I think the majority of us know what readers are, but can you identify the different parts?  It’s easy to choose readers based on the style, but the function is a slightly different story. In order to choose readers that are both stylish and functional, it’s important that you understand what the different parts are as well as which features work best for you. Today we’ll focus on the parts breakdown and a subsequent post will take a look at the variety of styles as well as the features that might work best for you.

Take a look at our diagram and the descriptions below to learn more. After this quick read, you’ll no longer have to say, “those things on the side of your head” or “the part that touches your nose.”

 

Hinges are the part of the readers that connect the temple to the rest of the frame. They are joints that allow the temple to fold inward.

 

Temples, or “arms” as they’re often called, are the long pieces that extend from the hinges. Fun fact, they were named after the part of the face that they rest on.

 

 

The bridge holds about 90% of the weight of the readers and determines the fit of the frames. It is important to get readers that have the perfect bridge fit for your face because the bridge plays a huge role in the comfort of the glasses. Too tight and they will pinch your nose, too loose and they will slip off.

 

Temple Tips, also known as the earpieces, are plastic or silicone coatings on the end of the temples. Their most important job is to help keep the readers from falling off.

 

 

Screws are the super tiny metal pieces found at the hinges. They help connect the temple to the rest of the frame.

 

 

Obviously, the most important part of any readers are the lenses. These can be either glass or plastic and come in all different strengths for the needs of the user. Without the lenses, you're just a hipster with cute frames. 😉

 

Nose pads are used to help keep the readers in place while adding a cushion for your readers to meet your nose. Some can even be adjusted to increase comfort.

 

 

The rims are where the lenses are mated to the frame. They blend the style of the reader with the functionality of holding the lenses in place.

 

 

And lastly, the end pieces are the part of the rim that slightly sticks out to connect the lenses to the temples

 

 

While not all parts of a reader may seem significant, they all have an important job to do. If one part fails, they lose some of their functionality. So, take some time to familiarize yourself with your readers and figure out which readers bring you the functionality, comfort, and style that completes your unique look.