Best Motorcycle Sunglasses

Motorcycle.com Staff
by Motorcycle.com Staff

You’ve got the jeans, you got the leather jacket, you got the motorcycle – now all you need are the cool shades. If you’re smart, you’ll get motorcycle-specific ones, though, with polycarbonate lenses designed to not shatter when (not if) a pebble or a bolt or a big bug unexpectedly impacts your life. Even with shatter-resistant lenses, most of us MOrons still prefer to ride behind a faceshield of some kind, at any speed greater than really slow.

PS: There are a lot of cheap imitation sunglasses on the market; our favorite way to get what we paid for is through a licensed optometrist, which is a thing you already know if you need prescription lenses. Also, photochromic lenses are now available in colors other than gray, so no one has to know your cool shades are prescription.

Spy Dirty MO Sunglasses – $120


Don’t know why these jumped off the page at us, but four out of five Dirty MO editors would be seen in these babies, designed to Dale Earnhardt Jr’s exact specifications. Tough polycarbonate lenses get the SPY Happy Lens treatment – a color and contrast enhancing technology that maximizes the transmission of the sun’s “good” rays while blocking out its “bad” ones, including 100% of UV rays. This will make you happy and alert, says Spy.

Shop for the Dirty MOs here

Bobster Road Hog II – $54

Reading all the Revzilla reviews is a lot of fun. Bobster makes a bunch of different Photochromic lens products, but nearly every reviewer says the tint never changes much, day or night (many actually say “tent”). Maybe you’re better off with these Bobster Road Hog II jobs, then, which come with four sets of easy-to-change shatter-resistant polycarbonate lenses: anti-fog smoked, amber, clear and dual-grade reflective. All of them provide 100% protection against UVA and UVB ultraviolet rays, and the Hogs also come with two easily attachable/detachable open and closed cell foam inserts to keep stuff from swirling in around the sides. Do-rag compatible.

Shop for the Bobster Road Hog II here

Oakley Det Cord Sunglasses / Matte Black – $153

Oakley’s Plutonite lens is claimed to offer superior comfort, clarity and protection against impact – the ANSI Z871 stamp means they meet the MIL-PRF3243 ballistic resistance standard – also ultraviolet radiation including all UVA, UVB, UVC, and harmful blue light up to 400mm. High Definition Optics (HDO) provide superior optical clarity and razor-sharp vision at every angle. Unobtanium nose pads and Oakley’s Three-Point Fit are said to give improved comfort and fit. Anti-fog coating, etc.

Shop for the Oakley Det Cords here

Flying Eyes “Golden Eagle” Sport Sunglasses – Satin Tortoise Shell – $180

If you run into interference trying to stick your cool shades inside your helmet, Flying Eyes are for you. These are designed for the aviation industry, where pilots wear noise-cancelling headphones or helmets for hours on end. Resilamide frames and temples, a costly aerospace polymer, make these glasses unbreakable yet super light and flexible; 1mm thin temples mean you probably won’t feel them at all while wearing a helmet or aviation-style headset. Precision manufactured polycarbonate lenses provide uncompromised clarity and shatter resistance, and all Flying Eyes are prescription compatible.

Shop for the Flying Eyes Golden Eagles here

Persol 714 – $193

Well, these are the Italian shades made famous by Steve McQueen in The Thomas Crown Affair, so they have to be included here. But nobody at Persol’s US importer knows if their “crystal lenses… made from the most precious optical material of natural origin guaranteeing protection and visual clarity,” are impact-resistant or not, so that tells us these are for wearing only behind a faceshield of some kind, or have custom plastic lenses made to fit. That or just carry them in your pocket; Persol says these were the first folding glasses.

Shop for the Persol 714 here

Julbo Vermont Classic Sunglasses – $150

Made for mountain climbing, nobody’s saying you can’t climb the mountain on your motorcycle. The Spectron 4 polycarbonate lens is said to block 95% of the visible light while being lightweight and providing excellent shock resistance – suitable for all types of sports activities. Traditional rubber covered wire temple arms may or may not work well inside a snug helmet; leather side shields and nose piece give maximum weather protection and should keep out, dust, debris, and that one big bug that always hits you right between the eyes.

Reg Kittrelle at Burning Man-approved (actually Reg’s may be cheap imitations).

Shop for the Julbo Vermont Classics here

Ray-Ban 3119 Olympian – $153

Introduced in 1965 and worn by Peter Fonda in Easy Rider shortly thereafter, these Ray-Bans are still on the cutting edge of hep in the 21st century. They feature sleek, sophisticated, distinct top bar lines that enhance the softer wrapped lenses and the Ray-Ban logo on the slim temples, which are easy to slide inside your helmet. The frames come in gunmetal or gold metal, with a crystal green G15 lens that’s easily replaceable with polycarbonate prescription lenses.

Shop for the Ray-Ban Olympians here

Ray-Ban 2027 Predator 2 – $143

Another classic Ray-Ban bend, these are recommended by the famous Bruce Belfer, seen in them here with some other guy named Bruce.

Your Predator 2 comes in a variety of frame colors and lens treatments including polarized, mirror grey solid, crystal green solid and silver gradient. Their wrap-around fit creates a sporty look that is both casual and athletic.

Shop for the RB Predator 2 here

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Motorcycle.com Staff
Motorcycle.com Staff

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