How To Repair My Glasses In Sterling

How to buy and repair Silhouette glasses

man wearing Silhouette brand glasses

Silhouette glasses are light, typically rimless and well-nigh invisible spectacles often constructed with a thin, three-function titanium alloy frame.

But the thing Silhouette is known for is the feeling: Fans of the eyewear say wearing these glasses feels like they're non wearing whatever spectacles at all. The most famous Silhouette rimless glasses, chosen the Titan Minimal Art, not merely ditch the frames but the screws and hinges too, making them just one.viii grams.

While the company's well-nigh famous frames are rimless — which come in more than 400 different lenses and five colors — Silhouette has recently expanded into whisper-sparse frames and wire accents that entreatment to the thicker-frame oversupply, while keeping with the company's featherlight, minimalist aesthetic.

Because Silhouette's unique pattern strips away common elements similar screws and hinges, this makes repair a little tricky: Yous tin can't buy a spectacles repair kit at the drugstore and expect to prepare Silhouette glasses. However, it'south not impossible to fix your frames, and in that location are many ways to repair them, from do-information technology-yourself methods to sending them off to a professional.

How to buy Silhouette spectacles

Silhouette is a European visitor headquartered in Linz, Austria. Because they have no brick-and-mortar or online stores, discovering where to purchase Silhouette glasses can be slightly more hard in the U.S. Their website has a Silhouette glasses retailer search feature, or you may observe them through select online retailers like FramesDirect or SmartBuyGlasses.

Whether you're ownership online or in person, one of the benefits of these glasses is that yous can usually outfit them with all kinds of different lens shapes and types, including prescription lenses, readers, progressive lenses or even clear, "plano" lenses simply for the artful.

When ordering online, exist sure to take your prescription handy. Yous'll also need to have some measurements, which the online retailer should be able to guide you through. Silhouette rimless models are available with iii bridge size options: The temples, or arms, range from 130mm to 160mm with multiple sizes available in each collection. The full and half-rim models take a slightly smaller selection of sizes.

Finally, when searching for Silhouettes online, yous may be routed to rimless, titanium Silhouette spectacles knockoffs. While they may look like, it's important to note that unless the frames are specifically manufactured by Silhouette, they are not true Silhouette titanium glasses. You tin can compare the specs of these rimless glasses to authentic Silhouettes to determine if they will meet your needs, but if you're looking for the existent thing, double-check the manufacturer.

How to effort on Silhouette glasses

Considering of the visitor'due south express availability in the U.S. and its big selection of products, it's difficult to attempt on Silhouette spectacles in person. You may find it helpful to use the Silhouette glasses virtual endeavor-on on the company's website.

The process is spelled out there, merely information technology's fairly simple:

Observe and face a light source.
Align your confront with the oval on the screen.
Have off any glasses yous are wearing and tuck your hair dorsum.
Tape a video of you slowly turning your head to the left, back to centre and and so to the right.
You may too optionally hold a credit card or credit card-sized plastic bill of fare against your forehead for scale.

This awarding allows you to encounter the frames from any bending and so you get a fuller idea of what they will wait similar. You can besides effort on any frame available — a choice that likely exceeds your local retailer'due south.

In one case you've found the right frames, notice a retailer, either locally or 1 that offers online ordering. Online retailers may have their own virtual endeavor-on options every bit well.

How to buy Silhouette clip-on sunglasses

If you lot honey your Silhouette glasses, you may want to add sun and UV protection. The company offers v shapes, two sizes and three colors in their Style Shades clip-on drove. These clips come in larger sizes than the prescription lenses to give the frame a "true sunglasses look."

Clip-on shades can be ordered through a local optician or online eyeglasses retailer.

Conversely, you could order Silhouette sunglasses, which come up in a range of styles — hinged and hinge-costless temples; classic frame shapes, including aviators, butterfly and true cat-eye; and round, square and oval lenses that can be mixed and matched in a myriad of means.

SEE RELATED: Are clip-on sunglasses right for you?

How to repair Silhouette glasses

Once y'all've ordered and worn your glasses, you occasionally may demand a repair. About of the frames can be repaired, and due to their minimalist, deconstructed blueprint, many of the Silhouette glasses parts can be replaced, according to the visitor'due south website. But starting time, information technology's important to understand how Silhouette glasses (or most rimless glasses, for that matter) differ from other eyewear.

Silhouette frames are constructed with a three-piece drill mountain. The spectacles are made past drilling ii holes straight through the lenses on each side and mounting the three pieces into those holes — each arm at the temple, and the bridge between the two lenses. These points are secured using compression mounting secured with bushings, which are soft, articulate plastic parts that secure the screws fastened to the artillery and span.

If y'all need to repair your Silhouette frames, begin by contacting the retailer where you purchased the spectacles before undertaking any repairs yourself. Follow this step-by-step guide to initiating repairs.

