Remember how I said in my sponsor-free running gear review post that I love Goodr sunglasses? Except not to get the mirrored lenses because they scratch easily? Remember? You remember that? I knew you would! Well, depending on your preferred model I may have found a workaround…
WAIT, WHY ARE WE LOOKING FOR A GOODR ALTERNATIVE?
Please don’t get me wrong – Goodr sunglasses were included in my gear post because I do genuinely use and love them. I have a particular soft spot for the cat eye Glam Gs, which in addition to their adorable retro shape happen to fit my face well even under hats. The Mach Gs are my second favorite; I love an aviator.
Yet Goodr sunglasses, while not expensive per se, aren’t exactly cheap either. They underwent a bit of a price increase in the last couple years, the end result being that every pair is about $5 more than it used to be. The OGs now retail at $30; my beloved Glam Gs and Mach Gs are now $40.
There are ways to mitigate these costs, including discount codes, sales, and rewards points. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the mirrored lenses scratch. I touched on this a bit in the aforementioned review post, but I have three separate pairs of mirrored Mach Gs and the mirroring on the lenses of all three is coming off. I don’t think this is necessarily a problem unique to Goodr, but it doesn’t change the fact that they become less usable over time by comparison to their non-mirrored counterparts.
Not that you necessarily need mirroring. But if you want it for reducing glare or just really love the look, $40 is kind of a lot to pay when it will inevitably slough off. In addition to looking weird, you can also faintly see the outlines of the scratches when wearing your glasses. It’s distracting.
LET’S GO SUNGLASSES HUNTING
Thus I decided to snoop around the internet and see if I could rustle up a cheaper alternative. Of course I went to the cheap alt’s native land: Amazon. I started by actively searching “Goodr sunglasses,” then seeing what additional brands Amazon threw out there for me.
As it turns out, there are few to no dupes for Goodr’s more unique frames – that is to say, the Glam Gs and Pop Gs and similar are a Goodr exclusive (for now). But the OGs and Mach Gs? Alternatives abound!
Here’s the thing, though. I am of the opinion that a cheaper dupe is only good as its value. And I know, I know, value is subjective. But when I’m attempting a frugal replacement, the metrics become a bit more obvious. I focus in on two factors in particular: how close to the original is the dupe, and perhaps more to the point, how much cheaper is it really?
Because honestly, I’m not sure knocking ten bucks off the cost is worth it. Reasonable minds may disagree! Especially when buying in bulk; those ten bucks can add up. Personally, I’d rather buy the genuine product unless the dupe is not only reasonably similar but also considerably less expensive.
Thus I ignored anything much over $20 – during a sale and with free shipping, Goodr can get too close to this to make the dupe worthwhile. For $16, though…
MEET THE MEETSUN POLARIZED AVIATOR RUNNING SUNGLASSES
I prefer the way Goodr’s aviators look on me as opposed to the OGs, so I focused my attention on that shape. After snooping through some options, I ultimately settled on MEETSUN’s aviator running sunglasses.
As a Goodr Mach G dupe they looked convincing, and there were plenty of color combinations to choose from both mirrored and not. The price? A sweet $15.98 before taxes at the time of this writing (and they went down to $13 on sale – $11 with coupon – for the most recent Prime Day). They also have OG dupes if you’d rather those, but I like the aviators.
Mind you, it doesn’t matter how cheap the sunglasses are if they don’t perform. Could MEETSUN’s aviators hold up against Goodr’s real deal? I picked a fun color and hit the buy button with the intention of finding out.
MEETSUN VS GOODR: PACKAGING
The first thing I did upon receiving my new MEETSUN sunglasses was whip out a full suite of Goodr sunglasses, packaging, and accoutrement for comparison. And honestly, I was surprised by how well MEETSUN stacked up.
Goodr definitely has an edge on packaging – their box is sturdy, colorful, and charmingly branded. MEETSUN’s box is much flimsier and less eye-catching. Then again, ultimately you chuck the box, so it might not matter to you.
MEETSUN actually beats Goodr with the add-ons. Goodr sends their sunglasses out with a slipcase pouch that doubles as a lens cleaning cloth. Theirs is, once again, cuter (flamingos!) and more colorful, but MEETSUN provides both the pouch and a separate cloth. Do you need this? Perhaps not, but it’s a nice touch. They even included a fun little Magic Eye-like image card that only reveals itself when you don your new sunglasses.
MEETSUN VS GOODR: THE PRODUCT
All of this may feel immaterial to sunglasses themselves. Putting the MEETSUN aviators right next to Goodr’s Mach Gs reveals subtle differences – but the emphasis is on the subtle.
In fact, I posted a picture of myself wearing the MEETSUN version to Instagram and asked my followers to name that brand. The number of respondents completely confident they were Goodrs was overwhelming. In fact, one follower went so far as to say “Make it harder next time!” This is just a sampling:
I think we can safely conclude that MEETSUN’s model looks the part. But how do they perform?
MEETSUN VS GOODR: THE RUN
Right off the bat I can tell you that the MEETSUN aviators aren’t as light as the Goodr version. They have noticeably greater weight in your hand. On the one hand this is kinda nice, as it suggests that the sunglasses are robust enough to last. Then again, one of Goodr’s selling points is their featherweight on your face. For those who are extremely sensitive to physical distractions on the run, the weight may be a deal-breaker.
For me, though, I didn’t really notice once I got going. These sunglasses disappeared into the background for me just as easily as Goodr’s do. Nor did they bounce or fog at any greater rate than a Goodr pair. As a dupe, I think these are solid.
I will say that Goodr’s mirrored lenses didn’t start peeling on me until about six months of ownership. Time will tell if MEETSUN is similarly plagued. At least I spent half as much on them!
SHOULD YOU BUY A PAIR OF MEETSUN SUNGLASSES?
All right, I think we’ve answered the question of whether or not MEETSUN’s aviators are a convincing Goodr alternative. But should you buy a pair?
As is almost always the case, that depends. If you are a die-hard Goodr fan, the mere idea of a knockoff may leave you aghast. You may also wish to always buy from Goodr directly to amass those delicious rewards points that can knock the objectionable cost down to where the debate becomes moot. And if you want a more unusual pair or color/pattern in a style that only Goodr can really offer, well, MEETSUN can’t help you. (Yet.) I myself intend to continue purchasing Goodrs for their Glam Gs at the very least – just not the mirrored kind.
For those who are simply looking for similar running sunglasses at a better price, I think MEETSUN is well worth investigating. And if you’re also skeptical of the staying power of mirrored lenses, paying less upfront can take the sting out of potential future damage. There are no real wrong choices here, so take the stab that feels right to you and see what happens!
I used my own money for this purchase. I have not been in contact with MEETSUN at the time of this writing and all opinions are my own. The Amazon link in this post is affiliate; whatever money I make from such links goes toward my website domain and hosting and such, and makes it possible to present this blog free of ads. If you choose to use my links, I thank you for your support! That being said, these won’t change your life, so if you don’t need new sunglasses save your money. 🙂
Don’t forget, you can follow FRoA on Threads @fairestrunofall and on Instagram @fairestrunofall. If you have any questions or thoughts, leave a comment or email fairestrunofall@gmail.com. See ya real soon!