11 Best Polarized Fishing Sunglasses

best polarized fishing sunglasses
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It makes no difference where you love to do your fishing.

Beside a lake, by a rippling stream, or straddling a boat somewhere in the middle of the ocean, you are going to need polarized fishing sunglasses – without question.

With plenty of glare around, you have to ensure you have cutting-edge protection for your eyes.

Without such eyewear, your beloved hobby might end up with you spending more time at an eye surgeon.

So without further ado, we are going to give you our top 11 best polarized sunglasses for this year – 2022.

With holidays coming up and big plans being made for the festive season, you will want these pair of sunglasses to be top of your Christmas wish list.

They will ensure you enjoy a really jolly time out on the water whilst protecting what is probably your most precious asset, your eyes – so you don’t miss the next big catch!

So below are our top picks of the best polarized fishing sunglasses.

Top 11 Polarized Sunglasses for Fishing At A Glance

Top 10 Sunglasses For Sight Fishing in 2022

1) Oakley Men’s Oo9380 Double Edge Rectangular Sunglasses

Oakley Men Oo9380 Double Edge Rectangular Sunglasses

  • Lens diameter: 66mm
  • Temple length: 128 mm
  • Lens material: Nylon-infused plastic
  • Shape of lens: rectangle
  • 100% UV protection – filtering out all UVA, UVB, UVC, as well as harmful blue light – blue lenses can help out here.
  • ‘PRIZM Lens Technology’ enhances the detail, contrast, and color
  • This Oakley sunglasses offer HDO – high definition optics which provides superior clarity and razor-sharp vision from all angles
  • The glasses have nose pads to give increased grip for a secure, custom fit

2) Costa Del Mar Men’s Tuna Alley Polarized Sunglasses 

Costa Del Mar Men Tuna_Alley Polarized Sunglasses

  • For Adult men
  • Lens width: 62 mm
  • Lens material: glass or plastic, making them lightweight, impact-resistant, and scratch-resistant
  • Shape of lens: rectangle
  • These glasses are performance sunglasses – they are ideal for the deep sea angler
  • They have polarized lens protection for the eyes on all sides as the sun beats down from above
  • Large framed
  • There are vents that prevent fogging
  • They have Hydrolite temple and nose pads to keep them secure when you are so active
  • 100% UV light blockage provides maximum protection
  • 100% Polarization gets rid of reflections and surface glare, reducing eye strain
  • Each Costa includes a lifetime warranty.
  • Available in glass lenses

3)  Costa Del Mar Isabela

Costa Del Mar Isabela

  • For women
  • Lens width: 64 mm
  • Lens height: 16 mm
  • Lens material: Plastic
  • Frame material: Bio-based resin is durable and tough
  • Shape of lens: Rectangular
  • Large-framed for extra eye protection
  • Scratch-resistant lenses and sun protective
  • Has polarized 580P lens to offer brilliant colors and clarity
  • Impact-resistant
  • These glasses come with a lifetime warranty
  • Available in six different frame colors and seven different lens colors

4) Strike King Okeechobee Sunglasses

Strike King Polarized Okeechobee Sunglasses

  • For men and women
  • Anti-reflective coating
  • Scientifically engineered lens colors
  • 100% UVB and UVA protection
  • Hydrophobic coating which repels dust, oils, and water

5) Oakley Men’s OO9096 Fuel Cell Polarized Wrap Sunglasses

Oakley Men OO9096 Fuel Cell

  • For Men
  • Frame and lens: plastic. Has a trendy “O” on each outer side of the frame.
  • Lens width: 60 mm
  • Lens height: 40.5 mm
  • Bridge: 19 mm
  • Temple length: 131-139 mm
  • Ideal for people with round-shaped or oval faces
  • Plastic frame and lens
  • 100% UV protected filtering out all UVB, UVA, UVC, and harmful blue light
  • HDO – high definition optics provide ultra-optical clarity
  • Has injection molded thermoplastic O-Matter frame that provides flexibility and strength

6)  Costa Del Mar Men’s Fantail Sunglasses

Costa Del Mar Men Fantail 580P

  • For Men
  • Lens height: 38.2 mm
  • Lens width: 59.3 mm
  • Bridge width: 16 mm
  • Temple length: 120.2 mm
  • Heavy-duty TR 90 nylon frame
  • Medium-fit frames for a smaller face
  • 100% UV light blockage for max protection
  • Has a lifetime warranty
  • Plastic lenses are lightweight, impact- and scratch-resistant

