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Best Night Driving Glasses: Drive With More Clarity And Confidence

See more clearly and precisely while driving in low light conditions.

byJonathon Klein|
The Garage
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BYJonathon Klein/ LAST UPDATED ON May 5, 2023

If you haven’t tried night driving glasses, they can be a game changer for anyone who finds themselves squinting when driving after dusk. Bright headlights from oncoming traffic, especially those vehicles with LEDs, and street signs can all wreak havoc on your eyes at night. Not only that but for some, that eye strain can lead to more long-term issues and unsafe driving.
If you’re still on the fence, however, let me just say that these glasses work—and here’s why. I’ve bought them myself and used them extensively. Even in the light of day. As for the best around, I’ve got you covered with some of the top picks on the market right now, as well as a handy buying guide.

Best Overall
Eagle Eyes 2in1 SOL Magnetic Eyewear Glasses

Eagle Eyes 2in1 SOL Magnetic Eyewear Glasses

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Summary
Two for the price of one nets you both sunglasses and night driving glasses
Pros
  • 2-in-1 sun and night glasses
  • Polarized
  • Classic design
Cons
  • Lens can scratch easily
  • Frame hardware can bend
Best Value

PolarSpex Retro Sunglasses

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Summary
Retro good looks with an affordable price tag
Pros
  • Inexpensive
  • Classic design
  • UV Coated
Cons
  • Lens can scratch easily
  • Frame hardware can bend
Best Overglasses

Blue Cut Clip-On Night Driving Sunglasses

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Summary
These clip on night driving glasses work with any prescription glasses on the market
Pros
  • Clips onto whatever glasses you may have
  • Inexpensive
  • Polarized
Cons
  • Easily lost
  • Might break if not careful

Summary List

Our Methodology

There is no shortage of options on the market when it comes to night driving glasses. Countless drop-ship brands liter Amazon, but work as intended. That made it difficult to find the cream of the crop. However, I’ve personally used them before, so I had a leg up. I also know which brands I trust and which ones I don’t. Those listed here were selected based on the fact that they are made by reputable manufacturers who have an excellent track record of producing reliable and high-quality products. 

Glasses that get high marks for having high-quality lenses and stylish frames were selected so that you don’t feel like a fashion failure when wearing them. Affordability was also a factor in selecting the top night driving glasses. For more info on selection criteria and methodology, check out The Drive’s Gear About page here. 

Best Overall

Eagle Eyes 2in1 SOL Magnetic Eyewear Glasses

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Eagle Eyes’ 2in1 SOL Magnetic glasses nets my top pick for a few reasons, but most of all because you get two for the price of one. The glasses themselves are night driving glasses, with polarized yellow-tinted lenses that reduce nightime glare. However, you also get a set of magnetic clip-on sunglasses that attach directly to the nightime driving glasses that let you use them during the day, too. The design of the Eagle Eyes’ is classic, features a plastic frame for less heat absorption in the sun, and has an anti-reflective coating to further increase its capability. The glasses also block 99.9% of UVA and UVB radiation. These glasses are also made using NASA technology called, TriLenium®, which works to reduce blue light from the screens that inhabit our daily lives. The only downside to these glasses is that they’re slightly more expensive than others available, as at the time of writing, they’re about $50 on Amazon. What’s more, since you’re adding sunglasses on top of the night driving glasses, they can be slightly darker than normal sunglasses. But that could be a plus depending on where you live on how you like your sunglasses. You can’t beat the combo nature, though.

Pros

2-in-1 sun and night glasses

Polarized

Classic design

Cons

Slightly more expensive than others

Sunglasses can be darker because of dual-lenses

Best Value

PolarSpex Retro Sunglasses

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Cheap and effective is the best way to describe the PolarSpex Retro night driving sunglasses. At only $15 at the time of writing, they’re easily the most affordable option on this list, and come to it by way of my own collection. Yep, I own these. I’ve been using these sunglasses for over a year now, both driving at night and riding motorcycles in the backcountry. Not only do they effectively reduce oncoming traffic headlight glare, but they’re great at increasing contrast when out driving or riding during the daytime. They’re pretty rugged, too, having been dropped a number of times and picked up by my children. The only thing they didn’t stand up to was when I dropped a heavy backpack onto them and bent the frame’s hardware. I bent it back into place, however, they never quite fit my face right again. I have another pair in my cart for when they finally break. But they’re cheap enough that I’m not breaking the bank by buying another pair.

Pros

Inexpensive

Classic design

UV coated

Cons

Lens can scratch

Frame hardware can bend

Best Overglasses

Blue Cut Clip-On Night Driving Sunglasses

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So many folks wear prescription glasses when driving. But so few sunglasses or night driving glasses are actually designed for those people. That’s not the case with these Blue Cut Clip-On night driving glasses. These are specially made for those with prescriptions, as they just clip onto the glasses you’re already wearing. A perfect solution. The Blue Cuts don’t just make wearing glasses easier, but they reduce glare, are polarized, and are a pretty inexpensive solution for those who need to see close or far, and want to kill all the glare and blinding headlights that are so prevalent now that LED headlights are commonplace. This specific product also comes in a two-pack, which makes the deal better as clip-on sunglasses be lost more easily than regular sunglasses. The lenses are also scratch-resistant and the nose bridge is designed to bend so they don’t break if pressure is applied. And Blue Cut throws on a UV coating to protect your eyes from harmful solar radiation.

