Signs Your Frames Need Replacing: Hinges, Coatings and Fit

Your frames need replacing when the damage stops being cosmetic: a hinge that will not hold a temple, a crack near the bridge or lens edge, coatings that flake in your line of sight, or a fit that slides no matter how often it is adjusted. Small things like a loose screw or a missing nose pad can usually be fixed. If two or more of the signs below show up together, a new pair is normally the better use of your money.

Below is a checklist you can run through in five minutes with your glasses in your hand, plus a simple way to decide between a repair and a replacement.

1. The hinges: wobble, squeak or a temple that drops

Hinges take more strain than any other part of a frame. Every time you open, fold or pull your glasses off with one hand, the hinge barrel and its screw carry the load.

• Loose but intact: the temple swings too freely or the glasses slip forward. A small screwdriver or an optician can tighten it. This is a repair, not a replacement.
• Screw keeps backing out: if you tighten it and it is loose again within a week, the thread in the barrel is often worn.
• Cracked barrel or broken weld: on acetate frames the metal hinge sits inside the plastic; if the material around it has split, the temple can come off without warning. On metal frames, a snapped solder point near the hinge is hard to fix neatly.

Spring hinges flex outward a little before they resist, which spreads the stress when you put glasses on with one hand. If yours have lost their snap and the temples hang open, the spring is likely tired.

2. The frame front: cracks, stress marks and bends

Hold the front up to a window and look closely at three places: the bridge, the corners where the temples join, and the rim around each lens.

• Hairline cracks in acetate often start at the bridge or the lens groove. They tend to grow, especially in cold weather.
• White stress marks on clear or coloured plastic show the material has been bent past its comfort zone.
• A twisted front that rocks when placed upside down on a table means one lens sits higher than the other on your face.
• A gap between rim and lens means the lens can pop out. On a full-rim frame that should never happen with a correctly fitted lens.

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3. The lenses and their coatings

Lens problems are easy to ignore because they appear slowly. Clean your glasses well, then look through them at a plain light wall.

• Crazing: a fine web of cracks in an anti-reflective coating, often after heat (a car dashboard, a sauna, hot water). It cannot be polished out.
• Peeling or cloudy patches where the coating has lifted. These scatter light and make the lens look smudged even when clean.
• Scratches in the centre of the lens, where you actually look, matter far more than marks near the edge.

If the frame is still in great shape, new lenses alone may be enough. If the frame is also showing wear, replacing everything at once is usually simpler. Read our guide on how often to update your prescription if you are not sure your current numbers are still right.

4. The fit: sliding, pinching and pressure marks

Frames slowly loosen with daily wear. Acetate relaxes with body heat, and metal temples get bent every time glasses are pushed onto the head.

• Glasses slide down your nose after a few minutes, even after an adjustment.
• Red marks behind the ears or on the sides of the nose that were not there when the pair was new.
• Nose pads that are yellowed, hard or missing. Pads are easy to swap; it is not a reason on its own to replace a frame.
• The frame now looks too narrow or too wide for your face. Check your current measurements against our frame size guide.

Repair or replace? A quick decision table

Choosing a replacement that holds up longer

If your last pair failed at the hinge or cracked at the bridge, use that as a guide for the next one.

• Titanium is light, flexible, hypoallergenic and non-corrosive, so it suits people who are hard on their glasses or whose skin reacts to some metals. Frames like Cipher, Echo and Gauzy also have adjustable nose pads, which makes fine-tuning the fit easier over the years. Browse the titanium collection.
• Acetate with spring hinges gives you the colour and depth of a plastic frame with a hinge that gives a little when you pull the glasses on. Clifford and the Shelton sunglasses both use spring hinges. See more in our acetate collection.
• A second pair spreads the wear. Many people keep one pair for the desk and one for outdoors, so neither takes all the daily strain.

Sunglasses wear out too. Sun, sweat and sand are hard on coatings and hinges, so the same checklist applies. Shelton Tropical Fruit, for example, is an acetate frame with polarized lenses and spring hinges.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a pair of glasses last?

It depends on how they are worn and stored. Many people replace frames every two to three years, but a well-cared-for pair can last longer. Check the hinges, the front and the fit rather than counting years.

Can I keep my old frames and only replace the lenses?

Often yes, if the frame is crack-free and the hinges hold. Worn, cracked or twisted frames are a poor base for new lenses, though, because the lenses may not sit at the right height in front of your eyes.

Are cracked acetate frames worth gluing?

Glue rarely holds on acetate for long, especially near the hinge or bridge where the frame flexes. Treat it as a short-term fix until a new pair arrives.

What do I need to order a new pair online?

Your current prescription and your pupillary distance. Our guides explain how to read a prescription and how to measure your PD.

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Ready for a pair that fits again?

If your frames failed two or more of the checks above, browse our eyeglasses collection and pick a frame size that matches your measurements. Orders over €99 ship free, and every pair comes with our 14-day fit and style guarantee. Add your prescription in a few clicks with our lens selector.