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Cheap Sunglasses, Best Discount Sunglasses

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Sunglasses are a summer and often a winter necessity. That suggests you should own at least a pair or two.

But what makes for a good pair of cheap sunglasses? Although you might want cheaper sunglasses that make you look like a rock star, their primary purpose is to protect your eyes from the sun's harmful rays. Moreover, the best cheap sunglasses can improve your vision clarity even in the harshest of glares. Cheap sunglasses range all over the place in terms of price. You can buy rock-bottom cheap sunglasses at the local gas station for about $1, but expect to dole out at least $15 and up to $50 for the best cheap sunglasses. Mid-range sunglasses cost as much as $150 and top-of-the-line sunglasses sell for far more.

The task of picking out cheaper sunglasses is particularly challenging for frugal shoppers for several reasons. First, everywhere you look there are super-cheap fashion sunglasses that seem glamorous and scream "buy me." Almost every retail outlet -- not to mention hundreds of online vendors -- sells really, really cheap sunglasses. Second, there are surprisingly few user reviews of the cheapest sunglasses, possibly because people don't find it necessary to review a $2 product. Third, many sunglasses reviews by users barely touch on the features that define a good pair of cheap non-prescription sunglasses but focus instead on the way the sunglasses look. In other words, users' sunglasses reviews aren't the most reliable source of information about the best affordable sunglasses. Our buying guide, however, details the critical features and performance attributes of good cheap sunglasses, which should make your search for the best cheap sunglasses a whole lot easier. Please note that this buying guide is about non-prescription sunglasses; for a list of eyeglass websites that make the best cheap prescription sunglasses, see our Best Cheap Eyeglasses Buying Guide.

The first priority when choosing a pair of cheap sunglasses is the level of eye protection. Never buy sunglasses unless the label specifically says "UV400" or "100 percent UV protection."Many cheap sunglasses don't meet this standard, and sometimes online product descriptions are not clear. Some Adi Designs sunglasses (ranging in price from $9-$17), for example, are noted as featuring "maximum UV protection" while others are marked as "100 percent UV protection." To be on the safe side, read the fine print and select a pair with an explicit declaration.

Other useful things to look for in cheap sunglasses include polycarbonate lenses, which are lightweight, impact-resistant, and distortion free, and a polarized coating to help reduce surface glare from roadways, water, snow, and the like. Different tints affect how you see colors and contrasts and may be more or less suited to particular activities. Grey and green tints, for example, are often recommended for general purpose use because they reduce brightness without distorting colors.

We found several brands that stand out for their high-quality cheap sunglasses. First up are JiMarti sunglasses, with prices ranging from $13 to $50, and Sunbelt sunglasses, which sell for $20 to $30. Next come Black Flys sunglasses, starting at $17 and topping out at $46, and X-Loop sunglasses, which are priced from $9 to $40. All these cheap sunglasses brands feature polycarbonate lenses that provide 100 percent UV protection; some models come with polarized lenses and some come in various tints. These brands are also backed with some sort of breakage warranty, although no warranty covers scratches. We are less impressed with Adi Designs sunglasses, largely because of the confusion over UV protection and because the lenses are made with regular plastic.

For the most part users seem satisfied with the cheap sunglasses on our list. Some gripe about poor build quality, but we noticed few complaints about protection from the sun's intense brightness. Users also express appreciation for the cheap prices -- they worry less about loss or breakage and they like having a pair that stays in the car, say, and another in a purse or backpack, or having a special pair for a particular activity. And they don't seem to miss the sharper vision clarity or the frills, like extra coatings on the lenses, that distinguish higher-end sunglasses. Indeed, with sunglasses you don't necessarily get what you pay for: some designer brands lack the preferred eye protection and are high-priced in part because they're high fashion.

Sunglasses UV Protection.

The most critical function for a pair of discount sunglasses is protecting your eyes from the sun's harmful UV rays. Although UVA and UVB rays help us absorb vitamin D, too much exposure to these rays, particularly the UVB variety, will seriously damage your eyes (not to mention your skin). The best way to protect your eyes, say experts at sites like About.com is to buy discount sunglasses that specifically say "100 percent UV protection" or "UV400" on the label. Among the inexpensive sunglasses brands that we researched, Adi Designs offers far fewer models that meet this standard than the brands that make our list of best and good discount sunglasses; the product description on Overstock.com for the Adi Eyewear 30001 Aviator Fashion Sunglasses (starting at $17, Amazon), for example, merely states "U.V. protection." Sunglasses brands that clearly note 100 percent UV protection, or UV400, for all their cheap sunglasses models include JiMarti (prices ranging from $13 to $46), Sunbelt (prices ranging from $20 to $30), Black Flys (prices ranging from $17 to $46), and X-Loop (prices ranging from $9 to $40).

Sunglasses Lenses.

There are three lens materials typically used to make sunglasses: CR-39, polycarbonate, and glass. CR-39 is a hard-resin plastic that's commonly used for prescription glasses and prescription sunglasses. Glass is very durable but heavy, and not well suited for those fashionable out-sized or wrap-around sunglasses you might covet. Polycarbonate is a lightweight synthetic plastic that happens to be very durable (impact-resistant) and absorbs 100 percent of UV rays; it's the material of choice for the best and cheapest sunglasses and is also preferred in most mid- and high-end sunglasses. HowStuffWorks also notes that polycarbonate (and glass) lenses are free of distortion, meaning that visual perception is true and unmarred by waves, wiggles, or bulges. JiMarti, Sunbelt, Black Flys, and X-Loop sunglasses all feature lenses made from polycarbonate plastic.

