The Best Motorcycle Sunglasses For Riders

No matter what type of bike they ride or helmet they wear, sunglasses have long been an essential piece of gear for motorcyclists. And while practically any old pair of shades will shield its wearer’s eyes from the sun’s harmful rays, purpose-built motorcycle-specific glasses will always be an objectively superior choice, affording markedly better comfort, performance, and protection — all in a highly-shatter-resistant package. And it’s this type of two-wheeler-specific eyewear that we’ll be exploring today in this guide to the best motorcycle sunglasses for riding. 

Unlike goggles, motorcycle-specific sunglasses offer a good deal of utility and can be worn whether on or off the bike, giving them a bit more value and bang for your buck. Sunglasses are also noticeably smaller than glasses and are more pocketable and travel-friendly, as well. Goggles do, however, often come with the ability to have their lenses swapped out on the fly, allowing them to suit a wider array of settings and conditions — a feature offered on very few pairs of riding glasses. Motorcycle sunglasses also lack the adjustability that’s afforded by riding goggles.

An even more crucial point that’s worth mentioning is the fact that motorcycle glasses and sunglasses tend to be compatible with just about any style of helmet on the market, as where moto goggles only work with a fraction of today’s lids, more specifically brain buckets of the enduro and 3/4-style varieties. Even when made specifically for riding applications, motorcycle sunglasses are almost always considerably less rugged than their goggle counterparts — one area in which glasses are objectively inferior to goggles. Likewise, riding glasses don’t offer anywhere close to the same level of protection from dirt, dust, debris, pebbles, and the elements. Not only do glasses cover less of the wearer’s face, but they very seldom seal to the wearer’s face. 

There are only a few areas one really needs to take into account when shopping around for a new pair of riding glasses, however, each of these key areas is of fairly monumental importance, making it worth your while to look into each and every one. 

Style: Just like with regular sunglasses, riding glasses are produced in a wide array of different frames and styles, from aviators to wayfarers to club masters. First selecting a frame style that you like is a great way to begin your search for a pair of moto-specific glasses. 

Frame Material: If a pair of sunglasses breaks and shatters during a crash, there’s a very decent likelihood that the wearer will suffer injuries to or around their eyes. Motorcycle-specific sunglasses on the other hand, are engineered specifically to mitigate these types of injuries by employing shatter-resistant materials, including their frame constructions. These almost always consist of proprietary materials like Grilamid TR90 and TR90NZZ.

Lens Material: Another major area that separates riding glasses from normal shades is the former’s lens construction. While normal sunglasses feature lenses that will shatter upon impact, moto glasses almost always employ a heavily shatter resistant — or fully shatterproof — lens materials like special polycarbonates or NXT. Additionally, quite a few pairs of riding glasses are also offered with available Transitions-style photo-chromatic lenses that automatically become tinted when exposed to sunlight (and then go clear when in the dark or low-light settings). 

Lens Colors: There are also certain advantages to certain lens colors. Tinted lenses are great for use in sunny weather, while yellow lenses can actually reduce eye fatigue and increase depth perception — a fact that’s made yellow-tinted visors a popular choice amongst endurance racers. Polarized lenses are also great choices for riding, as these items are able to mitigate glare and strain on the eyes. It’s also important to note that when riding at night, only clear lenses should be worn. 

Comfort: Riding glasses tend to be markedly more comfortable than your average pair of shades. Because these glasses have to sit under a helmet and tightly hug the wearer’s face, they usually feature thick nose and temple pads, though there are also plenty of pairs that feature fully-padded frames that create a goggle-like seal around the wearer’s face. Best of all, quite a few of these fully-padded frame pairs boast padding setups that are removable for when being worn off the bike. 

Additional Features: Unlike regular sunglasses, quite a few pairs of Moto-specific shades come equipped with features and amenities designed specially for riding. This includes items such as swappable lens sets and removable padding. It’s also pretty common to see riding glasses sold with an included carrying case to keep them safe when not being worn.

Prescription Lens-Readiness: Lastly, if you wear prescription glasses, you’ll want to pay special attention to this area, as some pairs of glasses are prescription ready and some aren’t. 

Roeg Billy V2.0 Glasses

Best Affordable Glasses: Almost certainly the best budget-friendly pair of moto-specific riding glasses on the market, the second generation of Roeg’s Billy sunglasses are CE-rated and feature a chunky polycarbonate frame with molded nose pads that houses a set of UV-protected REVO crystal lenses. The Roeg Billy V2.0 is also offered in a range of different frame and lens color options.

