In addition to ensuring your child’s glasses fit properly, you also want to ask your child for their opinion on style. Two experts we spoke to, ophthalmologist Catherine Jordan, MD, and optician Heather Heil, agree: children will be more willing to wear their glasses if they’re involved and get to have a say in which pair you buy for them. We carefully considered styles, frames, lenses, age recommendations, value, design, and fit when reviewing products. Here are the best places to find kids’ frames, no matter your kid’s style or your budget. Specialized lenses are also an option, however, they may come at an additional cost. While you won’t find a brick and mortar store to try these glasses on in person, Zenni Optical does have a try-on feature on the website, guides for measuring the face to ensure a good fit, and an option to return the glasses (for store credit or 50 percent refund). If the glasses don’t work, they have a 14-day return window where you can either switch out the glasses or ask for a full refund. These glasses are available with a variety of different types of lenses (prescription, non-prescription, standard, specialty, blue-light-blocking, etc.) and they offer a 365-day guarantee, meaning they will replace the frames if they are damaged or broken within the first year. Once the glasses come in, kids have 30-days to try them out, and if they don’t like them for any reason, they can be returned for a full refund. At this time, the kid’s line is relatively new, so they only offer one size (fits kids between 4 and 8 years old), but the company does plan to expand the line at some point. Additionally, while the list price of the glasses doesn’t include the cost of lenses, you can usually get a discount on the frames with the purchase of prescription lenses, and the store also frequently has sales and promotions. Additionally, these frames are specifically designed for kids, so they’re durable and bendable. Unlike many other retailers, the list price of the glasses online includes the cost of standard prescription lenses, but they also offer specialized lenses at an additional cost. Kids also have the option to purchase extra frame tops that they can switch out to change up the look of their glasses (at an additional cost). They offer a variety of lens options, both prescription and non-prescription, and a 30-day return window where they will refund you for any reason if you don’t like the glasses. Each home try-on kit costs $1 and includes up to seven pairs of glasses that kids can try out for seven days before returning and putting in an order. The list price of frames includes the cost of standard prescription lenses, but there is an additional cost to add blue light blocking coating for non-prescription blue light blocking glasses. There is no change to the list price. The downside to these frames is that you cannot purchase them with prescription lenses, so you’ll have to take them to an eyeglasses store to have them fitted with special lenses, however, a lot of retailers carry this brand in their stores, so it may be easier to shop for them in person. In addition to ensuring an accurate prescription, it’s also important to consider the lens type for children. Robert C. Layman, O.D., President of the American Optometric Association (AOA), tells Verywell family, “The AOA recommends polycarbonate or Trivex material which [both] provide the most impact resistance.” He also explains these lenses “are typically the standard of care in terms of safety eyewear for minors, as the liability of breakage and injury is a concern with non-impact resistant products.” Both Catherine Jordan, MD, a Pediatric Ophthalmologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and Heather Heil, an Optician at Nationwide Children’s Hospital agree with Dr. Layman, and also note that polycarbonate lenses for children are usually covered by insurance plans.
Frame Type & Design
It’s very important that your child likes the style of their eyeglasses since if they don’t like them, they won’t wear them, but it’s just as important that they are made from quality materials that will hold up to kid-level wear and tear. Dr. Layman explains, “some materials, such as titanium alloys, may have more ability to recover from being bent” than plastic frames. Additionally, he, Dr. Jordan, and all Heil note that it’s also important to look at the glasses’ hinges, as they make a big difference between flimsy glasses and durable ones. Heil explains, “A spring hinge gives a little extra durability compared to a straight hinge, [and] some manufacturers are using a 180-degree hinge, which means the legs will spread out flat to the front of the frame.” Dr. Layman also encourages parents to take a look at the frames’ instructions for use as well as the warranty. Looking at the instructions may seem silly, but in doing so, you’re familiarizing yourself with what the glasses can and can’t do. As for the warranty, a manufacturer that offers a good warranty (such as free replacements) more than likely “stands behind their quality kids frames,” explains Dr. Layman. Finally, it’s very important to ensure the frames your child has picked out are compatible with their specific prescription lens. If your child has a special need for a very strong prescription lens, Dr. Layman suggests talking to the doctor or optician about “thinner, lighter lenses to improve comfort and the look” of the frames.
Fit
It probably comes as no surprise that how the glasses fit on your child’s face is very important. In fact, Dr. Layman says it is “critically” important because a poor or incorrect fit can result in the patient “experiencing discomfort, such as pinching and headaches” and can even lead to “additional vision problems.” According to Heil and Dr. Jordan, for the glasses to be a good fit “the child’s eyes should be near the center of the lenses, the bridge should fit well across the nose, and care should be taken that the temples do not squeeze the sides of the head.” If the frames are pretty close to fitting but just need a minor adjustment, they recommend investing in temple tips, nose pieces, and other tools that will help the glasses sit properly on the face.
Why Trust Verywell Family
This article was written by Ashley Ziegler, a full-time parenting writer and mom to a two-year-old and a five-year-old. Her oldest daughter has been wearing prescription glasses daily for more than a year, which allowed Ashley to consider her personal experience when selecting these retailers. She also considered suggestions from fellow parents of kids with glasses and consulted with experts Robert C. Layman, O.D., President of the American Optometric Association, Catherine Jordan, MD, Pediatric Opthamologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and Heather Heil, Optician at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Heil says, “the most durable material is a soft, molded rubber frame, but those are traditionally designed for young toddlers and infants or for older children with special needs.” If your child has aged out of these types of frames, pay attention to the material the frames are made from and whether or not the hinges offer a wide range of motion (the more bendable the glasses, the better). If not, then you’ll most likely have to pay for the frames and lenses out of pocket and then submit the receipt for reimbursement from the insurance company. There are some online retailers that will work directly with insurance providers as well as retailers that allow you to pay for out-of-pocket costs with FSA or HSA plans.
