How to Measure Your Face for Glasses Frames

While it can be a fun experience to go to the eye doctor and try on frames, it can also be expensive. You're limited to the options that they carry, and those tend to be designer frames with a high markup. Even with insurance, you can still pay a significant amount out of pocket.

Instead of relying on the optometrist to decide your style and budget, opt to purchase a pair of affordable glasses frames online. If you feel nervous about doing so because you won't see how they fit, all you have to do is measure your face before ordering. This allows you to choose from tons of frames since you can get them from any website.

Let's discuss why you need that perfect pair of frames to fit your face properly and how to measure your face for glasses or sunglasses.

The Importance of Finding Frames That Fit Your Face

Eye Care

Your glasses must fit correctly to maximize eye care benefits. An important attribute to consider when purchasing a pair of eyeglasses is the pupillary distance (PD). This measures the distance between the two pupils of your eyes and captures how the prescription will be utilized on the lens. Your prescription should come with a PD, but it is only one of the factors that can affect your vision. Your glasses fit will also make a major impact.

If your frames are too loose and slide around, then you won't be looking through the ideal prescription placement on the lenses. Plus, if you use a more advanced lens like bifocals or transition lenses, then the position of the different lens types may be off-centered with larger frames or lens widths.

Tip: Measure your prescription glasses correctly to ensure your eyes are not overworking or straining from an improper lens placement.

Comfortability

Whether you love it or not, eyeglasses have to be worn all day long. If the frames are too tight, then the arms will squeeze into your temples and cause headaches and other issues. If they're too loose, then they'll slip down your face and you won't be looking through the best prescription point. This can cause blurred vision and issues like headaches as well. When you purchase a pair of glasses that fit properly, they should feel comfortable on your face all day long and allow you to see clearly.

Face Shape

It's essential to consider the shape of your face when shopping for glasses. If you have a wide, round face, then you'll need to look at glasses that feature a wide frame. If you have a narrower oval face, then you will need a pair made for small faces.

Many online stores, like WMP Eyewear, include in the product descriptions the face size that the glasses work best on. If you have a small or medium face, a pair like Abner may work well for you.

Style

Don't forget to think about your style! If you're going for an intelligent look, try a horn-rimmed frame like Jaxon. But if you'd rather channel a hip, laidback vibe, opt for a pair of modern acetate aviators like Emerson.

When you shop for products online, you can look through affordable brands, including WMP Eyewear, Warby Parker, and Zenni Optical to find the perfect pair that matches your style.

How to Measure Face for Glasses

Try Measuring Your Current Glasses

The easiest way to measure your face for glasses is to measure your current eyeglasses (that is, if you like how they fit!). 

Grab a soft tape measure and check these three sizes:

1. Frame Width 

Starting at one hinge, measure across the top of the frame to the other hinge.

2. Temple Arms

Measure from the tip of the arm to the hinge. If you don't have a soft tape measure, do the tip to the bend as a separate measurement and add it to the length of the arm to calculate the total.

3. Nose Bridge

Measure the small space between the edges of the two lenses.

When shopping, check for these glasses' measurements in the product description for sizing and try to pick a new pair that's as close as possible to what you currently know and love. For the frame, you should stay within 4mm of the length you measured, and for the nose bridge, you should stay within 2mm.

Measuring Your Temples for Temple Length

If you don't have a pair of glasses you like, you'll need to approximate the measurements using your face and head. 

The temple length is the measurement of the arms of a pair of glasses. These sizes are rounded to 5mm and can be anywhere from 120mm to 150mm.

To estimate your temple length without a pair of glasses, have a friend help you with a soft tape measure. Start the measurement approximately where glasses would sit on your face, and measure across the side of your head. Be sure to curve the tape at the end, just like an arm would slightly curve, and measure in millimeters.

This won't be an exact measurement, but it will give you a ballpark of what size temple arm would work best for you.

Measure Your Head For Frame Width

To measure your head for frame width, take a ruler or soft tape and measure the front of the face, starting at your right temple and ending at your left temple. You can use your fingers to feel the ends of the temple close to your eyes.

Then, take this temple width measurement and use it for an approximate frame width while shopping for glasses online.

Measure Your Nose for Bridge Size

To measure your nose for bridge size, you'll want to take a picture of your face from a sideways profile. If your nose bridge is at the same spot as your pupils or below, then you have a low nose bridge. You'll find that around 16-18mm will work best for you.

But if you have a high nose bridge, meaning that your nose bridge is above your pupils, then 19-21 mm will work better for you. Also, if you know that you have a wide nose in general, then go for a larger nose bridge size.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Can I Adjust My Glasses Frames for a Better Fit if They Don't Match My Face Shape Perfectly?

To adjust your glasses frames with adjustable nose pads for a better fit, run them under warm water for about a minute. Then, push the nose pads in if your glasses are slipping, or push the nose pads out if they're pinching you.

Another way to adjust glasses is with the temple arms. Run the temples under some warm water for a minute. Then, push the temples in slightly if the glasses are too loose, or push them out if the glasses are too tight.

Are There Any Popular Celebrities With Similar Face Shapes to Mine, so I Can See What Styles They Wear?

A great way to learn your face shape is to compare it to a celebrity. Here are a few examples for each face shape so you can see the styles they wear:

Square Face:

Rosario Dawson and Henry Cavill

Round Face:

Drew Barrymore and Leonardo DiCaprio

Heart-Shaped Face:

Ryan Reynolds and Reese Witherspoon

Triangular Face:

Shailene Woodley and Ian Somerhalder

Oval Face:

Emma Watson and Jake Gyllenhaal

Diamond-Shaped Face:

Rihanna and Michiel Huisman

Can I Measure My Face at Home, or Should I Visit an Optician?

To measure your face at home, look in the mirror and use a ruler to measure the distance between your two temples. Take the glasses measurement in millimeters, and this will be comparable to the frame width listed in product descriptions for online glasses.