There is no debate: sunglasses are essential to protect our eyes. To choose them well, you must understand how they work and their different characteristics. In this ultimate guide, we have compiled the essential elements to take into account when choosing the right sunglasses for you!
In this article
- Your sunglasses lenses
- Choosing your sunglasses frame
- Budget
- Essential tips
Step 1: Your sunglasses lenses
This is the most important criteria, because it is precisely what will protect you against the sun's ferocity. The sunglasses category, treatment and lens color are all part of this.
Choosing the right sunglasses category
Real and legitimate sunglasses need to comply by certain regulations. In Europe, they need to fit the CE standard European legislation NF EN ISO 12312-1: 2022 ), and in the US its ANSI. The sunglasses category between 0 and 4 then denotes the level of UV protection they supply.
Sunglasses categories:
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☁️ Index 0 : 0 to 20% protection: Offers very little or no light filtration, and is mainly used for aesthetic purposes or for protective glasses (safety, anti blue light...).
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⛅️ Index 1 : 20 to 57% protection: Suitable for people with light sensitivity in overcast weather and offers rather light protection, they may be suitable for mid-season.
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☀️ Index 2 : 57 to 82% protection. Standard protection and suitable for most situations but probably not enough in summer when you need beach sunglasses for high intense sunlight.
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➡️ 🌞 Index 3 : 82 to 92% protection. This is the classic, typical sunglasses category most fall under, because they block a maximum of light without impacting your vision. With this, you can go skiing and to the beach without any worries!
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🏔 Index 4 : 92 to 97% protection. This category is particularly effective but only suited to high intensity glare situations like snow or water sports. Category 4 sunglasses can only be worn in certain situations however, and are banned during activities like driving as they're heavily tinted.
👉 Sunglass categories are based on the amount of light filtered rather than UV filtering, which should be 100% regardless. In general, the higher the category, the more light is filtered, helping to reduce glare from sunlight.
Choosing sunglass lenses
Sunglasses lenses are typically made out of one of three materials - mineral, organic or polycarbonate glass. But the three aren't created equal...
Mineral glass lenses (natural )
The old school sunglass lenses! Made of sand and a chemical mixture, not many lenses are made this way anymore due to its weight and shatter likelihood. But, these lenses don't scratch easily and have high clarity so are stil a popular choice even though they only provide 85% UV protection (instead of the standard 100%).
Organic glass (resin)
Made from synthetic materials, organic glass (CR39 for example), is lighter and more impact resistant than mineral glass but remains quite heavy. On the other hand, on the contrary, it is more prone to scratches. It only provides 95% UV protection.
➡️ Polycarbonate glass
So he's the big boss of sunglasses lenses. First, it is super light. Second, it is mega resistant. And finally (and most importantly) it can filter 100% of UV rays! It is a little more sensitive to scratches but this can be remedied with a good anti-scratch coating.
👉 The Horus X reccemendation: All our sunglasses use polycarbonate material.
Protection beyond UV
🛡 Anti-trace, anti-scratch, anti-fog
Anti-fingerprint, anti-scratch, anti-fog and anti-glare sunglass lenses are not essential, of course, but can be practical if you don't want to worry about it and enjoy maximum comfort.
🔵 Anti blue light filtration
Blue light from the sun isn't bad for you; but everytime you scroll on the beach, or get your tablet out in the sun, you're exposing yourself to harmful artificial blue light. Traditional sunglasses don't filter this, but specialised blue light sunglasses (like those Horus X makes) do. Our Darkmatter technology filters 100% of UV rays and 96% of the harmful spectrum of blue light.
☀️ Photochromic (tints with UVs)
Photochromic lenses are perfect if you also wear glasses. Thanks to photochromy, your lenses will darken in the sun and become transparent again indoors. The only problem: the UV passes through the clouds. So you can find yourself with sunglasses in the middle of November, in the middle of the gray weather. Reverse problem in the car, your windshield blocks UV and suddenly your glasses do not tint.
✨ Polarized lenses
Polarized sunglasses are perfect for high intensity situations where the sun is more likely to be blinding, like during snow or water sports. These don't always work well with screens but are perfect for blocking reflections or glare from traffic signs when driving.
Choosing the sunglasses lens color
If you think that the color of sunglass lenses only has an aesthetic function, we'll be the first to tell you you're wrong. Different sunglass lens colors create different contrasts, improving visbility or blocking specific colors to help perspective.
Here's a breakdown:
🌚 Gray tinted lenses
The most classic because it is the one that distorts the colors the least. Allows you to have the most authentic visual experience possible. If you don't know what to choose, this is the easiest solution (and you can check out the gray tinted Horus X sunglasses range here)
👉 Recommended for all situations
🟤 Brown tinted lenses
A very good color for blocking light well while increasing contrast and depth perception by filtering out blue light. Perfectly suited for outdoor activities in strong light.
👉 Outdoor shooting, golf, outdoor work
🟡 Yellow tinted lenses
Yellow or orange lens sunglasses are ideal for people who spend a lot of time quickly shifting their attention from one object to another. They block out the most blue light and provide crisp vision in foggy or low-light environments.
👉 Night driving, gaming, piloting, baseball, indoor shooting
🟢 Green tinted lenses
These sunglasses combine the functions of gray and brown glasses. They offer better color perception than brown lenses and higher contrast than gray lenses.
