A great brand that worked for a couple of the LP kids in our chapter is the Miraflex brand frames. They are high-grade rubber frames for prescription lenses for children. These frames fit well on the younger LP kids who have less of a bridge than other dwarf kids. Achons usually have more mid-face hypoplasia, which make it more difficult to fit eyeglasses at a young age. Mid-face hypoplasia causes the nose bridge to be less pronounced. Thus, it is more difficult to fit a pair of eyeglasses.
Miraflex Children’s Eyeglasses Review
Miraflex frames are great because little kids aren’t careful with their eyewear, so these tend to be more durable. It also helps with active LP kids who are just getting their motor skills down. These frames are made of one piece, no nose pads or wire frames that could cause eye injury. They come in various colors and hold to the faces better at such a young age. The strap that goes around the head helps it stay on the face and doesn’t fly off onto the ground.
Our son was prescribed eyeglasses before age 3. Being smaller than the average achon, he had difficulty fitting a lot of frames on his face. The specialty children’s eyeglass store introduced us to these frames. Years later, he got to pick out a new pair on his own and chose the Miraflex, but in blue. And even recently, he chose his third pair of eyeglasses. After trying on wire framed glasses with nose pads, he chose a new pair of Miraflex (again), but with a more conservative, mature looking color.
Where to Buy Children’s Eyeglasses
Try to look for a eyeglass shop/optometrist that specializes in kids. It really helps when they fit the children with the frames. If you are interested in Miraflex, they have a provider locator on-line. We’ve tried going to Wal-Mart and they’ve only had one or two frames to choose from and the technicians didn’t have the experience or patience to work with young kids. Keep in mind that there’s really no such as thing as discount children’s eyelgasses, especially with a specialty frame like Miraflex. You can find affordable eyeglasses at Costco and Walmart but they don’t carry Miraflex.
Costco for Children’s Eyeglasses
Traditionally Costco did not have a great selection of children’s eyeglasses, but this has changed recently. The last pair we purchased for our child was from Costco, and they have designer frames such as Nike that your child will think are “cool”. Even better is they now bill directly to VSP, so if you have insurance you may be able to walk away with a quality affordable frame and lenses for your child. For children’s glasses, the Anti-Reflective (AR) coating is free! And replacement lenses in case of damage are very affordable.
Buying Children’s Eyeglasses Online
If you prefer shopping on-line, we have read some positive reviews of 39dollarglasses.com and eyebuydirect.com but they don’t sell Miraflex. You will need the PD (pupillary distance) for the person you are ordering for which you can get from any optical shop or your optometrist. And we’d recommend having an optician check the eyeglasses after you receive them. For the (low) price, it’s worth checking out even for a second set of eyeglasses. We haven’t yet purchased from them, but we may in the future and will post a review.