This page offers a plethora of frames that come with a spring hinge frame. Read on to discover what they are and the factors to consider when deciding whether to go for one or not. After all, every frame type comes with its own pros and cons that vary from person to person. It is worth noting that all spring hinge glasses come with a best price guarantee, so even the biggest designers won’t cost you an arm and a leg. You can also add your personal prescription to eyeglass spring hinge frames, simply upload your details at the checkout. Seeing as SmartBuyGlasses is the home of making eyewear easy, the lenses will be expertly fitted by us and arrive ready to wear on your doorstep. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get started.
Types of Glasses Hinge
Screw Hinge
The most common type of glasses frame features a screw hinge, often referred to as a standard or barrel hinge. Considering this is perhaps the oldest type of frame hinge, it is no surprise that it is found on the vast majority of glasses. It connects the arms to the frame front with a small screw intersecting a few barrels. The best way to picture it is to think of a door hinge. The system allows the frame arms to to fold in and out smoothly without ever being at risk of falling off. This makes the temples particularly easy to close.
The more barrels used, the more secure and long-lasting the frames will be. A standard pair of glasses tends to feature three, but there are some brands that showcase up to six. The screw hinge is often thought of as the most durable type of hinge, simply because it is very easy to repair. You can find the parts and tools in a pharmacy or local optician and watch an online tutorial to do it yourself. This article from our Optical Center is a good place to start. On the other hand, it can be said that spring hinges are actually more durable because they are less likely to snap, and require less adjustment. A screw hinge needs to fit exactly right from the outset, which can involve adjustments from an optician. If the frame does not fit quite right, you run the risk of the glasses sliding off your nose, particularly if you are partaking in physical activity. In this case, spring hinges offer considerable benefits.
Spring Hinge
So what is a spring hinge? A pair of spring hinge glasses looks pretty much identical to a standard hinge frame: the arms fold in and out the same way. The difference is that when you open the arms of a spring hinge frame, the temples do not become rigid when they reach the ninety degree angle. They can open further out to become wider. So when you slide them around your face they will open slightly, but once they are settled on your ears, the arms will gently pull back in. The result is a snug and comfortable fit, with less risk of them falling off. You could even call it a glasses hug. Plenty of customers appreciate the gentle squeeze as it reminds them the glasses are still sitting safely in place. It is also popular with more active glasses wearers who don’t want their glasses sliding off while exercising.
The great thing about this hinge is that although it is not an adjustable spring hinge itself, fewer adjustments are required to achieve a perfect fit. In most cases, the frames are extracted from the packaging and fit the wearer’s face immediately, no adjusting required. This is thanks to the flexible hinge system which allows it to fit a wider range of face shapes and sizes.
The advantage of the flexible hinge system is that they are harder to break. This is because the frames stretch, so if you remove them quite roughly from your face at an awkward angle, where a screw hinge might reach its limit and snap, a spring hinge will do no such thing. Such durability is equally reflected in a spring hinge’s resistance to bending or impact.
However, there is a limit to how rough you can be even with a spring hinge frame. Once the frame breaks, it is significantly more difficult to carry out eyeglass spring hinge repair compared to other hinge types. It can be said that this renders a spring hinge frame less durable, because it cannot easily recover. To fix a spring hinge, an optician’s expertise and toolbox is essential, and sometimes, not even they can manage it. Spring hinge glasses are often sent back to manufacturers to have specific adjustments or repair work carried out as they are so specifically designed by each producer.
Who Are Spring Hinges Recommended For
Children
Glasses spring hinges are often recommended for kids. This is because children tend to be more careless with their eyewear, and are incredibly active. Their glasses are more susceptible to bending and impact, to which spring hinges are more resistant. The small spring hinge also keeps the glasses more firmly on their little faces, therefore reducing the risk of damage or even losing the pair altogether.
Wide Heads
Spring hinge glasses are highly recommended for anyone with a wider head than average. They will benefit from the hinge’s flexibility when placing the glasses on their face, because it will not matter if the arms have to stretch a little during the process.
Active People
Anyone that goes jogging or has a generally more active lifestyle will greatly benefit from a spring hinge glasses frame. The tighter yet comfortable fit will keep the glasses securely in place no matter what you do. The frames are also made from a durable metal material to make them long-lasting no matter how much movement they endure.
Rough Glasses Handlers
It is common knowledge that to make your glasses last as long as possible, you should remove them carefully by pulling them straight forward. It is not a good idea to pull them to one side as you do so as this stretches the hinge. With a spring hinge, this does not matter quite so much, as the temple will flex more than a standard hinge. As a result, if you know you might want to remove your glasses quickly or less gently than you perhaps should, spring hinges are worth considering.
Shop Spring Hinges with SmartBuyGlasses
Don’t forget that when you shop with us you can take advantage of our best price guarantee, two year warranty and 100 day returns policy. This means that in the very unlikely event that your spring hinge glasses arrive too tight or too loose, you can easily send them back. For further advice on glasses frames, don’t hesitate to ask our online opticians. They are fully qualified and on hand 24/7 to answer all your questions. And as if all this wasn’t easy enough, you can also try the glasses on before you commit to purchase with our Virtual Try-On tool. All you have to do is take a video of your face turning from side to side, and you will be able to see our spring hinge frames on your face! Welcome to eyewear made easy!