Contact your optician or eyeglasses retailer about repairs. Describe the problem and run into if they will fix your spectacles and determine the cost.
Always ask about warranties: Because Silhouette merely sells products directly to retailers, it does non offer a consumer warranty, so a Silhouette glasses warranty would come directly from the retailer.
If your retailer won't be able to repair your glasses, or the cost is prohibitive, don't give upwards still. Look up which Silhouette glasses replacement parts you will need to set up the spectacles. If you know the specific style of your spectacles — something y'all would likely find on a receipt or through your retailer'due south records — that will assist your search. In that location are several variations of these parts, however, so it's important to know which frames you accept earlier you lot attempt whatever repairs.
Search online for repair videos. There are enough of options available, though non all of them will requite you enough details to consummate a repair yourself. Either mode, this will assist you understand whether or non the repair is too complicated to complete yourself.
If none of the above options piece of work for you, look for a local or online eyeglass repair company. In that location are many options online that specifically repair Silhouette spectacles at affordable prices, starting from around $25 to $l.

Demand REPAIR TIPS FOR OTHER TYPES OF EYEGLASSES? Read Broken spectacles: Repair methods and cost.

If you're looking for more information about specific parts and fixes, check out these common replacement parts and how to repair them.

Silhouette spectacles replacement arm or temple

Drill-mounted spectacles may seem intimidating to have apart and repair, but they're as complicated equally yous might fear. It's important to be gentle and precise to avert scratching or breaking the lenses, merely it is possible.

Problems with the arm/temple include a snapped arm, irreparably aptitude arm, loose arm (when information technology wobbles due to a broken screw or bushing) or a broken hinge. Before ordering a new arm, make sure you know the style and length of the arm.

Before yous start repairs, check the lenses for cracks. If there are any cracks between the two drill holes or around them, the glasses are likely not repairable without a new lens.

If you lot're going to repair the temple yourself, consider post-obit videos online that walk you through the process. There are varying methods, some that don't include special tools, though you will need a small poking tool, almost the size of a sparse thumbtack, to clear the drill holes of any parts, a clipper or cutting plier to snip excess bushing, and pliers that are covered with a rubber protector to avoid damaging the lens to squeeze the parts together.

To give you lot an thought of how you might repair these spectacles yourself:

Removing the temples/arms:

Carefully cut the soft, plastic bushing off the back, inside of the lens.
With the back portion of the bushing gone, you lot should be able to gently jerk and pull out the temple/arm.
Remove whatever parts stuck inside the drill holes, like leftover plastic bushing or the cleaved portion of the spiral, with your pin. Ensure this area is make clean.

Repair the temples/arms with new parts:

Take the new bushings and gently push them through the back, inside of the lens so the two soft, plastic prongs are sticking out the front end of the lens.
Using clippers, cut the excess bushing abroad.
Place the new temple/arm screws inside the bushings in the drill holes.
Using pliers, gently squeeze, applying plenty force per unit area to button the parts together, but not plenty to damage the lens.

Silhouette glasses replacement bridge

The bridge mounts the same way as the temple, with two holes drilled into the lens. The bridge can be replaced similarly, by removing the part and replacing it with a new 1 equally outlined in a higher place.

Typical problems with this area include a broken bridge, an irreparably bent bridge or a wobbly bridge (the last of which indicates a broken screw or bushing). Yous will likely demand to order a new bridge and will demand to know your bridge size before ordering. You can measure your bridge or consult the paperwork yous received when ordering your glasses.

Silhouette glasses replacement lenses

You can guild new lenses for your Silhouette spectacles, though finding replacement prescription lenses through the manufacturer may be difficult. Many glasses retailers may offer their ain lenses every bit a replacement, and you'll hardly know the difference. If y'all need prescription replacement lenses, contact your optician or optometrist.

SEE RELATED: When should I supersede my eyeglasses?

Silhouette glasses nose pads

This is a elementary replacement, and the parts are easy to find; yous can even purchase them on Amazon. Yous should measure your nose pads first, from top to bottom, to ensure you're ordering the right size.

Simply slip the erstwhile nose pads off and supercede them with the new ones. If y'all're looking to refresh your nose pads because they've worn down or gotten uncomfortable, this is a simple upgrade.

Talk to an eye care professional person

While information technology is certainly possible to fix Silhouette glasses yourself, if treatment these repairs makes you nervous, seek a qualified professional or ask your eye doctor.

Ultimately, your best bet is to avoid at-home repairs if at all possible. To prevent the need for repairs, make sure you have a quality Silhouette glasses instance or any hard-shell case that fits, and utilize it whenever you aren't wearing your glasses. Because these frames are so fragile, they require gentle care.

If you're typically pretty hard on your glasses, Silhouette may not be the correct brand for you. However, if you lot're looking for eyewear that feels and looks like yous're hardly wearing glasses at all, and you trust yourself to take care of them, these are a height-of-the-line pick.

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Page published in March 2022

Page updated in January 2022