Best Shooting Glasses of 2023

Protecting your eyes while shooting firearms is a must! If you have spent any time at all in professional classes or formal training, you’ve heard the term “Eyes and ears!” yelled by instructors or cadre. That’s the call to put on eye protection (EyePro) and hearing protection (EarPro). You should absolutely always be wearing both. So, to address the first half of Eyes and Ears, I will list what I think are the best shooting glasses available.

We’ll discuss EarPro in another article.

Although any set of glasses is better than nothing, having eye protection designed and intended for shooting can really make all the difference for eye safety as well as shooting performance.

List of Best Shooting Glasses

Our top 5 best shooting glasses are:

1. Revision i-Vis EyePro
2. Oakley Tombstone Glasses
3. Smith Pivlock Echo Glasses
4. Beretta Clash Shooting Glasses
5. Radians Revelation Glasses

Another 3 that are worth a look:

• Oakley M Frame 2.0
• Aegis Echo II
• ESS Crossbow

Best Shooting Glasses By Rank

1. Editor’s Choice Revision i-Vis		Preferred by several GU staffers Extraordinary contrast without loss of detail	Check price
2. Oakley Tombstone Glasses		GU Founder Ryan Cleckner’s choice Premium option with excellent design and interchangeable lenses	Check Amazon
3. Smith Pivlock Echo Glasses		Excellent option (should be tied for #1 and #2) Super high quality shooting glasses with interchangeable lenses	Check Amazon
4. Beretta Clash Shooting Glasses		High quality eye protection in a standard style Many shooting-specific lens color options	Check Amazon
5. Radians Revelation Glasses		Every shooter should own at least on pair of these. Inexpensive option as a backup or loaner pair.	Check Amazon

Reviews of the Best Shooting Glasses

Revision i-Vis Glasses Review

These protective lenses are listed first because so many of the Gun University writers wear them. Something like half our faculty (including our editor) prefers these to other eyepro and apparently wears them as “EDC sunglasses” as much as they do on the range and in training.

The most impressive part of these glasses is the lens technology – not the protective qualities, though obviously, that’s significant. These lenses provide high-quality contrast without losing detail. That’s something even the highest-end manufacturers have previously been unable to accomplish.

You might be thinking, but what about polarized lenses? I get it. Initially, I was right there with you. Let me try to explain without getting deep into the science weeds.

Increasing contrast previously required a polycarbonate material that blocks some wavelengths of light. This does improve perceived contrast, but it does so by restricting what’s called Gamut Expansion. Gamut Expansion is the number of colors (including gradation of colors) you can see.

When you polarize a lens, which, make no mistake has its benefits, you reduce the range of colors someone can see.

When you tint a lens, which also has benefits, you also degrade the colors a person can see, and you increase eye fatigue.

Think of it like a box of crayons. The best lenses to date have allowed you to see the basic colors in the basic box of 8. Maybe even what you’d get in a 24-pack. Depending on what tint or type of lens you’re looking or, you might see some of those crayons really, really well, but no matter how well you see them, you’re still restricted to what’s in the small box.

With an i-Vis lens, on the other hand, you see all the crayons in the 120-count box. (Or whatever the biggest box is now; when I was a kid, you couldn’t get more than a 64-pack, but apparently, that’s changed.)

This won’t be a big deal for some people, but it’s a VERY big deal for others. Light is information to the brain, and contrast enables detail and differentiation. How do you argue about getting more of that?

This doesn’t mean the frog you’re looking at will look any greener. It means that when you look at that specific frog, you will see that specific frog’s actual, individual, specific green.

Now, apply that ~130% or so improvement in ocular resolution to your attempt to identify a prize game animal at a distance, or to quickly acquire the right target in a chaotic environment, or even to notice subtle changes in soil color where someone buried something you really don’t want to step on.

The advantages are obvious.

Oh, and they protect your eyes too!

Oakley Tombstone Glasses Review

These shooting glasses are my go-to glasses lately for when I’m going to the gun range.

Check out most of the recent videos on the GunUniversity YouTube channel, and you’ll see me wearing them.

Oakley is obviously a big name in sunglasses, and it is awesome to see the company make these shooting-specific glasses and deliver them with a set of lenses and case.

