Adults can’t wait for that first glimmer of sunshine to don a new pair of shades, but kids can take a little more convincing. However, sunglasses are more than just an accessory, and children need eye protection just as much as grown ups. Fortunately, I’ve tested the best kids sunglasses to keep eyes safe and summer-style boosted.
We all want to encourage children to spend more time outdoors, but, like sun cream, eye safety matters. UVA rays can pass through the cornea and reach the lens and retina, while UVB rays, although unable to pass through glass or plastic, can still damage the eyes. Sunglasses help by absorbing visible light and offering vital protection to little peepers.
Giles Edmonds, Specsavers clinical services director, says sunglasses aren’t only for bright sunshine: “Even on cloudy days, our children’s eyes can be exposed to UV radiation.”
Protection levels vary, but for everyday use, look for category 3 or UV400 markings. Edmonds recommends “a relatively large yet close-fitting frame” for the best protection, plus durable features such as flexible hinges.
Luckily for fussy young fashionistas, style needn’t be compromised, with plenty of fun yet protective options available. You can find a wide selection of the best kids’ sunglasses in this guide, tried and tested by a seven-year-old and toddler.
Read more: The best kids’ sunscreens, tried and tested
The best kids’ sunglasses for 2026 are:
- Best overall – Leosun colour fade Jamie baby and toddler sunglasses: £30, Leosun.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Monsoon checkerboard round sunglasses: £10, Monsoon.co.uk
- Best for toddlers – Babiators polarised keyhole sunglasses, totally tortoise: £35, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for tweens and teens – Bling2o misty magenta Malibu beach sunglasses: £35, Bling2o.co.uk
Read more: Best travel cots for families on the go
Leosun colour fade Jamie baby and toddler sunglasses
Rating: 4.5/5
Best: kids' sunglasses overall
Why we love it
- Soft, durable feel
- Ultra-flexible frame
- Replacement guarantee
Take note
- Lenses may need more frequent cleaning compared with others
Leosun’s colour fade Jamie design are the best kids’ sunglasses I tested – they feel super supple, with excellent flexibility plus a soft finish that feels delicate against precious young skin. My toddler took very little persuading to put these on, and they sat on his little face perfectly.
Inside the fun, colourful box was a protective pouch, cleaning cloth and eye-catching, high-quality sunglasses. The ultra-flexible frame can bend in every direction without breaking, with durability being well and truly tested by my toddler.
The fade colour design has plenty of kid-appeal, while the shatterproof, polarized lenses are a welcomed touch. As the lenses have a dark tint, they dirtied a little quicker, but that’s where the cleaning cloth comes in handy.
Leosun also offers a free replacement guarantee for any broken or damaged sunglasses. Sustainability has been considered too, with the frames being made from rilsan G850 renew, a bio-based material derived from 45 per cent castor seeds.
Key specifications
Buy now £30, Leosun.co.uk
Monsoon checkerboard round sunglasses
Rating: 3.5/5
Best: budget kids' sunglasses
Why we love it
- Fun design
- Great price
Take note
- Rigid design
Check mate, with these cool unisex shades from Monsoon, the best budget kids’ sunglasses we tried. While these sunglasses were found in the boys section of Monsoon, our seven-year-old girl loved the fun nature of the retro-inspired design. They’re a little more rigid than the other pairs, so we kept them away from our toddler’s clutches, but our older tester was more than happy to take ownership.
As you’d expect from the low price point, while these offer all the right sun safety credentials these are more of a fashion accessory, than ‘built to last’. But for a summer holiday they’re a brilliant option thanks to the purse-friendly price.
Key specifications
Buy now £10, Monsoon.co.uk
Bling2o misty magenta Malibu beach sunglasses
Rating: 4/5
Best: kids' sunglasses for tweens and teens
Why we love it
- Playful design
- Fun detailing
- Robust frames
Take note
- Lenses prone to scratching
- Expensive at full price
A brand predominantly known for its fun yet functional children’s goggles, the Bling2o collection recently grew to include whimsical and wonderful kids’ sunglasses and our mini tester was smitten.
The cats-eye shape is utterly gorgeous, but it’s the detailing that truly stands out. From the gems around the eyes to the rose-tinted mirror lenses, you’ll want to let the cat out of the bag with these shades when the sun is shining.
My seven-year-old tester adores these sunglasses, and the shape fits her face comfortably. They’re robust while withstanding a bit of tugging, and the quality is impressive. It’s worth noting that while the mirror lenses look the part, they can scratch easily if not stored carefully, so I’d recommend using the storage pouch that’s provided. Suitable up to 14 years, these sunnies are ideal for tweens and teens as well as younger children.
Key specifications
Buy now £35, Bling2o.co.uk
Jojo Maman Bebe brown character sunglasses
Rating: 4/5
Best: value for money kids' sunglasses
Why we love it
- Fun bear design
- Budget-friendly
- Lightweight and comfortable
Take note
- A bit flimsy compared with some other pairs
- Lack flexibility
When left to his own choices my toddler gravitated towards this pair of sunglasses from JoJo Maman Bebe, probably largely due to his love for bears, with the cute bear ear detailing on top of the lenses. They feel lightweight making them a comfortable fit, and despite a few drops, the shatter-resistant lenses seem up to the job.
The classic round-hole shape looks adorable on little faces, and my tester was more than happy wearing these muted brown shades. When challenged the frames didn’t feel as robust or offer as much flexibility as some of the more expensive pairs we tested, but for design, likability, comfort and of course cost, we gave these sunglasses a big thumbs (or paws) up!
