The best sunglasses for men and women: 20 favourites for every budget – and how to pick the perfect pair

Trying to find the right sunglasses can be overwhelming – after all, they’ll be on your face for the rest of this summer and hopefully several of the next. They take centre-stage, and as such, can be a daunting thing to shop for.

But their main character energy is also part of the fun. Like a headline or a book cover, they set out an intention. More importantly, they also protect your eyes. The right pair will marry practicality with aesthetics.

For this guide, I scoured the market high and low, and spoke to friends with different needs, styles, budgets and face shapes (read the guidance below for more on choosing the right pair for your face shape) to find the best sunglasses for men and women. Having lost or broken all my existing pairs, I also went on an odyssey for the perfect replacement. Having found them, I then lost them in less than a fortnight, while rinsing sand off a child’s bum in the Portuguese sea. Might I suggest that whichever sunglasses you choose, you add a chain?

The best women’s sunglasses

Oliver Bonas Sea pink round preppy sunglasses

“Super light on the face” is how one friend describes this pair, so they’re a good option if you dislike the feel of a heavy frame. They look more expensive than they are, too.

Cos oversized square-frame aviators

If fashion pied piper Phoebe Philo is doing supersized frames – and she is, super super supersized – it tells you that you won’t look like you’re stuck in 2002, other than perhaps ironically. This pair from Cos works a charm.

Mulberry Edie sunglasses

OK, they will cost you a pretty penny, but they’ll also instil oomph every time you wear them. They’re more sustainably conscious than most other sunnies, too: the square frames are made from biodegradable and recyclable cellulose acetate, and the bio-nylon lenses are also biodegradable. The black is sold out, but it’s a blessing in disguise because they have way more character in chalk.

Free People oversized aviators

Aviators are popular, but they can go horribly wrong. Even the classic Ray-Ban version can easily stray into Top Gun cosplay. But this oversized pair stays on the right side of the USS Enterprise. The sheer scale of them feels right for now, and they come in several great colours – chocolate print, caramel, leopard, lime – and plenty of not-so-great ones too.

Brain Dead Tani post-modern primitive eye protection

People rave about Brain Dead, and I can see why. The brand makes quality sunglasses that are fun without being wacky, with this pair a case in point. The frames are handmade from cellulose acetate and are pleasingly sturdy.

Oakley Fives squared

Wraparound styles are good if you like to be more active than horizontal in the sun. They’re also good for emulating Princess Anne, if that’s what you’re into – she is partial to an Oakley. But be warned, like accidental style icon Anne, you might become inadvertently cool in the eyes of gen Z.

Mango thin-frame sunglasses

These are understatedly lovely, just the sunnies you might expect to have seen on Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, whose impeccable 90s style you can expect to hear a lot more about soon.

Le Specs Lost Legacy

Le Specs makes lust-worthy sunglasses that feel current but classic. If you’re entering your Supersonic era, or never left it, this pair is perfect.

Jimmy Fairly Willow

These rectangular frames are a great all-rounder. The tortoiseshell is versatile, and there’s a range of different lens colours available. Opt for polarised if you want to diminish glare.

& Other Stories angular cat-eyes

Cat-eyes are classic – but angular cat-eyes have edge. In green, they feel quite Iris Apfel; in black, a 2025 take on Audrey Hepburn; but the brown are my favourite.

The best men’s sunglasses

John Lewis round polarised category

I have a theory that men just want sunglasses that don’t make them look silly. This pair, with polarised lenses, is a very safe bet and will suit almost any occasion or outfit.

Ray-Ban x A$AP Rocky Wayfarer puffer

If my theory above is wrong, then consider this pair my apology. The sunglasses version of a puffer, these are very daft. But if you relish daft, these might be the best thing to happen to your face in years. Just don’t go for the black or white – sunglasses this silly shouldn’t pretend to be sensible.

M&S Collection D-frames

The green adds interest to this bread-and-butter pair of sunglasses, which come with polarised lenses. Perfect for jazzing up a suit, heading out to buy milk, and everything in between.

Ace & Tate Oshin

A classic wayfarer shape given some drama. Made from bio acetate, these frames are lovely in cinnamon, and fiesta is also a bit of fun. Ace & Tate sunglasses are well made and feel it. They also meet CE and UKCA UV protection standards.

Decathlon hiking sunglasses

I wanted to include a pair for those who think spending more than a tenner on sunnies is a waste. This pair is inadvertently very 2025. Great for a hike or a festival.

Finlay Audley

If you’re after tradition with a twist, this might be the pair for you. While the frames are based on a classic panto shape, the geometrical edge adds interest. The toasted chestnut and turtle colourways are particularly smart.

Cubitts Boudica

If you want your eye candy to pop, consider these Boudicas, named after the British warrior queen. They’d be perfect worn with a seersucker suit to a wedding or just every day, anywhere, if you’re bold enough. The quartz colour is the one that really shines.

Asos square sunglasses

If these sunglasses came with a tagline, it would read: “You can’t argue with us.” Provided your face shape agrees (see below for more guidance), they’re a nice, entirely inoffensive pair of sunglasses with a price to match.

A Society Jacky Havana

The amber-brown tortoiseshell of the frames really sets this pair of otherwise unassuming sunglasses apart. Somehow, the cosy glow they provide makes them the perfect sunnies to wear straight through from summer to the season of mist and low sun.

Izipizi Sun #M light tortoise

Everyone I know seems to currently have an Izipizi pair of sunglasses plastered on their faces. And I know why: they’re the perfect sunglasses for those who are style- but also budget-conscious. The brand makes simple but effective frames in fun colours – these are particularly lovely in honey yellow.

What you need to look for

The right shape for your face

When it comes to finding the right sunglasses, face shape is important. “For a square face, we’d say to go for an oval or a softly rounded frame with soft edges,” says Katie Jennings, senior brand and PR manager at Jimmy Fairly. “Choose a frame that’s slightly narrower than your face.”

For rounded faces, Jennings suggests “slim frames with pronounced angles, such as the cat-eye, to elongate and add definition”. And “if you’ve got more of a triangular or pear face, we’d recommend oversized square or round frames – bigger frame choices to balance out your features”. For oval faces, “most frames work really well”, although “rectangular frames or rounded frames will add softness”, while “more rectangular [ones] have a more confident look”.

Features are important, too. Jennings has a general rule: if you have softer features, you should generally pick a more angular shape, and vice versa. “You basically choose glasses of the opposite shape.” Perhaps it is why for people like me and John Lennon, of the pointy nose gang, round styles work better.

Helpfully, many sunglasses brands offer their own guides online, such as this one from Izipizi. But there is no better way to tell than by putting them on your face for real. So if you can, always try before you buy.

Ellie Violet Bramley is a writer who has been delving into style and what it means for nearly a decade – mostly for the Guardian’s fashion desk