The 10 Best Clip-on Sunglasses
Updated by · How we research
Flip-up, fixed, foldable and fit-over designs compared for fit, clip strength and UV protection; the CAXMAN JD7304-S is the best clip-on for most glasses. When users buy our independently chosen editorial choices, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
A polarized lens and a UV-blocking lens are not the same thing: polarization cuts glare off roads and water, while only a UV400 or full UVA and UVB rating protects your eyes from UV. Fit counts just as much, because a clip narrower than your frames leaves bright gaps. These picks suit anyone who wears prescription glasses outside.
Editor's Notes
November 5, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
None of these clip-ons comes with a manual, so we checked the picks' claims against Foster Grant's product page and the sellers' own listings, and dropped the ones we couldn't source, such as rubber-padded hooks on the CAXMAN JD7304-S and plastic clips on the Hifot set. We corrected the Solar Shield history: Foster Grant's parent bought its maker, Dioptics, in 2008. The guide now backs its advice on rimless and double-bridge frames and mirror coatings with sources, and cites the lead researcher of the yellow-lens night-driving study.
October 23, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
The CAXMAN JD7304-S takes the top spot for its light metal alloy clip, polarized UV400 lenses that swing up indoors, and a choice of lens sizes to match your frames. None of the old picks made it through. The Tacloft Alloy Unisex and Eyekepper Easyclip are no longer sold, the ElementsActive Anti-Reflective, Yodo Flip Up and Litbun 3 Pack Flip Up are unavailable, and the FF Frazala, Costyle Retro, Dollger Steampunk and JessieDanton Rimless have faded from view. Frazala returns with two current models, and Bauhaus with a folding clip-on much like its old Bauhaus Polarized.
The new list adds picks for rimless glasses, big frames, round frames and people whose frames won't take a clip at all. We matched each maker's size chart, clip material and UV rating against the American Academy of Ophthalmology's sunglasses advice, and no lab we know of has put clip-ons through formal tests.
Earlier notes
November 6, 2020, by Fred Naumann:
Any beachgoer can tell you that a set of shades is a fashion accessory as well as a way to protect your eyes, and you shouldn't have to give up on style in order to wear your prescription glasses in the sun. That's why we've added the Bauhaus Polarized, which are offered in several elegant designs while still providing excellent glare reduction and securing snugly over your normal eyewear. They can also fold in half to slip inside a padded pocket-sized carrying case, making them extra portable.
The FF Frazala Polarized Anti-Glare are another attractive new pair, available in bright pink, turquoise, yellow, and orange in addition to the usual black and brown. We've also replaced the WearMe Pro Fashion with the Dollger Steampunk, a similar vintage design with a wider variety of color options. And we swapped out the Splaks Unisex in favor of the Litbun 3 Pack Flip Up, which offers a third pair of lenses at a price that's only a tiny bit higher, and features an anti-reflective coating that the Splaks lack.
Our final substitution was to drop the Tacloft Sports in favor of the upgraded Tacloft Alloy Unisex, a highly durable pair of shades that are perfect for use in outdoor adventures. We also got rid of the Weluk Wayfarer, after noticing a number of customer reports that the clip tends to protrude into the forehead.
If you're planning on spending time in the sun, you'll want a good bottle of sunscreen as well as eye protection, and a quality sun hat wouldn't be a bad idea either. We've also compiled a list of straps and cords to keep your frames around your neck, in case you're worried about losing them.
July 5, 2019, by Joseph Perry:
The most important thing to consider when shopping for sunglasses, including clip-ons, is the degree of protection they offer from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, which are categorized in two types--UVA and UVB. Your eyes and eyelids can be damaged by the sun, and sunglasses that offer UV protection are like sunscreen for your eyes. Look for models that are rated at UV400, which means they block 100% of UV rays, both UVA and UVB. Lens polarization is also popular since it helps reduce glare, but it can make some digital displays difficult to read.
Everybody needs to protect their eyes from the sun. Fortunately, expensive prescription sunglasses or large ones that cover your regular glasses are not your only options. Clip-on sunglasses come in a large array of styles and colors, as reflected in our selections, and you can find a clip-on that meets your needs. In this update, we favored models that offer 99 or 100 percent UV protection while still looking good. Promoted the Eyekepper Easyclip to one of our top slots because of its reputation with users, ease of use, and the full protection it offers.
Special Honors
JINS Switch JINS sells prescription frames with matching magnetic sun plates, so the tinted lenses snap on exactly over the frame instead of hooking around it. Some sets include several tints, and the sun plates on some models are polarized. Because each plate is cut for one frame, the fit is far closer than any universal clip, though it means buying new glasses. us.jins.com
Measure Your Glasses Before You Buy
A compact clip with small metal hooks made for rimless frames is the safer bet.
A clip-on only works if it covers your lenses. Hold a ruler across the front of your glasses and note the total width, then the width and height of one lens. Good sellers print those three numbers, and the clip should match or run a few millimeters larger. Too small, and bright light leaks around the edges. Too big, and the clip looks like a visor and can slide.
