Buying Guide, How to

Can Anna-Karin Karlsson sunglasses take prescription lenses? Yes, and here is how

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Buying Guide, How to

Can Anna-Karin Karlsson sunglasses take prescription lenses? Yes, and here is how

Posted by author-avatar

Yes, Anna-Karin Karlsson sunglasses take prescription lenses. The house says so on its own contact page, and it is one of the reasons to buy the frames from an optician’s point of view: a claw navigator with your prescription in it is an everyday pair of glasses that happens to be couture. This page explains what the house states, which shapes suit which prescriptions, what an optician will do and what it costs, and why the sun lenses that come with the frame are worth keeping.

“Yes, all of our frames can be fitted with prescription lenses. Please note that the prescription range may vary between different frame styles,” the house answers on its Contact page.

Key facts

  • The house: “all of our frames can be fitted with prescription lenses”; the prescription range varies between styles
  • Rimmed frames (navigators, pilots, squares, rectangles) take the widest range of prescriptions
  • Rimless frames (The Claw and the Nest, Crystal Nest, Chain Nest) and the diamond-cut Crystal Meringue need an optician’s judgement on strength and thickness
  • The frame ships with Zeiss sun lenses; an optician replaces them with prescription sun lenses at their own price
  • The house also makes optical versions of several styles (Claw Optical, Rose et le Rêve Optical, Le Chap Optical) on its own store

What the house states

The contact page on annakarinkarlsson.com answers the question in one line: yes, all of the frames can be fitted with prescription lenses, and the prescription range may vary between frame styles, so check with a licensed optician that your prescription is compatible with the frame you want. The house sells 87 optical frames of its own, in the same shapes and the same titanium and acetate, which tells you the frames were designed with lenses in mind.

Which shapes take which prescriptions

A full-rim frame hides the edge of a strong lens, so the rimmed titanium and acetate shapes take the widest range: the Claw Voyage, The Claw Pilot, Le Chap Sun, Le Boss, Miss Rosell, the White Moon, the Strawberry Moon, the Too Handsome and the panthers. A rimless frame shows the lens edge and puts the drill holes in the lens itself, so The Claw and the Nest, the Crystal Nest Triangle and the Chain Nest suit low to moderate prescriptions and need a thin, tough lens material. The Crystal Meringue’s swirl-cut lens edge is a special cut that an optician has to reproduce. The four easiest frames to fit:

1. Strawberry Moon Sunglasses in Black, $1,450

An oversized square in polished acetate, each corner tipped with a 24K gold-plated claw. 138.7 mm across the front and 55 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Italy.

2. White Moon Sunglasses in Emerald, $1,600

A square frame in 24K gold-plated stainless steel with a thin acetate rim, designed for the Into the Night collection to be worn from daylight into the small hours. 149 mm across the front and 51 g, a wide fit that suits medium to broad faces. Made in Italy.

3. Too Handsome Sun Sunglasses in Amber Tortoise, $2,150

A rectangular frame in acetate and Japanese titanium with gold-plated corner plates and the logo engraved at the temple. 134.4 mm across the front and 41 g, a narrow fit, best on petite and small faces. Made in Japan.

4. Beaming Sky Sunglasses in Amber, $2,190

The Beaming Sky square in solid pearl acetate instead of crystal, on 24K gold-plated stainless steel temples. 139 mm across the front and 69 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Italy.

What the optician does

Takes the Zeiss sun lenses out, traces the lens shape, cuts prescription lenses to it in the tint you choose, and fits them; on a rimless frame, drills and mounts them. Ask for the same azure anti-reflective back coating the house uses, so the prescription pair keeps the house’s look. Keep the original Zeiss lenses; they can go back in.

What it costs

The frame is priced at Coveti with its Zeiss sun lenses; prescription lenses are the optician’s charge on top, and they vary with the prescription, the tint and the lens material. A single-vision tinted lens is the least; a progressive in a rimless frame is the most.

“The sun lenses are supplied by Carl Zeiss, featuring an azure anti-reflective back coating and the AKK logo discreetly engraved on the left lens,” the house states on its product pages.

Frequently asked questions

Can Anna-Karin Karlsson sunglasses be made prescription?

Yes. The house states that all of its frames can be fitted with prescription lenses, with the range varying by style. Any licensed optician can do it.

Which Anna-Karin Karlsson frames are best for a strong prescription?

The full-rim frames: the Claw Voyage, The Claw Pilot, Le Chap Sun, Le Boss 2.0, Miss Rosell 2.0 and the acetate squares. Rimless frames suit low to moderate prescriptions.

Can rimless Anna-Karin Karlsson frames take a prescription?

Yes, with limits. The Claw and the Nest, the Crystal Nest and the Chain Nest are drilled rimless frames; an optician will advise on strength and use a thin, tough lens material.

Does Anna-Karin Karlsson make optical frames?

Yes. The house store lists 87 optical frames, including Claw Optical, Rose et le Rêve Optical, Rose et la Roue Optical, Le Chap Optical and Too Handsome Optical. Coveti carries the sunglasses.

Do prescription lenses keep the AKK engraving?

No. The engraving is on the original Zeiss lens. Keep the original lenses; they can be refitted.

Can I get progressive lenses in Anna-Karin Karlsson sunglasses?

Yes in the full-rim frames, where the lens is tall enough for the progressive corridor; the Claw Voyage, The Claw Pilot and the oversized squares are the best candidates.

Read next

Size and fit Rimless frames Materials and care Aviators and pilots

More Anna-Karin Karlsson guides

Every Anna-Karin Karlsson page by Coveti’s fashion editor Gemma Deeks: Is it a luxury brand?, How to style, Brands like Anna-Karin Karlsson, The edit, Who is Anna-Karin Karlsson?, History timeline, Price guide, Where to buy, Sale, Review, Real vs fake and dupes, Materials and care, Glossary, Who wears it, vs Schiaparelli, Size and fit guide, Face shape guide, New arrivals 2026, Men’s sunglasses, The Claw family, The panther frames, Crystal frames, Lion and Lioness, Diamond and limited editions, Cat-eye, Round, Aviators and pilots, Oversized, Rimless, Acetate, Titanium, Gold, Black, Tortoise and caramel, Pink and red, Green and purple.

Sources and method

Checked on 19 September 2026 by Gemma Deeks, fashion editor at Coveti. Product facts, the materials, stones, plating, lens supplier, dimensions, weights and country of manufacture, are the brand’s own product-page text; counts, prices and price ranges are Coveti’s live catalogue on that date and move with stock; the designer’s biography and the wearers come from the brand’s own pages and the press articles listed below, each read on the date above. Where a claim could not be checked against one of these it was left out, and where the fitting room is giving its own advice the page says so.

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