Eyeglass Parts
Sometimes eyeglass parts can leave the average glasses wearer stumped. What is that piece that needs to be replaced called, anyway? This guide to all the parts can help eyeglass wearers decide if the repair is something that can be fixed at home or something that should be taken to an expert.
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Vocabulary of Eyeglass Parts
- Frame: This is the metal or plastic basis for the eyeglasses; all other parts attach here.
- Lenses: The clear glass, plastic, or polycarbonate eyeglass parts that holds the prescription; they may have tints or special coatings.
- Bridge: The arc above the nose between the lenses. A few styles include adjustable, double (seen perhaps most commonly in aviator styles and men's glasses), and saddle (which drape across the nose to distribute weight on the top and sides).
- Temple: The "legs" that extend from the frame front to behind the ears. There are a few styles, including skull (most traditional and bend behind ears), library (straight), and comfort-cable (which are soft at the tips and loop around behind the ear, frequently used in children's sunglasses).
- Special Coatings: These are on the lenses. You can get tints, UV protection, scratch resistance, and anti-reflective coatings.
- Hinges: This is what allows the temples to fold in. In some cases, there will be a "spring-hinge" which keeps the pressure from breaking the glasses in this spot; however, spring hinges are not easily repaired. It's best to take them to a professional.
- Nose pads: These are PVC or silicone parts that hold eyeglasses up on the nose and keep them fitting snugly and comfortably; sometimes these are two round or oval eyeglass parts, but in some cases, the nose pad may be one large "saddle" that fits across the nose.
- Pad arms: These are pieces that extend from the bridge to which the nose pads attach.
- Temple tips: These are the sheaths that go over the ends of the temples (most commonly on metal frames) to hold eyeglasses in place and promote comfort above and behind the ears.
- Screws: These can be found at the hinges where the temples connect to the frame front, but they may also be found on the bridge, holding the nose pads in place.
- Frame front: A combination of the portion of the frame that wraps around the lenses, the bride, and the end pieces.
- Eye wires or rims: These make up the part of the frame that encircles the lenses, part of the frame front.
- End pieces: These are the parts of the frame front that extends outward from the lenses and connects to the temples.
- Mountings: These are how rimless frames work; the lenses are attached directly to the temples via mountings.
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Buy Your Own Tools and Parts
Sometimes the eyeglass owner can do certain repairs themselves, such as replacing a screw on a non-spring hinge. This results in saving the money involved with paying a fee much larger than the cost of the eyeglass parts necessary to complete the fix. If they have a back-up pair of sunglasses or the repair isn't urgent, it would not be too inconvenient to set the broken pair aside while the new parts are shipped. Here are a few sites to consider for parts:
- Taili Glasses Parts
- Alibaba
- AC Lens has a repair kit with a screwdriver and two common hinge screws.
Word of Caution
Learning the parts of the frame makes it easier to speak with a professional if a repair is required. It may be easier for the owner of the glasses to look for parts online and do repairs without assistance. However, there are some repairs best left to professionals, such as those that concern mountings or spring hinges. Having a kit handy that is full of tools small enough to work on eyeglasses is wise. There are easy fixes that can be done at home, like loose screws or nose pad replacements. It is best to use tools specifically designed for eyeglasses due to the likelihood of a tool that is too big slipping and ruining a lens.
Eyeglass wearers should use good judgment, along with their newly acquired eyeglass parts knowledge, when it comes to repairing their eyeglasses.
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