Perfect for everyday wear, they reduce glare while making shadows more evident. Green lenses are a great all-around choice because they provide clear, comfortable vision, rain or shine.
👉 Recommended for all situations
🔴 Red tinted lenses
Red-pink hues greatly increase contrast on overcast or foggy days. They also offer excellent depth perception and better visibility while driving. They also help reduce eye strain by blocking out some blue light.
👉 Winter sports, water sports
🔵 Blue tinted lenses
Blue or purple sunglass lenses are a popular choice for the cutest among you. Beyond the pronounced fashionable style, these sunglass lenses help reduce glare in rainy and snowy conditions. They also enhance contours and improve color perception.
👉 golf, skiing
Step 2: Choosing your sunglasses frame shape
Choosing the sunglasses frame is very important. On one hand, you want to choose resistant, light materials that mean you can wear your sunglasses long term without it weighing on you. On the other hand, you want your frames to look stylish and suit your face shape too.
Of course, there's no reason you can't have both.
Sunglass frames materials
✅ Acetate
Acetate is a farily natural, resistant material that is hypoallergenic and can have many different finishes (gloss, matte, brushed etc).
The only downside is that acetate can generally be a little weightier and can cause your sunglasses to slip; so you might find yourself pushing them back up your nose more frequently.
✅ Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate is an all round winning material, great in the frame and your sunglass lens. It's generally unbreakable, extremely light, recyclable (yay for the enviornment) and cheap, leading to more affordable sunglasses.
✅ Metal
Metal frames can bring a sometimes refined, more premium style. Depending on the metal they can twist and be super heavy, and are not always great for allergy sufferers. Like what, nothing and no one is perfect!
✅ Titanium
They are not only hypoallergenic but also very light and thin. They are highly sought after in optics, especially to create discreet glasses that you forget when you wear them.
✅ Eco-friendly glasses
There are also frames made of eco-responsible materials (wood, recycled plastic, grape seeds or even recycled oysters...). Although still rare and slightly more expensive on average, they have many advantages: natural materials in contact with your skin, gesture for the planet, lightness, hypoallergenic in many cases... All beneficial.
The frame shape
When choosing sunglasses you also need to think about what frame shapes best suit your face. Indeed, not all frame shapes suit all head shapes. Here are our expert tips:
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⚪ Round face : Flatter you face by choosing a square or rectangular frame.
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🏉 Oval Face: All shapes go well with an oval face.
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⬛ Square face: oval frames are good for rounding off the corners.
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⬛⬛ Rectangular face: rounded sunglasses soften your appearance
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🔺 Triangular face: we try to mark the temples to balance the face.
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🔻 Inverted triangular face: frames stretched downwards to rebalance.
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♦️ Diamond face: oval glasses are great for highlighting your cheekbones.
Afterwards, you do what you want, it's just advice, fashion is still a bit superficial so have fun! Anyway, you can find even more detailed advice here ==> frame shape according to your face shape here .
Sunglasses size
A wise man once said “it's not just the size that counts”, but in this specific case, it still matters a little. Whether choosing the size of the frame or that of the lenses, you have to be rigorous (especially when you buy online!).
🏬 Live test
If you're in the store, to find out if your sunglasses suit you well, all you have to do is perform a simple test:
Put your chosen pair of sunglasses on, then shake your head from side to side like an angry Labrador just coming out of the river. If they stay on - that's most of the battle won!
🧑💻 Online test
If you shop online, you can check the measurements and compare to a pair that you have already worn to see how it suits. Or, if you choose Horus X, you can try our online virtual try-on; available on most pairs of sunglasses.
Step 3: The budget
The budget does not always define the quality of a pair of sunglasses, however we will give you some price indications so that you do not get fooled.
Too good to be true prices
Super cheap sunglasses (like the type you might order off a certain Chinese fast fashion retailer) often do not comply with regulation and offer no actual UV ray protection. So, be wary of the fashionable but not functional sunglasses that lead to serious eye damage long term.
Quality sunglasses
Good quality sunglasses have a price that starts at $40 and can exceed $300. However, once you reach a certain ceiling, no matter how pricey the sunglasses, the protection level will remain the same.
So why go pricey? Ultra expensive is usually based on their usage of rare materials or brand name rather than anything else (like Gucci, Chanel, Prada etc). The high end reasonable range, however, (think $40 - $80) is definitely worth futher investigation; just pay attention to the materials and protection offered.
Final thoughts: Choosing the right sunglasses
Not just a fashion accessory, sunglasses are essential for the health of your eyes. The criteria is simple:
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Choose your sunglasses with a perfect UV filter and a lens category high enough to protect you from glare.
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Choose the right frame, adapted to your face, for long term comfort and style.
In short, sunglasses are easy to choose when you know what you want. Square frames like the One Sun or polarized polycarbonate round sunglasses like the Ushuaia Sun
Are you a skiier with a round head? Square frames like the One Sun or polarized polycarbonate round sunglasses like the Ushuaia Sun will suit you beautifully.
Do you have more rectangular features and a penchant for working outside? Our Urban Sun or Stockholm Sun blue light sunglasses add some vintage flair.
