The Case for Never Spending More Than $100 on Sunglasses

I can still remember the last pair of expensive sunglasses I ever owned.

Shiny new aviators from Barton Perreira. Gleaming, golden, undeniably beautiful and cooler than the other side of an Eskimo’s pillow.

And then they flew off my face, overboard a boat and into the ocean the very first time I wore them (though this trip did yield me a fiancée, so I guess I’ll call it a wash).

There have been other pricey casualties as well. All gone, lost to the merciless whims of the sunglass gods.

Now, you might chalk all this up to me being an irresponsible git, and you wouldn’t be entirely wrong. But still, I believe there is a force more nefarious at work here, one whose cold, cruel machinations dictate an inverse proportionality between the cost of sunglasses and the amount of time before you ruefully lose them.

Which is why I made a solemn vow, many years ago. And while pricey shades may work just fine for some, I can virtually guarantee that following my credo will make your summers more enjoyable and stress free. It goes like this:

“I will never buy a pair of sunglasses that cost more than 100 dollars ever again.”

You’ll find that there are plenty of high-quality, superbly swaggy options out there, all at a price that won’t break your heart when they inevitably head to the great Sunglass Hut in the sky.

Herewith, a collection of our faves:

Crap Eyewear “Road Crue” | $79
Channel your inner Hunter Thompson.

Warby Parker “Topper” | $95
Classic keyhole in a low-key tortoiseshell.

Capital Eyewear “Morgan” | $95
For realizing that Gregory Peck To Kill a Mockingbird flow.

Norton Point “Swell” | $99
Made from recycled ocean plastic for the environmentally conscious set (which should be everyone, btw).

Sunski “Moraga” | $58
Arguably the swaggiest bang for the buck on this whole list.

Panda “Kennedy” | $100
Made of bamboo, so they float. Take that, ye curs-ed sunglass gods!

Zenni Optical “Premium Square” | $33
Retro flair with an updated twist at a rock bottom price.

Ottoto “Milan” | $78
Italian style and a great example of the absolutely bananas deals that can be found on this site.