Can You Add Magnetic Sun Clips to Progressive Lenses?
Yes, magnetic sun clips can be added to many glasses with progressive lenses. The progressive prescription remains in the primary lenses, while the custom sun clip adds tint, UV protection, and optional polarization over them.
Progressive lenses allow one pair of glasses to support multiple viewing distances. For people who wear them every day, buying sunglasses can create a familiar question: do you need to duplicate the entire progressive prescription in a separate sunglass frame?
A separate pair of progressive sunglasses can be useful, but it is not the only option. A custom magnetic sun clip allows the wearer to keep the progressive glasses already used throughout the day and add a dedicated sunglass layer when going outdoors.
The Progressive Prescription Stays in the Main Lenses
Chemistrie Sun Clips are non-prescription lens layers. They do not replace the progressive lenses or create another progressive prescription in front of them.
The underlying glasses continue to provide the wearer’s distance, intermediate, and near correction. The sun clip adds its selected tint, 100% UV protection, and polarization when a polarized option is chosen.
This separation is what makes the system practical. The prescription remains in the glasses that were already measured and fitted for the wearer. The clip-on adds outdoor functionality without requiring another complete pair for the same prescription.
Because the progressive design stays in the main lenses, the wearer continues using the frame position and lens layout they already know. The sun clip is custom-cut to cover the lens area without changing the prescription zones underneath it.
Custom Fit Matters With Progressive Eyewear
Progressive glasses come in many frame shapes, lens depths, materials, and prescription configurations. A universal clip-on cannot account for every difference.
Chemistrie uses the customer’s actual eyewear to create the clip-on. Small magnets are installed near the outer edges of the prescription lenses, outside the primary line of sight. The sun clip is then made to align with those magnets and follow the exact lens outline.
This custom process keeps the additional lens layer positioned over the progressive lenses. It also avoids the hooks, clamps, and spring mechanisms used by many generic clip-ons.
A precise fit helps preserve the appearance of the original frame. The clip-on covers the lens area without becoming a second oversized frame. The visual advantages of this approach are explained further in Why Custom-Fit Clip-Ons Usually Look Better Than Universal Clip-Ons.
Sun Clips Give Progressive Wearers More Outdoor Options
Once the progressive glasses are clip-ready, the wearer can choose from Chemistrie’s sun lens collection.
All Chemistrie Sun Clips provide 100% UV protection. The collection currently includes 24 polarized colors and three non-polarized options, with solid, mirror, and gradient finishes available.
Polarized lenses are designed to reduce reflected glare from surfaces such as roads, water, vehicle glass, pavement, and snow. This can support visual comfort during daytime driving, walking, travel, outdoor dining, and time near water.
Polarization and UV protection are different features. Polarization manages reflected glare, while UV protection addresses ultraviolet exposure. Chemistrie Sun Clips include 100% UV protection whether the selected color is polarized or non-polarized.
The ability to choose a lens finish also gives progressive wearers a dedicated sunglass appearance. A gray or brown lens can maintain a classic look, while mirror and gradient options create a more personalized result.
Sun Clips Versus Separate Progressive Sunglasses
Separate progressive sunglasses may be the better choice for someone who spends most of the day outdoors or wants a completely independent backup pair. They provide a dedicated frame and prescription designed solely for sun use.
Magnetic sun clips may be more practical for people who move between indoor and outdoor environments and prefer to keep one progressive pair at the center of their routine.
One Progressive Pair Can Support More Than Sun Use
Making progressive glasses clip-ready creates the option to add more than one clip-on function. The same pair may support sun clips, blue light clip-ons, 3D Clips, night driving lenses, or other Chemistrie options.
This does not mean stacking several clip-ons together. Each clip-on is used separately based on the task or environment.
For example, a wearer may use a sun clip outdoors and switch to a blue light clip-on during screen-heavy work. The progressive prescription remains in the primary glasses throughout both situations.
The broader multi-use setup is explained in Can One Pair of Glasses Work for Reading, Sun, and Screen Use?
Three Ways to Start With Progressive Lenses
Chemistrie works with virtually any frame, giving progressive wearers three ways to begin.
-
Send in the glasses you already wear. Chemistrie installs magnets in the current progressive lenses and creates the matching sun clip.
-
Send an existing frame for new progressive lenses. New prescription lenses are produced with the magnetic system and paired with the selected clip-on.
-
Purchase new clip-ready eyewear. Choose a new frame, add progressive lenses, and select one or more Chemistrie Clips.
The process for using current eyewear is covered in Can My Current Glasses Be Made Clip-Ready?
Chemistrie Sun Clips are currently listed at $175 as of July 2026. Pricing for new progressive lenses or complete eyewear depends on the prescription, lens material, frame, and selected options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do magnetic sun clips interfere with progressive lenses?
The progressive prescription remains in the primary lenses. The sun clip is a non-prescription layer designed to add sun tint, UV protection, and optional polarization over the progressive glasses.
Can Chemistrie make new progressive lenses for my frame?
Yes. Customers can send in an existing frame and order new progressive lenses with magnets installed. Prescription and frame details are reviewed before production.
Can strong progressive prescriptions use sun clips?
Many strong and complex prescriptions can be accommodated, but final compatibility depends on the lens material, thickness, base curve, frame, and prescription geometry. Chemistrie can review the eyewear before the order is completed.
Do I need a separate prescription in the sun clip?
No. Chemistrie Sun Clips are non-prescription additions that work over the progressive prescription lenses already in the glasses.
Can I add more than one clip to progressive glasses?
Yes. Once the glasses are clip-ready, multiple custom clips can be made for the same frame. The clips are used individually and are not stacked together.
Give Your Progressive Glasses a Custom Sun Layer
Keep the progressive glasses you already rely on and add custom-fit sun coverage when you go outdoors. Choose from 24 polarized colors and three non-polarized options.
