Eyewear guide
How Glasses Should Fit: A Simple Checklist
Well-fitted glasses stay put, sit level and are easy to forget you’re wearing. Use this checklist when you try on frames, or to tell whether your current pair needs an adjustment.
The front of the frame
- Width: The frame should be about as wide as your face at the temples. The arms should run straight back without bowing outward, and you shouldn’t see a wide gap between the arms and the sides of your head.
- Eyes centered: Your eyes should sit near the middle of each lens from side to side, not crowded toward the nose or the outer edge.
- Level: The frame should sit straight across your face. Check in a mirror that one lens doesn’t sit higher than the other.
- Eyebrows: The top of the frame should roughly follow your brow line. Your brows shouldn’t be hidden behind the frame or float far above it.
If you wear progressive lenses, the frame also needs enough lens height. Your optician will check that when you choose the frame.
The bridge and nose pads
The bridge carries most of the weight, so it decides whether glasses feel light or heavy.
- On a plastic frame with a molded bridge, the bridge should rest flat against both sides of your nose with no gaps.
- On a frame with nose pads, the pads should sit evenly on each side, with neither one digging in.
- Your lashes shouldn’t brush the lenses when you blink.
- The frame shouldn’t rest on your cheeks, even when you smile.
If plastic frames tend to sit low on your face or touch your cheeks, ask about low-bridge-fit styles, which are shaped to sit higher on the nose, or a frame with adjustable nose pads.
Temples and the fit behind your ears
The temple arms should run straight back to your ears without pressing on the sides of your head.
- The bend should start just behind the top of your ear, not on top of it or well past it.
- The tip should follow the curve behind your ear and rest there lightly.
- Nothing should pinch at the temples, behind the ears or on the nose.
- When you look down or nod, the glasses should stay in place without sliding forward.
Temple length is one of the most common fit fixes. A temple that’s too long lets the glasses slide. One that’s too short pulls them back and presses behind the ear.
Signs your glasses need an adjustment
Frames shift with daily wear, so even a good fit can drift over a few months. Watch for these signs:
- You keep pushing them back up your nose.
- They sit crooked, or one lens looks higher in the mirror.
- They leave deep marks on your nose or press behind your ears.
- One arm sits away from your head, or the hinges feel loose.
- Your lashes touch the lenses, or the frame now rests on your cheeks.
- A screw is loose or a lens seems to shift in the frame.
Avoid bending frames yourself. Acetate and many metals need warmth or special tools, and a hard twist can snap a hinge or pop out a lens.
Bring your glasses in
Fit is easiest to judge when someone else is looking at the frame on your face. At Aesthetic Eye Care in San Luis Obispo, our opticians offer personalized help choosing frames and lenses, and our eye care team can help you choose frames that best fit the size and shape of your face.
Call (805) 439-1010 or request an appointment online, and bring the glasses you wear most.
How do I know if my glasses fit properly?
They should sit level, stay in place when you look down, and rest on your nose and ears without pinching. Your eyes should be near the center of each lens, and the frame shouldn’t touch your cheeks or lashes.
Why do my glasses keep sliding down my nose?
Usually the temples are too loose or too long, the bridge is too wide, or the nose pads need adjusting. An optician can often fix this with a quick adjustment.
Should glasses touch my cheeks?
No. If the frame rests on your cheeks, especially when you smile, it’s sitting too low or the frame is too deep for your face.
How often should glasses be adjusted?
Whenever they start to slide, tilt or press anywhere. A quick check is also worth it after a drop, or if they’ve been sat on or stepped on.
Keep reading
More from our eyewear guide
What the Numbers on Your Glasses Mean
How to read the lens width, bridge and temple numbers on your frame, and use them when shopping.
Read about frame size numbersHow to Choose Glasses for Your Face Shape
Find your face shape and the frame shapes that balance it, plus why fit matters more than rules.
Read about face shapes and framesHow to Clean Your Glasses and Care for Them
A simple cleaning routine for lenses and frames, what to avoid, and how to store and handle your glasses.
Read about cleaning and caring for glassesAccepting new patients
Make an appointment with our team
Reach out to Aesthetic Eye Care for your initial appointment and experience quality eye care in San Luis Obispo.