Other lens materials occasionally show up in non-prescription sunglasses. Adi Designs sunglasses (prices ranging from $9 to $17) are made from lightweight plastic, as are sunglasses by Kenneth Cole (prices ranging from $28 to $75). We did not find information on the distortion or durability of this material, but we've all had experiences with plastic cracking and breaking. Oakley sunglasses (ranging in price from $125 to $330) feature specialty lenses made of a proprietary material called Plutonite, which is advertised as providing the best possible clarity and high-impact protection.

Glare Protection.

Whether you're driving, skiing, snowboarding, taking part in water sports or any other outdoor activity, your vision could be affected by glare from the sun. Glare comes from light that's reflected off surfaces, and that reflected light is said to be "polarized." How Stuff Works explains that polarized sunglass lenses have a chemical film made of parallel molecules that filter out the glare by absorbing light that matches up with the position of the molecules; because most of the glare we see comes from flat, or horizontal, surfaces, polarized sunglasses shield our eyes from horizontally polarized light. Very cheap sunglasses lack polarized lenses, but some sunglasses in the Cheapism niche, including select models from Sunbelt, JiMarti, Black Flys, and X-Loop, feature polarized lenses; only a smattering of the discount sunglasses made by Adi Designs are polarized.

Sunglasses Tint.

Tinted lenses also help reduce glare. Although fashion-conscious shoppers will appreciate the variety of tint choices, different tints differentially affect what you see. Experts often recommend gray tints, or a combination of gray and green, because they reduce overall brightness without distorting colors. Amber and brown tints are additional all-purpose choices because they block higher frequency colors (e.g., blue and violet), and improve clarity -- although they do make a mush of color perception. Yellow tints likewise mangle colors, but they're especially useful in reducing blue light, which causes the most glare (think snow on a sunny day), and they make everything look vivid. Purple or rose tints enhance the contrast against blue or green backgrounds, while green tints provide the best contrast of all and reduce glare by filtering out some blue light. The Sunbelt Men's Neptune 190 Metal Sunglasses (starting at $24, Amazon) and the Sunbelt Women's Halo 535 Oversized Sunglasses (starting at $26, Amazon) come in brown and gray tints. By contrast, the Black Flys Inflyt Polarized Sunglasses-Matte Black-Omar Hassan Edition (starting at $40, Amazon) and the X-Loop X63 Sunglasses Wrap Style UV400 Lens for Baseball, Softball, Cycling, Kayaking and All Active Sports (starting at $13, Amazon) are available with only gray tint.

Sunglasses Coating.

Several extra coating options for discount sunglasses enhance their quality and the clarity of your visual perception. These features generally cost more and are found primarily in higher-end sunglasses, but we did find some cheaper sunglasses with one or two special coatings.

Gradient coating refers to tinting that's darker at the top and lighter at the bottom. This patterning blocks more light at the top and less at the bottom, which is useful when engaged in activities like driving: your eyes are shielded from the sun's light from above but you can clearly see things inside the car, like the dashboard. None of the brands on our list offer discount sunglasses with gradient coating; if you insist on this feature, Kenneth Cole makes the Reaction Oversize Gradient Sunglasses (starting at $41, Amazon), but the lenses are plastic and not 100 percent UV protection.

Anti-reflective coating is a thin hard layer applied to both sides of the lens to prevent light from hitting the back and bouncing into your eyes. As a result, you suffer far less glare. Select JiMarti sunglasses, including the JiMarti JM01 Sunglasses for Golf, Fishing, Cycling-Unbreakable-TR90 Frame (starting at $16, Amazon), feature an anti-reflective coating.

Mirrored coating is a thin metallic layer on the lens that keeps even more light from your eyes by reflecting it away. Mirrored, or reflective lenses, save you from squinting but hide your eyes completely from others and don't protect against UV rays. Some cheap JiMarti sunglasses, like the JiMarti Sport Wrap RV17 Golf, Cycling, Running (starting at $15, Amazon), have a mirrored coating.

Scratch-resistant coating is a nice extra because plastic and polycarbonate sunglasses are easily scratched. To protect the lens, a coating made with materials such as diamond-like carbon or a type of synthetic diamond is applied. Some cheap sunglasses, including the X-Loop P5 Polarized Active Sports Frame (starting at $19, Amazon), have scratch-resistant coating.

Sunglasses Warranty.

Sunglasses break: they drop, someone sits on them, whatever. Although many discount sunglasses, including Adi Designs, don't offer a warranty, some do. JiMarti and X-loop sunglasses both have a 30-day money-back guarantee and a lifetime breakage warranty. Sunbelt sunglasses feature a lifetime limited warranty and Black Flys and Oakley sunglasses have a one-year limited manufacturer's warranty; both specifically say in their warranty policies that scratched lenses are not covered, so if you shell out big bucks for a pair of shades, take care not to scratch them.

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Kenneth Cole Sunglasses
Adi Designs Sunglasses
Black Flys Sunglasses
X-Loop Sunglasses
JiMarti
Sunbelt Sunglasses

 

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