What to do if your glasses don't fit well
Your new glasses arrived, but something’s not quite right. Maybe they don’t fit as well as they should. Or, you’re not seeing as clearly as you expected because there’s a problem with your prescription. Perhaps, they simply aren’t the right pair of eyeglasses for your face shape.
Whatever the issue with your new glasses, you’re in luck: There are a variety of ways to remedy the situation. You can even make adjustments yourself. Read on for ways to solve for ill-fitting glasses.
Get a replacement or refund
Many retailers will replace your eyeglasses or fully refund the purchase price if the problem is related to a defect in materials. Some will even allow up to 30 days on a return or refund if you simply don’t like the way your glasses fit.
Similar refund or replacement policies may exist if you purchased eyeglasses from your eye doctor and the problem is related to a faulty eyeglass prescription. However, there is no guarantee of either a replacement or refund if you caused the damage yourself.
Always check the fine print before making any assumptions about return or refund policies.
Talk to your eye doctor
If you purchased your glasses from your eye doctor and sense there might be an issue, your best bet is to have them check it out.
He or she will have a good sense of whether there is a problem with the fit, or if the lenses were made correctly. Your eye doctor may also wish to reexamine your eyes and check to see if any issues with your eyesight have developed since your last eye exam.
Make adjustments
There are a number of minor but effective adjustments you can make to your eyeglasses to achieve greater comfort.
For example, maybe your glasses fit uncomfortably on your nose or dig too deeply into your temples. Or perhaps your glasses fit crookedly on your face. These issues are easily solved as follows:
Incorrect nose fit
If you have wire frames, your glasses will have nose pads. These can be adjusted with a simple pinch or tug of the fingertips. Push pads inward if your glasses slip and outward if your glasses sit uncomfortably high or dig into your nose. If you have plastic frames, you can bend the temple arms in or out to help adjust the way your glasses sit on your nose.
First, run your frames under warm water; about 30 to 60 seconds will do. If your plastic frames are sliding down your nose, apply a slight inward and downward pressure to tighten the fit behind the ears. If your frames are putting too much weight on your nose, apply outward and upward pressure.
Incorrect temple fit
If your glasses fit too tightly or loosely at the temples, you can relieve or increase pressure by slightly bending the temple arms. Run your frames under warm water to make the arms more pliant. Then, grip the arm by the segment that bends downward.
If you experience tightness at the temples, bend this tip upward. If your glasses are too loose, bend slightly downward.
Crooked fit
If one lens is higher than the other, bend the opposite arm down where it's most adjustable: at the hinge or where it crosses over your ear.
If one lens is closer than the other, bend that lens arm slightly inward and the opposite arm slightly outward.
Note: Some frame materials such as titanium, memory plastic and aluminum alloy may resist adjustment.
While it’s easy to make some adjustments yourself, you may benefit from having your eye doctor first check that there are no other issues. Find an eye doctor near you to ensure you have the best fit glasses.
READ NEXT: How long does it take to get new glasses?
Page published on Thursday, October 3, 2019
