The Best Shooting Glasses of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

We tested shooting glasses for comfort, eye strain, and clarity

By Tyler Freel

Updated Jun 3, 2025 6:16 PM EDT

Original Article: https://www.outdoorlife.com/gear/best-shooting-glasses/

Shooting glasses are an important but, often, under-appreciated piece of equipment. We only notice the critical protection they offer when they do prevent an injury, and shooters are usually unenthusiastic about using them. The best shooting glasses for you are the ones you wear every time you shoot. Some shooters will benefit from expensive specialized glasses, and some from impact-rated glasses that are more affordable. We’ve been testing many different styles and types of shooting glasses (read about how we evaluated the best glasses) to give you insight in picking what’s best. Ultimately, that’s up to you.

Best Overall: Wiley X Apex

Best Budget: Tifosi Masso

Best for Clays: Ranger Supershot

Best Tactical: Oakley M-Frame

Best Prescription: Hunters HD Gold B-Raze

Magpul Defiant

Magpul Rider

Wilely X Jakl

Hunters HD Gold Magnum

Leupold DeSoto

Leupold Sentinel

Smith Operator’s Choice Elite

Tifosi Alliant 2.0

How Our Favorites Compare

Best Shooting Glasses, Reviews and Recommendations

Best Overall: Wiley X Apex

See It

Pros

• Great day-to-day glasses
• Thin steel temples
• Optional side shields
• Can get in prescription

Cons

• No interchangeable lenses

Key Features

•  Weight 1.4 ounces
•  Lens Rating ANSI Z87.2
•  Style Traditional two-lens
•  Polarized Yes
•  Price $236

Wiley X offers a lot of quality shooting glasses, and I have been wearing the Apex daily for a couple months now. These are stylish and practical sunglasses that offer great protection in both shooting and working environments. They have a Triloid nylon frame that houses the lenses, steel temples, and rubberized ear pieces. The Apex also comes with optional side shields — both removable and permanent — for applications or jobs that require them. 

One thing I really like about the springy steel-temple design that this and similar models like the AXE incorporate is how well they stay in place. Some of the older Wiley X poly-framed glasses would become loose and wouldn’t hold securely when placed atop my hat — a point of constant irritation. This design is superior and looks good too.

These shades are also available in prescription form and are an excellent crossover for the casual shooter or handgun shooter who wants a good quality pair. I do find that the top inside corner of the lens smudges with sweat and negatively impacts my sight picture, but that’s true of most bridged or two-lens safety glasses.

Best Budget: Tifosi Masso

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Pros

• Affordable
• Comfortable
• Good eye coverage
• No slip rubber temple pads

Cons

• Not especially durable or long-lasting

Key Features

•  Weight 1 ounce
•  Lens Rating ANSI Z87.1
•  Style Wrap-around, two-lens
•  Polarized No
•  Price $20

The Masso by Tifosi is a great pair of budget shooting glasses that’s available in both clear and smoke color schemes — the latter for bright conditions. These are similar to many common safety glasses from companies like 3M, but they have a few features that elevate them. The Masso are impact rated, and feature a small brow shelf to prevent flying debris from getting behind the top of the glasses, as well as comfortable integrated nose pads.

The temples are flexible and feature rubber texturing that helps them stay put on your head or if you place them on top of your hat. Others with plastic only temples tend to slide loose. The rounded lenses provide good coverage and are great to have as extras stashed in your vehicle or range bag. They’re comfortable and convenient, and that’s the most important for compliance with actually wearing shooting glasses.

Best for Clays: Ranger Supershot

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Pros

• Designed specifically for clay shooting
• Comes with three lenses for varying light conditions
• Magnetized frame
• Includes case for lens kit

Cons

• Pricey

Key Features

•  Weight 1.3 ounces
•  Lens Rating Not Specified
•  Style Wrap-around, single-lens
•  Polarized No
•  Price $289

Shooting glasses kits for clays games can get real expensive real quick — think upwards of a grand. But if you want the same type of performance without paying the top-end price, then consider Ranger’s new Supershot three-lens kit. 

