The best festival sunglasses do three things at once: they look good in your photos, they stay on your face when the crowd surges, and you forget you're wearing them by hour eight. Plenty of pairs manage one or two of those. Here's how to find the ones that manage all three.
Oversized and sculptural frames are everywhere on festival lineups this season, which is great news if you like a bold look. But bold only works if the pair is comfortable and secure, so we'll start with shape and then get into fit, lenses and what to leave at the hotel.
Start with the shape that suits your day
Festival sunglasses fall into a few families, and each has a job.
- Oversized rounds and squares: maximum style and the most coverage. They shade more of your face, which is handy at a midday main-stage set.
- Shield and wrap shapes: one big lens that curves around the sides. They look futuristic, block light coming in from the edges, and tend to stay put when you're moving.
- Aviators: a classic that works with almost anything. Our aviator sunglasses are the easy pick if you want one pair for the festival and every day after.
- Geometric and cat-eye frames: a little more personality, and good for a daytime-to-night look.
If you want to see what a shield looks like in practice, the Futuristic Oval Wrap Sunglasses are a good example of the wraparound style.
Fit matters more than the frame
A great-looking pair that pinches at hour three is a pair you'll end up holding in your hand. Before you commit, check these:
- Temples (the arms): they should rest lightly behind your ears without squeezing your head. Pressure you notice in five minutes will be a headache in five hours.
- Nose bridge: the frame shouldn't slide down when you look down at your phone or tilt your head back to sing.
- Width: the frame should sit about as wide as your face, not far past it. Too wide and they swing loose; too narrow and they dig in.
- Weight: a big frame can still be light. Pick them up. If they feel heavy in your hand, they'll feel heavier on your nose.
The quickest test: put them on, shake your head side to side, then look straight down. If they move, move on.
Make sure festival sunglasses stay on in a crowd
Dancing, jumping, hugging and getting jostled at the front barrier are hard on frames. A few habits help:
- Choose a wrap or shield shape if you plan to be near the stage. The curve hugs your face better than a flat frame does.
- Don't hang them from your collar or push them on top of your head in a packed crowd. Both are how pairs fall and get stepped on.
- Bring a strap or a soft pouch, and bring a spare pair. A cheap backup is a lot better than squinting through the headliner.
Every pair of sunglasses we sell has 100% UV protection and is impact-resistance tested, so the pair you pick is built to handle the knocks of a long day, not just look good on the shelf.
Lens tint and color: think about the stage lights
Festivals are a mix of full sun, shade, haze and, after dark, colored lighting. Most people wear their sunglasses mostly in the daytime, so a darker tint is the practical choice for the sunny hours.
If you're planning to wear them into the evening for the look, clear-lens fashion frames and light tints are popular. They read as an accessory rather than a sun shield, and they keep the photos fun. Mirrored and colored lenses are a festival classic for a reason: they give you that bold flash in pictures. Pick the one that matches the outfit you'll actually be wearing.
Build the whole festival look
Sunglasses are the anchor, but a few small pieces finish the outfit without much effort. A layered chain from our Gold Gods jewelry collection (Cuban links, tennis chains, crosses and pendants) adds shine under bright light. A fanny pack keeps your phone, ticket and a spare pair within reach while your hands stay free. And if you want a laugh at the campsite, crazy socks are an easy way to add personality to a pair of sneakers.
Try a few pairs on before you decide
Photos only tell you so much about how a frame sits on your face. If you're in San Diego or Orange County, you can try pairs on at our Ocean Beach, Mission Valley or Huntington Beach stores and check the fit yourself: the head shake, the look-down test, the nose bridge. Our store locations page has the details.
If you're shopping with friends for the same weekend, our standing offer is sunglasses buy 2, get 1 free, applied at checkout. That makes it easy to pick up a spare pair or one for a friend.
A quick pre-festival checklist
- Pick a shape you like and a fit you can't feel.
- Do the shake test and the look-down test.
- Choose a tint that works for the daytime hours you'll spend outside.
- Pack a pouch, a strap and a spare pair.
- Leave anything you'd be heartbroken to lose at home.
Not sure which style is right for your face or your festival? Call us at 1-800-423-9190 or stop by a store, and we'll help you find a pair you'll want to wear all day.