These glasses come with a great case for carrying the glasses and the extra lenses to the range, and they come in two sizes: Spoil (smaller) and Reap (larger). And, even though I have a HUGE head and normally get the larger option for glasses, I have the smaller Spoils and think they’re perfect.

In the video above, you can see what went into designing these shooting-specific glasses and, if you’re active in the shooting community, you might recognize two of my friends in the video: my Ranger-buddy Mike Cassidy and shooting phenom Daniel Horner.

What I love about these: First, the reason I grab these glasses most often is because of how high the lens goes. Notice that the lens extends above my eyebrows.

Why is this a good thing for shooting eye protection you ask – well, for pistols it doesn’t matter as much but for long-guns (rifles and shotguns) once my head is on the stock, I am looking out of the very top of my lenses. On some glasses (regular sunglasses for me), the top frame of the glasses impedes my view and either prompts me to take them off while I’m shooting (not good) or to alter my head position to see clearly (also not good).

The frameless design also seems to help keep these from fogging up for me by allowing heat to flow up freely.

The colors of the lenses are awesome. First, clear is a must. Second, having some protection from the bright sun without being too dark so that it becomes difficult to see the sights and/or target can be a tough balance. Oakley figured this out with the rose’ish and gray/brownish lenses in the Tombstone kit.

Also, if you’re into shooting clays with a shotgun, Oakley even made a specific lens that makes it easier to see clay targets! If that’s not dedication to making the best set of shooting eye protection, I don’t know what is.

Interchangeable lenses are not new, but having them be this easy is. Most glasses I’ve used with interchangeable lenses involve smearing up the lenses with your hands while you’re trying to snap the lenses into place while worrying that you’re going to break the lens. This is not the case with these – there’s a simple push button mechanism on each side that allows for super easy lens changes and a place on the lens to hold them, so you don’t dirty them up.  A+

What I’d change: I only have two minor gripes. First, I wish they had a polarized option available. Second, I wish the arms were flatter so that they were more comfortable with over the ear hearing protection.

I prefer to wear my Howard Leight Impact Sport Bolt ear muffs while I’m doing a lot of shooting or teaching. And, even with the NoiseFighter Gel Pad upgrades, feeling ear muffs push the arms into the side of your head can be annoying and uncomfortable after a while.

Oakley Tombstone Glasses Pros and Cons

Smith Pivlock Echo Glasses Review

For many years, all I would wear were Smith Optics glasses for eye protection while shooting. This was because they had no optical distortion near the edge of the lens like some others do, and they have flat arms that were super comfortable under ear muffs.

So, why aren’t they our #1 recommendation? Well, it was tough. It is probably fair to say that these would be tied for #1 except for the fact that I find myself using my Oakley Tombstones more often lately.

The distortion free edges were important to me because, as we discuss above, when shooting a long gun, you very often are using only the very top section of the lenses. This meant that the edge of the lens was frequently in my view.

Well, the Oakley Tombstones have lenses that are a bit taller thereby keeping me from having to use the edge and for my size head, I prefer them a bit more. However, these Smiths have superior arms over the Oakleys and are almost half the cost.

So, I’ll make it easy for you: if you like the larger lenses on the Oakleys and the cost isn’t an issue, get them. However, if you’d rather save some money and have flat arms on your glasses, these Smith Pivlock Echos are for you.

What I love: THE FLAT ARMS! This seems so simple, but they are not only much more comfortable when wearing are muffs, but they also allow a better fit, and therefore better function, of your ear muff hearing protection.

I also love the superior clarity and protection given by these glasses.

What I’d change: I’d make the lenses a bit easier to swap out, I’d have them come with a nicer carrying case, and I’d make the lens a bit taller.

Smith Pivlock Echo Glasses Pros and Cons

Beretta Clash Shooting Glasses Review

Beretta makes quality products (including my favorite shotgun) so it is no surprise that their shooting glasses are so popular.

As you can tell from my top two recommendations above, I tend to wear wrap-around style shooting glasses, however, if you are looking for a more standard/frame style of eye protection, I highly recommend these Beretta Clash glasses.

These glasses come in GREAT lens colors for shooting – yes, even the purple I’m wearing here are awesome for shooting at clay targets with a shotgun.