Ranger is a well-respected name in the shotgun sports world and their Supershot line is ideal for anyone looking to win their local clays tournament. The kit includes three lenses:

• Max Light Flash for Ideal for low light conditions, wooded areas, and nighttime shooting under lights (74% light transmission)
• HD Medium Gold for medium light conditions and wooded areas (50% light Transmission)
• Dark Purple Frost for medium to bright light conditions, open fields, or wooded areas (36% light transmission)

All of these lenses come from Ranger’s Claysight line, which is designed in partnership with Zeiss to enhance target color and reduce glare. These glasses really do help you pick up targets more quickly and track them more easily. I love how positively the lenses clip into the magnetized frames. Swapping them in and out is a breeze. -Alex Robinson

Best Tactical: Oakley M-Frame 2.0

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Pros

• Rugged and durable
• Easy lens changing
• Dark and clear lenses
• Secure fit

Cons

• Solid frame bridge can roll sweat onto the lens

Key Features

•  Weight 1.2 ounces
•  Lens Rating ANSI Z87.1 and MIL-PRF-31013
•  Style Wrap-around, single-lens
•  Polarized No
•  Price $175

The Oakley M-Frames are the wrap-around shooting glasses that many other designs imitate. These were standard-issue for many troops in the early 2000s during the Global War on Terror and offer excellent durability, performance, and impact/fragment protection. There are several different versions of the M-Frame, but they consist of a flexible plastic frame with a solid bridge across the top of the lens. The temples are slim and designed to be worn in conjunction with helmets, electronic hearing protection, and night vision goggles.

The SI M-Frame 2.0 comes in a zippered hard case with an extra clear lens. Lenses have the nose piece installed, and are replaced by removing a small clip atop the frame, then flexing the bridge to pull the lens out. I’ve had a set of these for over 15 years and, despite some wear and tear, they’re still one of my favorite sets of eye protection. 

Best Prescription: Hunters HD Gold B-Raze

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Pros

• Excellent definition and clarity
• Lightweight
• Fits well under ear muffs
• Self-regulating lenses

Cons

• Expensive

Key Features

•  Weight 1.1 ounces
•  Lens Rating ANSI Z87.1
•  Style Wrap-around, two-lens
•  Polarized No
•  Price $375

The B-Raze from Hunters HD Gold is a light and low-profile set of shooting glasses that combine excellent lenses with a strong flexible wrap-around frame. Like other tactical-type glasses, these position the wrap-around lenses close to the eyes and have slender temples that fit nicely under over-ear muffs. 

The Hunters HD Gold lenses adjust according to ambient light and provide great contrast and UV protection. These are specialized and expensive, but a smart choice for the pistol or three-gun shooter that needs the best visibility. They’re even more ideal for a shooter who needs a prescription because they are versatile for many light conditions.

There are no side shields, but the lenses wrap around the side of the eye and provide a great protective peripheral barrier. Because the bottoms of the lenses aren’t rimmed, the glasses provide an increased field of view compared to fully rimmed models.

Magpul Defiant

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Pros

• Slender temples
• large field of view
• Easy lens replacement
• Stays in place when sweaty or moving

Cons

• Curved lens shape is easy to scratch if dropped or not handled carefully when not wearing

Key Features

•  Weight 1.2 ounces
•  Lens Rating ANSI Z87+ and MIL-PRF-32432
•  Style Wrap-around, single-lens
•  Polarized Optional
•  Price $110

Magpul, whose stake is in tough-as-hell polymer rifle magazines, also offers some great eye protection for shooters. The Defiant shooting glasses are a wrap-around style with a single uninterrupted lens. They’re designed to fit medium and large heads the best, and feature slim, flexible temples with rubber pads for a sure grip. They do a great job staying in place when sweaty, 

These are available in polarized or non-polarized, but a simple rotating lock on each temple allows easy changing of lenses. They only come with one lens, but you can buy additional ones for about $40 — $25 for the clear lens. They offer great visibility and the wrap-around design provides good peripheral protection from gasses and debris. The only downside of this lens design is that it’s pretty exposed when handling or storing the glasses. If dropped or tossed in the range bag, the lens coatings will likely get scratched.

Magpul Rider

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Pros

• Great everyday sunglasses
• Durable
• Lightweight
• Affordable

Cons

• Not ballistically rated

Key Features

•  Weight 1 ounce
•  Lens Rating Not rated
•  Style Traditional, two-lens
•  Polarized Optional
•  Price $50

Magpul’s Rider sunglasses are more general-purpose shades, but also offer good protection for shooters. They aren’t Z87.1-rated because of their shape and coverage, but they’re made with the same durability as Magpul’s rated shooting glasses, with thermoplastic ballistic lenses. They’re stylish glasses with a variety of frame and lens options, including polarized and non-polarized. 