Key specifications
Buy now £12.5, Jojomamanbebe.co.uk
Babiators polarised keyhole sunglasses, totally tortoise
Rating: 4/5
Best: kids' sunglasses for toddlers
Why we love it
- One-year replacement guarantee
- Comfy fit with no pinch points
- Classic style
- Fully flexible
Take note
- Expensive
Babiators has taken the children’s sunglasses market by storm, and for good reason. A brand has to be confident in its product when it guarantees that if you break them within the first year, they will replace them for free (all you pay is packing and shipping). But after testing out the Babiators keyhole Sunglasses, I’d be pretty stunned if you broke them.
The flexible rubber frame, with impact and shatter-resistant lenses, meant my hands-on toddler could bend, twist, and sit on them without causing harm, which is impressive given the lightweight nature of these sunnies.
They also offer a secure and comfy fit with no pinching points, which kept toddler resistance at bay, but there is the option to add the strap if you’ve a tricky customer. You pay a bit extra for the polarized lenses but quality is undeniable when glancing through with my own eyes – at £45 you’d expect nothing less.
Key specifications
Buy now £35, Amazon.co.uk
Izipizi #d glossy kaki polarized kids' sunglasses
Rating: 4/5
Best: kids' sunglasses for colour options
Why we love it
- Super flexible
- Stylish
- Comes with a silicone cord to wear around neck
Take note
- Silicone cord is a bit stiff
Dealing exclusively in eyewear, Parisian eyewear brand Izipizi knows a thing or two about producing superior shades. From opening the box, and removing the storage pouch it was clear that these sunglasses meant business.
Super springy yet sturdy, these felt up to the challenge of child manhandling, but more importantly they were comfortable to wear with no pinching around the face. They come with a removable silicone cord, which you can adjust (with a bit of force) by pushing the arms further into the cord. It’s a good tool when encouraging our toddler to keep sunglasses on, and when he inevitably tired of wearing them, he reinstated them as a necklace rather than throwing them down.
In true French style, the design is effortlessly cool with 18 colours to choose from, but beyond that these sunglasses are well made and offer brilliant protection thanks to the polarised lenses.
Key specifications
Buy now £30, Izipizi.com
Jojo Maman Bebe tan rounded sunglasses
Rating: 3.5/5
Best: kids' sunglasses with a retro design
Why we love it
- Relatively purse-friendly
- Retro summer feel
Take note
- Can get scratched easily
These rounded sunglasses from JoJo gave us all the nostalgic, coastal holiday feels with its cool painted vertical stripe design. And once on my toddler, nobody could deny how adorable they looked.
The lightweight, shatter-resistant lenses, combined with a flexible frame, felt sturdy and comfortable. While I rated the whimsical design with sun and sand colouring, I found that the stripes began to chip quite easily. Having said that, this is an inexpensive pair of sunglasses that certainly turned heads for cuteness on the beach.
Key specifications
Buy now £12.5, Jojomamanbebe.co.uk
M&S kids’ shell sunglasses
Rating: 4/5
Best: kids' sunglasses for a fun frame shape
Why we love it
- Great price
- Retro summer feel
- Robust
Take note
- Not for those who like a flexible frame
My seven-year-old’s beach day get up wasn’t complete without these shell-shaped sunglasses from M&S. The design turned the head of my young style-conscious tester, and the pearlescent flecks in the cream frame shine beautifully under the sun.
As I expected, for £6 there are no premium features, and you’ll have to buy your own storage bag, but they feel robust and have all the safety credentials required.
Be warned there’s little to no flexibility so they could be broken if in the wrong hands. But for those who have a passion for fashion, this pair of sunnies will be shell-abrated all summer long.
Key specifications
Buy now £6, Marksandspencer.com
Babiators eco original navigator sunglasses
Rating: 4/5
Best: eco kids' sunglasses
Why we love it
- One-year replacement guarantee
- Eco material
- Fully flexible
Take note
- Don't offer as much visual clarity as polarised lenses
The navigator is the latest style to come from kids’ sunglasses brand Babiators, and as predicted they are adorable. But these shades don’t just look good, they do good, too. Each pair purchased helps prevent 220 plastic bottles from going into our oceans according to Babiator, as they’re made from 100 per cent recycled ocean-bound plastic.
These sunnies boast the excellent flex and durability that the brand is known for, and thanks to the slightly lower bridge they fitted my mini tester’s little nose and face well without sliding off.
After testing the difference between the standard ‘smoke lenses’ versus the premium polarised option (as found in the polarised keyhole sunglasses above), I’d argue it’s worth spending the extra dosh as these lenses don’t offer as much visual clarity.
Key specifications
Buy now £28, Babiators-uk.com
What are the best kids’ sunglasses?
I have a lot of love for Leosun and the Jamie baby & toddler sunglasses truly offer everything you need in the best kids' sunglasses – frames that can handle the pressure, polarised UV400 lenses that properly protect young eyes and a design that has plenty of child appeal. But what I really loved was the comfort, with the fabulous flex and soft coating. I can’t deny that £30 is at the slightly higher price bracket but given the generous guarantee and quality, it’s more than worth it.
If you’re on a budget Monsoon’s checkerboard round sunglasses and Jojo Maman Bebe’s brown character sunglasses were a hit with my younger testers too and are less than £15.
How I tested kids’ sunglasses
I tested a selection of sunglasses both in the UK and in brighter, sunnier climes abroad, with the help of a toddler and a seven-year-old. All of the sunglasses comply with UV400 protection, but everything else was up for debate. During testing, I considered the following criteria.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Rebecca Moore is a writer specialising in the parenting sector and only recommends products that she thinks you and your kids will love. From the best baby sleeping bags to the best breast pumps, she’s rigorously tested products in her own home to provide reliable insights and helpful advice. For this article, Rebecca enlisted the help of some mini testers to put a range of kids’ sunglasses through their paces.
