It can be a tricky task to find the right pair of eyeglasses for children. Aside from the obvious, which is making sure the fit is correct, there are other things such as style, protection, comfort and durability to consider when shopping for kids glasses – what’s more, all of these factors need to be wrapped up in a fashionable little package that allows your child to express his or her personality, feel confident, and keep up with the latest trends.
Here are the top 5 kid’s glasses essentials:
1. Getting the right size
When choosing any eyewear, especially if its main purpose is a practical one (this is disregarding the people who buy eyeglasses without prescription lenses, as a fashion-statement), it is important to factor sizing into the equation – and this is even more important when shopping for kids glasses.
Choosing glasses for a child is not so different from choosing their clothes; you will need to find the right size whether it be a small, medium or large. As a rule of thumb, Kids glasses are made for children between the ages of 4-10 years old, kids glasses also tend to have an average temple length of 125-130 and a lens width of 44 – 48mm.
2. Lenses
The quality of the lenses on a child’s pair of glasses is never something that should be circumvented for price. The lenses need to be durable, have 100% UV protection and be comfortable for everyday use i.e. help to tame eye strain etc.
The lenses should be made of a poly-carbonate material which is 12 times more impact-resistant than plastic lenses and should be transitions too as this allows kids to get the best level of protection both indoors and outdoors where the UV rays can penetrate.
A third thing to consider with the lenses is High-Energy Visible (HEV) artificial blue light which is emitted from computer screens – devices that most kids spend at least a few hours a day gazing into. This light can cause eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision and dry eyes if not protected against. Poly-carbonate will provide protection from this.
3. The Coating
Kid’s glasses should always have lens coatings to increase their comfort-levels, protection and longevity. UV protection will protect your child’s from the harmful rays of the Sun, an anti-reflective coating will restrict light reflections off the lens and combat eyestrain and an anti-scratch coating will make the lens stronger and scratch-resistant.
4. Frame material
The best material for kids glasses is acetate. Acetate is hypoallergenic and incredibly strong. With this material you get comfort, style and strength. Also, the glasses should contain spring hinges as these provide the best accommodation for a growing face.
5. Style
Even with all of the above taken into account, style doesn’t need to be compromised, nope, not a bit. It is just as important that a Kid’s pair of glasses is stylish as it is that an adult’s is. Kids need to feel comfortable and confident with their glasses choice too, so look to buy a pair from a reputable designer that sells shrunk-down versions of fashionable adult styles.