Sunglasses tend to follow similar trends that we’ve seen in other product categories. The low end (anything under $30) has been completely taken over by China, generally mass-produced junk not worth the $3 of plastic they’re made of, nor the the time of the factory worker working under slave-level conditions.
The high end is different. A lot of iconic brands continue to make their sunglasses in the United States, or outsource them to other free nations like Taiwan or Italy. But some brands couldn’t resist the temptation to sell out. Not coincidentally, it’s those brands whose designs are the first to be copied and sold at a lower price.
It was aggravating trying to look for a pair of affordable sunglasses. Wirecutter, of course, is shameless in promoting (and profiting) off China. But what surprised me was that AI got it completely wrong as well—Grok, Gemini, and ChatGPT were suggesting brands like Sunski, Knockaround, Eagle Eyes, Smith Optics, and Goodr, ALL of which are made in China. Even worse, AI was trying to “convince” me they were all made in the USA. As with all my reviews, this list comes after extensive research by a human (me).
The Best Sunglasses Not Made in China
1. Randolph Engineering Aviators
If you want the best of the best and don’t mind paying for it, Randolph Engineering makes their sunglasses in Randolph, Massachusetts and is worn by celebrities from Johnny Depp to Tom Cruise to the Rock.
They’re known the world over for their durability and classic designs, including the iconic Aviator glasses. Bausch & Lomb designed the first aviator glasses in 1929 but in 1999 they sold their Ray-Ban brand to Luxottica, which of course started to produce them in “both Italy and China” (guess where the one YOU buy would be coming from?) Predictably, their quality plummeted.
In the meantime, Randolph stuck to its guns and continues to make these in the USA. They’re not cheap at around $200-$300 each, but they’re made by Americans in a US-based factory unlike Ray-Bans which are made with cheaper materials, cheap craftsmanship, and lower quality labor and cost only slightly less (which will likely normalize when tariffs kick in).
You can get these on Amazon, if you want to be sure to avoid counterfeiters, get them directly from Randolph.
2. Kaenon Burnet Mid (men) or Kaenon Rockaway (women)
GearLab named these among the best sunglasses for men or women after testing over 100 pairs, and their rave reviews have stuck even after many years. They rate it highly for its blend of comfort, lens performance, and multiple sizing options.
I cringed for a second when I was the phrase “Designed in California”, but my fears subsided when I saw “Made in Italy” in big beautiful letters on their Amazon page (even better, the optics are from Japan). These are slightly cheaper than Randolph at around $150-200.
You can buy these on Amazon, but again, if you want to avoid counterfeiters, go directly to their site, where you’ll find a better shopping experience and better service.
3. Maui Jim
Maui Jim was founded in Lahaina, Hawaii (they’re headquartered in Peoria, Illinois today) and is one of the largest producers of sunglasses in the world. They’re owned by Kerig, a French multinational holding company.
They’re especially known for their exceptional polarized lenses.
The model pictured here is one of their most popular ones, the Ho’okipa rectangle sunglasses. I was nervous when I saw that neither their Amazon page nor their Web site mentioned country of origin, other than “Imported”, but I confirmed with them that these are made in Japan (why would they want to hide this information?)
Based on my research, they also make things in Italy and Mauritius.
Prices for these range around $200-300 as well. This may sound excessive, but I just paid $800 for a pair of prescription glasses and it was life-changing. You really do get what you pay for.
Lots of other styles on their Amazon store and their own Web site.
4. American Optical (AO)
American Optical has been an iconic American brand since 1833 and has been worn by U.S. Presidents, pilots, and even NASA space crews (Buzz Aldrin wore them on the moon). They made the first aviator sunglasses, the first rimless frames, and the first expanded vision frames.
Their most iconic designs are the Original Pilot and Saratoga sunglasses. You can find more designs on Amazon. They’re still made in the USA and also hover around the $200 range.
5. Gatorz
Gatorz is a company that focuses on tactical and military performance sunglasses. They’re crafted from aircraft-grade aluminum, deliver rugged durability and premium optics for those who demand performance in extreme conditions.
They’re unabashedly made in Yuma, Arizona and back all of their frames with a lifetime warranty.
6.Tifosi Optics
Tifosi Optics is another one of those companies that just bugs me in how coy they are about listing country of origin. According to an interview with their founder on the Gravel Ride podcast in 2023, all of their products (except their metal aviators) are made in Taiwan.
And yet on their Amazon pages they’re either inconsistent or coy. For example, on their best-selling Swank Sport sunglasses, they simply put “Imported”, which of course everyone will assume means “made in China”.
Based on every bit of research I did, these are in fact made in Taiwan, and it’s corroborated by a customer photo. Of course, this can change on a dime. At $25, these would be an amazing value if made in Taiwan, but if they’re made in China it’s far too much. My best advice is to buy from Amazon and use their free returns to return it if you find it’s made in China, making sure to tell them why you returned them. You can also buy on their site; they’re not going to be as generous with returns there, so be sure to e-mail them before you buy asking them to confirm that the model you want was made in Taiwan.
7. BluBlockers
While BluBlocker is similarly coy about where they’re made, they did confirm as far back as 2017 that their most famous model, the black original aviator sunglasses, are made in Taiwan. Sure enough, the image on their Web site (which unlike other brands they didn’t bother to Photoshop out—a good sign) corroborates this.
If you were around in the 90s, you’ll remember when BluBlockers were introduced in 1993. The Internet would not be a thing for another few years, so most of us were glued to our TVs. BluBlocker were perhaps the last product to really hit it big based on infomercials alone—their infomercials were all over the place. I remember my brother buying one and letting me try his, and I remember being absolutely blown away by how “green” the greens looked.
While their infomercial beginnings never quite allowed them to have the prestige of a Ray Ban or AO, performance-wise they’re still some of the best you can buy at that price point.
Conclusion
Similar to what I found when I researched my article on reading glasses, sunglasses not made in China tend to be either at the upper end of the market, but if you look hard enough you’ll find great ones in the $50 price range.
Like you probably do, I regularly get “free” sunglasses as giveaways. Not surprisingly, these are worth as much as you paid for them. They’re typically made with low-cost plastic like acrylic and prone to scratching, warping, and cracking. They’re mass produced on factory lines, and lack any kind of optical engineering which can distort vision, cause headaches, and fail to provide consistent tinting. Without any regulartory certification or testing, there are no guarantees that their claims of “UV protection” are in any way valid; chances are they’ll either degrade quickly, block only a small range of UV rays, or were lying altogether.
Your eyes are one of the most precious things in your body to protect. They’re worth investing in.
Do you know of any other sunglasses worthy of mention here? Let us know in the comments.
Just wanted to say if their would ever be an article on the tariffs that are being place on china and the how this might make finding Chinese products easier. And how this will effect avoiding Chinese products. at the current time of writing this post depending on what will happen before midnight they may or may not be at 104%.
Thanks for your comment, Kandice. I was thinking about whether to write an article on the tariffs, and your comment convinced me to 🙂 I’ll try to publish it in the next few days, as I’m still taking it all in myself.
your welcome, and so far I’m enjoying the ride I’m witnessing. there the only ones being highly terrified (at 145% currently) and i hope that includes the back doors they use to change the country of origin.