Choosing the right glasses for your child

I have been working on this post in my head, collecting information, knowledge and thoughts for as long as Lexi has had glasses. If you hadn’t read about HOW she got glasses and why, and why every parent should pay attention to eye health from their child’s birth, please feel free to stop by this post.

For those who just want to look at cute pictures of Lexi in different style glasses, go ahead and scroll down or bookmark it in your Pocket for the future, in case you need it. If you’re actually interested in reading about the challenge of finding cute, flexible, durable, properly sized and stylish glasses for young kids, and how I found some amazing options during my research, read on.

When we found out that Lexi had myopia ( nearsighteness), we ran out to the optical store that day to buy her glasses. The issue we didn’t anticipate is that most local stores don’t carry  sizes that work with small children. See, it’s not just the looks that matters. The pupil should be as close to the center of the lens as possible for a perfect fit and best vision. So buying glasses that are meant for much bigger kids, unless they are properly filled, can actually cause more harm. Many optical shops that cater to adults do not know how to properly fit a small child, unless you go to an optical shop that specializes in that, like Optiwow below.

So we bought two pairs of glasses at a local store (see photo above). At the time, they were the best they had and we thought it was a decent fit, considering the choices. Over time though, as I learned more and more about the proper fit, I realized that we needed to find a better option. Off I went to the Internet for help, looking for and successfully finding international brands that make frames that even adults would love wearing. And how is it that it’s always international brands that have the most stylish coolest options.

So fast forward for now and here is the result of all my research, talking to brands, trying their frames, looking at their options. I wanted to make sure that every frame we tried, I photographed to be able to demonstrate how it fits and looks. And also… well, it was kind of fun photographing her trying on different glasses and all the looks she had.

Please note: These were taken over a span of about 6-8 months. Some glasses were too big for her at the moment of trial, others were not fully adjusted. The goal was to showcase the frames and the brands that are out there, so that other people looking for a better option than a local oversized pair could see these frames on a real person, but we didn’t have the time or resources to take each frame to an optician for adjustments. Younger pictures were taken at about 2-2.5, older pics were at almost 3.5

1. iGreen

These are personally my favorite frames. iGreen is made out of a revolutionary polymer that gives it flexibility and lightness, that’s not seen in other frames. Weighing at only 5 grams, they are perfect for kids who don’t like wearing glasses, since you can barely feel them on your face. They are flexible and durable at the same time. Pretty hard to break as they bend and unfold flat, which is another important aspect for kids.

But my absolutely favorite feature of iGreens’ though are the designs. Colorful, offered in different sizes for faces of all shapes and ages, they have interchangeable temples, which means you can switch up the look the second you get bored of it.  Kids who love matching their accessories to their clothes will get a big kick out of it.

The red pair  is just adorable on Lexi ( we are about to fill it), especially when paired up with a red shirt.

iGreen has a ton of collections for adults, so you can always match with your child.

SHOP: IGREEN KIDS COLLECTION | IGREEN ADULT COLLECTIONS

AS SEEN ON LEXI: Red Mod. V 2.7 | Blue round Mod. V 4.08-Kids | Pink V 2.9

Menizzi

Menizzi is an italian brand of frames with a great selection of kid’s styles in sizes small enough for toddlers.

Smaller frames are made of softer plastic and intended for smaller kids. Those frames usually feature brighter colors and more rounded shapes.

Other kids frames are darker in color with colorful temples and are made hard glossy plastic. These frames are ideal for school ages kids and even feature some preppy plaid designs.

Lexi’s friend Alexa had to get glasses, too and when we tried the red frames on her, she just HAD to have them. Not only do they look absolutely adorable on Alexa, but she absolutely loved them. And it is crucial to have a child pick out the frames for the first glasses to ensure that they wear them without contempt.

