We've tried and tested a variety of sunglasses and found that these are the best for hiking, trail running and any other outdoor sport you can throw their way. Here's what our gear experts had to say.
Even in cloudy conditions, your eyes are exposed to potentially damaging UV rays on a frequent basis, so wearing a decent pair of sunglasses when trail running or hiking in mountainous terrains is vitally important.
Crunching down on the numbers brings this point home. For every 1,000 metres climbed, the exposure to the sun’s damaging radiation increases by 10%. Even worse, if you’re out running or walking in wintery conditions, then expect snowy (white) surfaces to reflect around 80 – 90% of solar radiation back to your eyes.
Cirrus clouds (those high altitude ones) and fog also do very little in blocking the sun’s rays, with 50% of sunlight still able to pass through. If you find yourself up in the top portion of the fog, the light can sometimes even intensify the UV rays due to diffraction.
Outdoorsman Ryan found the Radar EVs offered great clarity in a range of light conditions. Photo: Jordan Tiernan
This is where sunglasses come in. Featuring a lens that’s able to block out the harmful rays beating down from the skies above, sunglasses provide some much-needed protection when travelling around in mountainous terrain.
Not only that, reactive sunglasses sporting automatically adapting lenses do a stellar job in enhancing your vision when the clouds come in and the contrast drops – particularly useful in those ever changing autumn/winter conditions.
The Best Sunglasses for Hiking and Trail Running
Tested and reviewed by our OM gear testers – here’s our selection of the best hiking and trail running sunglasses to look out for this year. If you’re looking for more running gear, we’ve compiled a similar guide to the best trail running shoes. Alternatively, here’s a round-up of the best walking shoes if hiking is more your thing.
Oakley Radar EV Path – Best Sunglasses Overall
SunGod FORTY2s – Our runner-up
CimAlp Vision One Sport – Best Sunglasses for Trail Running
Vallon Heron Mountain – Best Sunglasses for Hiking
Oakley Leffingwell
Julbo Montebianco 2
Smith Reverb
SunGod Vulcans
Decathlon Kalenji
Julbo Monterosa 2
Oakley Radar EV Path Sunglasses
Best Sunglasses Overall: The Oakley Radars get our pick as the best in test. The versatility, sturdiness and quality sealed the deal for our testers.
The Oaklet Radar EV sunglasses being tested in the Lake District. Photo: Jordan Tiernan
Price: £231 Weight: 29g Category: 3
Featuring Oakley’s renowned Prizm lens, the Oakley Radar EV are a pair of versatile sunglasses that’ll see you right no matter your activity. They’re made from Oakley’s lightweight O’Matter frame material, which is a nylon material that claims to be 25% lighter and two times stronger than normal materials.
Our gear tester Ryan said, “I’ve used the Radar Path EV’s for hill walking, running, bike riding and climbing and they’ve performed well in all situations. When I’ve been working hard and built up a sweat they’ve stayed perfectly in place. The design of the arms also integrates well with my cycling and climbing helmets.”
“The level of comfort that’s provided by the wrap-around design surpasses any of the shades I’ve worn in the past. To add to that they only weigh 29g – light enough for me to forget that I’m wearing them after half an hour of activity.”
While they don’t feature reactive lens technology, the Oakley Radar EV have a trick up their sleeve in their own Prizm lens technology. Prizm tech is said to elevate contrast and colour so that you can see more clearly and in greater detail – something you’re going to appreciate if you find yourself on a cloudy summit.
Pros: versatile, tough, lightweight Cons: very occasional fogging
Our runner-up sunglasses: The SunGod FORTY2s are our second best pick, according to our tests.
OM tester Jazz is pictured here out on some trails wearing the SunGod FORTY2S. Photo: Cinthia Lilen.
Price: £110 Weight: 28g Category: 3
Released in May of this year, the FORTY2s from SunGod are some impressive sunglasses. You might have seen them if you participated in or watched the most recent London Marathon actually – they were worn by quite a few of the professional runners there, including the fastest British runner Mahamed Mahamed.
