What should you look for in eye glass frames?

When choosing eye glass frames it really comes down to two things: fashion and function.

Those two things depend on you. There are five types of reading glasses wearer- which type are you?

Function

Materials

When you are interested in function then top of your mind would be the sturdiness, comfort and durability.

There are a wide range of materials that frames are made from. The two main types are plastic (or Zyl) and metal. The metal frames dominate the market with about 70% of the sales. Plastic frames tend to be made for the fashion end of the market. However there are some good functional reasons to choose a plastic frame. Follow the link for an in depth look at the different types of materials and their pros and cons.

Style of Rim

Frames come three different types: rimless, semi rimless and full rim.

After years of bitter experience I would not recommend a rimless frame. They are too fragile for use as reading glasses. If you wear your glasses all the time then that’s different.

I think that semi rim and full rim are the way to go. Even then there are a few traps to watch for.

The main thing to avoid is thick rims. Thick rims certainly make for a good strong frame, but be careful, because you might feel like you are looking through binoculars. A thick frame rim can really interfere with your vision.

After a while your brain does adapt to the thick rim and tunes it out. Some never get used to the conspicuous rim and the glasses end up in the glove box for emergency use only. What a waste.

Probably the best kind of frame to go for is a semi rimless frame. This has a frame at the top, but no rim at the bottom. The lens is held into the frame by nylon wire.

You can have a frame that makes a statement and yet minimal interference for reading. This style of frame is a lot more robust than the rimless type.

Depth of Frame

This is the distance from the top of the frame to the bottom.

A medium size works well for most, but there certainly are a number of issues you should consider.

Fashion

For a majority of people the look of the frame is extremely important.

When choosing eye glass frames there are some rules to follow that can help you find just the right shape glasses to suit your face shape and colouring.

Finally, what do you want your frames to say about you? Eye glass frames will say a lot about you.

There are two diverse looks for 2007.

There is the minimalist look: A rimless frame with anti reflection coating creates a barely there look. You can achieve the same effect with a fine semi rimless.

Bold: for those who want to make a statement with vibrant colours. Plastic frames rectangular in with wide detailed temples are a popular choice.

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