Snowboarding News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Five Pairs Of Sunglasses You Can Wear At the Trailhead and Year-Round

Originally posted on SNOWBOARDER | By Josh Sullivan | Last updated Jul 8, 2025 5:34 PM ET

You probably won't need your goggles until at least Thanksgiving, and that's OK.

A good pair of sunglasses doesn't stop being useful at the end of a day at the mountain, and they should last you all year. Here's are five of my favorite choices for any outdoor activity, whether that's chilling at the pool, or summiting one of New Hampshire's 4,000 foot peaks.

1. Native Eyewear Wells XL – MSRP: $84-$105

I bought these sunglasses in 2020 at my local REI, and the only reason I’m not still wearing them now is because they were pilfered at my old apartment complex’s swimming pool.

The Wells feature polarized lenses to combat against those UV rays, and a bio-based frame that feels lightweight when you’re hiking, running, splitboarding, or biking. They also feature a nonslip nosepiece to keep your glasses in place. I’ve worn these during blue bird days at Sugarbush in the middle of January, and ran an entire marathon through the city streets of Boston while wearing them. They held up for both activities.

The XLs are great for those of us with big heads. But for those who don’t need any extra face coverage, the Wells does all the same things, and is on sale for just $50 on Native’s website.

2. Vuarnet Ice 01 – MSRP: $365

The ICE is inspired by Vuarnet’s Glacier model. The removable sun shields are ideal for the skin track in the wintertime, and helpful if you decide you want to send it downhill without making the transition to goggles. They can hinder your peripheral vision, though, so if you are sitting at the pool and want to keep an eye on your hard seltzer in a koozie that doesn’t leave your hand, you can easily clip them off and store them elsewhere.

The grey mineral lenses offer a terrific window for you to look out of worthy of the higher price tag. The arms offer added grip, so you don’t have to worry about them bopping around your face during any high-intensity activity, and they extend out to ensure they don’t break down on you in the wild. A bonus: the arms are long enough for you to put them atop your head or hat without sliding off.

3. Dang Shades GLCR – MSRP: $38

Quite simply, they’re Oakley Eyejacket dupes.

These shades go beyond that, though. Unlike other budget-friendly sunglasses, these last. I’ve worn these during May snowboarding sessions at Snowbird, cycling, running half marathons, and hiking. They’ve held up for all of these activities. For less than $40, it’s tough to get a better deal.

4. Dang Shades SportMode – MSRP: $45

Sport mode, it’s not just for Crocs, anymore.

These wraparound, m-shaped sunglasses definitely lend themselves more to the bike world. They’re simple, they’re light weight, and they look pretty dang similar to what Jeff Brushie wore when he was pioneering style.

5. Tifosi Swank – MSRP: $25

Ray Bans if Ray Bans were affordable and stayed on your face while doing any sort of physical activity. These will probably be more valuable in the skin track than heading down the mountain, but you also won’t look out of place wearing these to your cousin’s wedding, or a Penn State football tailgate. Trust me, I’ve done both.

Bonus: You can get these in prescription lenses.

This article first appeared on SNOWBOARDER and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: