To help you decide whether flip up or spring-fit clip on sunglasses would be a better choice for your requirements, here are the relative benefits of each type.

Sophisticated spring-fit clip on sunglasses

Appearance

Spring-fit clip on sunglasses are generally regarded as superior in terms of appearance. The fitting mechanism is neat and unobtrusive and when fitted to spectacles the overall appearance is not dissimilar to wearing prescription sunglasses. In comparison, flip-up sunglasses have a noticeable bracket and hinge mechanism at the top of the frames.

Comfort

For comfort, the spring-fit type of clip on sunglasses is generally regarded as preferable to the flip-up type. Some people find the clip attachments on the flip-up type can intrude slightly on their vision. Also the width between lenses on flip-ups tends to be narrower than on the spring-clip type so if your glasses have a wide nose bridge, you may notice the inner edge of the clip on lenses intrudes on the nose rests of your prescription frames.

Ease of fit

The best results with spring-fit clip on sunglasses are obtained if you can select a lens shape and size that corresponds closely to the appearance and dimensions of your prescription frames.

On the high street, the choice of sizes and shapes of clip-ons tends to be extremely limited even in high season. Fortunately, Eyewear Accessories has a choice of 70 different spring-fit models to suit most requirements.

Flip up sunglasses over plastic frames

However, spring-fit clip on sunglasses will not fit every prescription frame. If your glasses have lenses over 56 mm in width or less than 46 mm in width you will need to go for the flip up type.

If you have plastic spectacle frames with chunky rims that are over 4-5 mm thick, the flip up type of attachment is more suitable. This also applies if you have thick lenses over 5 mm thick.

If you are having difficulty finding a model of spring-fit sunglasses to fit your frames, the solution is to go for the flip-up type, where exact fitting is less critical.

When selecting flip-up sunglasses, you start by choosing the most appropriate shape for your prescription lenses and then check the measurements of the flip-ups against your frame. We recommend that you select a size of clip-ons with lenses at least 4 mm wider and deeper than your frames. Also check the width of your glasses to ensure that you select a model of flip-ups that will span them comfortably.

Eyewear Accessories have made the task of selecting the correct size of spring-fit sunglasses online as easy as possible by providing accurate size guides for each range. Before ordering, you simply print the relevant size guide for your chosen spring-fit shape and place your glasses face down on the outlines to see which size fits. We provide full guidance on the website and in our videos.

The flexibility to flip up the tinted lenses is an appeal of the clip-on flip-up type

Flexibility in use

The flip-up type of sunglasses has advantages in terms of flexibility for some applications.

Some people find them preferable for driving because you can flip up the tinted lenses easily if the sun goes in or you drive into a shaded area, and then can flip them down again when you need the filters to block the glare. The same flexibility appeals to some fishermen when fishing in variable light conditions.

The spring-fit type of clip on sunglasses are designed to be easy to attach and detach from your glasses but we would not recommend doing so while you are driving – you can’t do it safely one handed.

To increase the flexibility of spring-fit clip on sunglasses, we offer a range of 4 levels of tint. We recommend that you purchase a dark tinted pair for summer use and a lighter tint for winter use and on days when there is variable sun.

Cost and durability

On the high street, the cost of spring-fit and flip up sunglasses tends to be the same, typically at around £20, which normally includes a vinyl case. Online you can buy some very cheap flip-up sunglasses although the quality and durability may be questionable. At the other end of the price scale, Polaroid charge £32 for both the spring-fit and clip-on type of clip-ons.

Solarclips clip on sunglasses in the lined hard case

At Eyewear Accessories we sell the respected Solarclips range of spring-fit polarized clip on sunglasses for £19.99 which includes a luxury lined hard case. Our quality US-made flip up sunglasses are £15.99 including vinyl case.