You’ve already missed your first serve so you NEED to make this. You toss up the ball for your second serve but you have to catch it again. Not quite right. You toss it up again. Still not quite right. Now you’re annoying your opponent. They’re standing waiting on the other side of the net impatiently twirling their racket.
What now?
You’ve got to just serve it. You toss the ball and squint blearily upwards. You swing your racket wildly and frame the ball into the middle of the net. Double fault.
Game. Set. Match.
The sun hangs there lazily in the sky as if mocking you for not finding a way to overcome its blinding rays…
Well, what if I told you that there IS a way to avoid that happening again?
Let’s take a look at some of the best tennis sunglasses currently on the market.
Best Tennis Sunglasses for Men & Women
1. Bollé Bolt 2.0 Black Phantom Court - Editors Choice
We’re kicking off our list with one of the most popular and respected pair of sunglasses in the tennis world – the Bolle Bolt Phantom Court.
Based on Bolle’s cycling range of sunglasses, the Phantom Courts have been adapted and designed specifically for tennis.
At 31grams, they are lightweight but will stay fitted to your face with an adjustable nosepiece and temples. They won’t go tumbling to the ground as you reach for that drop-shot up at the net! The lenses are also interchangeable and can be traded out depending on how harsh the sunlight is.
Most importantly, they offer 100% UV protection and have been deliberately put together to offer you greater clarity of vision using specifically designed contrast enhancement.
If the plain black doesn’t take your fancy, they also come in white, blue, gold and grey. They look fashionable without being over the top and if you’re looking for the best Bolle sunglasses for tennis, you’ve found them right here!
PROS
- 100% UV protection
- Lightweight
- Colors
- Durable
- Switchable lenses
CONS
- Fairly expensive
2. Oakley Men’s Half Jacket Sunglasses
Oakley glasses are known for their high intensity durability and these pair are no different.
Tested and re-tested under a variety of different weather conditions, this pair of sunglasses will sustain the roughest of bumps and bashes. A quick sprint up a tennis court will be a piece of cake for these glasses! The nose and ear pads will help them settle on your face with ease and the lenses can be swapped out and traded around for any prescription variations you might require.
The frame is nice and sturdy and comes with lightweight metal accents so they won’t be bending or cracking easily. They also protect against 100% of UV light so you won’t be getting blinded on your service motion.
Brilliantly, these are customisable! The lenses, icons, ear stocks and the frame can all be jigsawed around to create a rainbow colored pair should that idea take your fancy! The actual pattern the colors are covering can be edited slightly as well so you could take all day trying to decide what to go for.
On top of all that, you can even get a personalised etching on the side so everyone knows who owns the coolest glasses around. If you’re looking for the best Oakley sunglasses for tennis that you can customise to suit your fashion on court, look no further!
PROS
- Durable
- 100% UV protection
- Customisable
- Colors
- Switchable lenses
CONS
- Not much size variety
3. Nike Men's Skylon Ace P Sunglasses
No list of the best sunglasses for tennis would be complete without an entry from Nike.
First of all, the appearance of these glasses are rather simple which is great if you’re looking for something that will get the job done. Classy black frames with the red Nike logo on each corner have a clean feel to them and the generally uncomplicated look should suit most tennis court outfits.
Secure wrap arms and a ventilation nose bridge help to complete the look and will make sure that your breathing remains unobstructed while in the middle of intense matches. 100% UV protection is offered as is the ability to trade out the lenses should you need to.
There’s no customisable color options here but that’s OK. If you’re looking for a straightforward pair of glasses at a reasonable price, these are the ones for you!
PROS
- 100% UV protection
- Ventilation nose bridge
- Simplistic design
- Switchable lenses
CONS
- No color options
4. Oakley Men’s Mercenary Sunglasses
The great thing about Oakley is that no two of their glasses are the same.
These glasses come with customisable lens variations! There’s a 68mm width version and a 70mm width version so if you have a slightly wider head shape like I do, this is a great option to have available.
The lenses themselves are actually unique to Oakley and offer color enhancement and contrast so you’ll have no trouble keeping your eye on the ball when it comes time to return serve.
Oakley have focused on the all-in-one casual glasses audience with this product. Despite that, they make a perfect fit for tennis. The double bridge minimalist design will help keep them on your face when you put them on before that must-win service game on the bright sunlight of your club court.
