Just like tennis shoes, T-shirts, and baseball hats, reading glasses come in different sizes, too. And while the physical size of glasses frames is incredibly important for fit, it’s often something that people don’t think about. Read on to learn how to measure your face size, and how to shop for glasses that will feel and look great on you!

Step 1: Measure Your Face Width

The first step to finding the perfect pair of readers is to measure the width of your face. Don’t have a ruler handy? No problem. To make things easier for you, we’ve created a printable ruler! You can download the ruler by clicking here. When printing, make sure that you select “Actual Size” in the printing settings. This will ensure that the ruler is not cropped or altered.

Once you print the ruler, cut along the dotted lines. You will use this paper ruler to measure the distance between your temples, which will be needed to find your glasses size.

Step 2: Select Readers That Match Your Face Size

Once you find the distance between your temples in millimeters, determine which reading glasses size will fit you best! At Readers.com, we use millimeters to define the following reading glasses sizes:

Very Narrow: 123mm and under
Narrow: 124-129mm
Average: 130-136mm
Wide: 137-140mm
Very Wide: 141mm and over

Look at how wide your face is in millimeters. Under which size does it fall? If the number is close to multiple categories, you might be able to wear readers that fall under both groups. Most online retailers include glasses measurements on their product pages, so be on the lookout! Some retailers might even allow you to filter glasses by frame widths, which makes sorting through the selection easier.

Once you know your reading glasses size, check out our face shape guide to help find glasses that will complement your features. Happy browsing!