High-quality glasses are a must for those who wear them regularly. No one should have to deal with uncomfortable glasses, especially when they’re integral to help correct your vision.
There are some ways to tell if you have high-quality glasses. Though brand-name glasses are generally a good quality indicator, you need to look at the lenses and frames individually. A high-quality frame is excellent for comfort, but without good lenses, that doesn’t really matter, and vice versa.
In this article, we’ll go over some of the best ways to vet your glasses to see — no pun intended — whether you’re giving your eyes the help they deserve or doing yourself and your vision an injustice.
Are You Wearing Handmade Glasses?
You may wonder, “why does it matter if my glasses were machine-made?” While you can get high-quality glasses from a machine if done correctly, handmade glasses offer finer details than you can’t get from a machine.
For example, a machine might struggle with adding a smooth polish to a pair of frames, while custom glasses made by hand will almost certainly boast that shine. Other signs to look out for when checking if your glasses were handmade include smooth, rounded edges and corners and sunken, hidden screws.
Transparent Production
Skilled artisans often make brand-name glasses, and manufacturers will be more than happy to share that with the customer. Another way to tell if you’re wearing high-quality glasses is to look into the manufacturing process that went into making your pair.
Reputable glasses manufacturers ensure that their staff is qualified, well-paid, and works under excellent conditions. A good manufacturer will also be conscious of their environmental impact and share how they do their part with the public.
Quality Lenses
A comfortable, durable frame is a great indicator that you’re wearing high-quality glasses, but you also need the lenses to provide you with clarity; this is the most crucial part of a pair of glasses.
Quality lenses take quality ingredients. Proper lens materials are generally made with the latest optical technology that produces coatings that cut more glare, prevent scratches, and are smudge-resistant.
The Different Lens Types
There are different types of lenses, each serving a different purpose. The primary lens types are:
- Single-vision lenses correct your eyesight for one focal length, either distance or reading, but not both.
- Progressive lenses are correct for distance and reading and are integrated into a single lens. These lenses come in different configurations depending on your intended use.
- Bi-focal lenses correct for two focal lengths, distance, and reading. A distinct line recognizes them between two focal lengths. These lenses provide a quick transition from distance to near.
- Non-prescription lenses do not correct vision and are used for aesthetic purposes only. Some non-prescription lenses offer blue light protection.
No matter your lens type, you should make sure you’re getting the highest-quality crafted lenses to ensure the best vision correction possible.
All in the Details: Functional Riveted Hinges
You’ll be folding your glasses nearly every time you take them off to go to bed, so durability is crucial for your frames. The hinges on your frames need to withstand constant strain, and if you have high-quality glasses, this shouldn’t be a problem.
You can tell that your riveted hinges are good quality if the rivets on the hinges were handcrafted. You can ask the manufacturer if your frames were made using handcrafted rivets or if they were just sunk in with heat and had two decorative dots placed over them to give the appearance of rivets.
Material Type
Material type is crucial in whether you’re wearing high-quality glasses or not. Some of the highest-quality materials include:
- Acetate: a versatile material that consists of up to 80% renewable materials like cotton or wood. This material may not be as durable as metal, but it still holds up well, is comfortable, and gives an elegant appearance.
- Titanium: a stable, lightweight material and hypoallergenic.
- Stainless steel: this material isn’t generally used because it is more challenging to work with, but manufacturers that take on the extra work provide their customers with some of the most durable frames on the market.
When manufacturers opt to use metals, they should also invest in nickel-free electroplating. This finish is a crucial element to look for when buying metal frames — quality metal glasses should be electroplated to avoid potential allergic reactions.
A Quality Finish
High-quality glasses, especially name-brand glasses, will always be hand-finished. So when assessing your frames, look for qualities like smooth transitions from temple to temple and finely finished areas near the hinges.
Additionally, the surface on your frames should be consistent and remain free from waves, pits, or grooves — this is how you can tell if skilled artisans handcrafted your frames.
Attention to Detail
Going back to details, the small things on a frame are a good indicator of their quality. Small details like milled anti-slip grooves on a temple tip and other functional elements throughout indicate that your glasses were made with comfort in mind.
These details are more common when dealing with custom glasses, but high-end name brands might make these touches standard on their frames.
A more complicated but desirable detail is hidden endpieces. The rim of the glasses needs to be opened to insert lenses into the frame and then closed with fasteners afterward. Good manufacturers will integrate the end piece into the rim to maintain functionality in a discreet manner.
Get High-quality Glasses at The Spectacle
You shouldn’t sacrifice quality when it comes to something as crucial as eyeglasses. From brand-name glasses to custom glasses, the Spectacle sells and creates high-quality glasses in various styles to suit your needs and preferences.
Visit us in Salt Lake City or get in touch with us at 801-359-2020 to get more information on our one-of-a-kind eyeglasses selections.