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The secret to finding the perfect fit for your next pair of eyeglasses is simple: know your frame size. Luckily, finding eyeglasses that fit well can be an easy process. Here are 6 tips and tricks for finding prescription eyeglasses that fit perfectly. 

One of the major pain points of shopping for prescription eyeglasses is finding a pair that fits perfectly on your face. Anyone that has shopped for prescription eyeglasses knows that it can be challenging and downright frustrating.

There's nothing worse than finding a style you like only to realize that they don't fit your face. Prescription eyeglasses are a medical device to help you see and a fashion accessory. Just like any piece of clothing, one size does not fit all. 

We're all unique individuals. Our faces come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and widths. Some people need a smaller petite eyeglass frame, while others need a wider eyeglass frame with an extended fit. So let's get into it. 

1. Know the frame dimensions 

There are 5 frame dimensions to focus on when you're considering a pair of eyeglasses and most eyeglass frame manufacturers will list 3 of the dimensions right on the frame. 

Frame Width

The entire width of the eyeglass frame. The measurement spans the entire front horizontal width from each of the furthest points. 

Lens Height 

The vertical height of the lens. The measurement spans from the inside edges of the frame where the lens is placed. 

Lens Width (Eye Size) | Range 40 mm - 62 mm

The width of one lens in the frame. The measurement spans from the inside edges of the frame where the lens is placed. Doctors and optical retailers may refer to this as the "Eye Size" of the frame. 

Bridge | Range 14 mm - 24 mm

The piece of the frame that goes across the bridge of your nose, hence the name.

Temple Arm | Range 120 mm - 150 mm

The piece that connects to the front of the frame. The temple arm sits on your ear to hold your eyeglasses in place. The measurement is for the length of one temple arm. 

Typically, frame manufacturers will stamp the lens width, bridge, and the temple arm measurements on the inside of the eyeglasses. Each manufacturer is different and you may find the measurement on the inside of the temple arm or the nose bridge. 

What to ignore

Frame manufacturers will also include product/style codes when they are stamping the frame dimensions. These values you can ignore for sizing purposes but you may want to take note of them if you like the frame. Having the product/style code makes it easier to find later. 

2. Look at your existing pair

Now that you have a better understanding of the frame dimensions, you can apply that knowledge in picking your next pair of eyeglasses. 

If you have eyeglasses that fit you well then you're ahead of the game. You simply look at the dimensions of the frame that fit perfectly and shop for eyeglasses with similar sizes!

This will give you a great starting point the next time your shopping for eyeglasses. The best thing about this method is that the measurements don't have to match perfectly.  They can vary slightly from your existing pair and the frames should still fit you well. 

The frame sizes can vary as follows:

• Lens Width: within 2 mm
• Bridge: within 1 mm
• Temple Arm: within 5 mm

3. Start with your PD

If you've never had glasses that fit perfectly, then that's alright. After all, that's why you're here reading this guide. There are other methods you can incorporate in helping you find a good fit. 

A good place to start is looking at your Pupillary Distance or PD. Pupillary Distance (PD) measures the distance from one pupil to the other.  It can be written as a single PD or a dual PD. 

Using your PD as a baseline, the best fit for eyeglass frames would be:

Single PD (Dual PD) in mm	Fit	Eye Size (mm)
59 and below (29 and below)	Small	50 and below
60 - 62 (30 - 31)	Medium	51 - 54
63 and above (32 and above)	Large	55 and above

Note: The dimensions of your face, relative to your PD, may not always follow the fitting parameters outlined but it will definitely give you a good place to start. 

If you don't know what you're PD is, you can always ask your optometrist and see if they can give your PD measurement. Be aware that some optometry practices don't measure the PD in a comprehensive eye exam. 

An alternative to asking your optometrist is to refer back to the optical retailer you purchased your eyeglasses from. The optical retailer will have a record of your PD because they need it to make your eyeglasses correctly. 

4. Measure with a ruler

The tried and true method of getting a perfect fit is always to start with a ruler. By measuring the width of your face you can compare that to the overall width of the frame. 

Measuring the width of your face is easy and all you need are two things: a ruler that measures in millimetres, and a mirror. 

You start by looking in front of a mirror with your ruler in hand. Next, place the ruler across your face either above or below your eyes so you can still see. You want to measure the distance between the outer edge of your temple right along where your earlobe begins. 

Once you have your face width measured you can take the same ruler the next time your shopping and start measuring the width of the frames you try on. 

Pro Tip:

If you don't want to carry around a ruler while your shopping you can get an approximate value of the frame width with the dimensions from the manufacturer. 

Just double the value of the Eye Size (one for each lens) and add the Bridge measurement and it should get you fairly close to the overall width of the frame. 

5. Low and High Bridge Frames

There’s one more thing to consider when it comes to finding the perfect fit and that’s the nose bridge orientation. Some people can have a low or a high nose bridge profile which can make selecting the right frames a little tricky. 

Low Bridge

Plastic/acetate frames without nose pads tend to sit low for people with a low nose bridge. Eyeglass frames that sit low tend to rest on the cheeks and every time you make a facial expression your eyeglasses will move as your cheeks raise up or down. 

Eyeglass frames with nose pads are the best solution for this issue. Nose pads are made to be adjusted and you can secure a better fit by fine-tuning the nose pad position. 

There are also frame manufacturers that make a low bridge frame with extended plastic nose rests to accommodate the low bridge. They are sometimes referred to as an “Asian-fit” frame. 

Prescription eyeglass frames with a low bridge or an Asian-fit have extended nose bridge rests to allow for a better fit around the nose keeping the frame in the correct position.

High Bridge

A high nose bridge can also cause fitting issues due to the eyeglasses sitting too high on your face. This happens because the nose bridge width is too narrow and does not sit flush around the nose bridge. 

Eyeglass frames with nose pads can also alleviate this problem because they can be adjusted to the correct width. Eyeglass frames with a wider nose bridge width would be ideal for this situation. A keyhole bridge may also provide relief as they tend to be wider than the conventional bridge.

Luckily, there are frame manufacturers that make high bridge frames. Oakley has created a line of eyeglass frames with a modular nose bridge so you can select which ones fit you best. 

6. Sunglasses

Sunglasses should have a wider fit than prescription eyeglasses. Sunglasses are meant to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays emitted by the sun and provide comfort in seeing during extremely bright conditions. 

The wider fit allows for greater coverage around your eye. This increases the surface area that’s covering the eye and also decreases any light going over or around the lenses. Wrap-around frames provide the best coverage because they match the contour of your face. 

Try them on

The final tip for finding eyeglasses with the perfect fit is to try them on. You may be thinking that this is what you’ve always done in the past and it didn’t prove to be successful. However, this time you’re equipped with a deeper understanding of how the frame sizing works. 

Taking what you’ve learned about the eyeglass frame dimensions, you can go through a variety of frames and begin to identify sizes that are working. You can take note of the Eye Size, Bridge, and Temple Arm to see which combination works best with your face. 

Just with this method alone, you can greatly reduce the amount of time and frustration you have with finding a pair of eyeglasses that fit perfectly.