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Fast meets fashion in these stylish sunnies ready to tackle every mile.

People who run with sunglasses tend to fall into one of two camps: you either want to be able to wear your sunnies all the time (outside of just logging miles), or you want something that performs at the elite level and looks can fall into your road dust. (We get it; you’re serious about your sport.) There's no right or wrong, but now, thanks to the work of sports brands — big and small — there exists a happy middle ground.

Good running sunglasses are lightweight, scratch-resistant, have nose grips and provide UVA and UVB protection. Plus, most importantly, they don’t fall off your noggin when you run or sweat. Regardless of your face shape, there’s guaranteed to be a pair that works for you.

Polarized sunglasses can be a great upgrade to consider when looking for a performance boost in your specs. Polarization works by helping block reflected light off flat surfaces, which can keep your eyes protected and offer enhanced visual clarity. But should you be looking solely at polarized lenses for your running sunglasses? Well, that depends on your typical running environment.

Because of the lower light conditions — and the need to make split-second directional changes — trail runners might want to steer clear of polarized lenses. Polarization can sometimes lead to altered depth perception, which can cause eye strain or lead to missteps along your path. Instead, look to wear your polarized shades in sun-filled running environments or where you’ll most likely encounter glare, like off car windows or bodies of water.

Another common question you may be asking is, “Which lens color do I need?” Again, this comes down to which running environment you frequent most. If you’re running mostly in low-light or overcast conditions, yellow or orange lenses can provide enough contrast to help you see your way. For sunnier jogs, rose, red, amber and brown lenses are good choices to consider.

Above all else, ensure your running sunglasses provide plenty of UV protection. Shades rated UV400 should be a good benchmark when searching for your first pair.

Buying the perfect pair of running sunglasses can be an exhausting and time-consuming affair. Unlike everyday sunglasses, running sunglasses need to fit snugly enough on your head that they won’t move or bounce with your every footstep. To help ease your stress we tested over 20 sunglasses across a plethora of leading brands to find the best in each category. Testing was done on the roads and trails around both Pittsburgh, PA and Philadelphia, PA, with conditions ranging from bright, sunny days to cloudy, sunless evenings. We evaluated each pair of sunglasses on comfort, stability, coverage, and lens quality and to crown the best-performing pair in each of the below categories. Now, as the future looks bright, let’s hop into this run-ready roundup.

When running, we often favor a lens that covers our entire field of view, making a wrap-style ideal. Of all the sunglasses we tested, the Roka SR-1X outperformed in every category. We found the rimless frame to be the lightest and most comfortable of the bunch. The arms are made with a titanium core wrapped in rubber, which easily allowed us to fine-tune the pressure felt on the temples. The easily interchangeable, wrap-style lenses provided excellent, full-field-of-view coverage without being obnoxiously oversized, too.

Perhaps the best perk to the SL-1Xs is the amount of customization available. You can personalize every little detail, even down to the nose guard and fit. Roka offers these sunnies in regular or short arm length, 19 different arm and nose guard colors and 14 different lens tints to suit any light condition.

We’ll admit, the sporty style doesn’t exactly carry over for everyday use, but the functionality and ease of having multiple lens options make up for it.

The attention to detail and design of the District Vision Junya Racer is nothing short of brilliant, which is what we expected from such a premium pair of sunglasses. It starts with super thin, adjustable titanium core arms that apply just enough pressure to stay put without feeling too tight. Like the arms, the fit of the hypoallergenic nose pad can be adjusted for a premium feel. What stood out to us, however, was how the countered lens offered similar coverage compared to oversized wrap-style sunglasses, but at a fraction of the size. In fact, these were one of the smallest sunglasses we tested.

The lenses are treated with water and oil repellent, too, but don’t think these shades are completely free of marks. As we experienced with other treated lenses, this feature doesn’t prevent spots from forming on the lenses — the spots weren’t visible when looking through the lenses, though.

The one downside to the Junya Racers is that the lenses are not interchangeable. We tested both the black and yellow lenses, and it would have been nice to swap between them, depending on the light conditions. Both offer superior protection and clarity for the intended environment, but we found the black tint to be a little dark for the highly variable light when trail running. The yellow tint was phenomenal in dark and shady environments, but not enough protection in bright light for our liking.

If you’re of the mindset that sunglasses should be as disposable as toilet paper, Goodr sunglasses are for you. Priced accordingly, Goodr has the budget-running sunglass market cornered. Show up at any social run club, and odds are you’ll spot half a dozen Goodr sunglasses. There’s much more to Goodr than their affordability, though. They advertise a no-slip, no-bounce fit, and we can confirm they stay put. They’re light, durable and just flat out work.

Goodr OGs pack an incredible amount of tech into such an inexpensive pair of sunglasses. All lens options are polarized with a scratch-resistant and shatterproof layer while also offering up UV400 protection.

