What’s My Eyeglass Frame Size?
Posted by The Eyeglasses Guy on March 31, 2007 · 103 Comments
Just as a follow-up to my recent post FrameFinder Fun – Try on Frames Online, I thought I’d provide a little explanation on the question “what’s my frame size?” and where to get that information.
If it’s your first time to wear prescription eyeglasses, then you’ll need to get a measurement by a trained professional such as at your eye doctor’s office.
For example, to order a pair of prescription frames at FramesDirect.com, you’ll need several pieces of information – eye size, bridge and temple. Take a look at the image below from the Polo 412 (Regular hinge) eyeglasses product page:

Huh? What the heck are those? I’ve been wearing eyeglasses since The Beatles invaded America and the first time I shopped for frames online, I was clueless about what those were, how to measure them or where to get that information.
Fear not, intrepid web surfer, because it’s easier than you think. If you’re a pro at wearing prescription glasses like me, then chances are you’ve got the information you need at the tip of your fingers. Well, hanging on your ears, anyway.
Turns out that most prescription frames will have your exact measurements engraved on the temples (arm pieces) or behind the nose bridge area as shown in the image below (taken from our Buying Frames Online page):
.
On my current eyeglass frames, it reads 52 17-150, which translates to an eye size of 52, bridge size of 17 and temple length of 150.
What about the Vertical(B) in the image example above? Unless you have been told what the B measurement is – or seen it in an optical catalog, you won’t know what that is. The B only becomes relevant when you want to order bifocals/no-line progressives – and then the optician would have to review the B in order to determine if it was deep enough. Other than that, the B measurement plays no real role except as an indication of how “deep” the eye portion is – and is not required as part of the order process.
So, I hope this provides answers to any questions that you might have about ordering frames online. It’s really an easy, painless process, so feel free to browse our entire eyeglass frames catalog online to find your size.
Richard Burckhardt, VP of Search
FramesDirect.com
Related posts: Video: Dhavid Cooper Explains Eyeglass Frame Size, Try On Eyeglasses Frames Online, Understanding Frame Size, Face Shape Guide.
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This is usually caused by an ill fitting frame or one that has not been adjusted properly. Maybe there are other issues as well?
This comes from one of our opticians:
The B includes half the thickness of the frame thickness.
My father has eyeglasses that keep slipping to the bottom of his nose. He has worked with the eyeglasses this way for so long that it has affected the curviture of his spin. These are bifocals, so he is always trying to adjust his glasses to see. The opticians have told him there is nothing that can be done. Thank you for any help you can offer with this.