ALL EYES AND EARS

The bridge on your eyeglass frames transfers most of the frames’ weight to your nose, but it’s the side pieces (“temples”) that hold your frames in place on top of the ears. For most eyeglass wearers, regular skull temples, which bend over the ear, perform well. For active wearers, comfort cables, which hook behind the ears, perform even better. They are a good choice for youngsters since they are difficult to dislodge. “Library” temples extend straight back over the ears and are held in place with pressure, making them ideal for reading glasses  because they slip on and off easily. As for hinges, flexible hinges stand up well to children’s tugging  by allowing the temples to swing out wide. Because the hinges absorb almost all the mechanical forces exerted on eyeglass frames, they should be selected as much with sturdiness in mind as style.