Best cheap cycling sunglasses 2024 — protect your eyes on the bike without breaking the bank

The Galibier Regale Ultra Optics sunglasses are great all-round glasses. They are cheap as chips but don't sacrifice quality or performance. They're well made and offer great clarity of vision. The frameless design means that nothing is there to block your vision when looking in front, to the side or even over your shoulder. 

Tester Stu also found that the fit was great and that they were comfortable thanks to the minimal pressure from the arms. He said, "For me at least, Galibier has got it spot on – there's just enough pressure to keep them in place, but not enough to cause discomfort. That's a bonus on longer rides."

The prices vary for each model, but basically, they're all a bargain! The red, blue and gold plasma models are £46, and the clear plasma option is £39. All but the clear ones have a Cat 3 rating (meaning they're tinted for strong sunlight), while the whole range offers UV 400 protection (the highest level, which blocks at least 99% of ultraviolet light).

Galibier's Surveillance Precision Optics cycling sunglasses provide excellent all-round vision. They're light, very comfortable to wear, and an excellent price for the quality, whether you are out for a bimble or blasting along in a chain gang.

Tester Stu says, "What I like the most, though (aside from the price), is that the slim frame provides such a close and secure fit without restricting your vision at all. With some full frame glasses you can easily lose a car behind the edge of the frame when giving a quick glance over your shoulder, but you get none of that here. The frame is never in your line of vision."

Madison's Stealth glasses are brilliant riding shades at an exceptional price. The frameless design gives an almost uninterrupted field of view, while the bronze mirror lens is lovely to look through on overcast to bright days.

If you're after a great set of sunglasses that don't cost a fortune, these are an excellent choice. They provide great coverage, stay secure on your face, are comfortable on long rides and have excellent lenses.

There's also the option to fit Madison's £4.99 RX insert if you need prescription lenses.

BBB's Avenger sunglasses are a great package that shows you don't need to be spending into the hundreds for a quality pair of cycling glasses. With excellent coverage, a range of lenses and impressive weight there is very little to dislike.

The Avengers use a large single-piece wraparound polycarbonate lens which really keeps the wind and grit out of your eyes as you ride along, even at high speed. In the pack are two other lenses alongside the smoke one you can see fitted in the pictures, a yellow option and a clear.

Thickness of the frame has been kept to a minimum, which makes for a great field of vision with nothing in your line of sight when you check over your shoulder for traffic. Clarity from the lens is good, if not the sharpest, and you don't get any distortion from the curved surface.

The Madison Code Breaker Glasses Three-Lens Pack provides a sharp-looking pair of shades with decent coverage, strong performance and lenses for every occasion – at a wallet-friendly price. 

The lenses offer pretty respectable coverage with little of the frame getting in the way. The frames are comfortable too, and only get more so with the lower section fitted.

Swapping the Code Breakers' lenses is simple thanks to its twist lock system. A swivelling lock at the centre of the upper frame turns and, with the arms at 45 degree angles, the lens and lower frame falls away. Then it’s just a case of bending the lower section to unclip it from the lens.

Sneaking into our budget glasses guide is the polarised version of Magicshine's Windbreaker shades, that carry a £20 premium over the non-polarised version we've recommended further up the page. 

Described as having excellent lenses by our reviewer, these shades are lightweight at just 30g and the build quality is impressive for the reasonable price. The lenses are large, in keeping with the latest cycling shade trends. The polarised lenses reduced glare and delivered a crisp and clear image while riding. 

Our reviewer experienced a bit of steaming and there aren't too many colour options, but if you want polarised tech on a budget the Windbreakers are a solid choice.