How to Buy Glasses Online

Step 1: Get Your Prescription

The process of buying prescription glasses online still involves a visit to your doctor or optometrist (unless you’re looking for flat glasses or reading glasses). Your doctor or optometrist should be responsible for clearly identifying your vision problems, prescribing a prescription, explaining technical terms, and meeting your eye care needs.

For custom glasses, you can also enlist the services of an optician. They will be able to measure your pupillary distance (PD) to determine the exact position of lens centering. Knowing your PD (and having it verified by a professional) is a critical step in buying yourself some prescription lenses that actually work.

Step 2: Get the Right Frames

You can easily search and order online through our website.

Frame Shape

The glasses you choose should complement your face and accentuate your favorite facial features. Before you buy glasses online, you should try them on without the virtual try-on tool or get a better idea of your face shape. Just look in the mirror and you’ll know if your face is oval, round, square, diamond, or heart-shaped. Then, you can check out this guide filled with the right glasses from our value collection!

Frame Size

When you consider eyeglass frame size mainly for a fashion sense, it’s best to measure your face correctly. Large frames can make your face look smaller, while small frames can make your face look larger. If the frame is too loose, your glasses may slide down, while too narrow may cause improper blood flow and discomfort!

If you have an old pair of glasses that fit you well, you can check the size engraved on the frame. It’s worth considering that your glasses will also go through a “breaking in” phase and become more comfortable over time, so don’t feel discouraged if your cool new pair of glasses you just bought feel a little small.

Frame Material

Eyeglass frames are made of materials such as plastic, acetate, metal, wood, and titanium. There are quite a few brands that are known for their quality materials, but this is not the only factor to consider when buying glasses online. We’re talking about the Urbanmilawear Collection. It’s also made of quality materials, but at a cheaper price. Check it out!

Frame Color

Once you’ve decided on the shape, size, brand, and material of your new frames, you can choose the best color for you. Most of the time, the designs you know and love are available in multiple colors.

Step 3: Enter Your Formula to Choose Lenses and Coatings

Once you’ve decided on which frames, you can submit your formula at checkout. At Urbanmilawear you can do this manually with each purchase, or upload their formula to our system so we can quickly ship you the glasses you need without having to worry about tracking down those formulas.

Your formula may mean you may need single vision lenses or multifocal lenses. However, you can still determine the lens material and thickness when you check it out. Check out this lens index to find out which one is best for your vision correction needs!

Step 4: More Information

At Urbanmilawear, designer sunglasses, designer eyewear, and more are all available for comfortable eyewear. You have the key parts of your formula on hand, which means you’ll get a convenient experience when you buy glasses online.

Already clear and informed? Good. It’s time to get some real deals from Urbanmilawear. We’d like to introduce you to a few of our favorite collections below.

zFORT® Blue Light Blocking Glasses

Blue light is a potentially harmful light. Electronic devices (on which we spend more and more time every day) are also high-level producers. Blue light with a wavelength between 415nm and 455nm can damage retinal cells, which can lead to premature eye aging and future vision problems.

Our exposure to these harmful rays can also lead to a range of other health problems, including poor sleep (according to a 2012 Harvard Medical School study). Learn more about how to protect your eyes from blue light with zFORT® Blue Light Blocking Glasses.

What is pupil distance?

Pupil distance is the distance between your pupils, and in this article, you'll learn how to measure it.

When shopping online for your first pair of prescription glasses, you'll probably come across a number of terms related to the size you need. If you've never looked up prescription information before, the terms used may be unfamiliar. One of these terms is pupil distance, which is the distance from the center of your left pupil to the center of your right pupil. Measured in millimeters, pupil distance is key information for wearing corrective lenses, and we'll explain it in detail in this article.

Why is pupil distance important?

When making prescription lenses, accurate pupil distance (PD) is crucial because it allows the lens manufacturer to determine the center of the lens. For the clearest and most comfortable vision, the distance between the center of the left lens and the center of the right lens should be equal to the distance between your pupils. An incorrect PD measurement, even a millimeter or two, can make a difference in how your glasses fit. Each pupil should be aligned as closely as possible with the center of the lens directly in front of it to achieve the best vision correction. If the PD value of the lens is not accurate, the wearer will experience distorted vision, discomfort, and possibly headaches. To avoid these situations, an accurate PD measurement is needed to realign the lens.

Did you know?

The ruler used by eye care professionals to measure the pupil distance is often called a "PD stick".