7) Costa Del Mar Blackfin Polarized Sunglasses 

Costa Del Mar Mens Blackfin

  • For Men
  • Lens width: 61.5 mm
  • Lens height: 40.5 mm
  • Bridge: 18 mm
  • Arm: 115 mm
  • Lens material: glass
  • Ultra-scratch resistant
  • Resin frame
  • Polarized for the perfect sight fishing performance
  • Enhances contrast and vision
  • Superb performance for full-on bright sunny days
  • Large fit
  • Lifetime warranty
  • 580 lenses which offer 100% UV protection to protect eyes

8) Costa WaterWoman Sunglasses

Costa Del Mar Women's Waterwoman

  • For Women
  • Medium fit
  • Lens width: 54.7mm
  • Lens height: 44.6mm
  • Frame width: 138 mm
  • Bridge width: 18.7 mm
  • Temple arm length: 131 mm
  • Shape: rectangular
  • Polarized sunglasses designed for women on the go; fit for adventure
  • Frame: Made from bio-resin nylon materials
  • The sunglasses feature Hydrolite accent temples and nose pads to keep you comfortable and for the sunglasses to stay firmly on.
  • The glasses come with 580 lens technology. This means all bad HEV blue light and harsh yellow light are eliminated. The red, green, and blue colors are enhanced.

9) Maui Jim Women’s Big Wave Wrap Sunglasses

Maui Jim Big Wave Patented PolarizedPlus2

  • For Women
  • Lens width: 67 mm
  • Lens height: 42 mm
  • Bridge: 20 mm
  • Arm: 134 mm
  • Complements larger faces
  • Maui Jim Frame is constructed from lightweight injected nylon for ultimate comfort for extended periods of wear time
  • Scratch-resistant
  • Oleophobic and hydrophobic to repel grease and shed water fast
  • Adjustable nose pads to give extra comfort
  • The sunglasses featured PolarizedPlus2 lens technology for enhancing colors
  • Ultimate UV protection combined with premium-style durability. The glasses also offer glare-free vision, and color-boosting patented technologies
  • The lenses offer top light reduction- very useful for bright, direct sunlight
  • The sunglasses feature a polarized, Plutonium lens which blocks 100% of UV rays. The Iridium coating provides crystal-clear vision

10) Oakley Valve Polarized Glasses

Oakley Valve Polarized Sunglasses

  • For Men
  • Medium to large face size
  • Lens width: 60 mm
  • Bridge: 16 mm
  • Arm: 133 mm
  • Can be worn just about anywhere
  • The HD Polarized technology keeps nasty surface glare at bay
  • The impact-resistant Plutonite lenses filter out 100% UVA, UVB, UVC, and harmful blue light up to 400nm
  • Plastic durable lenses and durable frames
  • Unobtanium comfortable nose and temple pads to keep glasses on the face without slipping off
  • High definition optics to provide crystal-clear vision from all angles
  • Impact-resistant

11) KastKing Hiwassee Sunglasses

KastKing Hiwassee Polarized_Sport-Sunglasses for Men and Women Gloss Demi Frame

For Men and women
  • Frame width: 132 mm
  • Lens width: 64 mm
  • 100% UV protection
  • Polarized to get rid of glare with wide sides to reduce glare even further
  • The sunglasses feature a Grilamid lightweight frame; often used in medical and military applications. They are designed to survive plenty of active use.
  • The frames are resistant to heat and UV rays
  • Scratch-resistant
  • TAC (Triacetate) impact-resistant lenses to protect your eyes from flying objects
  • There is an optional magnifier PC lens that offers a magnified vision
  • Why are polarized sunglasses ideal for fishing and what is meant by sunglasses being polarized? 

    Polarized sunglasses mean that they are specialized sunglasses.

    They have been specifically designed to remove the glare from off the water and on other surfaces around – even glass and snow.

    When there is severe glare, the true colors of things get distorted. They make it difficult for you to distinguish them.

    With polarized sunglasses, whatever you are doing in the great outdoors, wearing them helps you to see more clearly and even to protect you from hazards. 

    Polarized lenses come in a variety of colors too, specifically for your eyesight 

    Polarized lenses come in different colors. It will depend on the material used to make the lenses.

    The darker colors provide higher polarization levels.

