The three decisions
- Shape. Contrast your face. A round face suits a square or rectangular frame, a square jaw suits an aviator or a frame with rounded corners, a long face suits a wider or taller frame, and an oval face wears most shapes. The square and the aviator cover the majority of men between them.
- Lens. Grey keeps colour true and suits bright sun. Brown adds contrast and suits driving, golf and overcast days. Polarized lenses cut reflected glare off roads, water and the hood of a car, which is the single biggest comfort upgrade for a driver; the polarized versus non polarized guide covers the one case where they get in the way.
- Fit. A frame that slides down the nose sits on the cheeks, fogs and looks wrong. Many of our frames are cut for a lower nose bridge so they rest on the nose, and the metal frames carry adjustable nose pads; the how sunglasses should fit guide has the checks.
The eight picks
1. Aviator Total, the aviator that stays put, $99
A classic double bridge metal aviator with adjustable nose pads and a lower bridge cut, in gunmetal with grey, gold with grey, silver with a mirrored lens and a dark grey. Aviators are the default for a square jaw and the frame most men already own; this one is built not to slide. The aviator sunglasses guide covers the sizing. Aviator Total.
2. Screwless Polarized, the square for driving, $99
An oversized metal square with a thin rim, polarized lenses, no visible screws and a lower bridge cut, in gunmetal with grey, gold with a brown gradient and silver with a light lens. The driving pair: wide enough to block side light, polarized for the road, light enough to forget. Suits round and oval faces. Screwless Polarized.
3. Maga KC, the square on a budget, $79
A large, thin metal square with polarized lenses and a lower bridge cut, in black with a blue gradient lens or gunmetal with grey. The least expensive polarized pair in the range and the one to buy as a second pair for the car. Suits round and oval faces. Maga KC.
4. Numer, the acetate rectangle, $109
A slim acetate rectangle with polarized lenses, in black, tortoise and a grey crystal with a blue gradient lens. The quiet, square jawed shape for a round or oval face, and the pair that goes with a suit. Numer.
5. Cinnamon, the classic square in acetate, $69
A medium acetate square with polarized lenses, in black and a warm tortoise. The shape that suits the most men, in the two colours that go with everything. Suits round, oval and heart shaped faces. Cinnamon.
6. Velo M0, the light square, $135
A square in lightweight PPSU, a plastic that weighs little and flexes, in black, brown, green with a brown gradient lens and a light grey with a tan gradient lens. The all day pair for someone who finds acetate heavy and metal cold. Suits round and oval faces. Velo M0.
7. Retro Aviator, the aviator with a green lens, $119
A metal aviator with a flat brow bar, in gold with a green lens or silver with grey. The green lens is the old pilot standard: true colour with a little extra contrast. Suits square and heart shaped faces. Retro Aviator.
8. Lix, the oversized acetate square, $99
A big acetate square with polarized lenses and a lower bridge cut, in black, a grey crystal and a translucent grey. The coverage pair for strong sun and a long or oval face, and the one that reads as fashion rather than sport. Lix.
Matching the pick to the face
- Round face: Screwless Polarized, Numer, Cinnamon, Maga KC.
- Square face: Aviator Total, Retro Aviator, Velo M0.
- Oval face: any of the eight; Lix if you want size.
- Long face: Lix, Screwless Polarized, Aviator Total.
- Heart shaped face: Cinnamon, Retro Aviator, Aviator Total.
Matching the pick to the day
- Driving: Screwless Polarized, Maga KC, Numer, Cinnamon, all polarized. The polarized collection lists every polarized frame.
- Water and boats: Lix or Screwless Polarized, polarized with coverage.
- City and work: Numer, Cinnamon, Velo M0.
- Weekend and travel: Aviator Total or Retro Aviator.
The second pair, and the sport pair
Most men wear one pair until it breaks. Two is the better number, and they do different jobs. The first is the everyday pair above, in a shape that suits the face. The second is a polarized pair that lives in the car, because the glare off a wet road or a windscreen at dusk is the moment sunglasses earn their price, and a pair that is in the house is no use. Maga KC at $79 is the obvious second pair.
Sport is a third job and a different frame. Running, cycling and fishing want a wraparound that grips, seals the sides and does not bounce, which none of the eight above is built to do; the wraparound sunglasses guide covers that range. Keep the fashion pair for the street and the sport pair for the sport, and both last longer.
What to check before you buy
Width first: the frame should be about as wide as your face, not wider. Then the bridge: if sunglasses slide on you, choose one of the lower bridge frames or a metal frame with nose pads. Then the lens: polarized if you drive, gradient if you want to read a phone through them. The full range is in the men's sunglasses collection, with the square and aviator edits as shortcuts.
The bottom line
A square for a round face, an aviator for a square jaw, polarized for the car, and a frame that stays level. Most men do well with two pairs: one everyday square or aviator, and one polarized pair that lives in the car. The eight above cover both.
If glare is the reason you are buying, the polarized sunglasses for men guide picks the pairs by lens rather than by face shape.
If the soft shape appeals, the round sunglasses for men guide explains which faces it suits and why the lens should never read small.
For the optical side, the glasses for men guide covers the four shapes, the materials and four frames.
The rules change without hair, and size up; the sunglasses for bald men guide covers them.
For the range sorted by price, the affordable sunglasses guide runs from $69 to $99.
Frequently asked questions
What sunglasses suit most men?
A medium square or a classic aviator. The square suits round and oval faces, the aviator suits square and heart shaped faces, and between them they cover most men.
Are polarized sunglasses worth it for men?
Yes if you drive, fish, boat or spend time around water and roads: polarization cuts reflected glare. They are less useful for reading screens, which can look dark or patchy through a polarized lens.
Which sunglasses do not slide down the nose?
Frames cut for a lower nose bridge and metal frames with adjustable nose pads. Aviator Total, Screwless Polarized, Maga KC and Lix are the examples on this list.
What colour lens is best for men's sunglasses?
Grey for true colour in bright sun, brown or green for contrast when driving or in flat light. A gradient lens is for the city, where you look over the top of the dark band at a phone.