A slightly more expensive offering, these glasses are a long-lasting option that you can rely on for a good few years to come.
PROS
- Different lens widths available
- 100% UV protection
- Durable
- A ton of different color options.
CONS
- Fairly expensive
5. Under Armour Octane Wrap Sunglasses
Under Armour have a history of making highly durable sports products and so expectations should be high for these sunglasses.
The UA auto-grip temples provide a comfortable and securely natural fit on your face. The problem with many sports shades that you may have tried in the past is that they can often sit that bit too tight around your ears. With the multi-positioning nose pad, that problem will be an unpleasant memory in your distant past.
The hinges on these are screw-less, meaning they’re unlikely to fall to pieces on you should you accidentally drop them as you’re tearing them from your face mid-victory celebration. The easily foldable design means that these are extremely sturdy and lightweight. Stick them in the side of your racket bag and they’ll be fine.
The plain black color is the only option available but they look modern and cool enough that they should fit in well with most of your typical tennis kits available out there.
It is Under Armour policy to protect their products for life against any manufacturer defects. This means that if anything does go wrong with these glasses a few years down the line, you’ll be able to get a fresh pair.
As well as protecting against 100% of UV light, these glasses will leave you feeling relaxed and at prepared as you take to your local courts on the next sunny winter morning.
PROS
- 100% UV protection
- Auto-grip handles
- Easily foldable screw-less hinges
- Durable
- UA lifetime guarantee
CONS
- No polarized lenses
6. HULISLEM S1 Sport Polarized Sunglasses
Now these look cool!
Made from a lightweight polycarbonate, the frames of these glasses are particularly eye-catching and come in a variety of different colors. The lens colors actually change with the frames and so you have the option of black and green, black and red, black and blue, black and purple (my personal favourite!), black and white, matte and black oooooor a nice blue and white.
All of these combinations look highly modern and will have you feeling great as you’re looking for that killer forehand down the line.
The specs of these glasses are impressive as well. The mirror flash lenses reflect light and offers you the full 100% UV protection, as well as protecting you against just about any other harmful light you can think of! We’re not sure you’ll be running into much Blue Light when you’re out on the court… but hey, doesn’t hurt to be prepared anyway!
These glasses have been put through some rigorous resistant tests as well, so much so that the manufacturers of this design have named it a Stress Resistant O Matter Frame. So they won’t be breaking on you anytime soon either!
Oh, and the best part? If you’re trying to find the best cheap tennis sunglasses available currently, you need look no further!
PROS
- 100% UV protection… and every other light protection as well!
- Modern look
- Durable
- Color combinations
- Cheap
CONS
- Not adjustable
- No switchable lenses
Best Tennis Sunglasses for Women
1. Oakley Women’s Unstoppable Sunglasses - Editors Choice
Oakley makes a return to our list now with a sleek pair of women’s sunglasses. With a name like this, we should expect high quality.
The semi-rimless design of these is particularly eye-catching, allowing for unobstructed views of every ball while you’re playing those important points. The frame itself looks slim but is actually immensely durable! Made from an injected molded thermoplastic, Oakley has made sure that these glasses will sustain through any accidental bending or deforming over time.
Unobtanium earbuds and nose pads help with comfort in those sweaty moments on the court and you can rely on these to stay in place as you’re swinging away.
100% UV protection is here as usual, as are a handful of different color combinations as well. The shaped plutonite lightweight lenses helps to complete the overall look.
These are a slightly pricey classy option if you’re someone who prides themselves in looking their best when on the court. It’s not all about appearances with these glasses though and the flexi-shaped frames will provide a solid long-term comfort level for all of your sporting requirements.
PROS
- 100% UV protection
- Modern design
- Great color options.
- Flexible frames
CONS
- Slightly expensive
2. Under Armour Women's Propel Wrap Sunglasses
Under Armour again and they’re back with a sturdy pair of women’s wrap sunglasses.
The slick arm designs curve inwards slightly to cushion your head. Under Armour put forward their own ArmourFusion frames for this product for extra resistance and the result is a pair of highly durable thickset glasses.
The screw-less clamshell hinges are here once again to lower the possibility of breakage. 100% of UV light is protected against and with the selection of color options available, there should be a style to suit most preferences of all-court fashion.
