Buying new glasses is something that glasses wearers find to be equal parts exciting and difficult to get right. Perhaps you’re thinking of looking into a simple pair of reading glasses for the office. Perhaps you’re looking at adding a little colour to your party look (for example, see this selection of orange glasses from EyeBuyDirect). Or maybe this is your first pair of glasses and you genuinely do not know where to begin. Whatever the case, today we’re going to look at things to consider when buying new glasses
Thinking about overall frame width
Whenever we speak in general terms of ‘glasses size’, we’re really talking about the frame size, and mostly that comes down to width. Now, there are two things to bear in mind when deciding on glasses width. The first thing to consider is the comfort level in terms of whether the glasses may pinch if the width is insufficient, or slide and move around where the width is excessive. The second thing to think about is that comfort may go out of the window if you’re searching for a particular look. For example, oversized frames may be a desirable look to fit with certain fashionable styles.
Lens dimensions (height and width)
The next thing to think about after the overall width of your new glasses is the width and height of your lenses. There are a couple of basic rules that could help you to achieve a stylish look and a sensible fit. For example, smaller lenses may limit your field of view, whereas larger lenses may break the ‘not wider than your face rule’ (this is where people looking at you can see rear scenery displayed in the edges of your glasses, giving a pinched in look at the temple). The lenses should also not extend to the eyebrow level, because this can lead to the brow level being displayed in the lenses, which can magnify the eyebrows. When measuring the height and width of the lenses, the centre-point should be where the pupil is seen when worn.
Understanding the nose bridge
The bridge of the glasses must accurately span the width of the nose. This is because an ill-fitting bridge that is not wide enough can lead to pressure points that may result in headaches and other pains. Where the bridge is too wide, the glasses can slip, meaning the centre-point of the lens no longer appears directly in front of the pupils.
Your temple length (the arms of the glasses)
The arm length is the final point that must be considered. Many people assume that arm length will more or less take care of itself, believing that there is a one size fits all approach to this part of the design. Alas, arm length can be the difference between glasses that slide forwards and glasses that feel sucked onto your face. In either scenario, you will feel the need for constant adjustment throughout the day, which will start to become an annoyance.