While these are running-focused glasses – during our tests we’ve found them to be a great option for hiking and cycling too. Our tester Jazz said, “I’ve used these on a number of cycle rides and fast hikes – most recently on an ascent up Benbulbin in Ireland – and the clarity is truly excellent. On cloudless days, I think the FORTY2s really come into their own – everything appears true to life with an ever so slight contrast that makes the scene really pop. If it’s super overcast and grey, it’s a little dark for me, but I personally wouldn’t reach for sunglasses on those kind of days anyway.”
“I was particularly impressed with the nose grip too. It stayed put at all times, even when my face got sweaty. This will be thanks to the hydrophilic TPU that grips the more you sweat. Coupled with the ergonomically designed ear pads, it’s got a very intuitive feel. You barely remember you’re wearing sunglasses.”
OM tester Jazz using the SunGod Forty2s at the summit of Benbulbin in County Sligo, Ireland.
The FORTY2s come with three different nose grip sizes that you can easily swap in and out. Another big plus is that the frame material is 100% recycled giving it a 7x lower carbon impact than virgin plastic. Two thumbs up for SunGod on that one.
Pros: dynamic build, impressive lens, recycled materials Cons: a bit dark on cloudy days
Best Sunglasses for Trail Running: Our pick for those looking to hit the trails at speed.
OM editor Will testing the CimAlp Vision One Sport sunglasses.
Price: from £70 Weight: 26g Category: 3
CimAlp primarily recommended using these sunglasses for trail running and mountain biking, though we can see them working well for long distance hiking in summer too.
Since these are frameless glasses, the materials used only consist of the branches (the bits that sit on your ears), the nose bridge, and the lens itself. The latter is made from an ‘unbreakable’ 48mm polycarbonate screen with options including a mirror screen, a revo red screen or a revo blue screen. All of these screens are category 3, meaning they’ll protect you from the sun’s glare, and are 100% anti-UV (level 400). There’s an optical insert option available too.
The coolest feature about the Vision Ones, however, is probably the fact that they’re entirely customisable. Including the shape, the frame, the lens, the ends, and the nose bridge – there’s supposedly 9000 possible combinations to choose from.
Our gear tester Grant said, “They were really light and sat comfortably on my face for several hours and left no marks when I’d finally taken them off…I’d be happy to have these on me for summer wanders in Snowdonia.”
Best Sunglasses for Hiking: These came out as our favourite sunglasses for walking and hiking.
Photo: Vallon
Price: £83 Weight: 25g Category: 3
Featuring a vintage mountaineering look, the Hero Mountain Sunglasses from Swiss-brand Vallon are pretty damn cool. Equipped with category 3 lenses and 100% UV protection (UV400), they’re built with everyday hiking in mind. (The Vallon Hero Glaciers would be a better option if you need something a little more technical with a category 4 rating.)
The protective side shields are a great touch and are made from 100% leather. The centrepiece is also made from leather and can be removed depending on weather conditions. The frame itself is made from a tough TR90 polyamide and is super bendy and adjustable. You can literally mould the temple ends to your face shape.
Pros: retro style, good quality materials, adjustable temples Cons: no nose grip
With a look that’s inspired by vintage surfboards and surfing culture, the Oakley Leffingwell Sunglasses went down well with our gear tester James Forrest.
Price: £145 Weight: TBC Category: 3
The headline here is the BiO-matter plant-based frame material. It’s made from a resin derived from castor beans, which have long been cultivated in countries such as India (with over three-quarters of the global yield), China and Mozambique, as well as Ethiopia. Castor bean plants grow well in such warm climates and are not a food crop, making them a good renewable resource.
The Oakley Leffingwell sunglasses feature lightweight but robust frames with quality lenses. Oakley Plutonite offers full UVA/UVB 400 protection. Its impact and scratch resistance are similar to those of standard polycarbonate, but the clarity is far superior, rivalling that of the clearest optical glass available.
Our tester said, “It’s great to see a major player like Oakley turning to more sustainable solutions for their products. After all, this is an international mega-brand with global distribution – they sell millions of pairs of sunglasses every year, and that’s why BiO-matter will make a big positive difference to the planet.”
Becky Angell using the sunglasses during our Test Team event in the Lake District. Photo: Neil Irwin
Price: £125 Weight: 28g Category: 2 to 4
To go alongside a new and updated design, the Montebianco 2 sunglasses feature Julbo’s tried and tested Reactiv lens technology. This is the glass that, depending on the light conditions, adapts the visible light transmission (that’s the amount of light it exposes to your eyes). In this instance, the Reactiv lens technology can adapt from category 2 – 4, depending on the light conditions. This equates to a visible light transmission (VLT) of 9% – 20%.
