particularly suitable for watersports. One is the inclusion of a head strap, to help keep them in place if you meet the water unexpectedly.
The other is the ‘windblock’: a padded insert that fits inside the rims and reduces the amount of wind (and light) that can pass between the lenses and your eyes. It can be snapped in and out as you like.
Dirty Dog Wetglass Curl II sunglasses
Specs: Filter category – 3 | Polarized – Yes | Floating – Yes
Best sailing sunglasses for watersports-lovers
Reasons to buy: Vent holes reduce fogging in hot, wet conditions; floats if dropped in water; comes with a 2-year warranty.
Reasons to avoid: More lightweight options are available.
Both the appearance and the features of the Wetglass Curl II make it clear that they were designed with serious watersports in mind: they have polarized lenses in polycarbonate, four UV filters to keep damaging rays away from the eyes, vent holes in the polyamide frames to reduce fogging, and a clip-in detachable strap that looks more likely to stay in place than some of those that slip over the ends of the earpieces (and all too easily slip off again).
Colour options include green lenses in a black frame or grey/blue lenses in a crystal frame.
Bollé Python Black/Blue Matte sunglasses
Best wraparound sailing sunglasses
Specs: Filter category – 1/3 | Polarized – Yes | Floating – Unclear
Reasons to buy: Available in a choice of lenses; lightweight design.
Reasons to avoid: Comes in a soft pouch, rather than a hard case.
Bollé’s solution for better vision on the water is to give the polycarbonate lenses in their Python sunglasses a blue tint to enhance contrast.
However, the wraparound Python style (pythons are known for wrapping around things, after all) is also available with lenses in grey or ‘Brown Fire’, while the frames, made from a lightweight nylon, are offered in shiny black as opposed to matte.
Whichever colour of lens you choose, all are polarized and given hydrophobic and oleophobic treatments. Bollé Pythons are supplied with a microfibre cleaning cloth and a soft protective case.
What we look for in the best sailing sunglasses?
- Polarized: Sunglasses that are polarized should cut out more glare than those that are not polarized, and some manufacturers incorporate more effective polarisation technology than others.
- Water repellent coating: Additional anti-reflective coatings are a feature you will often find, while hydrophobic finishes help repel water – an obvious benefit when you’re afloat.
- UV protection: Bear in mind that darker lenses don’t indicate a higher level of UV protection: the level of tint is a different factor. A further potentially confusing element is that the base colour of the lenses – the cast (if any) that they add when you look through them – is not necessarily the same as the colour of the lenses that you see from the outside.
- Comfort: Whatever features you choose, it’s worth buying close-fitting or wrap-around styles if you want to minimise the amount of unfiltered light reaching your eyes from the sides. And larger lenses can be worth having, because they will help protect the delicate skin around the eyes.
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