Find the Best Glasses for You

Tips for Choosing Glasses

Your choice of eyewear can help express your personal style. Whether you are going for a more studious look or want to make a fashion statement — or something in between — there are dozens of glasses to choose from. With so many types of frames, where do you start?

There are different types of glasses for different vision problems, such as lenses that correct astigmatism or those for nearsightedness. It’s important to see an eye doctor to get a prescription and know which lens type and pair of glasses are best for you. Once you know this information, follow these tips for choosing your glasses:

• Pick based on your face shape — whether it’s oval, round, square, diamond, or heart-shaped. Oval-shaped faces look good in most frames.
• Pick a color that complements your skin tone. A cool-colored skin tone may want to pick black, gray, and blue; a warm skin tone may want to stick to tan, pink, and red.
• Pick eyewear that highlights your personality — whether it’s playful, serious, or confident.
• Consider your lifestyle. Pick durable frames if you are an athlete and make sure the pair fits well at the bridge of your nose.

Important Considerations for Glasses

When selecting a pair of glasses, it’s important to consider how lightweight and strong the pair of glasses is, along with flexibility and durability. Eyeglass frames are typically made of plastic and metal, while some use a combination of both materials. You will also want to make sure your frame is the right size and not too tight or so loose that it may slip off of your face.

Metal Eyeglasses

Metal eyeglasses are made of metal, titanium, or alloys (mix of metals), and can be more corrosion-resistant and less likely to succumb to wear and tear.

Plastic Eyeglasses

A more popular and inexpensive choice is plastic eyeglasses. They are lighter and come in more colors and styles but can break more easily.

Rimless Eyeglasses

Rimless eyeglasses are lightweight and don’t block your view. They have no frame and just have the lens, nose bridge, and temples. These glasses appear almost invisible when worn but don’t work for higher prescriptions.

Different Types of Glasses

Depending on your preference and prescription, you have a choice of different types of glasses. These include:

Single-Vision Glasses

Single-vision glasses have the same prescription and can be worn for nearsightedness, farsightedness, or by those with presbyopia.

Bifocal Glasses

Bifocals are for people who need correction for near and distance vision; they allow for reading on the bottom and for distance on the top. Lenses are split into two defined segments with two prescriptions, so you use just one pair of glasses instead of two.

Trifocal Glasses

Trifocal glasses have three lens corrections for distance, intermediate, and near vision, with lines separating the segments.

Progressive Lenses

Progressive lenses, also called no-line bifocals, are typically considered better than bifocals and trifocals. This is because they offer a seamless transition from near and far viewing, with no visible lines on the lens.

Reading Glasses

Reading glasses provide correction for close-up tasks and can be worn over contact lenses or as an extra to regular glasses.

Protective Coatings

These are not lenses, but they provide a choice of anti-reflective coatings, which reduce glare. Ultraviolet (UV) coatings protect your eyes from the sun's harmful radiation. Polychromatic coatings are worn inside and outside, adjust per light exposure, and produce a darker glass tint in sunlight.

Medicare Coverage for Eyeglasses

The cost of corrective eyewear can range between $50 to $1,000 or more, but, on average, costs about $200.2 Medicare does not typically cover eyeglasses.3 However, for post-cataract surgery, Medicare Part B does cover a single pair of eyeglasses with standard frames or a set of contact lenses if a senior had cataract surgery to implant an intraocular lens. Check out our guide to Medicare and Medicaid enrollment to see if you qualify.

Some Medicare Advantage plans (Medicare Part C) may provide vision benefits like routine eye exams, eyeglasses, and contact lenses. Having vision insurance can help offset the costs associated with prescription eyeglasses. Check out our vision insurance guide for other coverage options.