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The Aug. 12 total solar eclipse is nearly here, and if you’re hoping to observe totality, you will likely be heading to Greenland, Iceland, or Spain. The UK gets a solid 90% show, while the US only catches a small partial solar eclipse.
Wherever you’re watching it from, do not look directly at the sun without ISO 12312-2 certified solar eclipse glasses — standard sunglasses aren’t safe and won’t save your retina.
Not sure which to buy? We’ve rounded up legitimate, safe options that you can order right now from the US, UK, and European retailers, so you can stay safe and enjoy the eclipse whether you’re staying put, about to travel, or already abroad.
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Best solar eclipse glasses in Europe
Below are our recommended options to buy safe solar eclipse glasses if you’re already traveling abroad to see totality.
- France 🇫🇷 starting from €6.99 ($8.07 USD)
- Spain 🇪🇸 and Portugal 🇵🇹 as low as €7.22 ($8.33 USD)
- Germany 🇩🇪 packs from 1 to 100 pairs
- Italy 🇮🇹 cheapest at €4.95 ($5.71 USD)
Best US solar eclipse glasses
If you’re planning on having an eclipse party, these solar eclipse glasses from Helioclipse will have you covered with packs of 6 / 12 / 25 / 50 and 100 available. They are fully ISO 12312-2 compliant and come with smartphone filters for taking photos of the eclipse.View Deal
Save 31% on this five pack of solar eclipse glasses from Medical King. They are ISO 12312-2 certified and the glasses can be cut into filters for your smartphone camera to grab a photo of the eclipse. View Deal
Lunt Solar Systems are a well trusted brand in the area of solar observation, we gave their Lunt 8×32 sunoculars five stars.
Grab a five pack of their American Astronomical Society (AAS) certified and ISO 12312-2 compliant solar eclipse glasses.View Deal
Best UK solar eclipse glasses
Celestron is a huge name in optics, and while its solar glasses may not be the absolute cheapest, you’re assured of quality and eye safety. £12.99 gets you a four-pack of cardboard-framed ISO-certified eclipse glasses, alongside a mini-book of eclipse information. View Deal
Another Celestron offering, this includes a mobile phone filter, the aforementioned Celestron mini-book and a pair of solar eclipse glasses. The difference, apart from the price, is that these have plastic frames and so should prove hardier, particularly if you’re going to keep them around for the 2027 partial solar eclipse. View Deal
Get a pair of Soluna solar eclipse glasses for just £2.99, a saving of £2.00. Purchasers report that the cardboard’s not the strongest but they provide proper eye protection (as always, ISO 12312-2:2015 is the standard to watch out for). View Deal
The 2026 total solar eclipse is coming on Aug. 12 but if you are in the USA, you won’t be able to experience totality. A minor partial eclipse is visible from some states, with the best coverage in parts of Alaska and New England. You might be getting ready to travel to one of the spots that will reach totality, like Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain. Even places in the UK will be getting their best solar eclipse since the 1999 total solar eclipse over Europe, with the moon obscuring around 90% of the sun.
If you are planning on watching it at all, you will need at the very least, a pair of solar eclipse glasses. They need to be rated ISO 12312-2 so that they block 99.999% of the sunlight and keep observation safe. Looking at the sun without proper protection can result in permanent blindness and vision problems. If you are after some sharp images of the sun, you will even need filters and solar viewing gear for your smart telescope, camera or solar binoculars.
So whether you are staying in the USA for a small but partial eclipse or travelling to Europe for a more dramatic show, we have found the best solar eclipse glasses to grab before the event. We have included retailers from America and Europe, including the best eclipse glasses in the UK. You should always check your eclipse glasses before use to make sure there are no holes or tears in them. Make sure you buy from a reputable brand and if you are unsure in any way about their eye protection ability, don’t use them.
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