If you are a parent looking to buy eyewear for your kids, these tips can help you make the right choice
Buying the right eyewear for your kids can prove to be quite a challenge. Walking straight into an optical store without any background about what your kid requires will only end up causing more confusion.
At the same time, it is important to invest paramount efforts in order to be able to select the right eyewear for your kids. When the time to make the choice comes, you will see that the average store has plenty of choices to offer. Right from the colourful frames to the ones that claim to be high on durability, opticians are known to stock an impressive portfolio when it comes to children eyeglasses.
Making the right choice
Getting regular eye checkups for your child will ensure the timely identification of vision problems and seek timely treatment. Additionally, vision health is a crucial part of your child’s life. After all, a lot of their learning in the initial years happens through their eyes. And good eyecare habits will only help you, the parent, ensure that this learning happens in an uninterrupted fashion.
The usual problems in children are nearsightedness or farsightedness. However, it is important for the child to be examined by an eye doctor who will issue the prescription. This prescription defines the amount of visual correction that your child needs and therefore plays a crucial role in helping you buy the right eyewear for your child.
Occasionally, doctors will also make specific recommendations on the type of frames or lenses that your child requires.
The basics
While we agree that buying children’s eyewear is no child’s play, the task surely becomes easy once you figure out the basics. So, when you step out to buy children’s eyewear there are three basic things that you need to understand:
- Buy eyewear that your child likes.
- A frame that best suits his or her prescription needs.
- Additionally, a durable eyewear that is able to sustain the pressures of a child’s active lifestyle.
Here is a look at some simple tips that can help you choose the right eyewear for your child…
The lens thickness
One of the important factors to keep in mind before buying a frame for your child is the thickness of the lens. You will need to consult the optician to understand these details according to the prescription issued for your child. If the lens is thick, choose a small frame, this will ensure that the overall thickness is not too much.
Fashionable & trendy
Kids often get uncomfortable with the idea of wearing specs and the best way to take care of the initial hesitation is to choose a stylish eyewear frame that your kid will love to wear. Steer clear from the uncool models and opt for more colourful options. Even designs inspired by popular animated superheroes are a hot favourite amongst the young audience.
Other details that you need to keep in mind is the complexion of your child’s skin and the face shape. For instance, brown, most metals and splashy colours like turquoise go well with warm skin colour tones. Similarly, you will come across interesting frame shapes as well that go well with different face shapes. Let your child check out the different styles and hear them out before finalising on the frame to be bought.
Frame material
In the past plastic was the ideal choice for kids eyewear because it offered better durability. However, now the situation has changed. Even the metal frames in the kids category incorporate the durability features making them an excellent choice for kids. While choosing the frame material for your kids, don’t forget to ask for hypoallergenic materials. This is very important, more so if your child is allergic to certain alloys commonly used in manufacturing eyewear frames.
The right bridge fit
The eyewear frame rests on the nose. If it keeps sliding down, your child is likely to find it difficult to see. However, a tight bridge fit is also an equally uncomfortable option. Many eyewear frame manufacturers are addressing this problem by incorporating an adjustable bridge fit to optimise the comfort for the child while wearing the glasses.
Additionally, the fitting on the bridge also tends to have an impact on the way your child’s face will look while wearing the eyewear. Therefore, choosing the right fit is very important. A good idea will be to make your child wear the frame and examine the fit carefully prior to making a purchase decision.
Temple styles
Temples that curve behind the ears offer a good fitting in children’s eyewear. Given the active lifestyle that kids are known to have, this style enhances the durability of the eyewear. The other options in this category include eyewear with adjustable headbands. Check out what is a more comfortable choice for kid and accordingly choose.
Spring hinges are good
Springs in the hinges add a certain amount of flexibility to the kid’s eyewear. Many a times, children don’t take the required precaution while removing the eyeglasses. In such situations, the spring in the hinges reduces the risk of damaging the eyeglasses to quite an extent.
Lens material
When it comes to choosing the right lens material for your child’s eyeglasses, it is best advised to do a little research on the available options and talk to your optician. Ultimately, the focus should be on choosing the material that offers good impact resistance. Additional protection against UV rays is also advisable. After all, protecting your children’s eyes from the damage of the harmful rays of the sun.
A backup is a must
Before you step out to buy eyeglasses for your kid, do invest some time to analyse his or her lifestyle. For instance, kids who love to indulge in playing sports on a daily basis may require an additional sports eyewear as well. Additionally, don’t rely on just one pair of eyewear for your child. Always have a backup ready because children can be quite tough on their eyewear.
Additionally, an emergency will always arrive without prior notice. So, if your child ends up breaking his or her eyewear, the backup will ensure that his or her ability to see comfortably is not affected.
So that’s it with these simple tips you can choose the right eyewear for your children. However, don’t forget to educate your child about the importance of adhering to a proper eye care routine. This is where your child will learn to care for his or her eyewear and ensure better vision health in the long run.