100% Daze Glasses

Best Upgrade Glasses: Though they resemble your average pair of high-end sunglasses, 100%’s Daze model is actually a thoroughly calculated pair of riding glasses thanks to the use of highly-shatter-resistant polycarbonate lenses housed in an equally hardwearing Grillamid TR90 chassis that’s outfitted with rubber-tipped temple and nose pads. In addition to being offered in more than half a dozen color options, the Daze glasses are also available with 100%’s proprietary HiPER and PEAKPOLAR-tech lenses.

Baruffaldi Windtini Plus Glasses

Best Wrap-Around Glasses: A more technical and performance-oriented version of Baruffaldi’s typically old-school-inspired offerings, the WindTini Plus is a wraparound-style pair of moto-specific riding glasses that pack an ultra-rugged Grillamid TR90 chassis mated to an elastic band and special aerated foam and hypoallergenic Hytrell padded contact points that create a goggle-like seal. This pair also comes with a trio of additional rods and lens sets that can be swapped out on the fly.

SPY Discord Glasses

Best Stylish Glasses: Though not technically manufactured for moto applications, the SPY Discord Glasses are nonetheless a great choice for riders, as they afford solid protection while in the saddle and keep their wearer looking good when out of it. Boasting a 145mm frame length, the glasses are constructed around a lightweight yet rugged Grilamid thermoplastic frame that houses a set of 57mm Trident-polarized six-base polycarbonate HD+ lenses. And, more so than any other pair on this list, SPY’s Discord shades are produced in an absolutely enormous variety of different frame and lens color choices — as well as a smaller pair with 43mm lenses. 

Magpul Pivot Glasses

Most Versatile Glasses: Based on the brand’s Explorer model though designed to lend themselves to more casual use, the Magpul Pivot glasses are a pair of ballistic-grade shades that offer stellar comfort and performance. Offered in multiple frame and lens colors — including polarized and mirrored options — the Pivot boasts overmolded anti-slip rubber nose and temple pads that keep the glasses firmly in place during intense physical activity. Why these tactical glasses are so ideal for motorcycling, however, is owed to their incredibly shatter-resistant polycarbonate lenses and Grilamid TR90NZZ frames — the former of which sport an oleophobic treatment while the latter constitutes the strongest thermoplastic material currently available for eyewear.

Bobster Gunner Photochromic

Best Convertible Glasses: Designed specifically for motorcyclists, the Bobster Gunner Photochromic Convertible Glasses start with a rugged heavily-shatter-resistant Grilamid TR90 frame that can be worn using standard arms or a goggle-style strap. The glasses also boast a swappable lens setup, and come with an included pair of Photochromic lenses and a clear pair for nighttime riding — both of which are composed of polycarbonate. More importantly, Bobster’s Gunner shades also sport removable closed-cell foam padding that bolsters comfort and creates a goggle-type seal around the wearer’s eyes. The fact this foam is vented also hugely mitigates the likelihood of the lenses fogging up. Add up all these features, and you’ve easily got one of the best pairs of riding glasses in existence. 

Skram Threes

Best Overall Glasses: Unsatisfied with the available riding glasses that were on the market, diehard moto enthusiast, entrepreneur, and founder of the Distinguished Gentlemens’ Ride Mark Hawwa set out to create the ultimate moto-specific eyewear outfit, resulting in the Skram brand. Developed from the ground up specifically for riding duties, the Skram Threes feature a shatterproof acetate frame with ultra-scratch-resistant polycarbonate lenses. UV-protected, the Skram Threes come in a myriad of different frame and lens color options (including Transitions lenses), and can also be specially ordered with prescription lenses. Legitimately built to last a lifetime, this versatile pair of glasses can also be proudly worn when off of the bike (or really in any setting).

Skram Fours

Best Aviators: The latest addition to the Skram Eyewear catalog, the Skram Fours are a pair of vintage aviator-inspired frames that house a set of hard-coated, scratch and shatter-resistant lenses. Like every other pair of glasses from the brand, the Fours were custom-engineered from the ground up specifically for motorcycle riding — and feature an unmistakably top-shelf fit and finish. Offered in clear, black, or acetate frame options and with clear, yellow, black, or brown lenses (of either the polarized or Transitions variety), these glasses are also sold with an included leather carry pouch, Eyewear, a Skram keychain, an adjustment tool, and a Scram-branded microfiber cleaning cloth.

The Best Motorcycle Goggles

Interested in checking out some additional moto optics options that aren’t just limited to glasses? Then be sure to cruise over to our guide to the best motorcycle goggles for another curated selection of rugged ride-ready eyewear and optics.