Clip-on sunglasses: a guide

Turning spectacles into sunglasses, like water into wine.

A clip-on turns the frames you already own into sunglasses, and back again, in about a second. No second prescription, no second pair to carry, no swapping over in the street with a bag on your shoulder.

Ours are made for one frame each. That is the whole idea.

Made for one frame, not for any frame

Most clip-ons are universal, which is a polite way of saying they fit nothing properly. They sit proud of the frame, they slip, and they look like an afterthought because they are one.

Every Cubitts clip is drawn for a specific frame. A Herbrand clip fits Herbrand, in the size you own, and nothing else. It follows the eye shape exactly, sits flush against the front, and reads as part of the frame rather than something attached to it.

So there are two things to get right when you buy: the clip made for your frame, in your size. A Medium clip will not fit a Large frame.

How to put them on

Wearing your spectacles, take the clip-on in hand.

Flex it gently outwards — it won’t break — and bring it towards your frame so it sits against the front. Relax it back to its original shape, and the hooks will clip on and sit securely on the front of the frame.

To take it off, do the same in reverse. Soon you will be able to do it with one hand, a cocktail in the other, while riding a horse.

What they are made of

A flexible stainless steel frame, with UV400 lenses. Green tinted CR39 as standard — a neutral tint that darkens without shifting colour, so what you are looking at still looks like itself.

UV400 means the lens blocks ultraviolet light up to 400 nanometres, which is all of UVA and UVB. That is the protection that matters, and it is standard on every clip we make, not an upgrade.

Each clip comes in gold or silver, and arrives in a black protective case.

Which frames take a clip

Thirty-six of our frames are clip-on compatible, across acetate, steel and titanium. You can browse the compatible frames here, or go straight to the clips if you already know your frame.

If you are choosing a frame now and think you might want a clip later, it is worth checking that list first. Buying the frame and the clip together is simpler than discovering afterwards that your frame does not take one.

Sizing

Clips are sold in the same sizes as the frames they fit — Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large, depending on the model. Buy the clip in the size of the frame you own.

Your frame size is printed on the inside of the temple, and it is on your order confirmation. If you are not sure, any of our stores will check it for you.

Price

Clip-ons are £65. Bespoke clips, made for a bespoke or made-to-measure frame, are £95.

For comparison, a second pair of prescription sunglasses starts at £175. A clip is the cheaper way to have both, and the only way to have both in one pocket.

Looking after them

Keep the clip in its case when it is not on the frame, and clean it the way you clean your lenses: the cloth that came with your spectacles, and nothing with alcohol or ammonia in it.

If a clip loosens with wear, bring it into any Cubitts store and we will adjust it.

Common questions

Will a clip from one frame fit another? No. Each clip is cut for one frame in one size.

Are they polarised? Our standard clips are tinted UV400 CR39, not polarised.

Can I get a clip for a frame I bought years ago? If the model is still on the compatible list, yes. If you are not sure, send us the frame name and we will tell you.

Do they work over prescription lenses? Yes — that is what they are for. The clip sits in front of your prescription lenses and comes off when you go back indoors.

Do clips come with a case? Yes, a black protective case is included.