Active Gear Scout: Best Athletic Sunglasses

Endurance athletes are always looking for the best gear to help them boost their performance. Shoes that provide enough support, hydration kits to fuel performance, recovery aids to bounce back strong and more. One major gear item that often goes unnoticed is sunglasses, but they are vital to an athlete's gear checklist. Why? Sunglasses protect the eyes. Eye health is just as important as maintaining a strong immune system and healthy muscles and joints. Unfortunately many people don't realize the effect the sun and wind can do to one's eyes. Without adequate eye protection, one can get cataracts or photokeratitis, sunburn to the eyes. Rob Tavakoli, an avid cyclists, certified optician and sales and marketing manager at SportRX , knows the importance of sunglasses. "Without sunglasses, one can scratch their eyes from wind or dirt, or get severe damage from UV rays," he said. "The best, and inexpensive, way to protect your eyes is to invest in a good pair of sunglasses." Many people purchase cheap sunglasses. Tavakoli says, "Athletes already spend so much money on race fees, nutrition or equipment. But, they somehow don't worry about their eye health. Cheap sunglasses are not good in quality, can distort your vision—which may cause an accident during your race—and don't have adequate UV protection." He adds, "In fact, the cheap glasses may damage your eyes faster than not wearing sunglasses at all because the UV ray reflection bounces straight into your eye." The Active Gear Scout sat down with Tavakoli to find the best sunglasses for endurance athletes. Whether you're looking for a savvy-chic style or practical and affordable, we have them listed here for you.