The Best Sunglasses for Men of All Face Shapes: A 2023 Style Guide
Are you curious what are the best sunglasses for your face shape?
Here’s a secret: The best sunglasses for men look good on any face — whether it’s round, square or any other shape.
Here’s another secret: You can wear almost any style of sunglasses, if you just get the proportions right.
With that said, we’ll also cover how to determine your face shape and which sunglasses are generally conidered the most flattering for:
Don’t feel restricted to these though. Treat these as guidelines and feel free to wear any style of sunnies you like.
We’ll give you a list of all the best aviators, wayfarers, clubmasters and other styles on the market. And to top it off, we’ll also help you find a pair of sports sunglasses, polarised sunglasses or prescription sunglasses.
So sit tight. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover.
Note: This article may contain affiliate links. That means if you click a link and purchase something, I earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.
What Are the Best Sunglasses for Men?
You can find a ton of different types of men’s sunglasses, but only a few styles will look good on almost every man.
The best men’s sunglasses that will look great on anyone are:
What sets these styles apart is that all of them are neither round nor perfectly square. The most universally flattering sunglasses will sit somewhere in between.
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Does Face Shape Really Matter When Purchasing Sunglasses?
The truth is that this whole phenomenon about pairing eyewear with your face shape is quite overblown. As with everything related to personal style, these are guidelines rather than rules.
You should feel more than free to break them and do your own thing.
It’s not that men with certain face shapes should never wear certain types of sunglasses or risk being punished with endless ridicule. It’s more that certain styles of sunnies will arguably look more flattering on you than others.
And with everyone so focused on face shapes, they’re paying less attention to a factor that matters a lot more: Size.
Why Size Matters (When it Comes to Sunglasses)
There isn’t a single style of sunglasses that looks absolutely unflattering on you. However, you can purchase a pair of sunglasses that looks unflattering if the size is off.
If your eyewear is too large or too small for your face, that’s when you’ve gone astray.
So what size of sunglasses should you get?
You know you’ve picked a perfect pair when:
- The combined lens width of the sunglasses are around the same width as your forehead. The hinges should be near to your temples when you look in the mirror.
- The sunglasses should reach from your eyebrow to a little more than halfway down your nose (between 60-70%). The ideal spot is 62% down your nose, which bring you closest to the golden ratio. You shouldn’t obsess over this, but it gives you an idea about what to aim for.
You don’t have to tape measure your big head whenever you shop for stylish sunglasses. You should be able to ballpark it just by looking in the mirror.
How to Find Your Face Shape (If You Really Must Know)
With all that said, I know some of you will still want to know what people consider to be the best men’s sunglasses for your face shape. To do that, you’ll first need to determine which face shape you have.
(And to be honest, this is another reason I don’t much like this system, because people often tend to misidentify what their face shape actually is.)
To identify your face shape, you must check:
- The part of your face that is widest: Forehead, cheekbones or jaw
- The shape of your jaw and chin
- The length of your face
If you have trouble eye-balling this, you can use a tape measure. Just look in the mirror collect the measurements of:
- Your forehead width between your eyebrow and hairline.
- Your cheekbone width from the farthest edges of your cheekbones.
- Your jawline width from the spots below the ear where the jaw angles.
- Your face length from hairline to chin.
Now you should have enough information to determine your face shape.
Use this Guide to Determine Your Face Shape:
- Round face: The width of your forehead and jaw are roughly the same, and the widest part of your face are the cheekbones. Your face width and length are also roughly the same. Your jaw and chin are rounded.
- Square face: The width of your forehead, cheekbones and jaw are roughly the same. Your face width and length are also roughly the same. Your jaw and chin have more sharp angles (i.e. a square jaw).
- Oval face: Your forehead is widest and the width of your face gradually tapers down towards your chin. Face length is greater than the width and your jaw and chin are rounded.
- Diamond face: Your cheekbones are significantly wider than your forehead and jaw. Your chin is pointed.
- Heart face: Your forehead is widest and tapers down to your jaw. Your chin is pointed.
- Oblong face: The width of your forehead, cheekbones and jaw are roughly the same, but the length of your face is much greater than the width.
