Metal-free prescription eyeglasses

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone could help. I am looking for some prescription eyeglasses with a metal-free frame. I currently own a pair that are superficially plastic but that have metal running through the inside of the temples; every time I put them on I start to get headaches. I just recently (for some days now) started looking for options online and by making phone calls, but I have not had the best of luck. Please let me know if anyone has any suggestions. Thank you very much.

Years ago someone mentioned finding a brand of prescription frames that were metal-free, you might try searching the archives here.  I have non-prescription reading glasses that are metal-free, which is not what you're looking for, but the company that makes them is Nannini.  No metal wires inside the plastic, no metal hinges, no metal screws... just no metal at all!

Marc



On February  5, "Alex L [via ES]" <[hidden email]> wrote:
> I was wondering if anyone could help. I am looking for some prescription
> eyeglasses with a metal-free frame.  

My solution for metal-free eyeglasses has been to wear contact lens, which I'm sure has it's own set of issues, but metal isn't one of them.

Marc

Reviewing old posts on this subject, it looks like the manufacturer of the metal-free frames was ITALEE, the type of frames were called SWISSFLEX, and the material used was the MARSYDUR high performance polymer.

  http://italee.com/swiss/

Marc

And here is the line of metal-free reading glasses I use from Nannini:

  http://www.nannini.com/glasses/compact/?lang=en

Marc

While on the market for a new pair of prescription eyeglasses, I would consider going with wood.  Plastic frames are usually manufactured from petroleum products with PVCs, PFCs, HFRs, and other synthetic fibers that hare hazardous to our health. A better alternative might be wood that is sustainable, and formaldehyde free (be sure to ask).  
   
I've found some interesting eCommerce vendors online that will can build a custom pair of hand-made wooden light weight frames for prescription eyeglasses and sometimes metal-free! It's the wood that makes it good.

If you go that route, please keep us updated.

I forgot to mention what type of sustainable wood used for wooden frames, bamboo.  Wooden frames can be made with other types of wood too.  

I would rather not wear contacts because it doesn't  seem to me a good idea have to place plastic and chemicals on your eyes. I also like being able to take my glasses in order to for my eyes to get direct sunlight, which is something that would be annoying with contact lenses. But thanks for the suggestion.

Thanks a lot for the info on the prescription and reading glasses Marc. I will take a look into them.

Yes, I would like to get wooden frames rather than plastic in order to avoid toxins. I wasn't aware that wooden frames were available until I read about them in a article earlier today. I too found some online vendors that claim to sell frames from sustainable sources.

Thanks Environmental_Acrobat for letting me know about formaldehyde. Is formaldehyde the only thing I should be worried about when it comes to wooden frames?

A somewhat common practice, the use of formaldehyde can be found on wooden frames eye-glasses & cutting boards for food prep.  May want to check and confirm on how the wood was treated and go from there.  

According to most cancer institutes, wood, and wood by products, treated with formaldehyde must be sealed with paint or polyurethane to prevent it being released into the air (out-gassing). This is necessary because formaldehyde contains known carcinogenic (cancer causing) properties.

These days EyeBuyDirect.com or Warby Parker's sell every plastic or acetate (stronger plastic) frame you can imagine, with prescription if you get that from your eye doctor.

They are also 1/3 the price of what you'll typically pay in an eye store, even with insurance.  That's a reduction from $400 to $140 or so, and you can even try filing the online purchase with your insurance.