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Mar 26, 2025

15 Best Sunglasses Brands in 2025, According to GQ Editors | GQ

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission. Sunglasses occupy prime real estate, and finding the right pair can be a daunting

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Sunglasses occupy prime real estate, and finding the right pair can be a daunting task. So think of the best sunglasses brands as the rare kind-vibed realtor that actually helps you ID the apartment of your dreams—except in this case, the real estate is your face, and the swanky new pad is a gleaming pair of shades.

If you have no idea where to start, don’t sweat it. (And don’t bother downloading StreetEasy.) All you have to do is check in with the names that define the category today, the brands that focus on eyewear not as an ancillary element of their business, but as their entire raison d'être. From the age-old masters to the next-gen upstarts, these are the absolute best sunglasses brands to keep your peepers protected year-round.

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Ray-Ban sunglasses shot in the GQ Studios

Ray-Ban's eyewear pedigree speaks for itself. After nearly a century in the business, the brand's legendary roster of unisex sunglasses needs little introduction: Dylan's Wayfarers, Maverick's Aviators, Malcolm X's Clubmasters. If you haven't owned a pair of Ray-Ban's always-in-style specs (almost always in a crucial assortment of scratch-resistant tints) at some point in your life, now's the time to rectify that mistake, STAT.

Ray-Ban

Amazon

Ray-Ban

Amazon

Ray-Ban

Amazon

Ray-Ban

Amazon

Persol sunglasses shot in the GQ Studios

There's a reason Persol's sunglasses have long been a favorite of pilots, Formula One drivers, and bona fide Hollywood royalty, new and old alike: the brand's instantly recognizable designs positively ooze old-school Italian elegance, without compromising on the type of eye protection, functionality, and durability a race track—or a red carpet—calls for.

Persol

Amazon

Persol

Amazon

Persol

Amazon

Persol

Amazon

Oakley sunglasses shot in the GQ Studios

Oakley isn't an official sponsor of the MLB, but it might as well be. Its performance-minded polarized lens have long been a favorite of the league's most stylish stars, who've always appreciated what the menswear masses are only now cottoning on to: the brand's distinct, sport sunglasses look good on anyone, anywhere—whether you're shagging fly balls in the park or strutting your stuff on the street.

Oakley

Amazon

Oakley

Amazon

Oakley

Amazon

Oakley

Amazon

Jacques Marie Mage sunglasses hot in the GQ Studios

If Jeremy Strong’s cosign didn't quite convince you, allows us to: GQ has been touting Jacques Marie Mage's bona fides for years now, outfitting the temples of Keanu, Brad Pitt, and others with its top-end frames. Eyewear obsessive Jerome Mage founded the cult-loved label in 2014, and it's racked up an impressive roster of high-profile clients since. Each pair is made by hand by artisans in Japan and released in small, numbered batches. These shades will cost you handsome sum, but rocking a pair of sunglasses that no one else at the beach/party/beach party will have? Priceless.

Jacques Marie Mage

Mr Porter

Jacques Marie Mage

Mr. Porter

Jacques Marie Mage

Mr Porter

Jacques Marie Mage

Mr. Porter

A favorite of style and price-conscious fashion types, Stockholm's Chimi—which also opened in New York City last year—specializes in simple designs that gently stretch the boundaries of conventional silhouettes. Approaching its tenth year, all of the brand's styles use premium Italian acetate, and come with UVA and UVB protection—no style over substance here. (If you wanted to feel even better about ordering a pair, know that Chimi cares about planetary health also—a portion of all its proceeds go to solar power initiatives that bring renewable energy to underserved corners of the globe.)

Chimi

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Chimi

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Chimi

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Chimi

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Olive Peoples sunglasses shot in the GQ Studios

Oliver Peoples began life as a small boutique on Hollywood Boulevard peddling vintage American shades. Since setting up shop in the late '80s, the brand has evolved into a serious contender in the eyewear space, churning out handsome sunnies inspired by the retro frames it used to stock, crafted from some of the highest quality materials in the world.

Oliver Peoples

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Oliver Peoples

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Oliver Peoples

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Oliver Peoples

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Carrera sunglasses shot in the GQ Studios

Since their introduction in the '50s, Carrera's signature oversized shades have graced famous faces aplenty; the brand helped make Tony Montana a legend in Scarface and has been a perennial go-to for Tinseltown's A-list ever since. Today, Carrera sells sunglasses designed to help you avoid the paparazzi (or look like someone who might have to).

Carrera

Nordstrom

Carrera

Nordstrom

Carrera Eyewear

Nordstrom

Carrera Eyewear

Nordstrom

Moscot sunglasses shot in the GQ Studios

For over five generations, Moscot has outfitted discerning New Yorkers—along with an increasingly global customer base—with eyewear that'd make its founder, the Belarusian immigrant Hyman Moscot, proud. The family-run NYC institution makes some of the best sunglasses in the game, and thanks to its expansive online presence you don't have to be an expert on Lower Manhattan subway lines to get in on the action.

