How Are Glasses Supposed To Sit on Your Nose?


Wearers of glasses place them on different spots on the nose. Depending on the purpose of the glasses some place them rather closer to the eyes and others like to place them on the nose where they have more distance to the eyes.

Usually reading glasses are oftentimes positioned more on the tip of the nose compared to single vision lenses for distance vision. The reason for the position of the glasses more towards the tip of the nose is to give the wearer the ability to look above the glasses. This way the wearer of the glasses could focus on things that are further away and when looking above the glasses and when he looks through the lenses reading support is given.

But the opposite is true for progressive glasses. Generally speaking, progressive glasses should be placed on your nose so the distance to your eyes is as close as possible. This way the wearer of progressives will enjoy the biggest fields of view in regards to the reading area.

When both positions are not comfortable you can just position on the nose where the glasses feel most comfortable. With different nose pads and bridges, you will place the glasses in different positions on your nose. This article will educate you about the various options you have.

Where Glasses With Various Nose Pads Sit on Your Nose

Here in the picture below you can see where the glasses will sit on your nose. Depending on the type of nose pads mounted on the glasses they can be bigger or smaller soft or hard. Oftentimes with the first picture below where the nose pads got mounted in little metal curbs the pads can be changed. So when they do not feel as comfortable as you expect them just ask the optician if he or she could switch them to bigger ones with a bigger surface touching your nose.

No matter where you position the glasses on your nose with a bigger surface touching your nose the weight of the glasses will be more evenly distributed on your nose. Even when the glasses are not weighing much with a sensitive nose it could feel like it is heavy.

In the picture below you can see a plastic frame usually has a bigger surface touching your nose. This way the weight of the glasses can also rest on top of your nose and not only on the sides. The slimmer your nose is the more it is advised to use plastic frames that will distribute the weight on top of the nose.

The reason for this is easy to explain. The slimmer the nose is the more the nose pads will be positioned in a parallel position. If this happens the pressure will be increased significantly compared to a much wider nose on which the nose pads rather rest on a 45° angle on the nose.

So when you now ask yourself exactly how are your glasses supposed to sit on your nose now? Need to say this is highly individually dependent on the things listed below:

  • Weight of the glasses
  • Sensitivity of the different locations on your nose
  • Do you have a wider or slimmer nose
  • Do you have a bump on your nose
  • Surface touching your nose
  • Your experience with certain type of glasses

When all those points are clear to the optician he or she can pretty easily say what type of frame to choose and probably where to put those glasses best on your nose. Another way to find out is the trial and error method many people use. Most wearers just moving the glasses a bit back and forth until they find a place on the nose when the glasses feel comfortable.

So You Can Not Find a Position for Glasses on Your Crooked Nose

Sometimes basic nose pads and the bigger bearing of the plastic frames are just not enough. When the nose is expressly crooked or has some bigger bumps the opticians need a more individual approach to place the glasses correctly on the nose of a customer.

One way is to talk to the customer about where he or she would like to position the lenses. Then the optician takes the time and looks where the frame meets the nose and where the room is between the frame and the skin. For an evenly positioned frame on your nose, the optician needs to rasp some material where the bearing could be seen.

This method can do work great for people that can not find a comfortable poison for their glasses on the nose. The disadvantage of this way to make the glasses more comfortable is they can not be done in combination with every frame. Some frames have a plastic material that is coated. You can not rasp such a type of glasses frame.

I hope you found the information on where to put your glasses on the nose and what options you have: The position of the nose is different for every individual. When you do not know where to position your glasses on your nose because they hurt you over time ask your optician what he or she could give you as an alternative to make the fit of the glasses better.

When you just bought your glasses and you notice something is off with the fit of the glasses on your nose think of returning them and getting another model that fits your nose better. As you can see you have a lot of options. I hope you will find the most comfortable one for you.

If you do not want to visit an optical store to change how the glasses sit on your nose I wrote you an article how to change your nose pads. But when you change the fit make sure to do it when optical shops are open and near you just in case you need the help of a professional.

I wish you a great day.

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