Glasses Case, Cloth and Eyewear Accessories: What to Buy and How to Use Them

The best thing you can do for a pair of glasses is keep it off hard surfaces and away from grit. A few cheap accessories do that. Here is what is worth buying, what is optional and how to use each one. Browse our eyewear accessories when you are ready.

1. A hard case

A hard case is the single most useful accessory. It stops the frame being bent in a bag and the lenses being pressed or scratched. Check that it fits: most hard cases fit standard adult frames, but oversized sunglasses can be a tight fit. Send us a photo of your frame if you are unsure.

2. A microfibre cloth

A clean microfibre cloth lifts smudges without scratching. Keep it in the case, and wash it now and then, because a dirty cloth drags grit across the lens. Do not use your shirt, a tissue or kitchen paper. They hold fibres and dust that scratch coatings. For the full method, see how to clean glasses without scratching.

3. Lens cleaning spray

A spray made for glasses helps with oily smudges. Avoid household cleaners and alcohol, which can damage coatings and some frames. Rinsing with lukewarm water first is always a good idea.

4. A glasses chain or strap

Useful if you take your glasses on and off often, because it keeps the pair around your neck and off the desk. Optional, but handy for reading glasses.

5. A soft pouch

Good for a pocket or as a second layer inside a hard case. It is not enough protection loose in a bag.

6. Spare nose pads and a screwdriver kit

Worn nose pads and loose screws are common. But if a screw keeps coming loose, do not keep tightening it with an improvised tool. Bring the pair in and we will fix it. See repair versus replacement.

What to skip

• Cloths that are not microfibre, or are stiff or dirty.
• Household cleaners, alcohol and solvents.
• Cases too small for the frame, which stress the hinges.

Daily habits

• Put glasses in the case, not lens-down on a table.
• Use both hands to put them on and take them off.
• Keep them away from heat, such as a car dashboard.

Scratched lenses? See can scratched lenses be repaired?. For frames, material matters too: what is TR90 and frame materials compared.