Glasses for Kids​

CDC statistics indicate that approximately 3% of kids aged between 2 and 5 years wear glasses, and the percentage keeps rising with age: approximately 20% – 26% between ages 6 and 11 years and approximately 35% – 48% between ages 12 and 17 years¹. This makes it crucial for parents to learn about children’s visual health to stay on top of their development. We can help you understand that! Let’s talk about our recommended eyeglasses for kids, symptoms of eye conditions in kids, early detection, and more.

The Importance of Early Detection

It’s possible to detect eye conditions early before they require eyeglasses, among other interventions. The key is to know the most common vision conditions among infants and how to detect them. As per the National Institute of Health², they include:

1. Delayed visual development: This is characterised by poor vision levels detectable by an inability to follow brightly coloured targets or objects at about six months old. This is when a child’s contrast sensitivity, colour vision, and ability to focus has decreased rapidly.
2. Watery and/or sticky eyes: As the name suggests, this vision condition can be detected by excessive watery and sticky eyes that causes discomfort.
3. Squinting: This sign is usually common between ages 1 and 3 years when a child squints and can’t see clearly when focusing on a new object.
4. Swollen eyes and/or lump around the eye(s): This is depicted as eyelid swelling that affects both eyes rapidly. The condition has many underlying causes.

Common Symptoms of Eye Conditions in Kids

The above vision conditions have common symptoms to look out for. They include;

• Rubbing eyes excessively
• Eye strain when reading/holding reading material/books too close to the face
• Trouble doing “close-up” tasks
• Crossed eyes
• Red eyes and/or swollen eyes
• Headaches
• Watery eyes
• Squinting
• Blurred/double vision
• Tilting head to see
• Eye sensitivity to light

Kids Eye Exam

Kids are subjected to different eye exams when they visit a pediatric optometrist. These exams are the best way for our professional optometrist to determine whether or not your child has any visual conditions we need to take care of. You can book a consultation with us to get your child an eye exam that can help prevent or manage any possible conditions. Keep in mind that you can have a covered eye exam for kids thanks to OHIP!

Some of the most common eye tests for kids include:

1. Depth perception test: This aims to test if a patient has trouble perceiving distance.
2. Worth’s Four Dot test: This test assesses for binocular vision (double vision).
3. Visual acuity test: This test assesses their vision level and normal visual responses depending on age i.e., blinking and reaction to light.
4. Extraocular motility test: This tests for eye muscle function by observing eye movement in specific directions³.

Eyeglasses For Kids: How To Choose the Right Pair of Glasses?

Let’s assume your kid already has a prescription that requires eyeglasses. The next step will be to find the right pair of glasses for them, and we’re here to give you some guidance. First off, allow us to provide a professional tip: we recommend you allow your child to be part of the eyewear selection process. This will help them feel involved in the decision and make the process easier and comfortable for them. Ask them about their favourite colour, what they think looks the best, and have them just try many different eyewear to create a fun experience.

After that, we can focus on the following aspects:

Style, Comfort, And Types of Lenses

It’s important to consider the lens and frame style that best fits your child. Depending on factors like the shape of your kid’s face, some frame shapes will look better on them than others. For instance, a round face works well with rectangular or square frame shapes. A square face will work well with oval or round frame shapes.

Comfort is another important consideration. For your child to truly enjoy the benefits of eyeglasses, they should be able to wear them most of the time, which means they must be comfortable. To ensure this, look into the nose pads and flexible/fitting frames, have them do a few movements to see how well they stay on their face, etc. Confirming the recommended lens type and lens upgrades your kid needs is also crucial, otherwise, their visual experience will not be great and the child will not want to wear the eyeglasses. Comfort and using the best prescription are key for a child to understand how important eyeglasses are for them.

The Child’s Opinion Matters

Involving your child in the decision process also means asking them relevant questions to get their opinion on the matter. To select functional, but cool glasses for your kid, we recommend you do the following:

• Ask what colour/s they like
• Ask what activities they like to do, to ensure the glasses fit their lifestyle
• Find glasses frames that fit them perfectly to ensure they are comfortable and less likely to take them off during the day. Look for the right size and temple length so that it is comfortable on the nose and behind the ear.

Our Recommendations for Eyeglasses for Kids

If you are ready to begin looking for a pair of kids glasses, but don’t know where to start, we can give you suggestions! Here are our professional brand recommendations: NanoVista and Tomato Glasses.

a. Nano Vista

Nano Vista is a leading eyeglasses brand for kids that prides itself in making indestructible eyeglasses. The glasses come with a 3-year manufacturer defect warranty. Durability aside, Nano Vista glasses have also been made by true vision health experts specialised in children and adolescents. The brand uses environmentally friendly and safe materials to make their products (BPA-free).

Our top Nano Vista eyeglasses for kids include:

I. Replay

These bestseller kids’ glasses are available in 8 colours. They can also double up as glasses for boys and girls. Notable features include superior durability, flexibility, and comfort. They also come with an elastic band, as many of the Nano glasses do.