Pros

Clips onto whatever glasses you may have

Inexpensive

Polarized

Cons

Easily lost

Might break if not careful

Best Premium

Smith Guide’s Choice

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Smith is one of the best sunglasses brands around, as the company’s reputation is positively stellar. It makes sturdy, well-built glasses that are stylish and fit extremely well, making them more likely to be worn all day. And the Guide’s Choice truly fit that bill, as well the one that ensures your eyes aren’t blinded during nighttime drives. These baby’s have a true metal frame, real glass lenses, are polarized, come with an anti-reflective coating, and the brand’s Chromapop technology that makes colors stand out more and increase contrast for better visibility. The frames also repel moisture, grease, and grime so you have to clean them less often. And now let’s get to the only issue with the Smith’s: price. They’re extremely expensive, as at the time of writing, they’re going for $259 on Amazon. That’s incredibly steep for a set of night driving glasses. However, what you’re getting is a set of glasses that are designed to last you a long, long time. Between the metal frames, the glass lenses, and the overall look, they’re meant to stay with you for a while. It’s like the saying goes, “Buy once, cry once.”

Pros

Metal frame

Brand-name

Anti-reflective coating

Cons

Expensive

Best Aviators

Outray Night Vision Polarized

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I’ll be honest. Outray wasn’t my first choice for the best night driving Aviator glasses. Ray-Ban was. However, while the company that brought the Aviator to market all those years ago has an astonishing array of choices, it doesn’t currently sell any yellow-tinted lens Aviators. It used to, however, they’ve been out of stock for some time now and the only way to get a set of Ray-Bans with yellow lenses is to buy a pair of sunglasses, then buy and extra set of yellow lenses, too. And that’s expensive. These Outray’s, however, aren’t. The Outray’s have all the good looks of the Ray-Bans, come with polarized lenses that are UV-coated, and feature metal frames that complete the design. They seem to follow Ray-Ban’s architecture to a T, but are far more affordable and, well, can actually be bought. Your move, Ray-Ban. They aren’t as sturdy as other brands, and the metal can heat up if worn during the day. So be aware of that if you use these glasses when the sun is up for motorcycling or shooting sports.

Pros

Metal frames

Multiple colorways

Inexpensive

Cons

Can bend

Metal can heat up during day

Our Verdict on Night Driving Glasses

The best of the bunch goes to Eagle Eyes’ 2in1 night driving glasses. They’re relatively inexpensive, come with a set of sunglasses lens’, and should stand up to a bit of abuse. But if you’re looking for something cheap and effective, you can’t go wrong with the PolarSpex night driving glasses. 

What To Look For In Night Driving Glasses

Here are a few key details you should know about before hitting Buy It Now.

Glare Reduction

All night driving glasses will reduce glare through their yellow-tinted lenses, as does the polarization. However, some are better than others in those respects. If you want higher quality, you’ll likely have to pay more. 

Comfort

Comfort is really a personal preference, as is design. But you should know what works for your face already if you’ve ever worn sunglasses. Don’t get a design that might not be as comfortable as to what you’re used to.

Night Driving Glasses Pricing

Pricing for night driving glasses is pretty straightforward. For $10 to $20, you can get a wide variety of glasses that offer your eyes protection against bright lights and also help to reduce glare. That said, a premium pair will carry a premium price, but they’ll last longer.

FAQs 

You’ve got questions. The Drive has answers!

Q: How do night driving glasses work?  

A: Night driving glasses are treated with a UV- and glare-resistant coating that helps to scatter and filter reflected light. They are recommended for people with photosensitive eyes as they can help reduce glare from artificial lighting systems such as headlights and traffic lights. 

Q: How can I measure my face for properly fitting glasses?

A: Measuring your face for eyeglasses is pretty straightforward:
1. Stand in front of a mirror and use a ruler to measure the distance between the center of your temples in centimeters. Multiply that number by 10 in order to get the mm measurement.
2. Next, measure the bridge of your nose between the inner corners of your eyes to determine the width of that. 
3. Measure from your temple to the back of your ear to get an approximate arm length.
Anything within 3 mm from these measurements should provide a good fit for you. 

Q: Can you wear night driving glasses during the day?

A: Night driving glasses were originally designed for hunters to allow them to spot birds more easily in the sky during the day. I wear them when motorcycling during the day. So yes, actually, night driving glasses can be worn during the day to help create a greater contrast in daylight conditions.

Why Trust Us

Our reviews are driven by a combination of hands-on testing, expert input, “wisdom of the crowd” assessments from actual buyers, and our own expertise. We always aim to offer genuine, accurate guides to help you find the best picks.

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