Best Sunglasses Gifts Under $100

Polarized sunglasses in a classic square frame, sold direct at a fraction of designer prices.

The square frame is the most universally flattering shape there is, which is exactly what you want when buying for someone else's face. Polarized lenses at a price where losing a pair is a shrug rather than a problem, and enough colors to pick something that suits a wardrobe. The frames are light plastic and feel it, which is the honest trade at this money.

Polarized sunglasses in mainstream frame shapes, sold direct with a warranty and a replacement policy for lost or broken pairs.

The pick for the person who has lost every pair they have ever owned, because the replacement policy is the actual product here — sunglasses get sat on and left in restaurants, and a brand that replaces them turns that from a recurring annoyance into a non-event. Polarized as standard and mainstream frame shapes. They sell mostly direct, so returns go through the brand.

Polarized, no-slip sunglasses designed for running, in deliberately loud colors.

Built to a single specification — not bouncing or sliding during a run — and they meet it, which is why they turn up on so many runners' faces. Polarized and light enough to forget. The loud colors and silly names make them read as a fun gift rather than a serious one, which suits some recipients perfectly and others not at all. One frame size only.

Lightweight polarized sunglasses in a classic square frame, from a brand built around sport and driving eyewear.

The practical choice for someone whose sunglasses always slip, or for a larger face that most budget frames pinch: Tifosi makes an XL version, which almost nobody at this price does. Very light, with grippy nose and temple pads that stay put when moving, and polarized lenses that cut glare properly on a windscreen. Sport-leaning styling is the trade.

Polarized sunglasses built from recycled resin, with flexible temples and a lifetime warranty.

Flexible temples are the differentiator: rigid frames pinch a wider head after an hour, and these do not. A lifetime warranty at this price is unusual and worth something. The frames are made from recycled resin, which may matter to the recipient. The range of shapes is narrower than the big brands offer, so check one suits before buying.

A leather sleeve that holds two to four keys flat and silent, with a loop for a car fob.

Sunglasses on their own can feel like half a gift, and this is a good second box: a leather sleeve that holds keys flat and silent so they stop jingling and stop shredding a pocket lining. It lives in the same jacket as the sunglasses do. Only fits a few keys, so not for someone with a big bunch.

The plain ribbed acrylic beanie Carhartt has sold for decades, in a long list of colors.

A useful counterweight if you want the gift to cover more than one season: one size, no measurement, and a shape nearly everybody wears. Acrylic rather than wool, so warm rather than luxurious. It costs little enough that pairing it with sunglasses still keeps the whole gift under a sensible ceiling.

A double-wall stainless tumbler with a magnetic slider lid, dishwasher safe and sized for a car cupholder.

If you are assembling an outdoors or summer gift around the sunglasses, this is the obvious companion: it keeps cold drinks cold as well as coffee hot, it is dishwasher safe, and it survives being knocked over on a beach or in a boat. Heavy when full, and popular enough that they may already own one.