We’ve put together our favourite brands for the best wood and bamboo sunglasses money can buy. You can choose from a range of wooden and bamboo frame options for a down to earth look.
These frames are classic and timeless, especially if you’re trying to oust plastic from your home and closet.
Wood sunglasses are both trendy and beautiful, not that we care much about the latest trends as you know. We’re fans of classic chic that can be worn and enjoyed for a few seasons in a row and wood or even bamboo is the perfect durable material that will stand the test of time.
Sunglasses are not just about the frames, the ultimate goal here is to protect your eyes from sun damage in the long run. It’s not always the well known and expensive brands that deliver the most protection. Polarized lenses are great for removing glare, but not necessarily UV rays so double check these ratings separately. If you’d like to know more about the type of lenses and the protection they provide keep reading below the top picks list.
Our Picks for the Best Wood + Bamboo Sunglasses
Paul Ven Ebony Wood Square Wayfarer, Wooden Sunglasses
Material | Ebony Wood
Average Price | £49.99
Paul Ven is a family-owned business based in London. They have a small workshop where they create sustainable fashion accessories from unique materials. Their products are hand made so each item will have its own unique qualities.
Their production process starts with wood sourcing and preparation to ensure sustainability. To cut the wood they use 3D wood cutting as well as CO2 laser machines. After finishing and polishing each of the parts, the sunglasses are assembled by hand.
These square wayfarer sunglasses are made from polished ebony. They sport a birch veneer in the middle for extra durability.
What’s in the box? These beautifully made sunglasses come with a cleaning cloth, fabric bag and sunglasses box.
The beauty of these is that each pair is slightly different, making these glasses extra special.
Ecospeakers Polarized Wooden Sunglasses
Material | Elmwood
Average Price | £170
Ecospeakers, a company based in France, is known for its wooden speaker products, but they also produce beautiful handmade wooden sunglasses. This pair is made from Elmwood.
The lenses are polarized and protect against UV-a and UV-b rays, providing optimal vision comfort by reducing glare. These are great for driving by the sea, in the mountains or city and you are assured of a comfortable fit as the frames are nice and light.
Don’t worry your glasses won’t slip down your nose during hot weather because unlike plastic the wood breathes. Providing ultimate comfort and wearability.
What’s in the box? A beautiful pair of wood sunglasses, of course, a microfibre cloth and a wooden box.
Hammockable Handmade Maple Wood Sunglasses – Polarized
Material | Maple Wood
Average Price | Price not available
Hammockable is an Arizona based start-up, dedicated to designing a Hammockable lifestyle. They love hammocks and believe everyone should take a swing for 10-15 minutes a day. It sounds like a good philosophy to us! We can see how these handmade wooden sunglasses will look great on a hammock, or anywhere you like really!
These beautiful glasses are handcrafted and laser engraved, made of natural maple wood. Crafted from unused scrap wood originally used to make skateboards these are both stylish and sustainable. With its polarized UV400 lenses, you are protected against glare and UV rays.
For each pair of sunglasses sold Hammockable will plant 5 trees. They partnered up with Trees for the Future, to leave a positive impact in the world.
What’s in the box? Free bamboo gift box, Hammockable microfibre poach, stylish pair of shades.
Angie Wood Creations Co Polarized Zebrawood Sunglasses
Material | Zebrawood
Average Price | $29.99
Angie Wood Creations is a family-owned business based out of Canada, headquartered in French-speaking Quebec. They deliver an eco-friendly product range made from wood. You can even find bow ties, handbags and wooden watches in their shop. All products are handcrafted from sustainable wood, delivering a one-of-a-kind item.
Their designs are contemporary and include polarized lenses along with stainless steel flex hinges for a comfortable fit. We love that you can personalise your sunglasses with an engraving of your own!
What’s in the box? Your beautifully made polarized sunglasses in a bamboo wood box.
TZ Lifestyle Floating Dark Bamboo
Material | Bamboo
Average Price | £35.32
Creatively designed in Hawaii, these floating bamboo wayfarers from TZ Lifestyle is a multifunctional product that covers your eyes but also floats in water. Don’t worry about losing your bamboo sunglasses in the ocean ever again as they’ll just float straight to the top – no problem at all!
TZ Lifestyle handcrafts its bamboo sunglasses, making each pair beautiful and unique. They come with polarized, scratch-resistant and anti-reflective UV protection lenses. Keep your eyes safe while you’re doing your favourite activities both in or out of the water.
What’s in the box? Bamboo sunglasses, bamboo box and carry case.
Woodword Polarized Bamboo Wood Sunglasses
Material | Bamboo
Average Price | $36.95
Woodword – not to be confused with Woodworm also a sunglass brand – makes beautiful bamboo sunglasses. These are 100% handmade from bamboo, each with its unique grain.
The lenses are HD polarized UV400, protecting your eyes from the sun. A lightweight, yet super sturdy frame and double spring hinges provide a very comfortable fit. You’d think these look quite rigid, but looks can be deceiving as they fit comfortably without added pressure in the wrong places.
You’ll find these to be available in black, brown and blue to suit most eco-friendly tastes. Or perhaps one for every mood.
What’s in the box? A microfibre pouch, soft glasses cloth, polarized test card and pair of bamboo glasses.
WOODIES Walnut Wood Sunglasses
Material | Walnut Wood
Average Price |No products found.
Woodies Wood Sunglasses was founded by digital nomad and four hour work week enthusiast Cory Stout. They make a range of beautiful wooden sunglasses for a fun, beach-ready lifestyle.
