Aside from what the optometrist tells us, most people don’t really know enough about what goes into choosing the perfect eyeglasses. The majority of us rely on what’s in style or what feels most comfortable for our face. Your doctor hands you your prescription and you stare at it not knowing what any of it really means because you trust that whoever you purchase your eyeglasses from could handle it for you. However, there are several important factors that every individual should have knowledge of before purchasing a pair of frames. Luckily, by the time you have finished reading this, you will gain the necessary knowledge you need before purchasing your next pair of eyewear. This knowledge will make ordering custom eyeglasses online much easier.

Let’s begin by discussing something that is very simple, face shape. There are five general facial shapes that can be identified: oval, square, round, base up triangle, and base down triangle. If you have an oval face, the glasses that would be best suited for you would have thick fully surrounding rims or, if you are aiming to be more stylish by sporting a more classic look, round lenses. Ironically, square faces look superb with round shaped lenses which are either fully rimmed, semi-rimless or rimless. Frames with square lenses that have a rounded edges also compliment square faces. Similarly, you may be surprised to learn that round faces look beautiful with a sleek square shaped lens that has either a full or semi-rimless frame. Base up triangle faces look great with oval frames, while base down triangle faces look good with a wayfarer or cat eye frames.

Now that we’ve talked about face shape, let’s move on to lens thickness or index. The first thing to note is the higher the index number is, the thinner the lens is. A standard lens has a thickness of about 1.5, which is pretty lightweight. A polycarbonate lens is a very highly recommended because it is very durable, having very high impact resistance and is still lightweight with 100% UV protection. Also, the thicker your lens is, the more complex your prescription is, which is why you should opt for the thinnest lens possible.

Another important factor to consider is lens coating. There are a few different types of coating to keep in mind: anti-glare, anti-scratch, UV, water repellant, and photochromic. With the amount of exposure to computer screens today, it is essential to have anti glare coating because it reduces the reflection of light that hits the lenses, making your vision appear more natural. Anti scratch is especially important because it protects your lenses from any marks that may impair your vision. UV coating protects the eyes by preventing any damage that can be caused by the harsh sunlight. Water repellant coating is helpful if you are in the rain or near any water, it allows the drops of water to easily slide off of your lenses in order to inhibit any stains that may occur. Lastly, Photochromic coating also adds extra protection from the sun because the lenses become a darker shade in the sunlight and return back to light indoors, sort of like wearing sunglasses.

A detail that is crucial when constructing each individual’s eyeglasses is pupillary distance. This distance can be easily measured at home with a standard ruler. If you place the ruler at the top of your nose, you can note the distance from your right pupil to your left pupil. The average human’s pupillary distance is about 57-65 millimeters. When looking at your prescription, occasionally the PD (pupillary distance) will have two numbers, the first being your far distance and the second being your near distance. For bifocal lenses you would need both near and far distance, while regular lenses just need far distances.

Last but not least, how do you read a prescription? The answer is actually quite simple. There are a few abbreviations that will help you better understand your prescription. The first two abbreviations are “OD” and “OS”. “OD” stands for your right eye, while “OS” stands for your left eye. “SPH” stands for spherical error which is basically the strength of your lens that will perfect your eyesight. The plus sign indicates farsightedness, also known as hyperopic, while the minus sign stands for nearsightedness, or myopic. “CYL” is a term that explains your level of astigmatism. Finally, “ADD” stands for any additional strength or magnification you may need for a multifocal lens.

If you purchase your Eyewear through Danielwalters.com, we can assure you that you will have access to all the current Eyewear trends at the best prices. All eyewear that is purchased through Danielwalters.com is covered by a 1 year manufacturers warranty. We do this to make sure you are satisfied with your product and this in turn shows our commitment to you in buying. Additionally, if you shop at Danielwalters.com, you will get free upgrades to high quality polycarbonate with anti-glare lenses. We offer quick and complimentary shipping for our customers who are in the United States.