Choosing Glasses for Your Child – The Perfect Fit

Why good fit is important

Glasses that fit well will stay put, encouraging your child to look through the appropriate part of the lens. They are more comfortable, which encourages compliance, and frankly they look more attractive. Frames that fit well won’t move even while laying down or rough play. Glasses need to fit your child today. Infants and small children may only grow one or two millimeters in lens width over a year, older children grow even more slowly. You do not want to size up so your child “will grow in to their glasses.”

The basics of glasses sizes:

Most glasses list their sizes as XX-YY-ZZZ,

• XX is the width of one lens,
• YY is the width of the bridge
• ZZZ is the length of the temple

The numbers in these measurements are in millimeters.

Note: While this measuring system is generally standard, some children’s frames use different sizing labels. The best way to find glasses that fit is to try a few different frames on and note the size of glasses that fit well

What to look for in a good fit

Looking straight on
Look at your child straight on to get the best idea of fit. You want their eye to
be centered both horizontally and vertically.

Once you find a frame that fits in lens, look for other frames with a lens width
within a 1mm.

Make sure the bridge fits the nose well. Rectangular frames tend to have a
narrower bridge to accommodate the width of the lens. Infants and children
with wider bridges may not be able to get a good fit with a rectangle lens.

Nose pads should fit snugly but comfortably against the nose with no pinching or gaps. Frames with nose pads offer some adjustability, but solid plastic or flexible frames do not so they should fit the nose perfectly. A child who requires an exact bifocal line may do much better wearing a wire
frame with nose pads because it gives you the best adjustability.

Looking from the top
Look at the way the temples go from the edge of the lenses to your child’s ears. There should be no taper in or out on their path to the ear. If the temples are angling into the ear go down in lens width, bowing out go up. Off-the-shelf frames are scaled so that if the lens width fits the other measurements should be appropriate too. It’s not always perfect, but should give you a starting point.

From the side
Look at the length of the temple on the side of your child’s face. If the temples extend too far past the ear it is a good indicator that the frames are too large. Your child should be able to sit and lie back without the earpiece bumping the surface and shifting the frames. Bent ear pieces should not extend past the bottom of the ear.

Function

That brings us to function. There are a variety of frame types but the three basic types are wire, flexible, and plastic. Fit is a huge factor in function because glasses that fit well function well. But there are other considerations. If you have a tiny squishy baby (been  there) or an active young child that needs glasses, you will likely want something flexible  and as close to indestructible as you can get, like Miraflex or Solo Bambini. An older child active in sports may need a second pair of glasses that are sports goggles like Rec­Specs. A child who requires an exact bifocal line may do much better wearing a wire frame with nose pads because it gives you the best adjustability.

Fashion

Glasses that fit and function well for your child are the most  important thing. That doesn’t mean they won’t be adorable. They will!  And glasses that fit well will look much better on your child than a pair that does not fit.  There are not nearly as many frame choices for children as there are for adults. Depending on your child’s size, your geographical location, and your budget the selection may be even  more restricted. This can make finding great frames a challenge but not impossible. In fact there is an increasing number of online retailers that offer try­on kits for home.  Having concerns about your child’s appearance is expected. Wearing glasses will change their appearance, in my humble opinion they will be even more adorable.  Be sure not to get caught up in the fashion of the frames if it is to the detriment of fit and  function. You will have many more opportunities to shop for frames and as your child gets older the selection will expand.

Finally, ask for good service from your optical shop. You are paying for a product and service. They have a professional responsibility to provide your child with functional frames that fit.  If you have been misguided and encouraged to buy ill-fitted frames please insist on accountability from the shop and a replacement at their cost. Shopping for frames is challenging whether it is your first or 50th time but it does get  easier.

Adapted from Toddler Glasses
photos: For Little Eyes