If you are a parent looking for a pair of glasses suitable for your child, you will most likely be confused when seeing so many glasses. There is no shortage in children's frames. The problem is to find out what glasses your child will be willing to use and if they will last longer than it takes to return home. Find here 10 buying tips to help you choose the glasses that your child will love, and they will be elegant and durable.
10 tips for Buying Kids Eyewear
1. How thick should the lenses be?
The prescription for glasses is the first thing you should consider when choosing your glasses. Before you start looking for frames, consult your ophthalmologist for vision professional about the best lenses for your child.
If the recipe requires strong lenses, which are likely to be thick, avoid large frames that increase their thickness. In addition, small lenses usually have fewer high-order aberrations near the edge of the lenses unlike larger lenses made with the same material and prescription, so there is a lower risk of having a blurred or distorted peripheral vision.
2. Choose frames with a modern and attractive style
Most children who wear glasses for the first time are shy about it. Therefore, choose frames that have a modern and attractive style. In addition, some features such as photochromic lenses that automatically darken with outdoor sunlight can help your child want to wear glasses.
3. Plastic or metal?
Children's frames are made of plastic or metal and many have styles that intentionally mimic unisex glasses frames designed for adults. Children are often attracted to these styles because it makes them look more adults. It is not unusual for them to choose frames that look like those used by their older siblings or their parents.
In the past, plastic frames were a better option for children since they were considered more durable, less likely to bend or break, lighter and less expensive. But now, manufacturers are making metal frames that incorporate these features. The composition of the metal varies, so ask the optician who is the best option for your child, based on experience with different alloys.
If your child has shown sensitivity to certain substances, choose frames made of hypoallergenic materials. For example, some people are allergic to metal frames that contain nickel.
4. Proper Bridge Adjustment
One of the most difficult things when choosing suitable frames for young children is that their nose is not fully developed, so it does not have a bridge to prevent plastic frames from sliding down. However, metal frames are usually made with adjustable nose pads, so they fit everyone's bridge.
Most manufacturers recognize this problem with plastic frames and make the bridges of their glasses adapt to small noses.
Each frame should be evaluated individually to make sure it fits the bridge. If there is a gap between the bridge of the frames and the bridge of the nose, the weight of the lenses will cause the glasses to slide, no matter how well the frames fit before the lenses are made.
It is important that the glasses remain in place; otherwise, children tend to look over them instead of replacing them properly. An optometrist is usually the one who can decide if a frame fits correctly.
5. The correct style of the pins
The pins that wrap around the back of the ear help prevent the glasses from slipping or falling completely off the child's face. These wrap pins, called “cable pins,” are generally available in metal frames and are especially useful for keeping young children's glasses in place. Another option is the frames that include an elastic strap to hang the glasses around the head.
6. Spring hinges
A good feature for the pins of your glasses are spring hinges. These allow the pins to flex outwards or inside the frames, without causing any damage.
Children are not always careful when putting on and taking off their glasses, and spring hinges can help prevent the need for frequent adjustments and costly repairs. They are also useful if the child falls asleep with their glasses on or uses them while playing.
Spring hinges are highly recommended for young children who sometimes get carried away when playing with their new glasses.
7. Lens materials
Once you and your child agree with the type of frames you will choose, the next step to consider is the lenses. The lenses of the glasses for children should be made of polycarbonate or Trivex. These materials are much more impact resistant than other lens materials and will give you greater security.
Polycarbonate and Trivex lenses are also lighter than regular plastic lenses, which makes the glasses more comfortable, especially for recipes with a lot of graduation. Likewise, polycarbonate and Trivex lenses have built-in protection against potentially harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, in addition to scratch-resistant coatings, placed by the manufacturer or the manufacturing laboratory.
The price of polycarbonate lenses is usually comparable to the cost of regular plastic lenses with scratch and UV resistant coatings. Also, with polycarbonate, children get an extra margin of safety to protect their eyes. Trivex lenses can cost a little more than polycarbonate lenses.
Avoid choosing glass lenses for children's glasses. Although they are very resistant to scratches, glass lenses are very heavy and can break easily (compared to polycarbonate or Trivex lenses).
8. Sports Glasses
Polycarbonate is a lens material so safe that it may allow your child to play sports with their regular lenses. This is the drawback: Although polycarbonate is the lens material used in sports glasses, regular glasses frames do not provide enough protection against large objects such as balls or blows caused by the elbows of other players.
So, if your child plays sports, a pair of appropriate sports glasses with polycarbonate lenses will provide the best protection against eye injuries. To provide optimal protection, sports glasses must be properly placed, so consult a vision care specialist before purchasing.
The lens openings of the sports glasses should be large enough so that, if the glasses are pushed towards the face, the impact points are above and below the eyes and eye injuries can be avoided.
9. Guarantees
Many optical retailers offer a warranty plan that will replace the glasses at no charge or for a small fee in case of damage to the frames or lenses. Consider opting for the guarantee, especially if your child is a small child or wears glasses for the first time.
Verify lens replacement costs with and without the warranty plan. Usually, if the warranty costs you less or almost the same amount as the fee to replace a single lens, the price is worth it.
Make sure the glasses warranty includes a replacement provision if the lenses are scratched a lot due to normal use. In addition to causing glare and blurred vision, scratches on the surface of the lenses can compromise its impact resistance, putting your child's eyes at risk.
10. Buy a pair of “backup” glasses
Because children may not be so careful with their glasses, it is a good idea to buy a second pair of backup glasses, especially if your child has a high graduation and cannot be without their glasses.
Ask the optical store specialist if special discounts apply for second pairs; They often do so if the backup pair is purchased at the same time as the initial pair.
In some cases, sports glasses can be used as a pair of replacement glasses. Or, if your child's prescription has not changed significantly, keep your previous glasses in a safe place to use as a refill.
If your child uses glasses all the time, you should consider acquiring photochromic lenses or sunglasses with graduation to reduce glare, increase visual comfort and provide 100% protection against the sun's harmful UV rays. So what are you waiting for?