Best Sunglasses Cases, Storage, and Travel Cases
- Sunglass Science
- 11 hours ago
- 4 min read
People often ask me which cases and storage pieces I use. It isn't a secret that I have a lot of sunglasses, and I rarely go anywhere without at least one pair. I have cases from over 20 brands, as well as some cheaper options from Amazon. Here is a list of what I use and what I think are the best sunglasses cases, storage, and travel cases.
In this post:
Cases
There are a few things to know for picking out a case.
The size of the sunglasses. The case can't be too small and too large can also be an issue if the sunglasses move too much or it is harder to fit in bags/convienient place in the car.
What kind of protection is necessary. If you are just keeping them in the car, you may not need a heavy-duty case, but if there's going to be a lot of action and the case could get stepped on, even many "hard" cases may not be enough.
Personally, I use the Revo Hardcase and the Costa Del Mar hard zipper case the most.
I like the size of the Revo case and the ease of use. And it is very hard. For anything that I don't worry about getting in too much of a tumble, this is a good case. If it did fall down stairs, it might pop open, though. Maui Jim used to make a clamshell case that I have a few of, and I use those as well, especially since they can fit large sunglasses, but they are out of production.
So for anything that requires more protection, I use the Costa case. It is hard, has a zipper, and is the best size and shape to fit large sunglasses without smaller pairs being too loose.
A good practice is to stuff a microfiber cloth on top of the sunglasses to give them a bit more cushion in the case, adding more protection and keeping the sunglasses more secure.
There are similar cases on Amazon as well. SteelFever sells a three-pack of hard zippered cases that are similar in functionality to the Costa case but not as hard. Fintie has a smaller version of the same case. Most of the cases like these that are sold on Amazon are inexpensive and are fine; there won't be major differences between them.
If you need something that can survive being stomped on, you can get the Oakley Carbon Sunglass Case. It isn't zippered, but the spring in it is pretty strong, and it is unlikely to pop open. Oakley also has a hard zippered case, but it is slightly more pricey than the other options, though it is larger.
I think zippered cases are the way to go. You don't have to worry about your sunglasses getting out of the case in the event of a fall; you only need to worry about them being crushed, and these cases are generally good enough to withstand most impacts.
Don't go for fancy leather cases, trifold cases, or flip-open cases. I have a lot of them; they come with sunglasses from brands like Maui Jim, Randolph, Serengeti, and American Optical. They are not sufficiently protective of falls and impacts, and if you pay a good amount of money for premium sunglasses, don't let them get damaged because of the case. The point of having them is for how good they look on you and how good they make the world look. As far as I am concerned, when they are not on me, they could be in a vault.
Storage
For home storage, I have a lot of variety. I highly recommend having a proper storage unit and place. Having sunglasses just in cases and not in a consistent place is a recipe for losing them and being a headache when you want to find a particular pair.
When I first got more than a few pairs, I got the CO-Z Sunglasses Organizer with 12 Slots. It doesn't take up much room on top of a dresser. One downside is that you cannot have anything on top of or in front of it for it to be easily useful.
Once my collection outgrew this, and I started getting sunglasses for my wife (who at the time did not understand why she had more than 6 pairs), I gave that case to my wife and upgraded to the AUTOARK Leather 24 Piece Eyeglasses Storage.
It is essentially the same case, just with 8 slots vs 6 per level, and one more level. The shelves come out completely and are useful when I want to show someone a couple of pairs in another room. I have two of these.
These cases are good for display and everyday uses, but not for the best use of space. If you need something more compact or something that can stack, these won't be that great. Once my collection grew even more, I started getting the ProSource 18 Slot Sunglasses Organizer.
I have 4 of these and stack them on each other, on a single shelf. They aren't as accessible but are easy to use and transport to other rooms for display. They did smell a bit for a few hours after opening, but that went away quickly.
Travel
Not many people travel with as many sunglasses as I do. If you are only taking one or two, you can get away with just using a good hardcase like I explained above. But if you have more than 2 with you, there are several good options.
The case I use the most is the CO-Z Foldable Travel Sunglasses Organizer. It folds up to the size of a small (American) football and can hold 5 sunglasses in it. The slots are a good size for most sunglasses, but often don't fit big wrap frames. They can hold my Maui Jim Kanaio Coast but not the Costa Del Mar Reefton.
If you need a flatter case, ProCase makes a Hard Shell Travel Sunglasses Organizer with 4-6 slots.
And those are the main cases, storage units, and travel cases I have used.