Roughly 60% of America uses some sort of vision correction. That population is mostly adult. Still, many children, even at their young age, need help with their vision as well.
If you’re finding that your child needs assistance when it comes to seeing, investing in kids eyewear is something that as a parent, you’ll need to tackle.
Kids eyewear can be hard to purchase because kids live very different lifestyles than we do. Questions about durability, how likely others are to tease your children, and more might all be swirling around your head.
To help you find glasses that your child finds both fun and effective, keep reading. In this post, our team answers several of your top queries with a handful of effective shopping tips.
1. Watch Out for Allergens
Many parents don’t consider allergens when they purchase glasses. After all, how could glasses cause allergic reactions?
Unfortunately, the materials used to craft frames and the manufacturing process itself put glasses in contact with substances that can irritate skin. Metal frames tend to be more prone to causing reactions than plastic ones so for particularly allergy-prone children, stick with plastic.
No matter which kinds of frames you get, wipe them down thoroughly post-purchase.
2. Inquire About Durability
Kids break glasses.
To keep yourself from needing to constantly spend hundreds on frames, opt for frames that are particularly durable. The place you purchase your frames from will be able to opine on frame materials that are least likely to incur damage.
While it may seem counterintuitive, many suggest that plastic frames are less likely to need repairs than metal frames so don’t discount plastic’s durability when looking for quality frames on sites like Saflo kids eyewear since plastic is likely to hold up.
3. The Thicker the Lens, the Thinner the Frames
It’s unfortunate but many kids have to endure bullying when wearing glasses at a young age. One of the best ways to keep your child from running into problems in that arena is to put thought into style when shopping for their glasses.
Among the many style considerations you might think about when shopping for kids eyewear, we suggest paying attention to lens thickness.
Stronger prescriptions require thicker lenses. If you pair thick lenses with thick frames, you’re going to make it so your child’s glasses are bulky, unattractive, and draw negative attention.
Avoiding making glasses too bulky is as simple as ensuring that the thicker the lenses you get, the thinner the frames you buy.
4. Sports Glasses Encourage Physical Activity
Don’t let glasses limit your child’s active lifestyle. Invest in a secondary pair of sports glasses so they can play confidently.
Sports glasses strap onto your child’s head which enables them to get physical without having to worry about their glasses falling off. Believe us when we say that having your child play in their regular glasses is a recipe for costly breaks.
5. Spring Hinges Save Money
No many people pay attention to hinges when they’re shopping for quality glasses. That’s a shame because hinges are one of the primary parts of glasses that can break.
We love spring hinges on kids eyewear because they’re flexible. That means your child can fall asleep in their glasses or take them off abruptly without you needing to worry about glasses’ legs coming off via being hyper-extended.
6. Prioritize Warranties
A great pair of glasses should last your child years. Not all do though and even pairs that hold up, for the most part, could still see pre-mature paint erosion, issues with joints, and other small yet annoying issues.
Your best protection against glasses that were poorly manufactured is a warranty. The good news is that most reputable frame makers offer warranties that are for a year or more. Invest in pairs that follow that standard so you’re not left on the hook for build flaws.
7. Don’t Be Afraid to Splurge on Frames
The lenses in your glasses could be changed out as often as every year, depending on how much your child’s vision changes. Glasses frames, however, can be used for as long as they fit your child’s head.
That’s right! Different lenses can be swapped into the same frames!
With that in mind, depending on your budget, you should feel more open to getting your child perhaps pricier frames that’ll help them feel the most comfortable in their glasses seeing as how those frames could easily last them for years!
8. Buy a Backup Pair
When your child’s glasses break, how quickly are you going to be able to get them a new pair? Buying new frames is easy enough but when lenses break, the process of getting them reordered will take at least a week.
If your child can’t get by for a week without glasses, invest in a safety pair. That way, they can immediately have something to throw on while their primary pair gets fixed.
Shopping for Kids Eyewear Doesn’t Have to Be Stressful
It can be difficult to find kids eyewear that doesn’t inhibit your child’s life. By exercising our tips, we think you can take a lot of the stress out of the shopping process and walk away with a pair that not only holds up but that your child loves.
We hope you share that sentiment and wish you the best of luck looking for glasses.
If you need more guidance on subjects pertaining to all of your biggest lifestyle questions, check out more content on our blog.
