Discover exceptional eyeglasses, sunglasses, and prescription sunglasses for driving at FramesDirect.com. Choose from stylish frame silhouettes—classic aviators, retro-inspired wayfarers, feminine cat-eyes, and glamorous oversized rounds—by designers like Versace, Ray-Ban, Prada, and Costa. Find the features you need for comfort behind the wheel: polarized lenses, scratch-resistant coatings, and the best tint for any lighting conditions.
We often choose sunglasses for their style elements and how they make us feel when we wear them. And while how they look is important, how they function is as—if not more—important than their looks. In no scenario is this truer than when you're driving. Even the sunniest days can present navigational hazards, so knowing how to choose the best driving sunglasses, eyeglasses, or prescription sunglasses is key.
Yes. Seeing clearly while driving is essential, and wearing sunglasses will help while driving during the day, whether it's bright and sunny out or even when the skies are overcast. Plus, polarized sunglasses in particular reduce glare coming off the road, other vehicles, and from other sources.
While the choice boils down to your personal preference, polarized sunglasses are recommended for driving in sunlit conditions. Polarized lenses drastically reduce glare from headlights and light reflecting off of surfaces, whether it's a passing car or the wet pavement. Reduced glare means reduced eye strain because your eyes aren't working as hard to combat the harmful reflected light. Polarized lenses can also help improve contrast and sharpen visual details during hazy or foggy conditions. Non-polarized sunglasses work for many other activities—skiing, for example—but for driving, frames with polarized lenses are often better.
For a pair of driving glasses, choose a frame style that doesn’t interfere with your peripheral vision. Oversized frames, while trendy, can obstruct your peripheral vision, making it difficult for you to see potential hazards in the road. Frames with large lenses and thin temple arms, like the classic aviator, don’t obstruct your peripheral vision, but still provide good eye coverage.
Yes. Prescription sunglasses are common and easy to get for any driver who needs them, including commuters, professional drivers, and even people who only drive occasionally. Here at FramesDirect, we offer thousands of prescription sunglasses styles from top brands to suit both your preferences and your budget. Or, if you prefer not to keep track of two separate pairs of prescription eyewear, consider eyeglasses with clip-on lenses from brands like Takumi for an easy transition from eyeglasses to sunglasses.
Wearing your prescription eyeglasses while driving is expected, but investing in a pair of prescription sunglasses will be better for your eyes while driving in bright conditions. If you need glasses to see, or have a corrective lenses restriction on your license, then you are required to wear prescription eyewear while driving. However, If you purchase your eyeglasses through FramesDirect, you will have the option to add an anti-reflective coating and a UV-protection coating to your eyeglass lenses. The coatings are effective at filtering out harmful UV rays in order to protect your eyes, but they do not change the tint of your glasses. They will leave you susceptible to glare from the road and will not mitigate the bright light of the sun.
In general, driving lenses should improve contrast and relax the eye muscles to reduce stress while you’re behind the wheel. Many drivers opt for grey sunglasses lenses, which allow the lowest light transmission and make a good choice in the brightest sunlight. But brown or amber-colored lenses increase contrast, enabling a driver to better read the road contours. These lenses also minimize eye strain because they reduce the glare of scattered light from dirty windshields, smog, and haze. In addition, brown and amber lenses allow drivers to wear their sunglasses earlier in the day and later into the evening. Sunglasses with yellow lenses work well for driving in low light conditions, like the rain or during a snow event, because they make everything appear brighter, and they enhance contrast and depth perception.
Don’t overlook this important variable when you’re choosing the right pair of sunglasses for driving. Different lens colors affect how much light reaches your eyes, how well you can see certain colors within your range of vision, and the level of visual contrast as a result. Choosing the wrong color lens for the conditions can significantly affect how well you can see road signs, traffic lights, and potential hazards.
Good driving sunglasses will not allow too much or too little light through. Sunglasses you wear at the beach or for other activities outside in the bright sun may not be the best for driving. Many drivers will buy two or more pairs of sunglasses for driving. Glasses with a dark tint will be appropriate for the brightest days. But you'll need a lighter tint on days when the sun is less bright, or for overcast, foggy, or even rainy days. Drivers too often buy the darkest tint they can find and simply don't wear them when it's cloudy. But good sunglasses can also be helpful on days with less sunlight, providing a crisper view and improved visibility. How much tint do you need?
Gradient lenses—darker at the top than at the bottom—are often preferred for driving sunglasses because you can see the dashboard instruments more clearly while being fully protected from the sun coming in through the windshield.
Yes, photochromic lenses, most commonly known as Transitions® lenses, are a better sunglasses option when you’re driving under certain circumstances. These lenses change from light to dark when exposed to UV light. Since your windshield can block nearly 40% of UV light, you'll need lenses that darken in the car, so be sure to choose photochromic lenses specifically designed for driving.
Transitions® XTRActive® lenses are the leading photochromic lenses designed specifically for driving. Outside of the car, they become extra dark, even in warmer weather, to make sure that your eyes are protected from the sun’s rays. Behind the wheel (most car windshields come standard with a UV coating), Transitions® XTRActive® lenses will activate, unlike other photochromic lenses.
>Eyeglasses with an anti-reflective coating (AR coating) and temples that do not block the periphery are ideal for eyeglasses when driving at night. The anti-glare coating will help minimize reflections from headlights and yellow or white highway lines.
Yes! Sunglasses with yellow-tinted lenses are preferred for driving at night because of the sharpened contrast they offer. Sunglasses with an anti-reflective coating on the lenses may further reduce the glare of oncoming headlights. Avoid wearing sunglasses with a tint darker than 5% to 10% for driving at night.