How to Find Glasses for Big Heads

People with big heads often struggle to find glasses that provide a comfortable fit. The temple arms may squeeze the sides of your head while the nose pads pinch your bridge. Sometimes the bottoms of the lenses rub against your cheeks, causing irritation and annoyance. Why is this even an issue? Eyewear manufacturers tend to design frames for common head sizes and face shapes. If you’re outside that range, it takes some extra legwork to find a pair of glasses that fit correctly. Since you wear glasses every day, it’s important that they feel good. So, how can someone with a big head find glasses that fit?

Step 1: Measure Yourself for New Glasses

You can take some simple measurements to understand what size frames you’ll need. Here’s what to measure before buying glasses for a big head:

1. Head Width

You probably don’t know how wide your head is—it’s just not the kind of thing that’s brought up in polite conversation. However, nailing this measurement is critical to finding glasses that will fit a large head. Do you have an old pair of comfortable glasses lying around? Measure the distance from temple-to-temple in order to get this number. If you don’t have glasses available, perform the same measurement on your face. A measurement greater than 5.5” means you should be shopping for large or wide-frame glasses.

2. Lens Width

As you might expect, this number is simply the horizontal distance between either edge of the lens. The easiest way to find this measurement is by looking at an old pair of glasses that fits comfortably. One of the temple arms will have three numbers printed on it, like 49 21 145. The first number is the lens width in millimeters. In general, glasses that fit the width of your head should have lenses that are wide enough for you.

3. Temple Length

Temple arms that are too short will result in a tight fit, while temple arms that are too long result in glasses that slide off your face. How can you find temple length? The third number printed on the arm will give the measurement in millimeters. In a pinch (no pun intended) you can use a ruler or tape measure to get the rough distance between the front of your face and the back of your ear.

4. Bridge Distance

The bridge distance is the space between the inside of one lens and the other. This is an extremely important number to get right, because the wrong size bridge can turn your cool new glasses into an uncomfortable nuisance. A small bridge will pinch your nose and cause your glasses to sit too high on your face, while an oversized bridge will allow the frames to slide down your nose. Once again, the easiest way to get this measurement is by consulting a pair of your old glasses (in this case the bridge distance is the second number). If you don’t have glasses handy, an estimate will at least let you know which glasses to consider. Take something flexible, such as a twist tie, and bend it across the top of your nose. Remove it and use a ruler or tape measure to get the distance between the sections where the pads or bridge will sit.

If you don’t have a pair of old glasses to consult, it really is best to schedule an appointment with your eye doctor so she can take accurate measurements. We can help you find an optometrist in your neighborhood.
Once you have your measurements in hand, the fun can begin. 

Step 2: Shop for the Right Large Frames

There are lots of eyeglasses out there, but not all of them are available in large sizes. As a person with a big head, you’ll want to pay close attention to the sizes in stock when browsing eyewear. Eyeconic makes this especially easy with our dropdown size menu.

Not a good choice:



A much better fit:



Some brands, such as Nine West, cater exclusively to people with larger-than-usual heads. The point is that there are plenty of eyewear options out there.
 

Step 3: Try Them On

A good fit is important, but it’s not the only thing that matters when buying new glasses; you’ll want to see how your wide frames will look on your face. Our Virtual Try-On tool makes it easy to preview many frames in the comfort of your own chair. All it takes to get started is a few minutes and a webcam.

Step 4: Get a Glasses Adjustment

What if you eagerly unbox your new large glasses, try them on and think, “Something doesn’t feel right?” Don’t panic! It’s not unusual to need a glasses adjustment for the best fit, even if the frames are the perfect size. This is because our facial features are unique. Eyeconic offers free frame adjustments with a doctor near you as a standard perk. You’ll get more information about that with your order.

Shopping for glasses when you have a big head takes a bit of extra work, but it’s absolutely necessary to make sure you buy frames you’ll love to wear.

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