When you go out fishing, there’s a lot of things you need to consider, especially when it comes to sun protection. If you’re going to be out in the sun fishing this summer, you need the right pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes. If you’re in the market for some of the best brands for fishing sunglasses, keep on reading!
What should you look for in your fishing sunglasses?
Comfort
The most important thing to look for in your glasses is comfort. Because you're bound to be spending a good amount of time out on the boat, you don't want to be weighed down by heavy frames and lenses. Looking for a lightweight, comfortable frames is a must!
Polarization
The second most important thing to keep in mind while choosing your fishing sunglasses is going to be the lenses. When fishing, polarized lenses are a must! Because glare is caused by light reflections, while you are out on the water - glare is a killer. If you haven't fished with polarized lenses, you're definitely missing out.
Lens Color
There are a TON of lens technologies out there that can help give you a competitive edge while fishing. Costa, Smith, and Oakley all have lenses designed for water use that help separate colors further than typical polarized lenses. But, at the very least - you want to be shopping with lens color in mind. For offshore, bright light fishing - a grey based polarized lens is going to be great at cutting down blinding light. A brown or yellow based polarized lens is going to shine during inshore fishing in mixed light.
What brands have the best fishing sunglasses?
Costa Del Mar
If you know fishing, you probably already know all about Costa Del Mar. The frames and lenses were made by fisherman to be a fisherman’s dream with key features like rubber grips, durable frames, and a ton of color options. In addition, Costa's lenses were made with fishing in mind. In both glass and plastic options, their 580 polarized lens technology helps to separate color, increase contrast, and kick your fishing game into the next level. Plus, Costa backs their products with one of the best warranties in the game - a limited Lifetime warranty!
Maui Jim
Maui Jim offers an awesome variety of options for fishing. They offer both polycarbonate and glass lenses to suit your eyewear needs. In fact, they offer glass lenses that are said to be up to 30% thinner than other brands. If you've ever worn sunglasses all day long - you know that even a small difference in frame weight can make a huge difference in comfort! Their eyewear is designed and tested in Hawaii, so you can be confident that you'll be protected from the beaming sun wherever you are.
Oakley
For bright days out on the water, Oakleys are the perfect sunglasses. Oakley not only offers lightweight frames, but also a lens technology specifically designed for water use. The Oakley PRIZM Deep Water and PRIZM Shallow Water were fine-tuned to help separate colors, increase detail, and kick up the vibrancy on the water - so you can say goodbye to glare and comfortably spend your day reeling in your biggest catch yet.
Smith
Another brand that offers lenses designed for color seperation is Smith! With their ChromaPop technology, Smith focuses on filtering the crossover between blues, greens, and reds, resulting in a lens that delivers more natural colors, greater definition, and clarity. Smith also has both lifestyle and performance sunglasses available, so you can choose between being ready for action and looking extra good while out on the water.
Peppers Eyeware
If you're looking for polarized fishing eyewear on a budget, we recommend checking out Peppers! Their eyewear sits around $50, which is considerably less expensive than others on this list. In addition, all of their sunglasses are polarized and they even offer a line of floating eyewear designed for use on the water. Plus, they offer an amazing warranty that covers your sunglasses for life!
Rheos Nautical Eyewear
Rheos is a brand based out of Charleston, SC. Their whole sunglasses line was developed with water in mind. It's probably a give-in that if you're out on the water, you'll eventually drop something overboard. But, with Rheos, you can easily retrieve your shades, as all of their sunglasses were made to float!
Summary
With all the amazing sunglass brands out there, it may be hard to choose the best sunglasses for fishing. The most important factors to look for in your fishing sunglasses is going to be comfort and polarized lenses. We hope with this list, you'll be ready to land a big one! And if you find yourself needed new lenses for your shades - check out Fuse Lenses. We can create replacement lenses for nearly and style sunglasses, custom cut right in the USA.