The 5 Best Sunglasses for Competitive Runners

Running outside allows you to breathe in the fresh air, climb hills, adventure through new terrain but while you’re out there, it can also challenge you with the elements of the great outdoors: wind, rain, bright light and glare from the road. Enter protective eyewear and sunglasses. With lightweight designs and sweat-resistant nose pads, these are the five best sunglasses for competitive runners.

Oakley OO9290 Prizm Road Jawbreaker Sunglasses

Most commonly used by marathon and triathlon participants, these Oakleys use the brand’s Prizm lens technology to improve visual clarity and offer a panoramic view while running. At a high-level, the Oakley Prizm lenses uses proprietary technology to enhance color recognition by boosting contrast of visual elements and sharpen visual perception to help runners see more clearly. The frame design is lightweight, durable, and optimized for performance-driven function. And the best part is that the lenses are easily adjustable.

As Oakley states on their site:

The Jawbreaker™ is the ultimate sport design – answering the demands of world-class athletes with a 40-year heritage of uncompromising excellence. Oakley innovation has reached the pinnacle of performance by offering everything from surge ports for cooling airflow to Unobtainium® components for a comfortably secure fit, and with the hassle-free lens changing of Switchlock™ technology for vision optimization in any setting.

In other words, these Oakley glasses are the first-choice of many athletes and will help you see more clearly (without squinting) on bright, sunny days by boosting the contrast of the objects in your field of vision. Find these sunglasses on Amazon here.

Adidas A427 3matic Sunglasses

Adidas performance gear are fan-favorites because of their durability, technology and stylish design. These sunglasses were engineered to improve an athlete’s performance by protecting athletes’ eyes during outdoor activities, events and games. With a timeless, durable frame design, these sunglasses can come with polarized lenses with a mirror coating option on certain colors. Great for runners needing glare reduction and dealing with very sunny conditions, the mirror coating reflects back light and reduces the amount of light passing through the lens.

The temple tips of the Adidas a427 3matic sunglasses use Traction Grip which offers a pressure-free, non-slip fit so these sunglasses will stay on no matter the activity. By blending modern and classic eyewear styles, Adidas sunglasses are durable, stylish and will protect your eyes from bright light, water, dirt, wind, and other elements. Find these sunglasses on Amazon here.

Nike Skylon Ace XV Pro R EV0859 Sunglasses

Nike’s ultra-light Skylon Ace sunglasses feature an upgraded design with a fully venter nosepiece, wider lens and are great for training, running, cycling and more. The Skylon Ace sport-wrap frame have secure-wrap temple arm frames with rubber-grip temple tips. These sunglasses have interchangeable lenses that can adapt to light conditions by using Nike Max Optics technology, all to give wearers coverage and protection from the elements and a precise, clear field of vision. Find these sunglasses on Amazon here.

Oakley OO9313 EVZERO Path Sunglasses

With a dynamic design, these Oakley sunglasses are built for speed and perfect for multi-sport athletes from training to running and cycling. The EVZero™ Path sunglasses are Oakley’s lightest performance eyewear frame and features a toric shield of Plutonite® for perfect visibility in a rimless design with a non-slip nose pads for maximum comfort while giving runners an unobstructed, clear view of the road ahead. Find these sunglasses on Amazon here.

Under Armour Rival Sunglasses

The Under Armour Rival performance eyewear brings maximum protection and visibility on every run no matter the weather. With ArmourSight lenses, these sunglasses will protect your eyes from UV rays as the Autogrip temple tips automatically adjust to secure a comfortable fit. The Ultralight ArmourFusion® frames are built from a combination of titanium and Grilamid to provide a durable and flexible form. Find these sunglasses on Amazon here.

With plenty to choose from, we cannot wait to see which running sunglasses you choose for race day. See you then!