The only down-side I can think of with these glasses are that the lenses aren’t interchangeable. For many shooters (maybe you?) that is a good thing – no pieces/parts to lose or break, and you have the simplicity of having one pair of glasses to grab and go.

These are so nice/such high quality that you probably don’t want these as just an extra set of eye protection that you keep in your range bag for someone else to borrow while they’re shooting. Instead, get the much less expensive Radians below as your loaner set – when you look through these, you’ll see that you won’t want to let anyone else wear them.

Beretta Clash Shooting Glasses Pros and Cons

Radians Revelations Glasses Review

These glasses may have come in at #4 of our list for best shooting glasses, but they should be the FIRST ones you purchase.

Why?

Because they offer everything you need to protect your eyes while shooting at a super low price. And, they’re not “cheap” feeling – sure, they aren’t as nice as the safety glasses above, but they aren’t junk either.

Even if you prefer another style of shooting glasses as your main set, these are handy to keep an extra set of shooting safety glasses in at least your range bag. I think grabbing a few pairs makes sense, and keeping another set in your vehicle makes sense too.

Sometimes, I might forget my favorite glasses. It happens. If I do, these are there as a backup. Or, perhaps I take someone shooting, and they need to borrow a set? No problem, they can borrow these.

But, there are also times when I’ve wished I had some safety glasses with me, and that’s why I like to keep these in the console of my truck. If they get scratched (or stolen) I’m not heartbroken.

These are no frills, but they are great to protect your eyes while shooting. Grab an extra set or two, and I’m willing to bet that sometime in the next year you’ll thank me.

Radians Revelation Glasses Pros and Cons

Oakley M Frame 2.0 Review

Coming in at number 5 on my list is the Oakley M Frame 2.0 Industrial Safety Glasses. If you’re in the market for a new pair of safety glasses, these are a great option to consider. I’ll use these glasses while shooting, but will also use them if I’m in construction mode and building something around the house. Although a little pricey, they’re still a great choice for safety and protection.

Some features of these glasses that I like is that the lenses on the M Frame safety glasses are impact-resistant and offer UV protection, so you can be sure your eyes will be well-protected from any potential hazards. The frames are also really comfortable to wear, even if I’ve been wearing them for hours.

Overall, the Oakley M Frame 2.0 safety glasses are a great option for anyone in need of a new pair of safety glasses. They offer good protection and comfort, and they’re sure to last you for many years to come.

Oakley M Frame 2.0 Pros and Cons

Aegis Echo II Review

The Aegis Echo II safety glasses from Smith Optics are a great option for shooters looking for protective eyewear that’s stylist and can protect from harmful UV rays. The clear lens offers clear, unobstructed vision and has a super comfortable fit. I love how the lenses are also scratch-resistant as I usually have a pair in the center console of the truck, this way I can keep them looking like new for longer. They also have antifog lenses.

They’re Super thin, moldable alloy temples fit cleanly under ear protection without breaking the seal and have an adjustable nose piece for a perfect fit.

Overall, the Smith Optics Aegis Echo II sport glasses are an excellent choice for anyone who needs reliable eye protection whether indoor shooting or outdoor.

Aegis Echo II Pros and Cons

ESS Crossbow Review

If you’re looking for ballistic protection and a great pair of ballistic glasses for shooting, the last option that made my list is the ESS Crossbow Ballistic Glasses. These glasses offer excellent protection from flying debris and are comfortable to wear, even for extended periods of time.

Buying the kit comes with interchangeable lenses in clear and gray options to suit the frame. The clear and smoke gray colored lens and black frames are also approved for use in the U.S. Military and can be a great pair of sunglasses. This line has multiple options, including the Crossbow Response, ESS Crossbow Suppressor, Crossbow Suppressor 2X, Crossbow Suppressor One, and more.

These are definitely a set of protective shooting glasses that I believe are worthy of being in our top picks list. If you’re in the market for a new pair of safety glasses, these should be a consideration.

ESS Crossbow Pros and Cons

Buyer’s Guide for the Best Shooting Glasses

When it comes to firearms, you can never be too safe. It is very important to wear the correct PPE whether you are out and about on a hunting expedition or enjoying yourself at a shooting ranch during target practice.

