When it comes to buying glasses for the first time, there are a few things you need to consider. From the look and feel of the frames or the style / colour to the shape of the lens or the options of full rim, half rim and rimless, there’s a lot to think about. First and foremost, you need to think about comfort and fit and this can sometimes be determined by the size of the frame, the length of the nose bridge, or the size of the lenses.
Secondly, you need to choose a style that suits your face shape. If you require glasses for doing day to day tasks such as driving, computer work and reading, then it’s important to find a pair of frames that you enjoy wearing. After all, you will likely be wearing your specs all day, everyday. So choosing a style that complements your wardrobe and your face shape makes all the difference to your confidence. When you’re selecting your glasses online for the first time, it’s very important that you get this right.
Shopping online at SelectSpecs is one of the most convenient ways to order new frames, whether they’re sunglasses or prescription glasses. And whilst the process is easy and hassle-free, it certainly helps to have a good understanding of what frames are best for your face. You should also know your pupil distance measurement when ordering your lenses – whilst your optician’s prescription provides all the other essential info, sometimes the PD measurement is missing. But not to worry, as you can also measure this yourself at home.
If you need help shopping for your perfect pair of glasses at SelectSpecs, here are the top 5 apps that might help you!
1. Face Shape Meter from VisTech.Projects (£0.99)
For just £0.99, this handy little app will help you determine your face shape, something that many people find difficulty in doing. Face Shape Meter lets you upload a photo of yourself and provides a tracing tool so you can draw around your face, then you press the button to have your face shape automatically calculated. For the best results, you should direct your head straight at the camera and use a neutral expression. But if you’re unsure, you always have the option of taking a few photos and trying again.
2. Glasses Camera from Keliang Li (free)
This is a fantastic app for first time buyers of glasses or sunglasses online. It allows the user to take a selfie and then you can browse through different glasses/sunglasses styles to try on virtually. There are a hundred different styles so you can play around with looks until you find the one you’re happy with. You can even save images or directly share them from the app with your friend to get a second opinion. Simple interface and lots of fun to use!
3. Glassify from XLabz Technologies (free)
Glassify is another virtual try-on tool, but this one is pretty smart as it combines a face shape guide with hundred and hundreds of popular styles to help you find your perfect look. Many of the glasses and sunglasses styles available emulate popular brands in colourway/ shape/ design so it will really help you shop.
4. Virtual Dressing Room from Mikhail Zelin (free)
If you want more than just a digital glasses try-on app, why not download Virtual Dressing Room by Mikhail Zelin? This virtual wardrobe app is so much fun and you can combine different styles of spectacles with new haircuts or different styles of clothing. This will really help if you want a pair of glasses that look great with everything you wear!
5. PD Meter from Tech Positive (free)
And last but not least is this super useful PD Meter app, which successfully measures your pupillary distance (PD measurement). This is an important part when ordering your prescription lenses online, especially if you have a strong prescription. For low prescriptions, selecting the ‘average PD’ option is fine but if you want to be extra sure that your glasses are optimised for your eyes, measuring your PD is the best way.
Whilst this can be done with a measuring tape or ruler when looking into the mirror, it can be tricky measuring and keeping your eyes straight ahead at the same time. This app solves the problem by capturing your photo and measuring the distance for you.
For more tips on measuring your PD, visit this section of the SelectSpecs website. Or for more tips on determining your face shape, take a look at this blog post.
