How Should Glasses Fit? Your Guide to Finding the Perfect Pair

When you put on a pair of glasses, it should fit like a vintage tee — perfectly comfortable and effortlessly cool. And yes, glasses are cool, as long as they fit properly.

But, one poorly fitted pair, and you’ll be pushing your spectacles up your nose and feeling like all those nerds-with-glasses stereotypes are too real.

But we’ve got good news: Nerds run today’s world and glasses are the cutest fashion accessory in our closet. They can be the cutest accessory in your closet, too, once you understand how glasses should fit.

Finding that perfect fit is the first step toward finding eyeglasses you feel good in (and avoiding your personal nerd-with-glasses nightmare). And with our guide, you’ll be able to recognize a proper fit — even if you order glasses online.

So, how should glasses fit? Here’s what to look for in your perfect pair.

1. Pick the Right Frames for Your Face Shape

Let’s start with the big picture: How the glasses fit your whole face. If you’re wearing the right frames, then the frame width should be about the same as the width of your face, plus the width of your two index fingers.

When you’re trying on new glasses, you can tell if the fit is correct, by sliding your index fingers under the temple arms of the glasses on either side of your face. (So, your left index finger is pressed against the left side of your face at the same height as your eye, and your right index finger is pressed against the right side of your face at the same height as your eye.)

You should be able to comfortably fit your index fingers between your face and your glasses frames without stretching the temple arms, but there also shouldn’t be extra room between your fingers and the temple arms.

If your frame size is too wide for your face, your glasses will make your head look small and continuously slide off as you wear them. If your frame size is too narrow for your face, the frames will make your head look big, and the temple arms will press into the side of your head, pinching your skin and making you uncomfortable.

Find your fit: Frame width is one of the easiest glasses measurements to get right — all you need is a soft measuring tape and a friend (because everything is more fun with friends!).

2. Sync Up Your Glasses With Your Eyes

When it comes to finding the right glasses, your eyes are the star of the show. Your pupils should be centered directly in the middle of your lenses — partially because it looks better, yes, but mostly because it’s important to your vision health and eye care.

If your eyes aren’t centered in your prescription glasses’ lenses, you won’t be getting the precise vision correction you need, which can lead to eye strain — and all of the unpleasant side effects that come with it, like dry eyes, blurry vision, and headaches. (Ugh.) This effect can be even worse with progressive lenses than with single-vision lenses.

To avoid this unpleasantness, you need to make sure your eyes are centered in the middle of the lens width (the widest point of the lens when you measure from side to side).

Choosing the right frame width (with our instructions above) is the first step toward getting the right lens width. For the next step, we’re also going to enlist the help of your eye doctor.

During your eye exam, your optometrist will measure your pupillary distance, or the distance between your pupils. Make sure you have this measurement in hand when you order your eyewear.

When your glasses are made, this measurement helps opticians center your eyes in the middle of your lenses. If you’ve already had an eye exam, and your eye doctor didn’t take your pupillary distance, you can also measure it yourself at home.

3. Make Sure the Bridge Fits Your Browline

If you’re an expert at pulling faces, then you won’t want your glasses to hide your expressive nature. The ideal eyeglass frames will leave your eyebrows visible over the top of the glasses so your nearest and dearest can see when you raise an eyebrow (and can give you so many compliments when you’ve just had your eyebrows done).

To ensure the top of your frames won’t cover your brows, you can look at the lens height. You’ll need that measuring tape again, and you might want to call that friend back into the room. (You can do this yourself, but it might make you feel a little cross-eyed.)

Look straight ahead into a mirror (or at your friend). Then, measure the distance from your pupil to the bottom of your eyebrow in millimeters. Multiply that number by two, and that’s about how tall you want your lens height to be.

4. Match the Bridge to Your Nose

The bridge of your glasses goes across the bridge of your nose, connecting one lens to another. And it can have a major impact on your comfort.

If the fit of your glasses is correct, then the bridge of your glasses should never actually touch your nose. Just the nose pads, built into the frames, should rest against your nose (and even those should rest gently with no pinching). The bridge should hover gracefully above your nose like a ballet dancer in mid-leap.

If the bridge size is too wide, it will cause the bridge to sit on your nose, leaving an indent, red marks, or other skin irritation on your nose from the glasses. But if the bridge size is too narrow, the nose pads will press into your skin, again leaving red marks or skin irritation — this time on the side of your nose.

And since big red marks on your nose isn’t a good look for any glasses wearer, you need to look at bridge width before you buy a pair of glasses.

5. Make Sure the Arm Length Matches Your Ears

Your ears are the unsung heroes of your eyecare journey. They sit there on the side of your head quietly holding up your glasses (and sometimes holding your hair out of your face at the same time). They are givers. And for their dedicated service, they deserve a little consideration in your shopping process.

To keep your ears comfortable, you need to consider the temple arm length of your glasses. The temple length tells you how far past your ears your glasses will reach. If they don’t reach far enough past your ears, they could easily slide off. Too far past your ears, and they’ll poke out of every hairstyle you try out.

Temple length is the measurement of the arm of your glasses, starting from the hinge where it meets the frame. This is one of the most flexible measurements on this list — you can find comfortable glasses within a wide range of temple lengths. But it can also be hard to measure for it if you don’t wear glasses already.

How To Tell if Your Glasses Don’t Fit Well

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to get your prescription and measurements exactly right, something feels a bit… off.

There are several telltale signs that your glasses aren’t working and that a new frame is what you need. Luckily, with Pair’s return policy, that’s easy to achieve.

Here’s how to tell if your glasses don’t fit the way they should:

Your Nose Feels Uncomfortable

One of the most common issues with ill-fitting glasses is the nose pads, which can be tight and uncomfortable without a glasses adjustment.

This is even more true for glasses with adjustable nose pads, which can push into your nose during periods of extended wear. If your glasses have these pads, you can get a better fit by adjusting them by hand. If you have plastic frames, you might need a different size to keep your nose comfy.

Your Skin Is Irritated

Skin irritation, especially around your nose and eyes, is another common issue with glasses that don’t fit well. If you notice that your glasses make these parts of your face red and itchy, they may be too small and are hugging your face.

Choosing frames that match the width of your face is the simplest way to avoid this pitfall. Your eye doctor can set you up with the correct measurements for a pair of glasses that fit just right, As long as you stick with their recommendations, you should be just fine.

In rarer cases, skin irritation might be caused by an allergic reaction to nickel —one of the common materials in metal frames. If you’re experiencing one of these reactions, take a break from wearing your glasses and let your optometrist know about your symptoms.

Switching to hypoallergenic frame materials like acetate can help you achieve the relief you need.

You Don’t Feel Confident

If you don’t feel comfortable in your own skin while wearing your glasses, there’s a good chance your frames don’t fit the way they should. In this case, it may be worth sending your frames back, checking their measurements, and trying again.

Going with a different set altogether can also help. Everyone has their own personal style, and finding frames that fit yours will help you feel as confident and comfortable as possible.

Specs That Fit the Bill

When you’re looking for the most flattering glasses for your face, fit is only half the journey. Now that you know how glasses should fit, you’re ready to get to the fun stuff — like finding your favorite frame styles and colors.

As you shop for new glasses, you’ll need to consider the big questions: Which frame styles work best with your face shape? How do you know if cat-eye glasses are sassy enough for you? The important stuff.

We’re here to help you find your perfect pair with guides to the best glasses for round, oval, square, diamond, and heart-shaped faces. You can use the virtual try-on feature at Pair Eyewear to see how different styles look with your own two eyes.