Buying Best Glasses for Kids

If you’re a parent looking for the right pair of glasses for your child, you probably understand that walking into an optical shop can be complicated. There is no scarcity of children’s glasses frames. The problem is: how do you find out which ones: a) your child will want to use; and b) will last longer than the trip home?

Best Glasses for Kids

To start with, many children who need glasses are either nearsighted or farsighted. Depending upon the degree of visual correction necessary, your optometrist will prescribe glasses for full- or part-time wear.

Some kids will be instructed to take their glasses off for schoolwork, while others have to have them on every waking minute.

Sometimes the eye doctor will make specific suggestions about appropriate glasses frames; but more often that decision is left up to you, your child and the optical dispenser who fits the glasses.

Here are 10 items to think about to make your journey to the optical store an enjoyable experience and to guarantee that you get children’s glasses that will sustain.

1. Lens Thickness

The glasses prescription is always the main factor to consider in selecting glasses. Before you start trying to find the frames, consult with the optician about lens factors to consider.

If the prescription calls for strong lenses that are likely to be thick, it is necessary to keep the frames as little as possible to reduce the final lens thickness. Likewise, smaller sized lenses have the tendency to have fewer higher-order aberrations near the edge of the lens than big lenses of the very same material and prescription, so there is less risk of blurred or distorted peripheral vision.

2. Style Forward

Whether they are full- or part-time eyeglass users, a lot of kids get at least a little teasing about their specifications, particularly the very first time they use them. So it’s extremely important that they avoid frames that make them look “uncool.” You likewise need to guide your child far from frames that clearly are objectionable, too pricey or improper.

Just remember that the genuine item is to obtain your child to use the glasses. Extra temptation may be found in ultra cool features like photochromic lenses with tints that darken outdoors, which may help inspire any child to want to wear glasses.

3. Plastic Or Metal?

Children’s frames are made from either plastic or metal and lots of have styles that deliberately imitate unisex glasses frames created for adults. Kids frequently are drawn in to these designs since they look more grown-up. It’s not unusual for kids to ask for glasses that look just like Mom’s or Dad’s.

In the past, plastic frames were a better option for children because they were thought about more long lasting, less most likely to be bent or broken, lighter in weight and cheaper. Today, producers are making metal frames that include these features also. Metal structure differs, so ask the optician which one is best for your child, based upon experience with various alloys.

Request hypoallergenic materials if your child has revealed sensitivity to certain compounds. For instance, some individuals dislike frame alloys which contain nickel.

 

4. Correct Bridge Fit

One of the toughest parts about choosing ideal frames for young children is that their noses are not fully established, so they do not have a bridge to prevent plastic frames from moving down. Metal frames, nevertheless, generally are made with adjustable nose pads, so they fit everybody’s bridge.

Many producers acknowledge this trouble with plastic frames and make their bridges to fit small noses.

Each frame needs to be assessed separately to make sure it fits the bridge. If any gaps exist between the bridge of the frame and the bridge of the nose, the weight of the lenses will cause the glasses to move, no matter how well the frame seems to fit prior to the lenses are made.

It’s important that the glasses stay in location; otherwise kids tend to examine the top of the lenses rather of pushing their glasses back up where they belong. An optician usually is the best judge of whether a frame fits effectively.

5. The Right Temple Style

Temples that wrap all the way around the back of the ear assistance keep glasses from sliding down or dropping off a child’s face entirely.

These wraparound temples, called “cable temples,” typically are offered on metal frames and are especially valuable to keep glasses in place on young children.

Another choice is a strap that walks around the head.

Glasses with cable television temples and/or straps are not a good choice for part-time wearers, nevertheless, due to the fact that they are a bit more awkward to put on and remove. For glasses that go on and off frequently, it is better to have routine, or “skull,” temples that go directly back and after that curve carefully around the back of the ear.

6. Spring Hinges

A good function to look for is temples with spring hinges. These special hinges allow the temples to flex outward, away from the frames, without causing any damage. Although they often cost a bit more, spring hinges can be a beneficial investment for children’s glasses.