II. Twitch

There are four colour options to choose from and various sizes. Nano Vista Twitch goggles have notable features like ultra resistance, lightweight, and super flexible material.

b. Tomato Glasses

Tomato Glasses is a leading Canadian and Asian eyeglasses brand for kids renowned for offering perfectly fitting glasses for every child. The glasses feature adjustable temples & nose pads. They are unmatched in comfort, have a unique design and come with a free spare parts kit, just in case. They also offer customizable non-slip glasses perfect for active kids.

There are three main frame types by age: baby frames, kids frames, and junior frames to choose from. Our top 3 tomato glasses for kids include:

I. Kids Rectangular Frame (Pink)

These eyeglasses are popular among 2 to 8 year-olds. They come with notable features like non-slip, comfortable, lightweight, and well-fitting frames.

II. Kids Oval Frame (Crystal Blue featuring cars)

These glasses are popular for kids aged 1 to 7 years old. Notable features include an intelligent shape/design, unique nose pads, adjustable ear tips, and comfortable non-slip frames.

III. Kids Wayfarer Frame (Crystal Clear with Blue Sparkles)

These glasses are perfect for kids aged 1 to 6 years who prefer clear frames, among other trendy features.

Kodak Lens: Back-to-school Eyeglasses Sale

If you want more information or are looking for the best eyewear for your kids to go back to school you can check out our promotion for kids 19 and under, which runs up until September 30, 2023.

Sunglasses For Kids: Our Top Choices

Kids also need UV protection for their eyes, especially active ones who enjoy the outdoors. When selecting sunglasses for kids, consider fit, comfort, and sturdiness (frame and lens). Once again, we recommend you involve your child in the selection process.

Ready to buy sunglasses for your kids? Consider our top picks from Nano Vista.

Nano Vista has three main categories, namely prescription sunglasses, non-prescription sunglasses, and sunglasses for babies under 4 years. Here are our recommendations in each category:

I. Sunglasses for Babies: Nanito

These sunglasses come in a wide range of colours (11 colours). Other notable features include a high-quality lens with blue block treatment. The lenses are also anti-reflective. Frames are durable and lightweight without metal parts.

II. Prescription Sunglasses for Kids: Flicker SC

These sunglasses come in four colours. Notable features include their indestructibility and super flexibility. The Flicker SC are also light glasses with a magnetic sun clip that offers protection from UV light in one “clip”.

III. Non-prescription Sunglasses for Kids: Boing

These sunglasses for kids come in six colours. They also stand out for their resistant and lightweight nature, flexible temples, and anti-reflective/anti-scratch lenses.

And speaking of kids’ glasses and vision health…

Did You Know There Is a Myopia Epidemic Among Kids?

Myopia or near-sightedness is a vision condition where one has difficulty seeing faraway objects clearly. The average myopia prevalence globally is approximately 22.9%. By 2060, it is estimated that 69% of preschool children will be myopic, representing a 26% increase⁴.

Decreased exposure to the outdoors and excessive screen time (from digital devices like phones, computers, and tablets) are largely to blame⁵ and are rapidly becoming the leading cause of myopia in children.

How Can You Help Control Myopia in Kids?

If your child already has myopia, don’t worry! This condition can be managed using myopia control lenses. This technology is not always available at every optical store, but luckily we do carry it here at Kodak Lens Vision Centre. Innovative ophthalmic lenses for myopia slow down progression and increase the quality of life. You can learn more about why you should get myopia control lenses for your kid right here in our other educational post.

Contact Lenses for Kids: A Great Alternative for Active Children

Finally, let’s assume typical prescription glasses aren’t ideal for your child because they are too active, are there any other options? Definitely! You can get contact lenses for kids.

• Prescription contact lenses help children who are active in sports perform at the highest levels while staying safe.
• They are also a good option for kids who don’t want to wear glasses due to their appearance, they can always opt for contacts instead.
• Contacts can offer better vision compared to glasses, especially for children with extreme myopia and look around a lot.
• There are contact lenses for myopia control and management

If you are wondering what myopia control contact lens brand to consider for your child, look into Acuvue Abiliti contact lenses. They have a proven record of efficacy, offer ringboost technology, and have pediatric-inspired lens design. However, our optometrist can recommend many other contact lens brands that fit your child’s visual needs and comfort.

We hope this guide can help you make the right choices when it comes to your kids’ visual health. We’ll be glad to assist you at every step of the way, from checking their eye health with an eye exam especially tailored to their needs, to finding the right pair of eyewear for them and their lifestyle. Remember, you can book a free eye exam for kids thanks to OHIP coverage! As members of the Ontario Association of Optometrists, our doctors participate in the Eye See Eye Learn program, providing FREE eye examinations and FREE eyeglasses to children in junior kindergarten. We also offer our great Back to School promotions annually. Visit any of our locations to know more and get your child’s vision on track.

References

1. 2021, CDC: Percentage of Children (Aged 2-17) Who Wear Glasses/Contact Lenses, CDC.gov
2. 2010, National Library of Medicine: Common eye conditions among children, ncbi.nlm,nih.gov:
3. 2020, University of Iowa: Basic Pediatric Eye Exams, webeye.ophth.uiowa.edu:
4. 2018, National Library of Medicine: Myopia prevalence & risk factors among kids, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:
5. 2020, Researchgate: Impact of Covid-19 on movement/behaviour among Canadian children & youth, researchgate.net