Frame width is ideal for those with medium-sized heads, slightly narrow for large-headed folks. But because the temples are thin and flexible, they’re still comfortable for me to wear. The Rider glasses start at $50 with non-polarized lenses, and you can get them with clear lenses as well. These are ideal for anyone who wants a pair of shades that aren’t too expensive, but offer good protection and utility for most shooting applications.

Wiley X Jakl

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Pros

• Low profile
• Good lens coverage
• Great for use with ear muffs

Cons

• Bottom edge of lenses is unprotected

Key Features

•  Weight 1 ounce
•  Lens Rating ANSI Z87.1+ and MIL-PRF-32432A
•  Style Wrap-around, two-lens
•  Polarized Optional
•  Price $150

The Jakl from Wiley X is a new set of shooting glasses that offers great flexibility and protection. It’s a two-lens design with a frame similar to wrap-around single-lens glasses. This positions the lenses close to the eye and I found it easy to use them with optics. This can be more difficult with traditional two-lens glasses with parallel lenses.

There are multiple lens/frame combinations available in the Jakl, including kits with different lenses. Like many of Wiley X’s other offerings, these are also available with prescription lenses. They have thin, flexible temples with rubber molding at the bottom. I really liked using these with over-ear muffs as they didn’t pinch or put pressure on my ears and the ear cups seal well. The wrap-around frame fits nicely under a helmet for tactical applications and the clear lenses should work well with night vision.

For shooters who prefer the wrap-around style of frames but don’t want full single lenses, these are a great choice. Like other wrap-arounds, the exposed bottom edges of the lenses can be prone to scratching if not stowed in a case or cloth.

Hunters HD Gold Magnum

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Pros

• Excellent definition and clarity
• Rugged construction
• Available in prescription
• Excellent side shield coverage with traditional look

Cons

• Expensive

Key Features

•  Weight 1.3 ounces
•  Lens Rating ANSI Z81+1
•  Style Two-lens with side shields
•  Polarized No
•  Price $375

If you’re in the market for premium shooting glasses that offer best-in-class definition and protection, the Hunters HD Gold Magnum is right up your alley. This model is styled after many popular two-lens sunglasses with different frame colors available. They are light but feature robust impact-resistant construction with integral clear side shields. The bottom and top of the frames feature a lip which helps prevent debris from flying into the eyes from above or below.

The lenses are what make these some of the best shooting glasses though. I found that the yellow-tinted Hunters HD Gold lenses offer great contrast and definition, but also adjust to ambient lighting conditions and provide great UV protection. Blue and Ruby lens colors are also available, and these can be ordered for prescriptions as well. Serious shooters will be hard-pressed to find a better option.

Leupold DeSoto

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Pros

• Light and comfortable
• Large lenses
• Good scratch resistance
• Great everyday glasses

Cons

• Top of lenses gets sweat smudged

Key Features

•  Weight .8 ounces
•  Lens Rating Not specified
•  Style Traditional two-lens
•  Polarized? Yes
•  Price $140

Leupold’s DeSoto is one of the newer additions to their performance eyewear line and is another great choice for everyday glasses that will work well for shooting, fishing, and other applications. These shades are light and airy, at less than an ounce, and the large lenses offer a great field of view. They fit well under ear muffs and are great for pistol, shotgun, or carbine shooting, but I have to periodically clean them off when shooting precision rifles. Sweat collects at the top of the lenses, blurring my sight picture. 

I really like the minimalist temples, which have an embedded rubber grip to keep them in place. They hold steady during dynamic shooting and movement, and though they aren’t advertised as impact rated — possibly due to the lack of side coverage, the lenses are made of shatterproof ballistic material. 

Leupold Sentinel

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Pros

• Great field of view
• Interchangeable lenses
• Great indoor/outdoor glasses

Cons

• Lenses can be scratched if not stored properly

Key Features

•  Weight 1.2 ounces
•  Lens Rating LZ87+, MIL-PRF-32432A
•  Style Wrap-around, single-lens
•  Polarized No
•  Price $140

The Sentinel shooting glasses from Leupold are a single-lens wrap-around design that looks similar to the Oakley M-Frame. They have a durable polymer frame and interchangeable ballistic-rated lenses. Like other good shooting glasses, their temples fit nicely under ear cups and the wide single lens provides full eye coverage with a wide field of view.