Kids are not always cautious when they place on and remove glasses, and spring hinges can help avoid the requirement for regular modifications and pricey repair works. They likewise are available in convenient if the child goes to sleep with the glasses on or just has a rough day at play. Spring hinges are highly suggested for young children, who in some cases get carried away playing with their brand-new glasses.

7. Lens Material

When you and your child agree on frames that you both like, the next factor to consider is the lenses.

Children’s lenses should be made of polycarbonate or Trivex. These materials are significantly more impact-resistant than other lens materials for added safety. Polycarbonate and Trivex lenses likewise are substantially lighter than routine plastic lenses, makings the eyeglasses more comfy — particularly for strong prescriptions.

Polycarbonate and Trivex have built-in protection versus possibly destructive ultraviolet (UV) rays, and the lenses are scratch-resistant coated by the producer or fabrication laboratory.

The price for polycarbonate lenses generally is similar to the cost for regular plastic lenses with UV and scratch-resistant coatings. And with polycarbonate, kids get that additional margin of safety to safeguard their eyes. Bear in mind that Trivex lenses may cost a little more than polycarbonate.

The least preferable material for your child’s lenses is glass. Although it must be treated for effect resistance, glass still shatters when it breaks, and broken glass — even safety glass — is a hazard to the eye. Glass lenses likewise are significantly heavier, that makes them less comfy to use.

Because of safety and liability concerns, a lot of optical stores in the United States do not offer children’s eyeglasses with glass lenses.

8. Sports Eyewear

Polycarbonate is such a safe lens product that you may be tempted to let your child play sports in his routine glasses.

Here’s the disadvantage: Although polycarbonate is the lens material used for sports glasses, regular glasses frames do not provide adequate defense from large objects such as balls and flying elbows. So if your kid is associated with sports, an appropriate sports goggle with polycarbonate lenses will supply the best defense versus eye injury.

To supply optimal protection, sports safety glasses must be fitted effectively — so seek advice from an eye care professional before purchasing. Although it sounds counter-intuitive, a sports goggle should have a bigger vertical eye opening, rather than a smaller one. If an effect needs to take place and the safety glasses are pressed toward the face, a big eye opening keeps the effect points far above and below the eyes. With a small opening, however, the goggle hits right at the edge of the eye socket, which can damage the globe of the eye.

9. Guarantees

Many optical sellers offer a guarantee plan that will replace glasses at no charge or for a small fee in case of damage to the frames or lenses. Consider selecting the service warranty, especially if your child is a toddler or a newbie wearer.

Be aware, nevertheless, that not all warranty plans are the exact same. Inspect lens replacement expenses with and without the guarantee strategy. Typically, if the guarantee costs you less or about the same amount as the cost to change one single lens, it is worth the price.

Make sure the lens service warranty consists of a replacement arrangement if the lenses become severely scratched from normal wear. In addition to triggering glare and blurred vision, surface area scratches can jeopardize the effect resistance of the lenses, putting your child’s eyes at risk.

10. Backup Pair

Because children can be hard on their glasses, it’s always a good idea to purchase a 2nd, or backup, pair of glasses for them. This particularly holds true if your child has a strong prescription and can not work without his/her glasses.

Ask your optician if unique discount rates request 2nd pairs — they often do if the backup pair is bought at the exact same time as the primary set. In some cases, sports safety glasses can be used as a spare pair of glasses. Or, if your child’s prescription has not altered considerably, keep his/her previous glasses in a safe location for use as an extra.

If your child uses glasses full-time (consisting of outdoors), photochromic lenses or prescription sunglasses also ought to be considered to reduce glare, boost visual convenience and offer 100 percent security from the sun’s harmful UV rays.

To reduce expenses, ask your optician if the lenses in your child’s previous glasses can be tinted to transform them into sunglasses. If the prescription is basically the same as your child’s existing glasses, this is a feasible alternative to acquiring a brand-new pair of prescription sunglasses.