Elsewhere you’ll find curved temples with an ergonomic profile that provides a comfortable yet secure fit, as well as a flexible, shock absorbing nose grip that works to keep the sunglasses well and truly seated on your face.
Gear tester James Forrest said, “Putting these sunglasses on during the Outdoor 100 testing weekend in Grasmere was a bit of a ‘wow’ moment for me… The effect was impressive and, to be honest, I’d never worn sunglasses like them before. The wraparound style was comfy and contemporary, and the all-round look hit the spot.”
For those with small to medium face shapes, yet still looking to keep a wide field of view, the Smith Reverb sunglasses are going to be for you. Featuring a single ChromaPop lens that curves around the face, the Smith Reverb comes in at a lightweight 27g.
The Outdoors Magic team loved the secure fit of the Reverbs – even when running at pace or crossing technical scrambles. The adjustable non slip nose and temple pads were also impressive, helping to keep the sunglasses firmly planted on the face. While the Reverbs don’t carry a reactive lens, lens swapping is made easy through Smith’s ‘PivLock’ system.
Pros: secure fit, great for running Cons: not the toughest on this list
Buy The Smith Reverb Sunglasses: £55 at Amazon.co.uk
SunGod Vulcans Sunglasses
Gear tester Jordan was a big fan of the SunGod Vulcan sunglasses.
Price: £160 Weight: 34g Category: 3
SunGod are a twelve-year-old company that have been going from strength to strength in recent years, with their fully customisable designs bringing something a little different to the sunglasses market.
These, the Vulcans are the brand’s newest running and cycling specific sunglasses, but we see no reason why these also can’t be used while hiking, skiing or just walking about town, as long as you’re a fan of the large wraparound design.
The Vulcans feature SunGod’s Iris photochromic lens that’s able to adjust to fast-changing light conditions. They also have four different sized nose pads that can be swapped in to dial in the fit.
Pros: epic lens, very grippy nose pad Cons: the look is a bit too sporty for some
The Kalenji sunglasses from Decathlon are a great option if you’re on a budget.
Price: £30 Weight: 30g Category: 1 to 3
Those of you not looking to pay upwards of £100 on a pair of sunglasses should check out the Kalenji running sunglasses from the sports retailer Decathlon. Yes, they may not feature the same fancy lens technology and locked in fit of many of the sunglasses featured above, but these sunglasses simply do a great job – especially when you consider they cost as much as a meal for two at your local Indian restaurant.
The Kalenji sunglasses feature a category 1 to 3 photochromic lens that adjusts the amount of light it lets through (from 15% and 55%), based on the light conditions. Although they don’t feature a single lens, the Kalenji sunglasses utilise a wrap around design which provides a wide field of view, resulting in fantastic peripheral vision.
Pros: cheap and cheerful, good lens Cons: not very adjustable
Gear tester Jazz is pictured here with the Julbo Monterosa 2 sunglasses on the Usk Valley walking route.
Price: £100 Weight: 26g Category: 3
The Monterosa 2 sunglasses are described by Julbo as “the perfect ally for admiring stunning landscapes”, and during our tests, the landscapes did look pretty darn good. They feature Julbo’s own SPECTRON 3CF polycarbonate lenses which are ideal for both everyday walking and more mountaineous adventures.
Gear tester Jazz said, “I’ve been testing these sunglasses on some UK adventures over the past few months, most recently along the Usk Valley Walk. I found that the clarity was really good, even when in direct sunlight. I liked the side shields especially, and appreciated that you can remove them on more casual days.”
“I found them useful for trail walking and cycling in particular, though I’d probably opt for something a little more breathable for super high exertion activities like trail running, for example. They felt pretty tough too and, though I’m yet to drop them or accidentally sit on them (it happens more than you think), it feels as though they’d hold up well.”
The Monterosa 2 sunglasses come in a women’s specific fit that suit small to medium head sizes. You’ll also find a handy shock-absorbing nose grip, comfy curved temples, and an impressive VLT rating of 12%.
Pros: great lens, effective side shields, tough design Cons: tends to steam up during high-aerobic actives
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