What to Do if Your Glasses Break 

Your glasses are invaluable — they help you see, reduce eyestrain and fatigue, protect you from UV rays, and can help prevent eye conditions from developing or worsening. Additionally, your glasses can boost your confidence and be a stylish accessory — so breaking them significantly impacts your daily life.

Depending on how your glasses broke and the severity, you may be able to fix them at home. Explore what to do if your glasses break below!

Why Did Your Glasses Break?

Various scenarios can cause glasses to break. Understanding these situations is an excellent way to help prevent breaks in the first place. Consider some of the most common ways glasses break.

1. Improper Storage

Storing your glasses improperly exposes them to everyday items that can easily scratch or break them. Placing them in your car, bag or desk drawer without a sturdy case can cause the lenses to become badly scratched, and the frames may even become bent. The best way to prevent this from happening is to store your glasses in a quality hard-shell case in a secure designated place. A bag with a compartment specifically for your glasses adds another layer of protection. 

2. Placing Glasses in High-Risk Areas

Leaving glasses out in high-risk areas is very common and happens easily. Without even thinking, you could place your glasses on your car's dashboard before driving off, on a chair that you later sit on or even on your laptop's keyboard before accidentally closing it. These scenarios can break both the lenses and the frames. Being mindful of placing your glasses in a case or having a stylish chain can prevent these types of accidents.

3. Adjusting the Frames Incorrectly 

You may be tempted to adjust your frames yourself if they feel too tight or too loose. While ill-fitting glasses can be inconvenient and uncomfortable, attempting to adjust them at home can break the frames. The best thing to do is to take your glasses to an optical store and have a professional adjust them for you. 

4. Improper Cleaning Techniques

Cleaning your glasses properly is essential to maintaining their quality and making them last. Improper cleaning techniques and incorrect cleaning products can dull and scratch your lenses and even damage the coating. Instead, gently clean your glasses with an optometrist-recommended lens cleaner and a microfiber cloth. 

How to Fix Broken Glasses

Depending on the glasses' materials, what's broken, and the extent of the damage, you may be able to fix your glasses at home. However, we always suggest visiting your optometrist's office or an optical store. If you feel confident in your at-home skills, you can attempt these at-home fixes. 

1. How Do You Fix Broken Glasses Arms?

The hinge screw that holds the arms and frames together may come loose or fall off, especially if you're hard on your frames or wear them every day. While there are some hacks that people may recommend — like inserting a toothpick into the screw hole and breaking off the excess — other DIY approaches will look and work better. You can usually fix this by purchasing an eyeglasses repair kit from a pharmacy or a general merchandise retailer. Most kits come include spare screws, as well as a small screwdriver and magnifying glass. 

2. How Do You Fix Broken Glasses Frames?

Unfortunately, if you have metal frames, there aren't really any effective solutions for fixing snapped glasses. In most cases, you will need to replace them or have them welded by a reliable professional. If your plastic frames that have broken around the lens, you could fix them at home using super glue. If you go this route, cover the lenses to prevent spilling the glue and hold the mended pieces together for a minute or two before allowing the glue to dry completely. You may also be able to use tape for a temporary fix. However, if you snap your glasses, your best bet is to take them to a professional or replace them. 

3. How Do You Fix Broken Nose Pads?

Like the glasses's arms, nose pads are secured with small screws. These may break off or come loose with normal wear and tear. Thankfully, most DIY repair kits come with these screws and other accessories you need to complete this repair at home. If you need new nose pads, you should be able to find these at your local optical store. 

4. How Do You Fix Bent Frames?

Fixing bent frames — whether they're plastic or metal — runs the risk of breaking them altogether. However, you can carefully attempt this repair yourself. For metal frames, use plastic-tipped pliers and make small adjustments. Plastic frames are much easier to snap, so you'll want to be extra careful. You can heat the plastic by holding your glasses over steam or running them under warm water before using your hands to bend them back into shape. 

Things to Avoid if Your Glasses Break 

While at-home repairs are sometimes possible, you should never attempt to fit your existing lenses into new frames if your current frames are broken. Lenses are custom-made to fit specific frames so that the lenses align correctly with your pupils. If you fit lenses in frames they do not belong in, you may experience eye strain and fatigue.

When to Replace Your Glasses Instead of Repairing Them

There may be times when your glasses are beyond repair — or at least beyond the point of being able to repair them on your own. These instances can include:

• Cracked or shattered lenses.
• Multiple or deep scratches in the lenses.
• Damaged lens coating.
• Plastic frames that are broken in multiple areas.
• Broken metal frames.

Additionally, if your glasses no longer feel comfortable, fit well or help your vision as well as they used to, it may be time to forego DIY fixes. In any of these cases, you can consider replacing your lenses or seeking advice on choosing new glasses. 

Shop for Lens Replacement and Frames From Lensabl

Broken glasses affect your vision, style, convenience and comfort. If you cannot properly fix your glasses at home with a reliable DIY kit, replacing your lenses or frames is essential. 

At Lensabl, we offer a variety of frames and quality lens replacements suited to your requirements and preferences. We also aim to make good vision affordable and easy to enjoy. We are a one-stop shop for all your vision care needs, and you can save even more with our annual vision benefits plan. 

 If you want to save on glasses while enjoying high-quality products, browse our frames and lenses today! Our lenses include premium blue light protection, anti-reflective coatings, anti-scratch coatings and 100% UV protection.