How to Pick the Perfect Sunglasses For Your Face

Shopping for sunglasses online can be daunting. Sure, that pair looks great on the model, but how will it look on you? Will it fit your proportions and face shape? With no one there to professionally fit you for frames, how can you be sure you're getting the right pair?

Thankfully, most companies will offer to exchange your glasses if the first pair you buy is too large or too small. But I prefer shopping smart and getting it right the first time. If you want to avoid the hassle and wait of the exchange process, it's important to know what glasses measurements mean, and what your own measurements are, so you can confidently purchase your perfect frames.

Let's get into the nitty-gritty of frame measurements and glasses fitting, so you'll have all the tools you need to shop like an expert.

How Should Glasses Fit?

First things first--how should your glasses fit you? If you're looking for sunglasses, it's possible that you've never been professionally fitted for frames, but proper fitting frames for sunglasses are just as important as those that hold prescription lenses. It's a matter of comfort, wearability, and the life span of your sunglasses.

You should be able to fit a finger between the arm of the frame and your temple, and your pupils should sit just above the center of your lenses. Your frames shouldn't be loose or tight, the bridge should rest high and secure on your nose without readjustment or pinching, the arms should go straight back to your ears without bending around your head or folding in. In other words, they should be comfortable.

Some sunglasses are made with stainless steel nose pads to be more adjustable, but many acetate frames are inflexible and need to fit your bridge properly. So how can you tell how a frame will fit you without trying it on? It helps to know how to interpret frame measurements.

Frame Measurements

Frame measurements take into account five parameters:

• Frame width - the total width of the frame, measured across the widest part.
• Bridge width - the space between the two lenses where the glasses rest on the bridge of your nose.
• Arm length - the "arm" or "temple" is the part that extends back to hook behind your ear. Arm length refers to the length from the hinge, past the elbow curve, to the end of the arm.
• Lens width - distance across a single lens, at the widest point
• Lens height - distance from the top of the lens to the bottom edge at the longest point  (including the frame).

Most sunglasses will have a size chart or list the measurements on the product page. Take a look at a pair of frames you already own. Inside the arm or on the bridge, you're likely to find some numbers etched into the frame. A set of three numbers--say, 58-18-150--refers to the lens width, bridge width, and arm length in millimeters. If only two numbers are listed, it's the lens width and bridge width.

On every product page for a pair of WearMe Pro sunglasses, a tab labeled "size chart" lists the lens width, lens height, and arm length of that frame.



You can compare those measurements to a frame that you currently own and like.

Finding the Right Frame for Your Face

If you have a pair of sunglasses that fit you well and are comfortable, try finding a new frame with the same or similar measurements. You can also measure the distance between your pupils to determine the ideal frame width of your glasses. Your pupils should be centered left-to-right in your lenses.

130-140 mm is an average frame width. Wider faces may reach for a frame width of 144mm-150mm, while narrower faces will find a width of around 130mm suits them best. It's all about achieving the right proportions. Accordingly, for longer faces, a higher lens profile allows for the best eye coverage--look for a lens height over 45mm, like the Harvey polarized sunglasses.

As a general rule, smaller frames fit smaller heads and larger frames fit larger heads. But as long as the frame you choose meets the fit requirements we've discussed above, your frame choice becomes a matter of taste. You do you!

For a great selection of quality sunglasses to fit every face and personality, check out WearMe Pro.