These glasses offer a combination of natural walnut wood arms that support a plastic frame. So, they are not 100% plastic-free, which isn’t ideal if your first priority is reducing plastic in your life. But if you’ll be using these for many years the impact will, of course, be less than a single season pair.
This pair of Woodies Sunglasses come with mirror coated polarized lenses for 100% UV protection. Made from Walnut wood you’ll find that this pair is around 50% lighter than a standard pair.
What’s in the box you ask? Your sunglasses come with a carry case, lens cloth and a wooden guitar pick.
Gearonic Polarized Bamboo Lightweight Wood Vintage Sunglasses
Material | Bamboo
Average Price | No products found.
Vintage carbonised bamboo frames with polarized lenses – these funky and affordable bamboo sunglasses are practical, sporty and beautiful.
The tinted lenses provide UV protection, is durable and fun. If you’re one of those people who are always breaking their glasses, not to worry bamboo is super durable in most situations. Being lightweight they won’t fatigue or weigh down on your ears and the spring arms provide a comfortable fit.
Being bamboo, these glasses will float in water so don’t worry about losing them somewhere at the bottom of the ocean.
What’s in the box? A bamboo case and a pair of polarized bamboo sunglasses.
Cloudfield Bamboo Sunglasses
Material | Bamboo
Average Price | No products found.
Handcrafted from Bamboo, Cloudfield makes a stylish looking pair of bamboo sunglasses for the snow, beach, motorway or mountains – you decide. Bamboo is a fast-growing and self-replenishing plant, making them a sustainable crop if grown in the right location.
The lenses within these beauties are 9 layer polarized lenses with a double UV blocking coating. So if safety and style is your priority then these glasses should be a great fit! And you can choose from a wide range of lens colours.
What’s in the box? A protective bamboo case, microfibre pouch and a pair of polarized bamboo sunglasses.
Mini Tree Skateboard Wood Sunglasses Polarized
Material | Skateboard Wood Off-Cuts
Average Price | Price not available
Mini Tree makes these stylish sunglasses from off-cut/scrap skateboard wood. They come in two beautiful colours and are purposefully girly!
Lightweight with retro styling, the frames are made of wood with metal components and are all waterproof making them perfect for water sports and everyday wear. Take them with you wherever you may choose to go. They come with 9 layer polarized lenses and a double UV blocking coating for solid UV protection.
What’s in the box? Every pair of sunglasses comes with a personalised bamboo travel case, cloth and pouch for safekeeping.
TREEHUT Wooden Bamboo Sunglasses
Material | Bamboo
Average Price | Price not available
Treehut wood makes watches and bamboo sunglasses, perfect for outdoor souls and adventure lovers. The company started in the family basement and have been making handcrafted sunglasses since 2014 from its base in California. Their bamboo sunglasses are environmentally conscious and beautifully designed.
Suitable for any occasion, these fit comfortably while protecting your eyes. The lenses of their aviator pair are non-polarized with a scratch-resistant coating. And the Square Keyhole frames come with polarized lenses. Treehut has a wide range of styles for every occasion.
What’s in the box? Your beautifully made bamboo sunglasses.
Types of Lenses – What Does the Lingo Mean?
Don’t get bamboozled by lens terminology ever again, below is a list of lens types that you should be aware of when shopping for sunglasses
- Polarized – these types of lenses help to reduce glare from reflective surfaces. Giving you a sharper and clearer picture. Just being polarized does not automatically mean that you’ll have UV protection, make sure to check the UV protection separately
- Photochromic – these lenses will darken with sunlight exposure. You’ll often get them from opticians and will most likely be a prescription lens that darkens as they are exposed to sunlight
- Blue lenses – these are generally to combat digital eye strain and aren’t very common in sunglasses
- Anti-reflective lenses – these will reduce glare and halos
- Mirrored lenses – these will likely protect against glare, but not necessarily UV
- Anti-scratch – lenses with an anti-scratch coating will help protect against scratches that can let UV light in
How to Choose the Best Bamboo & Wooden Sunglasses
As with any wood and bamboo sunglasses, there are a few things you should look out for when buying your next pair. Good protection will help look after your vision and a comfortable fit will ensure that you keep your shades on for as long as you’re in the sun. There really is no point buying uncomfortable glasses that weighs down on your nose or temples, giving you a nasty headache. If that happens you’ll just take the glasses off and lose the UV protection you wanted them for in the first place.
So, what do you need to look out for when buying your next pair of sunglasses?
- Double-check the UV protection: Make sure the lenses you choose provide 100% UV protection, or as close to that as possible. Look out for CE UV 400 or British Standard mark
- Bigger coverage is always better. We love oversized or large-sized sunglasses for this reason – they can help cut exposure to UV rays as they cover more area
- Colour is just for show and doesn’t add any additional UV protection so pick what you like as long as it has a good UV rating
- Cost doesn’t determine quality, you’ll find that some cheaper lenses can provide good protection as well
- Polarized lenses combat glare, not UV rays so double-check the UV protection level of polarized lenses as they might not always be as good as they seem
- Scratched lenses can let UV rays in, so opting for a pair of scratch-resistant sunglasses is a good idea
Join the conversation, feel free to add any of your favourite bamboo and wood sunglass picks down in the comments. we’d love to hear about any other brands that you’ve found and love.
Have fun in the sun – and don’t forget your reef safe and non-toxic sunscreen!
