The Best Sunglasses for Driving in South Africa

Between the low morning sun on the way to work, glare off the tar in the afternoon and long trips on the N1 or the N2, South African roads are hard on your eyes. The right sunglasses make driving safer and a lot more comfortable. Here's what to look for.

1. Choose polarised lenses

Most of the discomfort when driving comes from glare: sunlight bouncing off the road, wet surfaces, other cars and the dashboard reflecting in your windscreen. Polarised lenses filter out most of that reflected light, so you see the road with more contrast and less squinting. Here's how polarised lenses work.

One thing to know: polarised lenses can make some screens look dark at certain angles, such as a phone in a holder or some car displays. Most drivers find the glare reduction is well worth it, but check your own dashboard the first time you drive with them.

2. Pick a lens colour that keeps colours natural

• Grey lenses reduce brightness evenly and keep colours true, which matters for reading traffic lights and brake lights. A safe all-round choice.
• Brown or amber lenses boost contrast and can feel sharper on hazy or changeable days.
• Mirror coatings reflect extra light away and work well in very bright conditions. Look at the tint behind the mirror, not only the colour on the outside.

Avoid strongly coloured lenses, like deep blue or green, for driving, because they can change how you see traffic signals.

3. Get the darkness right

Sunglass lenses are graded into filter categories from 0 (almost clear) to 4 (very dark). For daytime driving, categories 2 and 3 are the usual recommendation: category 3 for bright sun and category 2 for duller days. Category 4 lenses are made for extreme light such as snow and high mountains, and they're not suitable for driving because they let through too little light.

Never wear sunglasses to drive at night or through tunnels, and take them off if you drive into deep shade where you can't see clearly.

4. Make sure they block UV

Laminated windscreens block most UV, but side windows usually let more through, and you'll wear your sunglasses outside the car too. Look for UV400 or 100% UV protection. What UV400 means.

5. Check the fit and the frame

• The lenses should cover your eyes without big gaps above them where sun can get in.
• Very thick side arms can block your view over your shoulder, so make sure you can still see properly when you look to the side.
• A lightweight frame that doesn't pinch behind your ears makes a big difference on a long drive.

Our picks for driving

• Noir: black frame with neutral grey polarised lenses. Our go-to driving pair.
• Solace: silver mirror lenses for very bright days.
• Latitude: a lighter tint for overcast days, early mornings and softer light.

See all Ombrox sunglasses.