• It’s hard to find a good pair of cheap sunglasses, but for $30 to $50, Goodr is a great budget eyewear brand.
• I have two different styles, a pair of aviators and a pair of wayfarer shades, both of which are solid.
• You should always have a pair of cheap backup shades for hikes, the beach, and any other situation where they might break.

I have a decent number of nice sunglasses—Ray-Bans, Oakleys, etc.—but I am not above wearing a cheap pair when the moment calls for it. In fact, time and experience have taught me that it’s important to have at least a pair or two that you aren’t afraid to lose or break. (Ask me about the time I foolishly lost a $300 pair of Emporio Armani shades at the beach after an ill-advised night swim.)

But I am also a critic and, by extension, a bit … specific … in my taste. I need expendable sunglasses, but also want them to look good and actually keep the sun out of my eyes. For a long time, it seemed like those requirements were a bit too much to ask from shades that cost less than $50—or even $100. Most of the ones I tried had cheap plastic frames that bent or broke too easily, and they either weren’t polarized or failed to provide meaningful sun protection.

Then last year I started hearing about Goodr, first from a coworker, then a friend, then another friend. Goodr makes sunglasses in a wide array of shapes and colors, including some wild combos that you might not find from more traditional brands, and almost everything they make costs $50 or less. (They make a $75 pair of ski goggles. I don’t ski, but I’m pretty sure that’s cheap.)

Since then I’ve bought two pairs, the Mach G aviators and the standard OG wayfarer-style glasses. Both went above and beyond my expectations. They’re cheap—the first pair is $40, the second, $30—durable, and look good. Honestly, they’ve moved from backups to become regulars in my rotation.

You can absolutely tell that these are budget-grade glasses. The OGs are clearly not of the same quality as a pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers, which popularized the now standard frame design. The frames are thinner, smaller, and have less detail in the stems (that’s a fancy term for the sides or arms of the glasses). The lenses on my Ray-Bans seem a little thicker, too.

But that’s okay. A pair of classic Wayfarers costs nearly $200. The OGs cost $30. More importantly, though, the Goodr design doesn’t shy away from the fact that they are lighter and made with less expensive materials. They feature rubberized plastic frames that feel sturdy but have some flex to them, which is perfect for when you’re out doing something athletic, or at the beach, or for throwing in your bag loose without a case so you have a pair “just in case”.

I’m normally not one to hype a brand this way, rather than highlighting a specific product that I love, but the brand is the thing I care about in this case, more than any specific pair of glasses. As someone who likes both wearing them and buying sunglasses, having a brand like Goodr in rotation is really freeing. If there’s ever a style or a lens color that I’m interested in trying, but maybe not sure about getting from a luxury brand, I can always get a pair of Goodrs first as a trial balloon before making a bigger investment. I don’t think I’m done buying fancy shades—I’m clearly still thinking about those Armanis—but I’ve been really happy with my Goodrs and I think everyone should have a pair.