Got a high prescription and struggle to find the perfect glasses frame for your needs? Trust us, we know it can be daunting to find frames that not only fit your style but also accommodate your prescription.
Whether you have nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, it’s crucial to find frames that not only provide optimal vision correction but also look great on you.
In this post, we’ll explore what you should look for in a pair of eyeglasses for a strong prescription.
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Best Frames For A High Prescription
Opt for Round or Oval Full-Rim Frames
If you have a high prescription, your choice of frame shape is important. The best pick? Round or oval full-rim frames.
Why Choose Rounded Frames?
Rounder frames, with their smooth, circular shape, pair perfectly with the shape of the lens.
Round lenses help hide extra thickness from high prescriptions by following the natural lens curve and avoiding sharp edges.
The Percey by Warby Parker is an excellent round frame that comes in multiple widths and colors. Want to try on the real thing in person?
Find it at your nearest store or get it delivered to your home with a free home try-on kit.
Rounded square frames are also suitable for high prescriptions, providing a balance between style and functionality.
The round edges of the frame help to soften the look of the glasses, while the squared shape helps to keep them in place.
Rounded square frames also provide more coverage than other shapes, and can help reduce peripheral distortions caused by higher prescriptions.
Full-Rim Frames for Extra Support
Full-rim frames are usually best for strong prescriptions because they provide more room for thicker lenses and can help spread out the weight across a larger surface area.
The added space also makes it easier to adjust the tilt of the lens in order to reduce distortions and improve visual clarity.
Rimless and semi-rimless frames provide less support due to their minimal design, not to mention they make thick lenses more noticeable.
Smaller Lens Area
When it comes to managing the bulkiness of thicker lenses, your lens surface area is key.
Smaller lenses can really help cut down on bulk, making your glasses more comfortable and visually appealing.
Why Small Lenses?
With a smaller lens area, the edges of the lenses, where the most thickness tends to accumulate, are reduced.
This directly results in a decrease in overall lens bulk. It’s a simple yet effective trick of optics!
The Roosevelt frame by Vint & York is a good choice for reducing bulky lenses with it’s small lens area (47mm wide x 44mm high), round rims, and sturdy construction.
With a small lens area and a wide bridge, Liingo’s June frame balances style and comfort.
A Word on Frame Size
While we recommend smaller lenses, we’re not suggesting a narrower frame overall.
If you have a wide face, you still need glasses wide enough to fit your face comfortably. The trick lies in matching smaller lenses with a wider bridge for an optimal balance.
This stainless steel frame from Zenni marries small round lenses (43mm x 43mm) with a wide bridge (26mm).
Acetate or Plastic Frames
Besides lens shape, your frame material is important. Acetate and plastic frames are ideal for those with high prescriptions because they’re generally thicker than metal frames and obscure the chunkiness of high prescription lenses.
Acetate, a sturdy plastic variant, offers versatility in design and color, making it a go-to for eyewear designers. (Plus, they’re budget-friendly.)
Ralph Lauren’s RA7151 frame is a premium oval frame made from acetate.
Flat is Phat: Choose Flatter Frames
If you wear prescription sunglasses, there are extra factors to consider.
The frame curvature, or the degree to which a frame wraps around your face, influences your visual experience.
Many sunglasses sport a higher curvature than standard glasses. This may cause distorted vision and discomfort for those with high prescriptions, making flatter frames the way to go.
Curvature is measured using a base curve rating, which ranges from 4 (least curved) to 10 (most curved). If you’re dealing with a high prescription, keep an eye on this number.
Frames with less curvature, typically 4-base curve, are ideal for high prescriptions.
EyeBuyDirect’s Rex sunglasses are a low base-curve frame with a small lens area. It’s lightweight too (only 13g)!
These frames enable lenses to fit snugly without protruding from the edges, reducing lens distortion caused by light passing through at different angles.
Choose Lightweight Frames
While acetate and plastic frames are good at hiding thick lenses, they tend to be heavier than other materials.
Ideally, you want a lightweight frame to reduce the overall weight of your glasses.
Lightweight materials include titanium, aluminum, and magnesium alloy.
Titanium is lightweight but incredibly strong, making it an excellent choice to support a high prescription.
It’s also hypoallergenic, making it great for people with nickel allergies.
EyeBuyDirect’s Aegis is only 5g in weight, made of pure titanium, and just looks so classy.
Aluminum is also lightweight and offers durability, while magnesium alloy combines both of these into one material.
All of these materials provide the necessary strength to support a higher prescription without feeling too heavy on your face.
Which leads us to our next point…
Lens Choice Makes A Difference
Apart from the frame, your lens material directly influences your glasses’ weight, durability, and even resistance to impact and scratches.
For those with high prescriptions, this choice becomes even more pivotal for comfort, clarity, and aesthetics.
Lens Material: A Quick Guide
Rx lenses usually come in three primary types of plastic:
- Standard 1.50-index Plastic (CR39): The industry standard, these lenses are popular due to their affordability. But, they’re the heaviest and thickest, especially for high prescriptions.
- 1.59-index Polycarbonate: A notch above standard plastic, polycarbonate lenses are lighter, slimmer, and incredibly tough. They’re also shatter-resistant, making them ideal for sports glasses or children’s eyewear.
- High Index Lenses: The lightest and thinnest of all, these lenses have a 1.61- to 1.74-index. Their superior light-bending ability delivers sharp vision with less lens material.
Pay Attention To Your PD (Pupillary Distance)
One key detail you mustn’t overlook when selecting glasses for a high prescription is your Pupillary Distance (PD).
Your PD, the measurement in millimeters between the centers of your pupils, is critical in aligning your eyes with the optical center of your lenses.
When it comes to high prescription glasses, precision is paramount. Even slight inaccuracies in PD measurements can result in blurry vision, eyestrain, or headaches, particularly with higher prescriptions.
That’s because high prescription lenses tend to have a smaller ‘sweet spot’ where vision is clearest.
If the lenses aren’t perfectly centered on your pupils, you’ll likely find it challenging to see clearly.
Therefore, when you’re getting your eye examination, be sure to ask for your PD measurement.
Besides your actual prescription strength, your PD is essential in determining your visual comfort and acuity.
No More Coke Bottle Glasses
Choosing the perfect pair of glasses with a high prescription doesn’t have to be an uphill battle.
By focusing on key elements like the frame shape, lens size, frame material, curvature, and lens type, you can find glasses that not only correct your vision, but also feel comfortable and look stylish.