Philip Walsh - At what age should my child progress from children’s glasses to adult’s glasses?

Ensuring your child’s glasses fit correctly is very important. But sometimes it’s hard to know when it’s the correct time to swap them from children’s glasses to adult frames.

All children grow at different rates, so depending on the individual child they may need to progress to adult frames at an earlier age than others.

Not only are facial proportions different between adults and children, but when assessing the child’s prescription, the optometrist will also measure the child’s pupillary distance to match to their lenses. As your child’s facial proportions change, this measurement will also change and the prescription can become unsuitable.

Unlike clothes or shoes children can’t ‘grow into’ their glasses. Therefore, it is important for them to visit their optometrist every year or two depending on the optometrist’s recommendation to ensure their current frames are still a good fit for their face.

At Specsavers, every child under the age of 16 is entitled to a free eye exam as part of the Kids Go Free initiative. With so many fun designs and styles for children available in-store, kids will have a great time choosing their frames. 

Visit your local Specsavers optometrist to see their range of kids glasses, or visit www.specsavers.co.nz to book an eye exam.

About Philip 

Philip is an experienced optometrist with a Bachelor of Optometry from Auckland University. He’s worked in the UK, Zimbabwe and is now the Optometrist Director at the Specsavers New Lynn store in Auckland, one of 52 Specsavers stores across the country. 

Improving access for all Kiwis to high-quality eye care and eyewear is Philip’s passion. What he loves about his role at Specsavers is providing all his patients with excellent customer service and professional eye care with the latest technology and knowledgeable well-trained staff. 

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