Protective shooting glasses or shooting sunglasses are one of those must-have pieces of protective eyewear to include with your kit whenever you go shooting. But don’t simply dive in and buy the first pair of safety goggles you find. In this buyer’s guide to shooting glasses, we will show you what to look for if you want to enjoy the best possible protection.

You’ll want to consider a few points as you read through this article such as, do you wear prescription glasses and if so does this translate well to prescription shooting glasses, ballistic protection – are you looking for some ballistic eyewear because not all shooting glasses are created equal, and are you hoping to reduce UV rays. Having the correct glasses for the job is important to consider as you start to what products will suit you.

If you do wear corrective lenses and you have the option of doing so, you might consider having an updated eye exam before investing in ballistic prescription glasses. There’s no sense in spending that money on an outdated Rx.

Benefits of Using Shooting Glasses

Protective glasses are super important for shooters. And this type of safety gear can offer you lots of benefits, and not just the most important one (keeping your sight!). A good polycarbonate lens (not glass) can actually be a good, protective addition to your Every Day Carry (EDC), with or without a lens tint or polarized lenses.

Among these advantages are:  

• These glasses offer good protection from natural elements such as wind, twigs, branches, dust, and sand that could irritate or damage your eyes.
• Glasses can protect you from excessive gunpowder that can blow back into your eyes.
• The eyewear will offer protection against spent cartridges as they eject from yours or other firearms.
• Quality glasses can also improve your visual acuity, so you can perform better during target practice.
• Colored glasses will reduce the intensity of bright colors that can cause eye strain (including permanent damage) in bright sunlight – especially in certain eye-damaging environments like the desert or snowy and icy environments.
• Some glasses & sunglasses also offer added UV ray protection.
• Does the protective eyewear offer a solution for prescription shooting glasses.
• Some shooting sunglasses offer a polarized lens option, which many prefer for fishing glasses and/or hunting eyewear.
• Impact resistance can also mitigate any harm you might take from a non-kinetic strike.

Keep in mind, this doesn’t have to be something you practice when you’re worried about glare. Lots of people wear clear lens protective glasses in low light and no-light situations. Many first responders wear EyePro on the night shift. I wear it when I’m busting brush before the sun comes up.

What to Look for When Buying Shooting Glasses

Quality shooting glasses are made according to specific safety standards. And there are quite a few different types of shooting glasses on the market. However, do you know what to look for? Or what safety standards your glasses should be compliant with?

Levels of Protection for Shooting Glasses

Shooting glasses must be made according to one of two eye protection standards: the ANSI or the MIL-PRF-31013 standard.

The ANSI Standard

Glasses that are made according to ANSI standards are referred to as Z87 glasses and meet all standards set by the American National Standards Institute. Z87 standard glasses all offer resistance against a .25 steel ball traveling at 150fps. This resistance level offers you ample protection, but probably won’t stop a bullet.

Shotgun ball pellets, for example, travel at a speed of 1000fps or more and will probably easily shatter these glasses, but they still offer ample protection against many other elements.

MIL-RPF-31013 Standard

These glasses can resist a 0.15 diameter ball traveling at a speed of 650fps. As you can see, these glasses offer more protection than ANSI standards, but still aren’t powerful enough to stop a projecting shotgun pellet. Still, this pair does offer quite a lot of protection from projectiles.

By buying glasses that are ANSI or MIL, you are guaranteed that the glasses you use for eye protection will offer the best impact resistance you can get from eyewear.

Shooting Glasses Construction and Material

Shooting glasses are made of several materials. The type of materials used can impact the strength and resistance of your glasses, and can also impact the weight of your glasses.

Most shooting glasses are made of a polycarbonate lens that meets required safety standards. Polycarbonate is a preferable material for shooting glasses because it’s the same one used to make bulletproof glass.

This material isn’t just powerful, it is also a lightweight product that won’t cause discomfort when you wear your sunglasses. When you are buying a pair of shooting glasses, you should also check the certification on the materials used. Quality manufacturers ensure that the glasses are scratch-resistant.

What are Shooting Glasses Lens Colors Best For?

Shooting glasses are available in a huge variety of colors. Many simply buy shooting glasses based on color preference. But, these different colors have some real effects on your vision during shooting. Here’s a quick look at the top colors you can look out for when buying shooting glasses.

