Searching For Children's Eyewear

If you are a parent, you know searching for the right pair of eyewear for your children can be a confusing task. You may not be able to buy the best pair of eyewear just by walking to one of the leading optical stores of your area. You may see plenty of eyewear options for children, but that's generally where the problem lies. You need to figure out which eyewear your child wants to wear and which one will last longer than the ride back home.

For starters, most children who need eyewear are either nearsighted or farsighted. Depending on the degree of visual correction necessary, your eye doctor will prescribe glasses for full-time or part-time wear. Some kids will be instructed to take off their glasses while they do school work while others may be asked to wear their glasses throughout the day.

At times your eye doctor will make specific instructions about suitable eyeglass frames. But that decision often is left to you, your child and the optical dispenser who fits the glasses.

Lens Thickness

The prescription is always the most primary thing for choosing the glasses. Before looking for frames consult with your optician. If the prescription reads strong lenses that are likely to be thick, it is important to keep the frames as small and light as possible to reduce the final lens thickness. Moreover the larger the lens the more are you going to see distortion and blur towards the edges. Smaller lenses cut off peripheral blur.

Fashion Forward

Whether they are full-time or part-time eyeglass wearers, most kids get a little teasing about their specs, especially the first time they wear them. Children feel more comfortable about wearing their glasses if they are allowed to choose their own frame. Children generally tend to avoid anything that is termed as 'uncool', but as a parent you need to provide proper guidance if you think a particular frame is inappropriate or very expensive.

Proper Bridge Fit

One of the most important thing about choosing eyewear for children is the fir over the nose as it is not yet developed and don't have a bridge to prevent plastic frames from sliding down the nose. Metal frames are made with adjustable nose pads, so they fit everyone's bridge. Each frame must be evaluated individually to fit the bridge. If any gap exists between the bridge of the frame and the bridge of the nose the weight of the glasses will cause it to slide, no matter how well the frame seems to fit before the lenses are made.

Warranties

Most optical retailers offer a warranty plan that will replace eyewear at no charge or very less price in case of damage to the frames or lenses. Consider opting for warranty if your child is a toddler or a first-time wearer.

You need to be aware because all warranty plans are not the same. It is your advantage to look through completely about replacement costs with or without the warranty plan. Generally, if the warranty costs you less or the same amount or about the same as the fee to replace one single lens, it is worth the price. It is easier to scratch the lens than do any other damage to the lens. If the lens is scratched you need to change the lens because it can compromise on your child's vision development.

Back up Pair

If your child's poor vision causes difficulty then you might think of buying a back up pair for your child. If something happens to it or it is out for repair you can use the back up pair.

Suzanne Hughes is an eyewear style consultant who specializes in reading sunglasses. Visit her website for great glasses and styles from top fashion designers such as Clic reading glasses, Scojo Vision, Seeqa and Others.