The ArmourSight lenses work for that optical clarity you need for keeping your eye on the ball in endurance rallies and are built to sustain a fair amount of impact… A tennis ball to the face won’t crack these!
A very solid offering here from Under Armour if you’re looking for a pair of glasses that will get the job done to a very high standard.
PROS
- 100% UV protection
- Easily foldable screw-less hinges
- Durable
- UA lifetime guarantee
- Colors
CONS
- No switchable lenses
- No polarized lenses
3. Under Armour Unisex Zone 2.0 Sunglass
Back-to-back with Under Armour here and they’ve got a straightforward pair of shades for us.
These are probably the most no-nonsense glasses that we’ve covered so far. The plain black and grey color scheme looks smooth enough and the frame is made out of the lightweight Armourfushion plastic which should help it remain durable even in the roughest of tennis playing conditions.
The expected 100% UV protection is here, as is a comfortable nose pad and arms that have been molded especially with relaxed wear-ability in mind. These won’t be digging into your nose if your opponent accidentally clocks you in the face with their overhead smash!
Interestingly, there’s actually two options for these glasses. No, not the colors this time but the lenses! You can pick between polarized or polycarbonate so you’ll have to make that decision before committing to these glasses…
…we always recommend palarized though, just for that bit of extra protection! Plus they’re actually the slightly cheaper option here as well. If you’re looking for the best polarized sunglasses for tennis, these might be the ones you’re looking for!
PROS
- 100% UV protection
- Durable lenses
- Optional polarized lenses
- Comfortable moulded nose and arm pads
CONS
- Simplistic design
- No switchable lenses
4. Tifosi Women's Alpe 2.0
These eye-catching (pun intended!) glasses look great!
The trio of colored frames and lenses available are nice enough but it’s really the streamlined design that will keep you sprinting around the court unobstructed. The lenses themselves are scratch and shatter resistant meaning you can toss them at the bottom of your rucksack easily enough without worry.
The expected 100% UV protection is here as usual and the frames are crafted out of a solid nylon material that will remain durable for the foreseeable future.
The simplistic design provides an option for players looking for a nice, easily wearable pair of shades that look good. There’s nothing much else to be said about these glasses but there really doesn’t need to be because they tick all the important requirements off the checklist.
A relatively good price means that these are worth picking up if you fancy giving them a trial run.
PROS
- Three color options
- Durable lenses
- Optional polarized lenses
- Comfortable moulded nose and arm pads
- Colors
CONS
- Simplistic design
- No switchable lenses
How to Choose Sunglasses for Tennis
Polarized Lens
First things first, there are two primary pairs of sunglasses lenses.
Polarized lenses are the ones you’ll see most hotly advertised. Salespeople will harp on at you about them and unless you know what they are, you’ll likely just not your head in agreement to get them to stop talking to you.
Basically, polarized lenses are coated in a special chemical to make them filter light. Think of it a little bit like a sunshade, blocking out all of the light rays that could potentially cause your eyes to squint.
As a result of this chemical, you’ll likely find yourself being able to see details in somewhat sharper clarity than you would normally, even if you don’t usually wear glasses. Pretty cool, eh? It can even make you feel a bit less tired than usual due to not having to subconsciously strain your eyes in daylight!… Could come in handy for playing those long tennis sets!
Regular sunglass lenses will not filter light in quite the same way and generally dampens the force of all the rays rather than block any of them out completely. They’re still effective in protecting you from those harmful UV rays.
This leads us on to our next point!
UV Protection
MAKE! SURE! YOUR! SUNGLASSES! HAVE! THIS!
There. Now we’ve got that out of the way…
The Sun is the main source of UV rays, hence why sunglasses will always market themselves as having protection against it. If they don’t market that, they’re likely not actually sunglasses and will probably simply give you a bit of a headache if you decide to wear them.
A small amount of UV light isn’t massively damaging to us but extended play outdoors in scorching weather will cause some eyesore if you’re not careful. Sunglasses help with this by reflecting portions of UV light away from your eyes as a kind of defense mechanism.
But yeah, you definitely want to be checking for this on any pair of sunglasses you’re considering buying!
Lens Color
Right, yes, we know, it can be very, very, VERY tempting to grab that first pair of red lensed sunglasses you see off the shelf and buy them in hopes looking like Cyclops from Xmen! But wait! Hold on for a sec.
