Buying Guide
The Best Designer Sunglasses
Designer sunglasses worth buying come down to a clear idea: a frame shape that suits your face, lenses that actually protect your eyes, and a brand you'll still reach for in three summers. This edit pulls together the houses we rate, from Burberry and Miu Miu to Alexander McQueen, Acne Studios and Maje. We've grouped them by who they flatter and how they wear, so you can shop the silhouette first and the logo second.
Women's sunglasses
This is the widest part of the edit, and for good reason. You'll find Miu Miu's slim rectangular frames and logo-armed acetates, Burberry's check-detailed temples, plus softer oval and square shapes from Maje and Sandro. Prices sit roughly £150 to £320. If you want one pair to do everything, buy a mid-size square in tortoiseshell or black first. Oversized styles read more directional but can swamp a small face, so check the lens drops past your cheekbone, not your jaw.
Men's sunglasses
Men's frames here lean cleaner and more structural. Think Acne Studios' flat-top acetates, Alexander McQueen's heavier squared shapes and Burberry's navigator and pilot styles in dark metal. Budget around £160 to £300. A classic pilot or a square keyhole frame is the safe first buy and reads well with tailoring or a tee. Go matte black if you wear them daily and want them to disappear, polished tortoiseshell if you want a bit more warmth against the skin.
Round and cat-eye styles
The shape-led picks, and the most fun to wear. Round frames from Acne Studios and McQueen soften a strong jaw and angular features, while Miu Miu and Maje cat-eyes lift cheekbones and flatter rounder faces. These run about £150 to £290. Round suits people who usually default to square and want something gentler. Cat-eye is the statement pair, not the everyday one, so size the upsweep to your brow line. Skip a very narrow round frame if your face is wide; it'll look pinched.
The buyer's brief
How to choose
Frame shape and fit matter more than the name on the temple. Here's how we weigh the choices before you commit.
Match the frame to your face
Square and rectangular frames balance rounder, softer faces. Round and cat-eye shapes soften strong jaws and angular features. If a shape feels too much, you've usually gone a size too big rather than wrong altogether. Try the frame against your brow line and cheekbone before deciding.
Check the lens category
Most designer sunglasses are category 2 or 3, which covers everyday UK sun and bright holidays. Category 4 is very dark and not legal for driving, so check the inside of the temple. Whatever you buy, look for full UV400 protection. A dark tint without UV blocking does your eyes no favours.
Acetate or metal
Acetate frames feel warmer against the skin, come in richer tortoiseshell and colour, and sit well on most faces. Metal frames like pilots and navigators look sharper and weigh less, but can mark the bridge of the nose. If you wear sunglasses all day, acetate tends to be the more comfortable choice.
Buy the versatile pair first
A mid-size square or a classic pilot in black or tortoiseshell goes with everything and dates slowly. Get that into your rotation before the statement cat-eye or the coloured lens. The directional pair is the second buy, once you know which shape you actually reach for.
Fit at the temples and nose
Good sunglasses grip lightly at the temples and rest on the bridge without sliding. If they pinch behind the ears or leave marks after an hour, the fit is wrong, not the style. Many frames can be adjusted by an optician, so a slightly snug acetate is often an easy fix.
Think about where you'll wear them
Driving and bright coastal glare suit a darker category 3 lens and a frame that wraps slightly. City and changeable UK days are fine with a lighter tint you can keep on indoors to out. A polarised lens cuts road and water reflection but can make some phone and dashboard screens harder to read.
Good to know
Answered
If you'll wear them often, yes. You're paying for better acetate, sturdier hinges, proper UV lenses and a shape that's been refined to flatter. A £200 pair from a house like Burberry or Miu Miu should last years with care. If you lose sunglasses constantly, a cheaper pair makes more sense until that habit changes.
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About this edit
Diligo's edits are curated by our editorial team and updated as ranges and availability change. Every product featured is hand-picked for design, quality and lasting appeal, so you can discover pieces worth buying without trawling dozens of sites.
Product availability and prices shown are indicative and refreshed regularly. Tap any product to continue to the brand.