How to Choose the Best Eyeglasses
These are some of the frames that did not make the cut this year. Pay no attention to the murderous looks on my face. This is not my favorite thing to do:)
Start with the lenses
- Buy the best quality you can afford. Lenses have come a long way in recent years. Their clarity and ability to give you crisp vision is not just about your prescription strength anymore.
- High-index lenses are made from a lightweight material and thinner than other lenses. This makes them a great choice if you have a strong prescription or a sensitive nose like me.
- Aspheric lenses are flatter, which reduces the amount of bulge on the lens. They also magnify your eyes less, so they are more cosmetically flattering.
- Do pay extra for anti-reflective coating. It decreases unwanted glare and nighttime halos. You want people to see through your glasses, to your beautiful eyes!
- If you wear multifocal lenses, a deeper lens will give you a larger reading area.
- If you spend time on a computer or cell phone, consider adding the blue-light filter coating to protect your eyes from damage and strain.
Rimless glasses are popular, with good reason. They’re lightweight and offer a “barely there” look. I have a pair, but I feel they make me look older, so I usually just wear them around the house. They’re less likely to leave indentations on the bridge of your nose, which tend to become permanent over time.
A few more frames that didn’t make the cut.
Choosing the best frame
- If you have a large face and heavy bone structure, you’ll look better in a larger frame. Delicate features are flattered by fine frames. Keep the scale of your glasses similar to the scale of your face.
- Choose frames in the same tone as your skin, eye, or hair color. These are your inherent colors and the most flattering for you to wear.
- Look for frames that mirror your eyebrow shape. It helps your glasses look like they belong on your face.
- If you have an angular face, curved or roundish frames are more flattering.
There’s no question a new pair of prescription eyewear is costly, but wearing outdated or ill-fitting frames makes you look older and out of touch.
These are the frames I chose. The color matches my eye color, are very lightweight, and have adjustable nose pads, so they’re more likely to be comfortable.
Do you wear glasses? When is the last time you updated your frame?
Nose pads actually put a hole in the skin on the bridge of my nose! Because I need my glasses to see, it took a long time to heal. I switched to plastic designer frames without the pads and have not had a problem since then. They have a large field of vision which I love with my progressive lenses. Our coloring is the same but I chose black. They do hide my eye bags! I do have the lenses that darken in the sunlight. Be aware that they do not go back to completely clear. There is still a slight coloration after wearing for a while. I wash my lenses cloths in a mesh bag and remove from the washer before putting my fabric softener in. I flatten and dry them on the dryer top. Just like new!
I was pushed into buying transitional glasses with my last purchase. They never come completely clear indoors and i feel sort of silly in them. What is your honest opinion of transitionals? Do you like them? I see that you don’t usually opt for them.
I have never owned them. Car windshields prevent them from getting very dark in the car, and I need dark glasses.
I loved this!