Not sure where you belong? Chances are you have features for two different face shapes. Human faces are varied. Don’t worry too much about it and use the one you feel resembles your face shape closest as a guideline.
Best Men’s Sunglasses for Round Face Shape
The conventional wisdom is that people with round faces should wear square sunglasses and sharp edges to contrast the roundness of their face. However, while this contrast looks good, you shouldn’t take this as gospel. Sunglasses with rounded corners look fine on rounded faces as well. If you want to play it safe, just avoid sunglasses with circular lenses.
The best sunglasses styles for round faces are:
- Aviators (square)
- Wayfarers
- Square sunglasses
- Clubmaster sunglasses (square)
- D-Frame sunglasses
Best Men’s Sunglasses for Square Face Shape
The conventional wisdom for square face shapes is that you should wear round frames to offset the sharp edges of your face. But honestly, the edges of your face aren’t that sharp. It’s not like your face is perfectly geometric, so don’t take this as gospel either.
If you want to play it safe, just make sure your sunglasses have rounded corners, but you don’t have to avoid square sunglasses altogether.
The best sunglasses styles for square faces are:
- Aviators (Rounded)
- Wayfarers
- Round Sunglasses
- Clubmaster sunglasses (Rounded)
Best Men’s Sunglasses for Oval Face Shape
Men with oval faces can wear any style of sunglasses they want. You only have to ensure you’re getting the right size for your face. So make sure they are about as wide as your face is, and reach from the eyebrows to about 60-65% down your nose.
The best sunglasses styles for oval faces are:
Best Men’s Sunglasses for Diamond Face Shape
Men with diamond face shapes can also wear most styles of sunglasses. You want to be extra careful not to get sunglasses that are wider than your face, as it will look especially disproportionate. If you want to play it safe, avoid overly angular frames.
The best sunglasses styles for diamond faces are:
Best Men’s Sunglasses for Heart Face Shape
The perfect pair of sunglasses for men with a heart face shape will have around the same width as the cheekbone, so they fall right between the smaller jaw and larger forehead.
The best sunglasses styles for heart faces are:
Best Men’s Sunglasses for Oblong Face Shape
Men with an oblong face shape look best in larger sunglasses that offset the length of their face. Think: Over-sized aviators or wayfarers. Just don’t exceed the width of your face.
You should be extra careful not to wear sunglasses that are too small or narrow, as this will create a poorly proportioned visage, like a beady-eyed cartoon villain. You might also avoid teardrop styles.Because you likely have a larger nose, so finding the right size will be more difficult for you, but be patient and keep an eye out for oversized sunglasses.
The best sunglasses styles for oblong faces are:
The Best Types of Sunglasses for Men
Best Aviator Sunglasses
The aviator is among the most famous styles of sunglasses on the market, and you can’t step onto the street in summer without encountering dozens of people wearing them. These enduring shades will not go out of style because they look good on everybody. You can’t go wrong with these.
Originally worn by combat pilots, they are some of the coolest sunglasses you can get your hands on. They are categorized by their dark lenses and a thin metal frame with cable temples that hook behind your ears. They come in square and teardrop varieties, so you have your pick.
Ray-Ban Aviator Classic
Randolph Engineering Aviators 23K White Gold
Randolph Engineering Aviators 23K Gold
Ray-Ban Caravan Aviators
Tom Ford FT0692 Sunglasses
Best Wayfarers
The classic Wayfarer is the other most famous sunglasses style that you’ll see all around you on the street. And for good reason, because anyone can pull these off.
You’ll recognize these popular shades by their trapezoid frames and sturdy arms that give the wearer a masculine look with a hint of danger.
Their design was inspired by classic Cadillacs. If that doesn’t ooze cool, what does?
Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer Classic
Oakley Holbrook
Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer Tortoise
Cubitts Ampton
Best Browline/ Clubmaster Sunglasses
If you’re looking for a retro style of sunglasses, look no further than Clubmasters. They’re also known as Browline sunglasses, because they feature a bold upper rim that accentuates the natural browline.
Whether you’re going for a modern hipster or a classic dressed-up style, you can find a style of Clubmasters that fits your personality. They’ll also look more distinct than the more common sunglasses.
