NOSE PADS

archiTECHture: NOSE PADS

From fit to function, these little details mean a lot in terms of creating great eyewear

just as a lack of a nail cost Richard the Third the war and, ultimately, his life, so too can the tiny nose pad make the difference between good and bad outcomes in terms of frame fitting. These little guys might not get a lot of time in the spotlight or receive much consideration from patients, but they can help make a comfortable wearing experience as well as provide another check in the “win” column for dispensers.

Nose pads come in many shapes and sizes, from the classic oval to circles and elongated oblongs, in a variety of materials to ensure that frames fit properly.

“Pads are not just to hold the frame up,” says Declan Lonergan, sunglass and goggle category manager for Oakley. “In most cases, they are considered a performance feature and designed as such.”

And though nose pads solidly fall into the eyeglass “basics” category, the design stories to which they contribute can be anything but simple. The following are just a few of the major considerations that go into nose pad design and utilization.

GUESS style 2349 from Viva International Group with Universal Fit bridge

Maui PureAir Bamboo Forest style H415

Mykita styles Phil and Philmene have pop-out, screwless nose pads

Nike Run X2 S R EV0803 by Marchon ventilates

Costa style Blenny features embedded Hydrolite nose pads

adivista by adidas features a Double Snap Nose Bridge

LET’S STAY TOGETHER

It’s absolutely not a one-size-fits-all world. Making designs work for the largest wearing audience possible is where some of the heaviest lifting for nose pads comes into play.

The specialized fit necessitated by human differentiation results in not only different bridge structures, but also specific nose pads. Asian noses/bridges, for example, are often thin and small, so frames may touch the cheeks. As a result, some designs feature nose pads that are higher and thicker than usual. Mykita’s nose pads for this market, says Enrico Schröder, quality inspector for Mykita, are a little harder so they have more pressure and staying power. Other manufacturers install nose pads on arms into plastic bridges to provide maximum adjustability, grip, and comfort.

DON’T SWEAT IT

For nose pads, tacky isn’t a bad thing. As the skin heats nose pads, they cling more and help to keep eyewear from slipping and sliding. However, there are a variety of considerations when it comes to more active patients.

Peak performance sometimes means staying cool. In fact, some leading athletes put their eyewear in a freezer before their races start to cool them down, notes Marchon’s vice president of design and creative director, Leslie Muller.

And that’s not all she found out. “The design team worked with top elite runners to get their views on what was helping them run and what was bothering them,” she says. “One of the things elite runners were having problems with was sweat—you lose your rhythm to wipe sweat.” As a result new nose pads were designed to keep runners cool and maximize eyewear ventilation.

COMFORT IS KEY

“What is a nose pad doing?” Muller asks. “It’s holding up a frame; but when you are investing in a frame you want to have a perfect fit and comfort.” As a result, many settings have been designed for nose pads’ placements, from traditional attachments to the bridge to embedded nose pads that have “touch points and an enhanced surface to increase comfort,” Muller notes.

Nose pads are often set wider for sporty eyewear so pressure is spread through the nose, Shröder says. Particularly in sports performance eyewear, but also across the board, nose pads have to meet a lot of comfort requirements while remaining unobtrusive. “If you don’t have contact spread out over the pad surface, it can become ‘point’ loaded and uncomfortable,” Lonergan adds. “FOV [field of view] is also a concern if the pads are too large, interfering with the activity.”

— Amy Spiezio

THE POWER OF THREE

When it comes to high performance nose pads, the secret to success is often threefold. A triangular focus to the positioning of nose pads/bridge in alignment with the temple tips can help improve comfort and stability, providing optimal vision and ventilation.

“Carefully placed angles and ergonomically engineered fit geometry result in a frame design that redefines what a sport sunglass should look and function like,” note Kaenon representatives. “To ensure that all these features stay securely anchored during any activity, embedded Variflex nose pads and temple tips grip at all contact points.”

Proprietary materials are utilized in all three points for peak fit. “Oakley’s unique Three-Point Fit holds the lenses in precise optical alignment,” note Oakley representatives. “Our frame materials balance durability and comfort with impact absorption for athletic competition, and our frame geometries maximize peripheral vision.”

Kaenon’s X-Kore has embedded Variflex nose pads and temple tips

Oakley style Chainlink features a three-point cling formula between nose and temples