    Because sunlight gets reflected on different surfaces, the resultant glare can be extremely confusing to the eyes.

    This can create some dangerous situations where it feels like your eyes are deceiving you.

    This can happen particularly when you are driving a car or piloting a boat.

    With polarized lenses, you get a laminated filter.

    This allows vertically orientated light only to pass through. It blocks the horizontal light orientations, eliminating glare for you.

    The top colors for polarized lenses are brown and grey tones. But yellow, green, and melanin are very popular too.

    The different colors cater to the right environment and the right lighting conditions.

    So, for instance, if you spend your days fishing from land, the grey lens with a blue mirror will be the right one to choose.

    For inshore fishing and freshwater, you might want to choose the rose, amber, or copper lens with a green mirror.

    And for darker conditions, you might want to go with gray lenses.

    For offshore fishing, you might want to go Blue Mirror.

    Here we’ve got a guide for you so you know what to choose for your particular environment.

    Good things about polarized sunglasses for fishing

    A high-quality pair of fishing sunglasses will no doubt have polarized lenses.

    These offer you the following advantages over non-polarized lenses: 

    • Visual comfort is improved [1]
    • Contrast and visual clarity are improved
    • Reduces eye strain
    • You get a real perception of colors
    • Glare and reflections on the water and other surfaces are reduced or eliminated

    You will notice your polarized sunglasses really working for you when you are on choppy waters on the seas.

    The sun’s reflections on the water look like glitter, patterns of shimmering water.

    Different parts of the glittering water get reflected from different wave slopes, so the degree of polarization will vary from place to place.

    Your fishing sunglasses will come into their own here, helping for the high and low suns to help you wherever you look.

    Disadvantages of fishing sunglasses

    Polarization of sunglasses for outdoor activities like fishing is truly the best choice for people who want to care for their eyes – they need excellent accuracy on the water.

    Glare and intense sunlight can debilitate and confuse. But some people can’t wear these glasses.

    Some people report that the polarized lenses make them feel disoriented and dizzy. Others say when they are wearing polarized sunglasses; it creates something of a 3-D effect.

    It is thought that the photoreceptor cells at the back of these people’s eyes receive the vertical light signals differently than others do.

    For these people, they might be better off with tinted lenses.

    Some occupations require that a person reads digital numbers on a liquid crystal display. Wearing polarized lenses can sometimes interfere with seeing the numbers properly.

    How to Choose The Most Effective Polarized Fishing Sunglasses

    That’s the reason we listed the top polarized sunglasses for fishing for you to choose from.

    That’s because the glasses go a bit deeper than just checking them out online and buying them after you’ve checked their ratings.

    There are so many different types, different shapes, different brands, different materials, different colors; it can turn out quite tricky.

    A good question to ask is – what do I want these fishing sunglasses for?

    Here’s a good tip – check the ones we’ve shown you because we have taken you beyond just ‘you’ – we have passed on some important tips and advice that might not have crossed your mind.

    Then decide.

    Take your own sunglasses with you to the store where the polarized sunglasses are.

    Then place the lens of your own sunglasses at a 90° angle to the lens of the ‘polarized’ sunglasses.

    If both lenses of the glasses go dark or nearly black, then the drugstore ones are polarized

    Or…

    To know if your chosen fishing sunglasses are polarized, look through the glasses at the reflection of any object on a window panel. You need to look at an angle to the glass.

    So don’t look at yourself. Turn the sunglasses around – like as if they are the hands of a clock facing you.

    If the reflection intensity doesn’t change with what you see through the window, then the glasses aren’t polarized.

    Normal sunglasses decrease the intensity of everything. The reflections created from light that comes from above the water surface are eliminated by wearing sunglasses.

    They will help to decrease the intensity of unpolarized light by at least half.

    Polarized sunglasses are essential for saltwater and freshwater fishing

    It is good to bear in mind that the usefulness of the glasses you choose will be based on these things: where you fish, the type of fish you want to target, the color of your lens, and the lens material.

    Give a lot of attention to the sunglasses you choose

    When you have good vision with fishing, you are happy to be able to spot fish, notice the currents which way they are flowing, and notice what the weather is for the day.

    So when you start adding polarized sunglasses into your mix of fishing requirements, you are already removing surface glare.

    Now you really will be able to spot the fish that you might never have seen without polarized sunglasses.