SHOP: MENIZZI  (Buy at Optiwow)

AS SEEN ON LEXI: Black pair | Red Pair | Purple Pair

 

Babiators

Well, I don’t need to make an introduction here. It’s well known we love Babiators here, so I was stoked when they announced they would be coming out with Rx frames.

I was hoping for Rx frames, similar to the Babiators sunglasses, however they went in a different direction. They came out with flexible, durable, adjustable frames with different styles than their Babiators. Not being a fan of that specific look, I was slightly disappointed, however I think it’s a great alternative to Miraflex that seem to be so popular. The great thing about these frames is that by heating them at the optician’s office, you can adjust the frame to fit virtually any face. Make them appear smaller or larger depending on the level of curve.

And speaking of traditional Babiators, I often get asked how Lexi keeps wearing them. All we did is fill the sunglasses frames with Rx sunglasses and then pop the lenses in and out of her different color Babiators. I was excited that she is still able to wear it.

SHOP: BABIATORS RX FRAMES | BABIATORS SUNGLASSES

Silhoutte

Silhouette are the original seamless glasses that I found when looking for a less heavy option for Lexi when she was 2. While they do carry framed options for kids, my favorite are the frameless virtually invisible on the face options. It is not a perfect frame for all kids at such an early age, because kids do tumble and fall a lot and there is not much protection from the glass in framless glasses. However, with Lexi, falling and hurting herself was never an issue –  he seems to be aware of dangers, isn’t particularly reckless, fumbly or uncoordinated as kids often are. So while many opticians don’t feel comfortable recommending such frames for under 5 crowd, I thought that filled with a safe material, they will work well for our daughter  who doesn’t tend to fall a lot. In the end we ended up going with a different frameless option, however Silhouettes are the most common and available frameless brand for kids out there that I would definitely recommend. The glass itself can have any shape: round, oval, rectangular and many derivatives of them to match the look you like.

SHOP: Silhouette frames | Buy at Optiwow

 

Optiwow

Optiwow is a kids’ glasses boutique that stands completely apart from the rest of its kind. It has a physical location in Miami where they test vision, sell and fill their Rx glasses and also operate a phenomenal website with the widest selection of kids frames I have ever seen. Some of brands that they carry cannot be found anywhere else. Some of their brands I’ve never heard of.

It was almost too much fun to try all different frames and that is exactly how we arrived at our final main pair of glasses, Swiss Flex. Above mentioned brands like iGreen, Babiators and Menizzi are also carried by Optiwow. I have never seen such a wide range of glasses for little kids.

Frames above: Etnia Barcelona

Swiss Flex, the frames we favor at the moment, are frameless glasses with cute colorful see-through nose and ear pieces that can be interchanged and customized. Lexi calls her glasses “Frozen glass”, because of the frost trnasparent colors. We get comments and questions on her glasses all the time. Both kids and parents love them.

SHOP: OPTIWOW | 1-855-OPTIWOW

 

See Saw Seen

See Saw Seen is a small company that  offers an amazing array of different brands and styles for both kids and adults. They carry adorable Sons+Daughters collection(I got obsessed with them when I saw their hearts and XO glasses).

Their in house collection features a lot of light plastic frames, as well as flexible frames for smaller children in fun basic colors and different shapes and sizes.
Some of the frames we tried were too big for Lexi at that moment ( she was two), but I could see how in just a year or two she would grow into them. At this point she wears the white sons and daughters pair as her backup glasses and she calls them “Palm Trees” glasses.

SHOP: SEE SAW SEEN KIDS COLLECTION | SUNGLASSES  | SONS+DAUGHTERS 

 

Coastal.com

Coastal.com is mainly adult glasses, but they do have a good selection of frames for kids. For the most part, the sizing is more fitting for older, school-aged kids, though you can find a few frames that fit a small face. We went through 2 frames before we found the one we liked. It helps immensely that they have 365 day return policy and a virtual try out that enables you to see the frames on your kid’s face by just uploading a picture.

SHOP: COASTAL.COM | HELLO KITTY FRAMES