I really like these for a set of range bag glasses. I can use the clear lenses for indoor shooting and the dark lenses for outdoors when it’s sunny. Like similar designs, these lenses are exposed and prone to scratching if stored improperly or used day to day. They’re great for tactical applications and fit well under a helmet, staying in place during dynamic movement. 

Smith Operator’s Choice Elite

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Pros

• Low profile
• Durable and flexible
• Both premium and more affordable lenses available

Cons

• Sweat collects at top of lenses

Key Features

•  Weight 1.2 ounces
•  Lens Rating MIL-PRF-31013, Z87.1 
•  Style Wrap-around, two-lens
•  Polarized Optional
•  Price $125

Smith Optics’ Operator’s Choice Elite are two-lens shooting glasses that are designed to fill the same role as many of the wrap-around single lens tactical glasses. They curve and fit tightly around the face to work well in conjunction with hats, helmets, and ear pro. The large lenses are fully rimmed and well protected, and the wide temples provide good side protection from debris and flying fragments. 

There are several tiers of the Operator’s Choice, including Elite Polarized lenses, regular polarized, and non-polarized, ranging in price from $125 to $245. Like others that have a tight protective fit at the brow, the top of the lenses can smudge with sweat at the inside corners which isn’t great for precision rifle shooting, but for most applications it’s a non-issue. Like similar tactical shades, these are also ballistically rated and are ideal for shooting handguns and PCCs at steel targets.

Tifosi Alliant 2.0

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Pros

• Affordable
• Great for the range bag
• Interchangeable lenses
• Includes dark, clear, and red lenses

Cons

• Frame presses tightly to brow

Key Features

•  Weight 1.3 ounces
•  Lens Rating MIL-PRF-32432, Z87.1
•  Style Wrap-around, single-lens
•  Polarized No
•  Price $80

The Alliant 2.0 sunglasses from Tifosi are a really good value for a single-lens wrap-around design. They have many of the same design elements and ballistic ratings as more expensive tactical glasses, but are much more affordable. They come with two additional lenses (red and clear) and swapping them only takes me a few seconds. An included zippered hard case houses the glasses and a lens sleeve to protect lenses not in use. 

The temples are flexible and grippy and they seal up pretty well under over-ear muffs. My only complaint is that — at least with my facial structure — the glasses seem to tilt back when I wear them, pressing the frame and top of the lens onto my brow. Most glasses don’t do this. It’s not a big problem but does cause them to smudge and collect sweat more than other single-lens designs. Overall, these are a great pair to have in the range bag and are adaptable for indoor and outdoor shooting.

How I Tested the Best Shooting Glasses

To test these shooting glasses, I and other OL editors have used them in many different applications ranging from day-to-day driving, to wrenching on vehicles, and shooting of course. Through many trips to the range, I alternated through each of these glasses shooting them with precision rifles, pistols, PCCs, and carbines. I also made sure to use them with magnified optics, red dots, and iron sights. 

Dedicated Vs. Casual Shooting Glasses

When choosing the best shooting glasses for you, you need to decide whether you’re looking for dedicated, purpose-driven glasses or everyday shades that will double as your shooting glasses. There are no hard-and-fast rules, but your application should affect your choice.

If you want dedicated shooting glasses, you won’t regret investing in the right ones. Many shooters will find single-lens wrap-around glasses ideal, or may favor models specific to their discipline. These are going to be glasses that are stored carefully, well-maintained, and expected to last a long time.

For the casual shooter, the fully-rimmed two-lens glasses are often the best bet. Through everyday use, they are more subject to being taken on and off, set down on countertops and dashboards, and generally subjected to more abuse. Highly curved or non-rimmed lenses are going to get scratched more and won’t give you out-of-the-box clarity for long. Pick well-protected lenses that look good and fit your style. They’ll work better than the glasses you weren’t wearing because you want to baby them

Is Polarized or Non-Polarized Better?

Many shooting glasses have the option for polarized lenses. Polarization can help reduce glare off shiny surfaces, so it can be advantageous. However, for more tactical applications, or if you’re using a lot of electronics while shooting, you might want to opt for non-polarized. If you’ve been wearing your fishing glasses day-to-day, you’ve probably noticed that polarized lenses can make it difficult to see some electronic screens.