    Put it like this; better polarized glass will make you become a better fisher. Polarized fishing glasses will make your fishing so much easier and comfortable. 

    The right polarized lens

    Each type of lens comes with its own pros and cons. These are the types of lenses you get:

    • Polarized glass lenses – Plus: durability: Downside: Heavier than thinner polycarbonate lenses.
    • Polycarbonate lenses – Plus: light and durable. Downside: Can scratch more easily

    See what the difference between the two is here.

    Which is the right type for you to choose?

    Whatever suits you.

    Try both types on and see and feel what you think is the best fit for you – another reason that trying them on is your best bet as well.

    Conclusion 

    For fishing, polarized glasses simply make it easier to see underwater objects when you are fishing.

    And they also dramatically reduce the glare off the water.

    Not only that, they cut the reflected light that reflects off the wet rocks.

    This makes polarized sunglasses very popular for the fishing market and other outdoor activities around water and when on the road.

    Anybody who is really bothered by outdoor glare will benefit from our top range of polarized fishing glasses that we have shown you.

    Even people who are sensitive to light and those who have had cataract surgery are also able to benefit from polarized sunglasses. 

    When you buy polarized glasses, you are buying glasses that have a built-in filter in them that blocks out bright conditions as well as reflected light.

    As soon as glare is reduced, your eyes won’t water and smart.

    They become comfortable and relaxed as you see your surroundings more clearly.

    Polarized sunglasses don’t have a lot of downsides, but we have provided you with the pros and cons in this article.

    Naturally, for those who are in the sun a lot, polarized glasses with photochromic lenses do an excellent job.

    Remember too, that not all polarized sunglasses offer total protection from UV rays.

    Remember too, therefore, that whether your sunglasses are polarized or not, they need to block out 100% of UV rays; and that includes UVB and UVA.

    Enjoy your new sunglasses. Once you’ve used them, you will wonder how you ever managed to survive the water, seas, roads, and other sports without them!

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Can you wear fishing sunglasses at night?

    Some people do like to use them for oncoming car headlight glare. However, they can also be dangerous – this is because their darkened lens can make it difficult to see properly in areas of low light conditions. This can be made worse if you already battle to see at night. However, sometimes, for some people, polarized sunglasses can interfere with the lighting that lights up a road at night. This can actually limit visibility. You should speak to your ophthalmologist about this and what other things polarized lenses are not meant for [3] – he will advise you.

    What about night fishing?

    Some people love fishing at night and worry about their eyes at night – they wonder whether they should use polarized glasses or safety glasses – something efficient for the nighttime. Some claim that the yellow lenses are suitable at night – they serve your eyes well and protect the eyes from flying bugs. It is recommended that you wear some type of eye protection at night. For the same reason that the polarized sunglasses are meant for keeping glare from the daytime sun out of the eye, they are meant for eye protection at night too! Safety glasses are impact resistant which makes them a choice for fishers at night. Other fishers say they wear clear prescription glasses at night while they wear their polarized sunglasses during the day. Depth perception of the eyes is poor at night and that’s why you might cast your line beyond where you wanted it to go.

    That can snag you. Eye safety is really important at night so do wear glasses. The tinted glasses can reduce the available light even more at night. They can reduce your eye’s ability to focus as well as bring your depth perception to zero. Talk to your ophthalmologist about the right glasses to wear for night fishing.

    Should you wear polarized sunglasses for driving?

    Well, yes, it is actually advisable for you to wear polarized lenses when you are driving on a very sunny day – the glasses will reduce the effects of a mirage on the road. The glasses will help you to see more clearly and therefore help you to react quickly to oncoming traffic if needs be. The glasses also help to cut out reflections that get cast over the windscreen at any time. Ordinary sunglasses don’t have the special layer of film that is placed between the two layers of the lens. Ordinary sunglasses don’t block the glare as polarized sunglasses do.

    Do I need an eye test before I buy polarized sunglasses?

    The first step you need to take towards receiving the best vision with polarized lenses is to set up an eye exam with your optometrist. If you have an inkling even of refractive error, then correcting your vision for the outdoors with prescription polarized sunglasses will help you to see comfortably and as clearly as you possibly can during the day.

    Are polarized sunglasses good for other sports apart from fishing?

    Yes. They are particularly helpful on sunny days and for water activities like boating and fishing. But polarized sunglasses can also reduce glare on snow and so are known to be beneficial for winter sports as well.