How Glasses Should Rest on Your Face

The right pair of glasses should rest comfortably on the bridge of your nose, and should not press against your forehead or cheeks. But they shouldn’t rest so far towards the end of your nose that they slip when you squint or wrinkle your nose. The nose fit determines how far your glasses should sit from your face, and a proper fit should allow for the lenses to lie between 14 and 24 millimeters from your eyes. Finding the right fit doesn’t require magic, just the correct measurements. And once you have a good-fitting pair of eyeglasses that rest perfectly on your face, you can order future glasses with the same measurements and enjoy a reliable fit.

When you browse eyewear online, you’ll notice eye, bridge, and temple measurements—what do these numbers mean? This is where to start when you’re looking for the proper fit. When it comes to finding glasses that rest on your face properly, without pinching, slipping, or causing discomfort, you’ve got to hit the measurement sweet spot.

If you’re currently wearing glasses, your frames will show the measurements, usually printed on the bridge or temple. The measurements that determine proper eyeglasses fit are printed next to each other—eye size, bridge size, and then temple size—and may be separated by a little square icon. If you’re looking for new glasses, start with your comfortable, existing pair to figure out what size frames you need or, measure your face to get the best fit.

Other fit indicators, including where your glasses line up with your eyebrows or whether your glasses touch your cheeks when you smile, don’t matter as much as frame measurements, because they have less to do with the fit of your glasses and more to do with the shape of your frame or the nuances of your face. So if you’re wondering whether your glasses should rest below your eyebrows or align with them, that variable is more a matter of style than actual fit. What’s important are the measurements of your frames.

Let’s break down each component of a frame’s measurements to help you achieve a comfortable fit.

What Are All of These Glasses Measurements?

Eye Size is the width of one lens and usually falls somewhere between 40 and 62 millimeters. Your eyes should be centered in the lens.
Bridge Size is the measurement of the glasses bridge or the area between the lenses that goes over your nose. The bridge of the glasses should sit flush with the bridge of your nose. This measurement often falls within a range of 14 to 24 millimeters.
Temple Size is the measurement of the arms of the eyeglasses, from the lens to the part that wraps around the ear. The temple should sit horizontally and hug the ear. This measurement may range from 120 to 150 millimeters.
Frame Width is the width of the frames—measured inside from hinge to hinge—and may also be called the total width. This measurement includes bridge and eye sizes. The frame width should be slightly wider than your face, but the space between the temple and your face should be no wider than a finger’s width.
Lens Height or B measurement is the height of the lens, and determines whether the frames are progressive-friendly. Any B measurement 25 millimeters and larger may be able to accommodate progressive or bifocal lenses.

The Top Six Glasses Complaints and How to Fix Them

Most eyeglasses discomfort can be traced to fit, and fixed with a few adjustments. It’s best to have an optician adjust your glasses to prevent breaking them—but if you’re careful you can make some minor adjustments yourself.

The glasses pinch or cause discomfort behind the ears.
Glasses should rest comfortably on and behind your ears. If they pinch behind the ears, the most likely culprit is the fit—the temples may be too short. If they’re the right length but they still pinch, an optician can adjust them for a better fit.
The nose pads leave marks or pinch the nose.
The nose pads of your glasses should be almost unnoticeable when resting on the bridge of your nose. If they’re uncomfortable or leave marks, they may be too narrow. The nose pads can be adjusted on metal frames—carefully pulling them apart slightly may do the trick—but plastic frames are not easy to adjust. Choosing glasses with the appropriate bridge size can make them more comfortable on your nose.
There’s a rash where your glasses sit.
This is the more extreme case of your glasses pinching or leaving marks on your nose. If you have a rash where your glasses sit on your nose or ears, it’s likely that your glasses are too big and they’re sliding across your skin, leaving a rash. This may be because your glasses are the wrong size or they may be bent, causing an improper fit. Check your glasses to make sure they aren’t damaged, and if they look okay, try a pair of glasses with a smaller measurement in the area where you’re getting the rash, like the bridge for the nose, or the arms for the ears.
The glasses keep slipping or they sit too low on your face.
If your glasses are slipping, the issue may be an incorrect temple or bridge size, or the weight of the glasses. Check the temples—are the arms adjusted correctly? Do the screws in the arms need tightening? Is the bridge too wide? You might be able to adjust the bridge on a pair of metal frames by pushing the nose pads slightly closer together. But heavy frames or lenses may cause the glasses to slip, too.
The glasses sit too close to your eyes.
Glasses sitting too close to your eyes is likely the opposite problem of glasses sitting too low on your face. But the remedy is almost identical and probably has to do with the size of the bridge and the fit of the nose pads. Try a pair of frames with a slightly larger bridge measurement or try thinner nose pads to allow your glasses to sit lower; be advised you may need longer frame arms if your glasses now sit lower.
The glasses sit crooked on your face.
If your glasses are always crooked on your face, it’s more likely that a piece of your frame is bent or broken than incorrect measurements. Inspect common areas for frame damage like the frame hinges, arms, and nose pads. Compare each of these to its counterpart on the other side of the frame to make sure they look similar. If you find a bent or broken part, that’s likely the culprit of your crooked fit.

If you’re new to wearing glasses, you may need a few days to become comfortable wearing your frames, as well as getting used to your prescription. For the most comfortable glasses experience, have your new frames adjusted at an eye doctor’s office and wear them when you’re supposed to so you can adjust to the prescription.