Clear

These lenses are usually a standard option. Many do prefer a clear look because they are perfect for operating in low-light situations. They are also a good pick for group sessions or ranches where multiple individuals might be borrowing the same pair of eyewear.

Yellow

These tinted glasses are ideal for blocking out blue light such as blue sky-glare, haze, or light fogginess. Yellow lenses also tend to create a more detailed edge around objects, so you can see depth with greater accuracy.

Orange

Orange lenses are also great for blocking out blue light. These lenses can also bring out the orange or red colors on targets, so you can acquire your target easier.

Amber

Amber lenses will also block out some blue light. They are the second-best option behind clear lenses in low-light conditions, because you can still see relatively well while wearing these glasses. The amber lenses also create more contrast in your vieview,w so your target can stand out better in foggy or low-light conditions.

Brown/Tan

These lenses are often mistaken for orange lenses. They also bring out orange and red-colored targets, but also offer good protection from damaging UV light. Brown lenses are usually ideal for tactical or quick-paced target practice like disk shooting, because these lenses will calm your eyes and enlarge your pupils, so you can detect movement with ease.

Gray

Gray lenses work a lot like your typical sunglasses. They offer good UV protection and reduce the glare of bright conditions. These glasses have a calming effect on your eyes, and many do enjoy buying gray glasses because they can double as sunglasses.

Blue/Purple

Purple or blue lenses are ideal for hunting or for shooting against trees, camouflaged setups, or greens. The blue or purple lenses create more contrast between green and orange or other colors. This makes it easier to blur out the background, so you can focus better on your target.

Red

There are some competitors who say red lenses will help you pick out orange target clays, making them more effective in competitive shooting events. I haven’t personally tried this, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work. This is a color you might want to research a little more before making the investment. 

Whether you choose to buy clear glasses or colored glasses, it is important to get a pair that offers needed UV protection so your eyes will be shielded from the sun’s glare.

Other Features to Watch for When Choosing EyePro

The previous three points are the most crucial to keep in mind when buying glasses. But there are also a few other things that can affect the way you feel about your new shooting shades. Here’s what to keep in mind when you go shopping for shooting glasses:

Size and Fit

It is important to feel comfortable in your eyewear. Glasses that pinch your nose and ears, slide down your face, or are otherwise ill-fitting can be very annoying to wear. The glasses you choose should fit across your nose and shouldn’t move when you look up or down. Wraparound glasses are often preferable for sport or tactical shooting conditions because they offer a tight fit.

Prescription Glass or Fit Over Glasses

You can get prescription shooting glasses custom-made with a prescription lens, but these tend to be expensive. If you do wear specs, it is better to invest in a pair of safety glasses that fit over your spectacles. This way you can still see well and protect your eyes and eyewear. But getting a pair of prescription safety glasses could be a good consideration. Do not wear non-ballistic-related corrective lenses as EyePro. That’s not how it works. 

Lens Weight

Always opt for the lightest pair of shooting glasses you can find. Any spec wearer will tell you this. Heavy specs can cause headaches and are a pain to wear, so a nice, light pair of protective eyewear is a must.

Style

Shooting glasses come in a huge variety of styles. Your personal preference will have the biggest impact on the pair you buy. It is good to get a pair that you like and that you feel comfortable wearing in public, because this encourages you to wear your protective gear more often.

Anti Fog Coating

Some shooting glasses do come with an antifog coating. This coating is ideal for shooting in cold or humid climates, since it prevents your eyewear from getting all foggy when warm air from your face suddenly condensates against your cold lenses.

Scratch Resistant Coating

If you are buying an expensive pair of glasses, it is best to look for ones that have a scratch-resistant coating. Glasses can get scratched up pretty quickly, and these scratches are irreversible. If your glasses get too scratched up, you will need to buy a new pair. This scratch-resistant coating will offer more protection, so your glasses stay in great shape for longer.

Manufacturing Date

Polypropylene and plastic used in the manufacturing of shooting glasses can expire over time. Exposure to sunlight can increase the degrading of these materials. It is good to check out the manufacturing date on sunglasses to ensure that your pair is still in good condition. It is also a good idea to replace your shooting glasses every 2 – 3 years, especially if you wear them frequently or leave your pair out in the open instead of stored in an eyeglasses case.