Persol Cellor Sunglasses
Banana Republic Glen Sunglasses
Ray-Ban Clubmaster Metal
Best Round Sunglasses
Round sunglasses are a good option for men who are going for a more unique look. These circular shades aren’t for everyone, but can set you apart from the crowd if you wear them well.
With round sunglasses, you’ll be most at risk of creating the beady-eyes look if you get them too small. But when worn right, they give you a sort of retro-futuristic look that you don’t see very often. If you’re the kind of guy who marches to their own beat, you might consider a pair of these.
Ray-Ban Round Metal Sunglasses
Warby Parker Haskell
Persol Brown Frame Round Sunglasses
Oliver Peoples Gregory Peck Folding Sunglasses
Best Square Sunglasses
Despite their name, square sunglasses don’t have to be in perfect square frames. Rectangular and trapezoid sunglasses fall into this category as well, and the corners can still be rounded. It’s also not as much a style as a lens shape. Each of the aforementioned styles (except round) can fall into this category as well.
Ray-Ban Clubmaster Square
Oliver Peoples Ollis Sun
Maui Jim Square Aviators (Polarized Lens)
Ray-Ban Square Gradient Aviators
Gucci Square Sunglasses
Best D-Frame Sunglasses
You can identify D-frame sunglasses by their frames which, as the name suggests, are shaped like a D if you hold them at a 90 degree angle. They usually come in square frames, but especially the bottom of the lens can be more rounded.
Wayfarers are a type of D-frame sunglasses, but you can find them in many more styles.
Look Optic Laurel Sun
Burberry Rectangular D-Frame Sunglasses
Persol 714 Steve McQueen Sunglasses
Garrett Leight Broadway D-Frame Sunglasses
Best Mirrored Sunglasses
Mirrored sunglasses reflect the world around you, which creates a cool effect. These are the best option for anyone who wants their shades to hide their eyes.
On the more practical side, they also do a bang-up job at protecting your eyes from harmful uv rays.
Randolph Engineering Concorde
Oliver Peoples Mandeville Mirrored Sunglasses
Levi’s Mirrored Square Sunglasses
Best Polarized Sunglasses
Polarized sunglasses use a special type of lens that filters glare bouncing from objects or water. These are perfect for people who are light sensitive, but are useful to anyone bothered by glare hitting their eyes (or anyone who just wants even more UV protection).
These polarized lenses are especially popular for people who are frequently outdoors or near the water. (And as you can see below, Maui Jim is making a big splash in the polarised lens market.)
Maui Jim Cheeta Polarized Sunglasses
Maui Jim Kawika Classic Polarized Sunglasses
Randolph Engineering Polarized Aviator II
Tom Ford FT0144 Marko
Best Sports Sunglasses
Sports sunglasses have specific features that make them well-suited for outdoor activities, such as running, cycling or climbing.
The main purpose of sports sunglasses is to block the sun’s harmful UV rays so you don’t have to squint so much — which means you see more clearly and feel more comfortable, both of which will enhance performance . All sports sunglasses should be made with lenses that are 100% UVA and UVB protective, as well as polarized to reduce glare. You m,ay also look for anti-fog technology to make sure the lenses don’t fog up during exercise.
The second purpose is to protect your eyes from sand, debris and other material that could get in your eyes during sports. For this, your sports sunglasses should have lenses that are shatter-resistant and scratch-resistant.
Oakley Flak 2.0 XL
Julbo Aero with Reactiv 0-3 Photochromic Lenses
Rudy Project Propulse (with AntiFog Lenses)
Where to Buy Prescription Sunglasses
If you need prescription sunglasses with single vison lenses or multifocal lenses. Below, you’ll find a list of online stores that either sell designer sunglasses with prescription lenses or have their own collections of prescription sunglasses.
- Roka (Own Collection)
- Glasses USA (Designer)
- Frames Direct (Designer)
- Eye Buy Direct (Budget option)
Which Are the Perfect Pair of Sunglasses for You?
With so many options, you can find a pair of sunglasses out there that will make you look cool and protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful uv rays. Whether you plan to lounge on the beach, ejoy some outdoor acivities, or just hit the city on a sunny day, this list will have the perfect pair for you.
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