Moscot

Moscot

Moscot

Moscot

Moscot

Moscot

Moscot

Moscot

Matsuda sunglasses shot in the GQ Studios

Matsuda’s carefully handcrafted shades have been an industry favorite since the late ‘80s, when Mitsuhiro Matsuda—a close associate of Kenzo Takada and a trailblazing designer in his own right—launched his debut eyewear collection. A mainstay of ‘90s pop culture, the line was reintroduced under new ownership in 2012, but it remains committed to its founder’s guiding vision: strong, architectural shapes made in Sabae, Japan, a small city in the Fukui prefecture famous for its optical expertise. With unparalleled precision and artistry, each pair can take up to 71 hours to create and require over a dozen different craftsman. The brand's frames merge distinct artisanal detailing with forward-looking designs, a mix Matsuda himself pioneered as a founding member of the Tokyo Designer Six. And thanks to a growing roster of global stockists, its under-the-radar sunnies are now easier than ever to access stateside

Matsuda

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Matsuda

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Matsuda

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Matsuda

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1960s cinema was the inspiration for all of the early pieces in the Sun Buddies line—the Bibi is inspired by Bibi Andersson in Ingmar Bergan’s Persona, for example—but in the almost ten years since the brand launched (as an extension of cult Swedish retailer Très Bien) it's become as much known for its collaborations with the likes of Stüssy, Opening Ceremony, and Eckhaus Latta. In short, when the it fashion brands want to expand into sunnies, it's Sun Buddies they call. That's partly because all the frames are crafted according to exceptionally high standards, from hand-cut acetate and using Carl Zeiss Vision optics, but the prices remain impressively reasonable.

Sun Buddies

Sun Buddies

Sun Buddies

Sun Buddies

Sun Buddies

Sun Buddies

Sun Buddies

Sun Buddies

Randolph Engineering sunglasses shot in the GQ Studios

Randolph Engineering has been the prime aviator plug for the Department of Defense since the '80s. The company is still based in the small Massachusetts town it's named for, and its sunglasses are still manufactured with the type of military-grade precision that'll help your eyes withstand the everyday rigors of civilian life—and then some.

Randolph Engineering

Amazon

Randolph Engineering

Amazon

Randolph Engineering

Amazon

Randolph Engineering

Amazon

Garrett Leight sunglasses shot in the GQ Studios

For Garrett Leight, sunglasses aren't so much an accessory as a birthright. The son of Oliver Peoples founder Larry Leight, the West Coast native launched his own line of premium eyewear in 2010 and never looked back. (Worry not: the two are still close.) Inspired by the sights and sounds of the younger Leight's Venice Beach hometown, the eponymous label takes classic styles and updates them with a distinctly LA twist. Today, the brand specializes in the type of discrete shades you'd slip on to avoid an awkward fan encounter at Erewhon or shield your eyes from the paparazzi's flash—y'know, the typical trappings of California livin'.

Garrett Leight

Mr. Porter

Garrett Leight

Mr. Porter

Garrett Leight

Mr. Porter

Garrett Leight

Garrett Leight

Akila sunglasses shot in the GQ Studios

LA-based newcomer Akila has been shaking up the industry since 2018, bolstered by its knack for collaborations with some of the coolest indie labels on the market. From '90s-inflected shapes to forward-looking designs, Akila's approach to sunglasses is fun, free-spirited, and experimental. But don’t take that modern charm and youthful approach to mean that they don’t respect the craft. Each pair of Akila shades is made with premium plant-based acetate, high-quality rivets and barrel hinges, and intricate filigree details—all for a fraction of the cost that you’d expect.

Akila

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Akila

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Akila

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Akila

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Warby Parker sunglasses shot in the GQ Studios

A little over a decade ago, Warby Parker sent Big Eyewear into a panic with its promise of middleman-less, affordable eyewear made with the same standards as its luxury counterparts. In the years since, the DTC eyewear giant made good on its promise to upend the industry by expanding into sunglasses too, causing rival executives no small amount of headache and giving customers across the country plenty of reason to celebrate.

Warby Parker

Warby Parker

Warby Parker

Warby Parker

Warby Parker

Warby Parker

Warby Parker

Warby Parker

Los Angeles-based Crap Eyewear exists to make sunglasses both cheaper and more fun—without hurting the planet. So far, it's going pretty well. The carbon-neutral company uses many of the same suppliers as luxury brands, and packs UVA and UVB protection into all of its multicolored, handcrafted frames. Not too shabby when a majority of the line comes in at $99, with free shipping and returns. It also outfits a ton of skaters and surfers, referred to by the brand as the “Crap Family.” Join it if you will.

Crap Eyewear

Crap Eyewear

Crap Eyewear

Crap Eyewear

Crap Eyewear

Crap Eyewear

Crap Eyewear

Crap Eyewear