Editor’s Note: For those rocking a wider cranium, we recommend stepping up to the BFGs.

If you want your running sunnies to pull double duty as a performance booster and a fashion statement, then boutique running brand Ciele Athletics has just the pair of stylish, running-focused sunglasses for you. Ciele teamed up with Article One, a high-end, fashion-forward optical brand that only uses handmade Italian frames to create these aesthetic, run-ready shades.

Styled somewhat like Aviator sunglasses, these sunglasses are a thing of beauty, perfectly suitable for the busy streets of New York City or the glamorous, palm-lined Rodeo Drive. Made with a durable TR90 polymer plastic handmade in Italy, Ciele GTGlass had an exceptionally good, bounce-free hold. We found the CR-39 polarized lenses — that block 100% of UVA/UVB rays — provided more than adequate glare-free sun protection, but they were also a little dark in cloudy and low-sun conditions. The one big gripe, price aside, was that comfort can begin to fade on really long runs. While undoubtedly well-made, the thicker frame and lenses started to sit heavy on the nose and ears once mileage began to rack up.

Step confidently into your next run with these top picks built for comfort, speed and everything in-between.

Looking to add a splash of creativity to your run? These Fast Lane Sport sunnies from Knockaround are right up your alley. Boasting embedded rubber nose pads for supreme grip, polarized lenses and UV400 protection, these shades are, in Knockaround’s terms, “really good looking and made to take a beating.” We’ve owned multiple pair of Knockarounds in the past and admire the Fast Lanes’ style and affordability. Seriously, there are plenty of available frame color and lens options, making these an easy candidate for those that want multiple pair for multiple looks.

While not technically running-specific sunglasses, the Kaenon Avalon was the clear winner with our narrow-faced tester. Sporting the classic Wayfarer style, these lifestyle sunglasses were light enough to provide a comfortable, secure fit while running. The brown ​​polarized lenses we tested offered adequate sun protection without distorting objects. However, they weren’t the best at warding off fingerprints. Still, if you struggle to find a pair of narrow sunglasses that stay put when running, these stood out against all competitors, while still being stylish enough to warrant everyday wear.

We’re not going to lie, we freaking love big, bold, obnoxiously oversized sunglasses. Not only do they attract the kind of all-eyes-on-me attention reserved for professional athletes, but they’re also highly functional. The extra-large interchangeable lenses provide full point-of-view coverage, including the most extreme peripheral angles normal-sized sunglasses miss. Of all the shield sunglasses tested, the POC Elicit were the ones we reached for more often than not.

For such a large pair of sunglasses, the POC Elicit pretty much goes unnoticed thanks to a frameless design that weighs in at only 23g grams, tied for the lightest sunglasses on this list. Along with two interchangeable rubber nose pieces, these sunglasses stayed put, even when charging full speed down technical trails.

The clarity of the Violet Gold Mirror lenses — with POC Clarity technology — was phenomenal. Everything seemed to pop out instead of washing away, which was the case with some of the darker lenses sampled. As a much-needed bonus, especially for hot, sweaty, summertime running, the lens is treated to protect from dirt, water, sweat, salt, oil and dust. While we found it didn’t prevent sweat spots from forming, they surprisingly did not obstruct our view. It’s understandable if you’re still a little apprehensive about the size, but know this — once you get used to oversized lenses, there’s no going back.

There’s nothing more annoying than starting off on your trail run in bright sunny conditions wearing your best sunny day sunglasses, only to later encounter variable to low light conditions. Instead of buying multiple pairs of sunglasses with different lens tints for each environment— and inevitably toting these sunnies around in your pack — the Julbo Rush with photochromic REACTIV Lens technology automatically changes tint based on light conditions, so you can see clearly no matter what you encounter on the trail.

Outside of the lenses, everything about these glasses is optimized for trail running. The slightly oversized frame provides maximum peripheral coverage to assure that your view isn't obstructed as you quickly scan the ground for hazards. While we’d prefer the clear lens be included in the original purchase, these shades are ready to have you see trail running in a new light — er, changing light.

Prescription sunglasses are not a cheap ticket item, making a dedicated pair of prescription sunglasses solely for running a pricey, prohibitive endeavor for many. The ROKA Kona solves this problem by providing running sunglasses with comfortable, bounce-free performance in a stylish silhouette suitable for everyday use.

Ordering online is easy and fast. Just upload your prescription during checkout, and two to three weeks later, you’ll have a custom pair of prescription sunglasses. The nylon frame is remarkably lightweight at just24 grams, and is downright durable, too. Despite favoring larger faces, the patented fit technology with a proprietary elastomer for nose and temple pads comfortably anchors the glasses firmly on your face without that annoying, pinching feel. Even on fast and bumpy trail runs, the Kona stayed put. Our one complaint, however, is that despite being advertised as sweat-resistant, the lenses were prone to developing sweat marks. Outside of that, these quickly became our everyday sunglasses after a few runs.