Use these picks to stash your precious lenses during any activity from camping to city sightseeing.
Alesandra Dubin is an LA-based lifestyle writer and editor. As a veteran digital journalist, she's covered travel, food, parenting, and more for over 15 years. Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, TripSavvy, and countless other online and print outlets. An avid traveler, she often trots the globe with her husband and their twins. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @alicedubin. Alesandra holds a master's degree in journalism with an emphasis on cultural reporting and criticism from NYU, and a bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley. Jewelry Music Box
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The day you scratch the heck out of your favorite sunglasses on some detritus at the bottom of your travel bag wilI be the last day you go without a case. It doesn’t have to be expensive or boast a designer label, but a basic sunglass case is an absolute must to protect your shades from ruin on any kind of trip.
Our picks for the best sunglasses cases include softside and hardside picks, plus options in every type of material, from recycled polyester to metal. A good option is both protective and portable so we love that our top choice folds completely flat when the shades are on your face — a smart space saver for travel days. Check out the eight best cases below.
This hardshell case folds down to store completely flat so it takes up less space when you’re not using it.
Smaller sunglasses may slide out of this folding case as it is plenty roomy.
For travel, compactness and efficiency is always the name of the game — and this simple-but-smart sunglasses case checks those boxes nicely. It weighs just above four ounces, and folds completely flat for compact storage in your bag when the glasses are on your face.
This case is also made of vegan leather, so it’s cruelty-free, plus rings in at a budget-friendly price point. You can scoop up several if you like to travel with multiple pairs and you just may be tempted to do so as this smartly designed case comes in 26 different colors. It has a reasonably rugged hard shell and closes by magnet, so there are no buttons or snaps to break either.
The Details: 7.5 x 4 x 0.6 inches | Vegan leather | Magnetic closure
This hard case is totally protective — and just plain cute for tropical travels.
There’s only one color and size available.
This classic clamshell-closure hard case made of rugged coated canvas is a longtime favorite among Madewell fans, available in various styles over time. It strikes just the right balance between ample size and compactness, with room for even oversized sunnies without any risk of sliding out on the go. Best of all, the cute woven style makes an ideal accessory for your next beach vacation.
The Details: Cotton | Clamshell closure
This lightweight case has plush padding and a zipper closure to keep your sunnies fully secure in any conditions.
The outdoorsy look skews more casual than elegant.
This sleeping bag-like case from 40-year-old brand Chums evokes camping gear, but it’s ideal for everyday, all-purpose use, too. The padded case has a zipper closure to keep your specs secure, and the super-soft lining protects lenses from scratching — even in a rugged outdoor environment. Plus, it’s lightweight and compact, so it preserves precious bag space.
The Details: 10.19 x 3.63 x 0.75 inches | Fleece and polyester | Zipper closure
It’s a timeless, all-purpose carrying solution in rugged genuine leather.
This case is conveniently roomy for larger frames, but expect it to take up a fair amount of real estate in your travel bag.
This Ray-ban case is simply a classic. It’s made of real leather with a foldover flap and snap closure, plus a super-soft lining to protect lenses. It’s roomy enough for big sunglasses, and structured enough to protect them thoroughly. Bonus: It also comes with a lens-cleaning cloth to keep inside for swiping out smudges on the go.
The Details: 6 x 1.5 x 1.5 inches | Leather | Snap closure
Metal makes this case durable and ultra-protective.
Expect the shiny exterior to show some scratches and dings (even while the case keeps the contents fully protected).
Oakley doesn’t call this case a “vault” for nothing: Its metal hard shell affords serious protection for your most precious (or fragile) shades. The look skews punk rock, but a soft lining banishes scratches. And, although the slim case is durable and compact, it is deceptively lightweight and roomy on the inside as well.
The Details: Metal | Clamshell closure
This multifunctional zipper pouch attaches to gear or clothing, and it’s sustainably made.
The soft exterior may not provide much protection against smashing or crushing.
This zippered pouch is a case for sunglasses, but it’s also a hard-working multitasker for travel. Its versatile shape securely holds all sorts of small accessories — think headphones, keys, and pens — with a zipper closure and protective microfiber interior. (It can even help keep a small beverage insulated in a pinch.) The paracord loop means you can attach this to any gear or clothing so it won't get smushed inside a larger bag. Plus, it's made out of 100-percent post-consumer recycled polyester.
The Details: 6.75 x 3.25 inches | Recycled polyester | Zipper closure
With a smart roll-up design, this case holds five pairs at once, and it conveniently hangs at your destination for display and storage.
The tradeoff for holding five pairs is that this case is bulky in a bag.
This thoughtfully designed case holds five pairs of glasses, so you don't have to leave your favorites at home — or you can tote shades for the whole family at once. It’s also genius for use at a hotel, Airbnb, or even at home: When you unfold the case, you can hang it anywhere by the attached loop to store and display your frames.
The Details: PU | Snap closure
This sunglass case comes with two different lengths of lanyards with many practical carrying applications for travel.
This case may not securely hold smaller-sized sunnies.
This soft, leather-like case has a novel approach to storing sunglasses: It holds the arms securely on the outside while protecting lenses from scratching inside the pouch. It’s super practical for travel as it also comes with two lanyards — one longer and one shorter — so you can wear it around your wrist or your neck, or clasp it onto a bag. Plus, six color choices from neutral to bold just may tempt you to wear it like an accessory, too.
The Details: 7.09 x 4.33 x 0.59 inches | PU | Snap closure
When it comes to travel, size matters: You’ll want a case as compact as possible to take up precious little space in your bag. But you’ll also need one adequately big enough for your frames as well as the number of pairs you’re traveling with.
First decide where and when you’ll use this item. Rugged adventurers may prefer a hard-shelled case in metal or leather. Day trippers might prefer a more compact style, such as a sleeve or soft-sided case, in lightweight materials like polyester. If you’re transporting your sunglasses in a purse or carry-on, softside cases with plush lining may be all the protection you need. But if you’re tossing the case into a checked bag, protective styles and hardy fabrics are key.
Yes, you can use eyeglasses and sunglasses cases interchangeably as long as your frames fit inside. But you should also be able to store all your glasses at the same time when you need to — say, when you get in the pool and have none on your face at all. So, for two pairs, you’ll need at least a second sleeve or multi-pair storage case to store both at once in the same location.
The primary point of a case is to protect the delicate lenses — so do your part by inserting your glasses with care. Place them in with the lenses facing up (not down) if the case is the type with a distinct top and bottom, and consider putting a cleansing cloth on top for added lens protection.
How long your sunglasses case will last depends entirely on the specifics of the case itself. Cases made of rugged, durable materials like leather may hold up longer, even for many years, compared with some manmade alternatives. (In some cases, durability and quality correspond to cost — but not always.) Sunglass cases with fewer working parts like hinges and snaps tend to last longer as there are fewer components that could break.
There’s no hard and fast rule as each type can run the full gamut of price ranges but you may find hard cases to be more expensive than soft ones. This is because the materials might be more substantial (such as metal or leather over polyester), or there may be more hardware involved (such as hinges and clasps).
Alesandra Dubin is a career travel and lifestyle writer and product reviewer. She’s also worn glasses since she was a child and never leaves the house without sunglasses for her light-sensitive blue eyes. She always travels with multiple pairs of glasses for various occasions, plus backups just in case.
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