Our guide to the best sunglasses for sailing will help you decide which sunglasses are right for you as you get on the water this summer.
Sailing sunglasses are more than a fashion accessory; they're an essential item in any sailor's kitbag. Whether you're crossing oceans, racing dinghies or cruising the coastline, the SunGod sailing collection has the right sunglasses for you.
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What are the key features to look for in a pair of sailing sunglasses?
The best sunglasses for sailing feature carefully curated design elements which enhance your sailing experience. That means you can focus on what matters in the moment; from spotting a gust on the water, to keeping an eye on your navigation tools.
America's Cup team INEOS Britannia have chosen SunGod as their eyewear supplier for their 2024 campaign. In their words:
"Being able to see the movement of water is key to understanding the wind, critical to the best possible performance on the water, and having the best lenses is crucial to success."
At SunGod, we design our sailing sunglasses to keep up with you, whatever the conditions. Discover our sailing sunglasses features:
Premium lenses for optical clarity: Our signature 8KO®Water lens technology is made from 2mm nylon, which is a transparent polyamide that's lighter, clearer and tougher than industry-standard polycarbonate. It features enhanced salt-water protection, a flat mirror lens for improved gust visibility, enhanced lens glare reduction, and of course, a hydrophobic lens coating to repel water.
100% UV protection: All SunGods offer 100% UV protection, so provide vital protection against harmful solar rays, which can contribute to eye cancer and blindness - even on overcast days. SunGods also offer impact resistance and shatter-proof lenses. When looking for the best sailing sunglasses, make sure you choose sunglasses that meet required safety standards in your country, and offer 100% UV protection.
Hydrophobic lenses to ensure clear vision: Hydrophobic lenses make all the difference when faced with waves and spray. All SunGod lenses have a hydrophobic coating, which means the lens repels water, keeping your vision crystal clear.
Built to last, with a Lifetime Guarantee: Knocks and scrapes are inevitable onboard, whether you're cruising the Med on a yacht, or racing inshore on a SailGP catamaran! The best sailing sunglasses are built from ultra-durable materials, and backed by a Lifetime Guarantee. That's the case for all SunGods, which have triple-layer scratch-resistant lens coatings, ultra-flexible frames, and Pop-Lock™ screwless hinges to avoid salt-water damage. Plus, they're covered by our unrivalled Lifetime Guarantee, which means if your SunGods break - or you break them - we'll repair them free of charge.
Our Bestselling Sailing Sunglasses
Our bestselling sailing sunglasses are the INEOS Britannia Tempests™ in the Lifestyle Series, which have been created with America's Cup Challenger of Record, INEOS Britannia sailing team. Led by the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, Sir Ben Ainslie, this world-leading sailing team has created their own, Limited Edition models of the Tempests™.
Click below to support INEOS Britannia:
€140
Limited Edition INEOS Britannia
Best for: Changing Light Conditions
All SunGods offer interchangeable lenses, so you can mix up your lens to match changing light conditions. But if you want to level up your sailing performance and avoid changing lenses on the move, you'll want to choose our Iris™ photochromic lenses.
These photochromic lenses lighten or darken in response to changing UV levels, meaning no matter how the light changes, you maintain perfect vision.
We offer two photochromic lenses: Iris™ Smoke and Iris™ HV Blue, exclusive to our Pace Series™. Shop photochromic lenses.
Best for: Using Digital Navigation Tools
Digital navigation tools are often key to high-performance sailing, and polarised sunglasses can interfere with some digital screens.
So, we offer non-polarised lens options in all our sunglasses models. Rest assured all our non-polarised sunglasses still 100% UV protection, to keep your eyes safe from damaging UV rays on the water, but are optimised to work better alongside digital screens.
Best for: Durability
Knocks and bumps are part of everyday life onboard a boat, so a product that looks after itself is key. SunGods are designed to be ultra-durable, featuring triple-layer scratch-resistant lenses, certified impact-resistant and ultra-flexible TR90 frames, and Pop-Lock™ Screwless hinges.
These features mean SunGod products are strengthened with durable design features, to ensure long-lasting, uncompromised performance. Plus, all our products are backed by our Lifetime Guarantee, as standard.
Best for: Customisation
SunGods are fully custom - as standard. This allows sailors to pick a frame style, lens technology and colourway that suits the sailor and the conditions, from thousands of potential combinations! Frame setups and lenses are all interchangeable, to offer total flexibility on the water. The full SunGod collection offers Lifestyle Series™ sunglasses for cruising, Pace Series™ performance sunglasses for racing, and Snow Series™ goggles for the most intense days, allowing sailors to pick the SunGod collection that to meets their needs.
Best for: Salt Water Exposure
Salt exposure is an inevitable part of sailing, and you need a pair of sailing sunglasses that can withstand what the ocean throws at them. Our signature 8KO®Water lens technology offers enhanced salt-water protection, for the best performance in ocean environments. However, all SunGods should be rinsed regularly after walt-water exposure to help extend their lifespan!
Best for: Reducing Glare
If you're frustrated by the sun reflecting off the water, you need polarised sunglasses. Polarised lenses contain an additional micro-filter which:
reduces glare and eye fatigue
enhances colour contrasts and perception
makes colours appear bolder and brighter
makes your eyes more relaxed
Our Sierras™, Renegades™, Tempests™, Classics³ and Zephyrs™ are all available with polarised lenses. Shop polarised sunglasses now.
Best for: Windy Days
When the wind picks up and the swell is pumping, you need your sailing sunglasses to offer complete security and coverage. Our Pace Series™ performance sunglasses are the ideal option for maximum coverage and security on the gustiest days.
Our Full Frame Vulcans™ or Velans™ are our best sailing sunglasses for windy days, complete with wraparound coverage and Grip-Lock™ nose pads and earsocks; so you can maintain perfect vision, no matter what the ocean sends your way. If you're after high performance with a more casual look, the Tempests™ offer the same Grip-Lock features in a more relaxed style.
See Better with SunGod.
At SunGod, we create performance eyewear, driven by our mission to See Better: through our lenses, through our actions, and through doing business better.
From sailing sunglasses, to road cycling sunglasses to sunglasses for everyday, we create carbon-neutral, B Corp-certified eyewear that's designed to enhance your performance and comfort, whatever your sport.
Explore our sunglasses for sailing today.
