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Narrow Frames

Frames of 46mm and under across the eye — the first number printed inside your left arm. The ones that sit on a smaller face instead of sliding down it.

45 frames

About Narrow Frames

A narrow frame here means an eye size of 46mm or under: the first of the three numbers printed inside the left arm, and the width of one lens. Forty-seven frames online meet it, from twelve brands. Sabine Be has ten of them and KUBORAUM nine, then Henau and Gamine with four each, and Blake Kuwahara, Blackfin, Oliver Peoples, J.F. Rey and Traction Productions with three apiece. Matsuda and Piero Massaro have two, OVVO one.

The sizes run from 35mm to 46mm with a median of 45mm. The smallest are Traction Productions rounds at 35mm and 38mm, then a 39mm gold metal round from KUBORAUM. Thirty-four frames are acetate, eight are metal and five combine the two.

Almost all of them are round

Thirty-eight of the 47 are round, five are square and four are geometric. There is no cat-eye, oval, rectangle or aviator under 47mm online at the moment; those shapes carry their width in the corners and the brands draw them larger. A small round is the shape that sits on a narrow face without sliding down it, and it is the one that suits a strong prescription best, since the lens stays compact and its edge stays thin.

If your current glasses read 44mm or 45mm inside the arm, that is the number to search for here; the bridge and temple numbers matter as much, and the size guide at /collections/frame-size-guide explains all three. Most of these frames are one of a kind. Each ships as a frame, free and insured within the US with a signature on delivery, for your own optician to glaze.

What size is a narrow frame?

We call a frame narrow when its eye size, the width of one lens, is 46mm or under. It is the first of the three numbers printed inside the left arm; the bridge and temple lengths follow it. Our 47 narrow frames run from 35mm to 46mm with a median of 45mm. The size guide at /collections/frame-size-guide shows where to find the numbers on a pair you already own.

How do I know if I need narrow glasses?

Look at the glasses that fit you best and read the eye size inside the left arm. If it is 46mm or under, you are here. If your current frames slide down, pinch at the temples, or leave the lens centres sitting outside your pupils, they are probably too wide, and a narrower eye size or a narrower bridge will help. Send us a photo in your current pair if you are unsure.

Are narrow frames good for strong prescriptions?

Yes. A smaller lens is thinner at its edge for the same prescription, lighter, and easier to keep centred over the pupil, which matters more as the prescription rises. Thirty-eight of our 47 narrow frames are round, the shape that keeps a lens most compact. The frame ships as a frame for your own optician to glaze; our lens guide at /collections/lens-guide covers lens materials.

Do narrow frames come in shapes other than round?

Not many at the moment. Of our 47 frames at 46mm or under, 38 are round, five are square, from Sabine Be, Oliver Peoples, J.F. Rey and Matsuda, and four are geometric, from Gamine, KUBORAUM and Sabine Be. Cat-eyes, ovals, rectangles and aviators start at 47mm here. Stock changes, since most frames are one of a kind, so check back or ask us.