Will those lenses work properly as regular sunglasses?!
Weeeeeell… yes. But! Maybe not to quite the same extend as darker colors.
You see darker colors – such as browns, greys and greens – will cut through sun glare and batten down the protective hatches on your eyeballs to help you see better in everyday light.
Lighter colors – red, gold, amber, rose, etc, etc – are usually better for lower, darker levels of daylight light.
So yes. Your red Cyclops sunglasses WILL probably work… just maybe consider also picking up a pair of darker shades while you’re at it!
Fit
Try your glasses on in the shop to make sure they fit properly! Please!
We know that sounds like common sense but honestly, you would be VERY surprised how many people just take it as a given that the first pair of shades they see will fit and buy them without thinking.
Try and make sure that the pair of sunglasses you have frames that width-wise, correspond as closely as possible to the width of your head. This can prove frustrating if – like myself – you have a rather wide head but we promise you, there are sunglasses for all head shapes and sizes out there.
Finally, when it comes to sports sunglasses, make sure your pair fit SNUGGLY against your face. Not tightly. There is a difference. You should not have glasses that are digging into your ears. A good fitting pair of sports shades will sit on your face comfortably while managing to not leave indentations down the side of your head.
Color & Design
The coolest looking fair of shades won’t always do the best job.
Right. With that boring bit said and out of the way, sunglasses can look REALLY cool and there’s plenty of weird and customizable pairs of sport sunglasses out there to suit an array of tastes.
As with all tennis clothing, how your sunglasses look may not be of that much concern to you but if you’re someone who would like to walk out on court in an all-colour ensemble, then there are certainly options available to you.
Many sunglasses manufacturers have patented their own designs but a lot of them are very similar. Again, as long as they sit securely and do the job you need them to do, then you really can’t go wrong.
…what we’re saying is, go wild with that bright pink pair you’ve been considering buying!
Price
Ah, the boring and arguably the most important bit.
All we would say on this is to try and find where your own personal budget is at and then take a look around for some well-rated glasses around that price-point.
Sunglasses are generally not that cheap if you want a decent and durable pair but you also don’t need to sell your house in order to get that knock of pair of Ray-Bans that someone’s been trying to sell you online.
Find a pair that are comfortable, affordable and wearable in high intense sporting situations.
Best Tennis Sunglasses Brands
Bolle
The Bolle brand is OLD! Quite possibly older than any manufacturer we’ve talked about on this site before!
First established waaaaaay back in 1888 in France, the Bolle brand quickly became known for producing celluloid glasses. Throughout the next century or so, Bolle broadened out. After the WWII, they began making protective safety glasses which would go on to lead them into the sunglasses manufacturing business in later years.
Nowadays, Bolle still focuses on sunglasses, safety goggles and – rather uniquely! – helmets and head protection wear.
Given how long they’ve been around, Bolle are generally known for producing products that are quite expensive.
Oakley
Jim Jannard founded Oakley back in 1975 in his garage with just a $300 investment. He sold motorcycle grips and handlebar wraps for the first few years. However, it wasn’t until Jannard produced his first set of goggles with the signature Oakley symbol on them in 1980 that the company really began finding its feet.
Currently based in California in the United States, Oakley hold quite the dominance over the glasses market where they currently hold over 600 patents for eyewear designs.
They are generally known for producing very good quality products that sell for a high price.
Under Armour
Easily the newest company on this list, Under Armour were first founded in 1996 by Kevin Plank, a then-American football player. Patenting his design for lightweight sweat-wicked sports shirts, Plank took Under Armour from strength to strength and struck gold with football team investments along the way.
Having begun as a football jersey manufacturer, Under Armour now produce clothing for a much larger range of sports such as speed-skating, soccer and even tennis!
Comparatively speaking with other sunglasses brands, the products that Under Armour produce are relatively affordable, although still tend to be more on the expensive side of things generally.
Final Thoughts
And here we are! At the bottom of the page!
We hope you enjoyed finding out about some of the very best tennis sunglasses out there currently. With any luck, you’ll have at least seen one or two pairs that have caught your eye that you can scroll back up to now and admire once more.
In closing, tennis sunglasses can seem quite a fiddly item to buy but they’re really not. Make sure that your pair protect against UV light and you’ll generally be alright!
Unless you lose them. We can’t help with that.