Frame style matters too. Spring-bar clips grip the top and bottom of the rim, so they work on most metal and plastic frames. Rimless glasses are trickier: with no rim to grip, the hooks rest on bare lens edges, and a Johns Hopkins-reviewed eyeglass care sheet warns that a chipped rimless lens isn't safe to wear. A compact clip with small metal hooks made for rimless frames is the safer bet. Flat-top frames defeat many clips, and the second bar on a double-bridge frame gets in the way too, as an eyewear patent for a double-bridge clip-on explains. If yours are thick plastic or very wide, a fit-over pair that goes on like normal sunglasses is the easier fix.
Hook-style clips rarely fit as neatly as a clip made for one frame. The Spectacle Factory notes that magnetic clip-ons line up best, but they only work with frames built to take them.
Polarized, UV400 And Tint Color
Polarization and UV protection do different jobs. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says polarized lenses cut glare off water and pavement but don't add UV protection, and that a darker lens doesn't block more UV. Look for a UV400 or 100 percent UVA and UVB rating on any pair. Cheap lenses can carry that rating as well as pricey ones, the academy adds.
Polarized lenses have one catch: they can make phone screens, dashboard displays and some heads-up displays look dim or patchy at certain angles. Clip-On Express suggests a non-polarized pair for anyone who works with screens that polarized lenses interfere with.
Gray is the neutral choice for bright sun and open water, and brown adds contrast in shallow water. On plastic lenses, a mirror mostly slows fading of the tint or simply adds looks, says the sport-eyewear specialist Opticus, and it shows scratches more readily than a plain tint. Yellow lenses sold for night driving didn't help drivers spot pedestrians in a simulator study, and its lead investigator, Alex Hwang, PhD, of Harvard Medical School's ophthalmology department, told Review of Optometry in 2019 that such glasses belong in daytime use only, like any other sunglasses. So take any clip-on off after dark.
Flip-Up, Fixed, Magnetic Or Fit-Over
Flip-up clip-ons hinge at the bridge, so the lenses swing up when you walk inside or need to read a map. They're the most common type and the most convenient, but the hinge is one more moving part that can wear. Rubber or silicone tips on the hooks help keep a metal clip from scratching your lenses.
Fixed clip-ons have no hinge. They sit flatter and look tidier, and there's less to break, but you unclip them every time the light changes. Compact versions with small hooks suit thin wire frames.
Magnetic clip-ons snap onto tiny magnets built into the frame. They fit best of all, but you buy them with the glasses, as with the JINS Switch line. Fit-over sunglasses skip the clip entirely: they're full sunglasses big enough to wear over your glasses, with arms that block side light. They're bulkier, but they work with any frame.
How we researched this
We compared about 20 clip-on and fit-over sunglasses, including every item from the old list. None of these clip-ons comes with a manual, so the specs come from Foster Grant's Solar Shield REC G product page and the sellers' own listings for the other picks, which give lens and frame widths, clip material and UV ratings. The American Academy of Ophthalmology's sunglasses tips, the 2019 Schepens Eye Research Institute study of yellow night-driving lenses, and an eyeglass care sheet reviewed at Johns Hopkins shaped the buyer's guide. Searches of CPSC and Health Canada recall notices found no recall of any pick; the closest hit was FGX International's 2007 lead-paint recall of children's sunglasses, which weren't clip-ons.
Sources (12)
- American Academy of Ophthalmology: How to choose the best sunglasses
- Review of Optometry: Yellow lenses no help in night driving
- Clip-On Express: Polarized or non-polarized clip-on sunglasses
- The Spectacle Factory: Looking for the best clip-on sunglasses
- JINS: Switch magnetic clip-on sunglasses
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalls
- Foster Grant: Solar Shield REC G 58 ClipOns
- FGX International: acquisition of Dioptics (2008)
- Opticus: Special treatments for sport lenses
- Hattiesburg Clinic: Eyeglass care (reviewed by Wilmer Eye Institute faculty)
- Patent WO1999015931A1: Clip-on sunglasses with bridge mounting
- CPSC: Children's sunglasses recalled by FGX International (2007)
Frequently asked questions
Are clip-on sunglasses worth it?
For many glasses wearers, yes. A good clip-on costs a fraction of prescription sunglasses and works with the glasses you already wear. The trade-offs are fit, a bit of extra weight on the nose, and a look some people don't like.
Do clip-on sunglasses work on plastic frames?
Most spring-bar and flip-up clips fit both metal and plastic frames, as long as the clip is about the same size as your lenses. Very thick or wide plastic frames can be too deep for the hooks; a fit-over pair works better there.
Can you put clip-on sunglasses on rimless glasses?
Some, with care. The hooks rest on bare lens edges, and rimless lenses can chip there. A compact clip made for rimless frames, with small metal hooks, is the safer choice. Double-bridge frames are a separate problem: the second bar gets in the way of most clips.
Should clip-on sunglasses be polarized?
Polarized lenses cut glare from roads, water and snow, which helps for driving and fishing. They can make phone and dashboard screens hard to read at some angles, so a non-polarized pair suits screen-heavy work. Either way, check for a UV400 rating.
Can I use clip-on sunglasses for night driving?
No. Any tint cuts light you need after dark, and a driving simulator study found yellow night-driving lenses didn't help people spot pedestrians. Flip the clip up or take it off at dusk.