Single PD and Double PD

There are two different pupil distance measurements; single PD and double PD. As mentioned before, the distance between the pupil centers is for single PD (also called binocular PD). It is named so because there is only one measurement value. For example, binocular PD can be expressed as 61 mm. Double PD refers to the distance from the centers of both pupils to the middle of the nose, so there are two values. A double PD of 31/30 mm means that the center of the right pupil is 31 mm from the middle of the nose, and the center of the left pupil is 30 mm from the nose. Monocular PD is another name for double PD. In monocular PD, always put the right eye first. When buying glasses, use one of the pupil distance measurements, the most common being binocular PD. Using dual PD is useful when buying progressive lenses. Reading glasses are a special case that require a simple subtraction operation to find. Subtract 3 mm from the single PD value and 1.5 mm from the dual PD value to ensure that your reading glasses meet your visual needs.

How to measure your pupillary distance at home

Your pupillary distance can usually be found below your prescription, as your eye doctor or specialist will measure it during your lens fitting. Sometimes your eye doctor will omit this detail from your prescription and keep it in their records. To avoid this, always request it to be included during your eye exam. Even if it is not in your current prescription, that is not a problem. It is also easy to measure your pupillary distance at home, and there are both traditional and modern methods to choose from.

If you do not have the tools required by the app, you can easily measure your own pupillary distance using a millimeter ruler and a mirror. 

Step 1: Stand in front of a mirror and hold the ruler up to the bridge of your nose or eyebrows. 

Step 2: Close your right eye and align the zero mark on the ruler with your left pupil while looking in the mirror. 

Step 3: Keep the ruler still, close your left eye and open your right eye. 

Step 4: The number that aligns with the center of your right pupil is your pupillary distance. 

Step 5: Repeat this process to ensure the most accurate measurement possible. 

If you have trouble measuring, you can ask a friend to help you. Simply stand facing your friend and measure your PD using a ruler or millimeter tape measure. Repeat the above steps and have a friend measure the distance by placing the ruler on the bridge of your nose. Your friend must make sure to keep their head still and look straight ahead while reading the measurement.

What is the average pupillary distance?

Everyone has a different pupillary distance. The average adult PD is between 54 and 74 mm. If your PD measurement is outside the average adult PD range, don't worry. The pupillary distance itself has no effect on vision. The most important thing is to accurately represent the distance between the pupils. The average pupillary distance for children is between 41 and 55 mm. Because pupillary distance changes as the body grows, it is important to consider that a child's pupillary distance may be different every year, and don't assume that last year's PD measurement is still appropriate for this year. For the most accurate measurement, 

write it down in your prescription information every time you have your eyes checked. If you have any questions about prescriptions, please check our eyewear encyclopedia article or ask a certified optician for help.

It's important to know your glasses' size when shopping online, so we'll explain what glasses measurements are and how to measure them.

Glasses Sizing Explanation

All glasses have three numbers engraved on the temples, representing the lens width, bridge size, and temple length of the glasses. These numbers are usually separated by a dot, dash, or vertical line. Some frames may have a fourth number, which represents the frame height. Sometimes, the eye size and bridge size for acetate frames are shown on the nose pads of plastic frames, and all glasses sizes are measured in millimeters (mm).

Did you know?

The interpupillary distance is the distance between your pupils. For the clearest vision, the distance between the center of the left and right lenses should be the same as the distance between your pupils.

Frame Sizes

The frame width is the horizontal measurement of the frame, including any hinges or side projections. To measure the frame width, use a tape measure or ruler to run across the entire horizontal front of the frame, from one point to another.

Lens size

Both the height and width of a lens can be measured. Lens height is the vertical measurement of a glasses lens and is important for bifocals and progressive lenses. Lens width refers to the width of the lens and must be measured horizontally. This range is generally between 40mm and 60mm. To measure, place a tape measure over the lens, first vertically, then horizontally, and only measure from one side of the lens to the other, making sure not to include the rest of the frame.

How to measure the bridge size of glasses

Bridge size refers to the distance between the two frames or lenses of the glasses where the nose pads sit, and generally ranges from 14mm to 24mm. Measure the bridge by placing the tape measure between the two lenses to see how far apart the closest points are.

How to measure the temple length of glasses

This refers to the length of the temple. Measure the length of the temple from the hinge to the tip to find out the temple length, which is generally between 120mm and 150mm.

The above is a small encyclopedia about glasses. Of course, there is a lot more knowledge about glasses, which cannot be listed one by one