5 Big-Head Glasses Styles to Fit and Flatter a Larger Face
July 31, 2023 • 11:48 AM
Do you consistently get the feeling that glasses look too small on you? You might have a big head — literally. If your face is wider than average, then you’ll need a bigger frame size to look and feel your best.
Wearing frames that are too small for your head can actually hurt. The temple arms can push into the side of your head, and the bridge can pinch the top of your nose, leading to headaches, red marks, and skin irritation. No, thank you!
Eyeglasses that fit your head will also highlight your features and make every part of your face look perfectly proportioned. But too-small eyeglass frames will make your head look even bigger.
To find a pair that flatters your natural proportions, use this guide for buying big-head glasses. We’ll walk you through the steps you need to take to find the right fit for your face and share 5 oversized glasses frames that are the perfect fit for people with larger heads.
How to Choose Glasses to Fit a Big Head
When you’re choosing big-head glasses, fit is everything. In addition to shopping for large frames (look for glasses labeled with “wide fit” or extra-wide fit”), you’ll want to figure out your ideal glasses measurements and your face shape.
Here’s what to look for.
Frame Width
This is the width from ear to ear if you could measure straight across your face, and it’s the most important measurement for finding glasses that fit your head.
Here’s a trick to get it right: Put a pencil behind each ear so it sticks out past the corners of your eyes. Measure the width from the inside of one pencil to the inside of the next in millimeters. Voila! That is your ideal frame width. Try to stick within 10 mm of that measurement.
Temple Length
If you have a big head, it’s likely bigger all the way around (aka the circumference of your head is larger and you might need large hats in addition to large glasses). In this case, a slightly longer temple length could make your glasses fit more comfortably behind your ears.
The temple length is the measurement from the corner of your glasses frames to the end of the temple arms. So, to find your ideal fit, it helps to use a pair of glasses you already own. It can be any pair—from old prescription glasses to a cheap pair of sunglasses.
Put the glasses on and measure from the hinge on the glasses to the top of your ear in millimeters. For a comfortable fit, the temples of your glasses should go about 1-1.5 inches past your ear. But, glasses are measured in millimeters. So, you’ll want to add 26-38 millimeters to the measurement you just took. That will give you an idea of a comfortable temple length for your head.
Bridge Width
A bigger face sometimes means bigger facial features, so to ensure a comfortable fit, it helps to also measure your bridge width. This is the distance straight across the top of your nose. Straight across is important here. You don’t want to wrap the measuring tape around your nose as you measure.
Measure straight across the top of your nose, at about the same height as the corners of your eyes. You can hold your fingers in the spots where your nose pads would typically touch the sides of your nose and measure the distance between your fingers to get a better idea.
Face Shape
Your face shape will have less impact on the size of the glasses you need, but it will have more impact on the frame shape. After you’ve figured out your face shape, look for it below to figure out which frames will flatter your face the most.
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Round faces: Rectangular or square glasses
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Oval faces: Rectangular, square, or cat-eye glasses
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Square faces: Round, oval, or cat-eye glasses
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Rectangular or oblong faces: Round, oval, or cat-eye glasses
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Triangular faces: Round, square, or cat-eye glasses
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Diamond-shaped faces: Round or oval glasses
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Heart-shaped faces: Round, oval, rectangular, or cat-eye glasses
5 Big-Head Glasses Frames With Big Style to Match
These five glasses frames all come in a wide or extra-wide fit. They’re unisex designs that look great on both men and women.
And you can customize them with single-vision or progressive prescription lenses, reading glasses lenses, or non-prescription lenses. All our lenses feature an anti-reflective, anti-scratch, and anti-fog coating. And at checkout, you can upgrade your lenses with blue-light-blocking technology (our blue-light blockers still feature clear lenses) or light-responsive technology (that transitions from clear lenses to tinted lenses in bright environments), so you can get customized eyewear that not only fits your head but also your eye care needs.
All of these glasses are made with both comfort and style in mind. They feature full-rim, lightweight acetate frames with spring-loaded hinges for added durability, and nose pads molded directly into the frames for added comfort.
Full-rim acetate frames are more durable than rimless frames and less likely to cause skin irritation than metal frames. Acetate frames also give you extra room for style.
These five options are all available in six colors — black, tortoiseshell, blue tortoiseshell, clear, blue clear, and pink clear — and with snap-on Top Frames, you can change the look of your glasses in seconds.
Switch to a funky pattern, like gingham or leopard print, or change it up with bright neon hues or sparkly glitter frames. You can even add Sun Tops to convert these frames into polarized sunglasses — without having to order a second pair of prescription glasses.
All of these glasses offer big style to match the big frames!
1. The Quinn
These round eyeglass frames are brimming with retro style. The high arch and thick corners across the top of the frame give a subtle wink to cat-eye glasses. The Quinn is a wide frame that makes a great choice for anyone who likes to make a dramatic style statement.
2. The Harper
For another wide frame that brings the drama, The Harper has a thick, sloping top line that will call attention to your browline — perfect for when your eyebrows are on fleek. The shape is halfway between a round and square glasses frame, which makes this style suitable for a wide variety of face shapes.
3. The Jessie
If you love the classics, then get ready to fall for these rectangular frames. With a timeless silhouette and a wide fit, The Jessie is a pair with style (and head space!) to spare. The thicker bridge gives this pair a mod feel that we’re absolutely mad for.
4. The Murphy
The Murphy proves it’s hip to be square. With the top of the frames jutting up from the nose bridge in sharp, geometric lines, this is a larger-than-life design for large heads. It’s made with an extra-wide fit, so if you often feel like even wide frames aren’t wide enough, this is the pair for you. Plus, the square shape is oh-so flattering on round and oval faces.
5. The Drew
If you swoon for the bookish look, then these extra-wide frames will have you weak in the knees. The thick rectangular silhouette on The Drew gives “scientist who’s about to save the world in a sci-fi flick” vibes. And the low line across the top of the frame will leave your browline visible so we can see every facial expression.
It’s a Big Decision
If you thought finding glasses for a big head was hard, choosing between our five oversized glasses might be even harder. At Pair Eyewear, we make your big decision easier with virtual try-on and a 30-day, no-questions-asked return policy.
And if settling on one style is hard for you, we get it. Just because you wear glasses shouldn’t mean you have to rock the same style every day. That’s why we designed our glasses to fit with snap-on Top Frames that let you change your look whenever you want.
You can match your glasses to your outfit, switch between subtle prints and classic colors, or make your eyewear the boldest statement in your wardrobe. So your big-head glasses will not only show off big style, they’ll show off your style!