Prescription Sunglasses: All Your Options

If you wear glasses, the sun becomes a daily hassle. Either you squint all day, or you leave your clip-ons at home, or you carry two pairs and keep swapping. We hear it almost every day — and the truth is there's no single answer. There are three routes, and the right one depends on how you live your day.

What exactly we mean by "prescription sunglasses"

We're talking about a normal pair of sunglasses — a regular-shaped frame, a dark lens — but with your prescription inside the lens. They're not "glasses that got darker". They're sunglasses built from scratch with your prescription incorporated. Single-vision, bifocal, progressive — whatever you need. And of course UV400 protection, which is standard now in any serious lens.
Almost any sunglasses frame can be made prescription — with some exceptions for very curved sport models or extremely high prescriptions, where things get more technical. We check that for you once we see your prescription and the frame you like.

The three routes

Prescription sunglasses — a separate pair

The "cleanest" solution, if we can put it that way. One pair for indoors, one for outdoors. The lens is a genuine dark sun lens — not something that only partly darkens — it can also be polarized, and you see colours as they should be.
The practical drawback is obvious: you carry two cases. Many customers say at first that this will bother them, then admit a few months later that they got used to it straight away.

Clip-ons over your glasses

A dark attachment that clips — or attaches magnetically — over the optical frame you already wear. The old clip-ons with little tabs are thankfully fading away; today's magnetic clip-ons snap on with a click and come off just as easily.
It's the economical solution and quite a few customers choose it as a "second option". Two things to know: aesthetically it will never match a proper pair of sunglasses, and the quality of the dark lens — except for manufacturers' premium ranges (Silhouette, Nano Vista, the new Ray-Ban) — falls short of a real prescription sun lens.

Photochromic lenses

A single lens, one pair of glasses, that darkens as soon as you step into the sun and clears when you go inside. Transitions (Essilor) is the best-known brand, and we also work with HOYA Sensity and Shamir Transitions — all three available in single-vision and progressive. The new generation (Transitions Gen S, Sensity 2) is noticeably faster to switch and also cuts HEV — the blue light from screens.
The main "but" of classic photochromics: inside the car they don't darken as much as you'd like. The windscreen cuts the UV that activates them, so if you spend hours at the wheel, the classic option doesn't cover you 100%. This is where Transitions XTRActive comes in, activated by visible light too, not just UV — so they darken behind the windscreen. If driving is your main concern and you want photochromics, that's the range we'll discuss. They also take 30 to 60 seconds to change state — some people mind it, others never notice.

How much do they cost?

Option	Indicative cost (in addition to the frame)
Single-vision prescription sun lenses (UV400)	FREE with an Eye-Shop frame
Single-vision polarized	€60-€100
Progressive sun lenses	€120-€250
Progressive + polarized	€180-€350
Standard clip-on	€15-€40
Magnetic clip-on (Nano Vista, Silhouette)	€40-€80
Basic photochromics	€80-€150
Transitions Gen S / HOYA Sensity 2 / Shamir Transitions	€180-€350

How to decide

There's no right and wrong answer here, just what fits your day. To put it simply: if you spend a lot of time in the car, at sea or doing water sports, go without a second thought for prescription sunglasses with a polarized lens. Classic photochromics won't cover you at the wheel — unless you specifically choose Transitions XTRActive, which are activated by visible light too.
If your day is mostly in-and-out (an office where you pop out for coffee, ducking into shops), photochromics are designed exactly for you. One pair, fewer things to think about. If you want the economical solution and your frame is relatively new, a magnetic clip-on does the job for almost half the money.
With progressives, things need a bit more thought. Prescription sunglasses in a progressive version are the safe choice. Alternatively, progressive photochromics (HOYA Sensity, Shamir Transitions) give one "do-it-all" pair, if the car issue doesn't bother you. If you have a high prescription, talk to us about lens thinning — in a dark sun lens it makes quite a difference, both aesthetically and in weight.

Popular frames for prescription sunglasses

Almost any frame can be made prescription, but there are some models we see leaving the store again and again as prescription sunglasses. Among the more classic choices are the Ray-Ban Wayfarer — they take high prescriptions and visually "justify" thicker lenses — and the Aviator, which many ask for especially for driving.
On the sportier / lifestyle side, the Oakley Holbrook and Oakley's prescription range with Prizm lenses are steady choices for anyone doing more than casual wear. And for the beach and fishing, customers who have tried Maui Jim with their prescription rarely switch brand.

Questions we get asked in store

Can I bring my own frame?

Yes, it happens quite often. The frame just needs to be in good condition and able to take your prescription — we'll check that when you bring it in. In some cases we suggest a new frame if, for example, the plastic has started to dry out and the sun lens is thick.

Do magnetic clip-ons fall off when you move?

For sitting and walking, not at all — good magnets (Nano Vista, Silhouette and the new Ray-Ban ranges) hold firmly. For cycling or running, yes, they can shift. For active use the separate pair is more reliable.

Do I need a prescription?

Yes. Without a prescription we don't order a lens with a correction — that applies to any serious optician.

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