Nose Pad Buyers Guide for Glasses, Designer Eyewear, & Sunglasses
Nose Pad sizes are measured in millimeters (mm), where 1mm corresponds to approximately 1/32inch. Most glasses nose pads are measured along the narrow vertical length. Some exceptions are noted below**
Although nose pads and nose pieces for glasses may appear to be available in a small, medium, or large size, this classification is inadequate since a 1mm difference can mean the difference between a nose pad fitting properly in an eyeglass frame as well as determining whether your vision quality will change.
Eyeglasses nose pad sizes correspond to the surface area of the nose pad that makes contact with the wearer's skin. Ideally, the complete surface of the nose pad makes contact with the skin. A larger area of contact distributes the weight of an eyeglass frame more evenly over the wearer's skin and thus reduces the weight of the glasses over any given location. This often results in the feeling of a "lighter" pair of glasses.
In addition to the nosepad surface area considerations, the allowable size of a nose pad is also dependent on the available space on the eyeglass frame where the nose pad is located and the overall aesthetics of the eyewear as it appears on the wearer's face. For example, the use of very large sized nose pads may not compliment an eyeglass wearer sporting an optical frame of small size.
Selecting a replacement nose pad or nose piece for glasses of a different size or shape than that was originally supplied with the eyeglasses may change the optics of the glasses. For example, a different nose pad size may result in the frame and associated eyeglass lenses being oriented too high or low, whereby this different position may affect the visual properties of the spectacles. Obvious examples include the vertical displacement of the eyeglass frame and the associated position of bifocal, trifocal, or progressive (multifocal) optical lenses.
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**Notable exceptions to the nose pad vertical length measurements include strap bridge nosepads and unifit softwing or soft-wing nose pads which are often measured according to each nose pad manufacturers' conventions.
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