An appropriate pair of eyeglasses matches the person’s prescription for each eye and is comfortable, durable, fits the face of the user, and acceptable in terms of style. For example, eyeglass lenses can vary in terms of materials used, manufacturing processes, coatings, and design features, which can significantly impact their quality and performance. 51
At a minimum, eyeglasses should meet ISO quality standards or their equivalent. ISO quality standards exist for frames, uncut lenses, and mounted lenses (see table 20).
51Table 20: ISO standards for eyeglass products
Standard | Products | Description |
---|---|---|
ISO 12870: 2016 | Frames | Applicable to all frame types at the point of sale by the manufacturer or supplier to the retailer. |
ISO 16034: 2002 | Reading Glasses (Ready- Made) | Specifies the minimum requirements for complete single-vision ready-to-wear near-vision spectacles. These spectacles are not intended for regular use without the approval of an eyecare professional. |
ISO 13666: 2019 | Lenses | Defines terms relating to ophthalmic optics, specifically to blanks, finished spectacle lenses and fitting purposes. |
ISO 8980: 2017 | Lenses | Specifies requirements and verification methods for the optical and geometrical properties for uncut finished single-vision and multifocal spectacle lenses. |
ISO 8902: 2022 | Lenses | Defines terms relating to raw optical glass and related manufacturing processes. |
Many LMICs do not have national regulations for eyeglasses and their sale. Quality standards for glasses are often missing or not properly structured, causing disparities in the quality of eyewear sold in these markets. For example, the quality of reading glasses sold in small street optical shops remains an issue in Southeast Asia52 where poor frame quality causes easy breakage and tiny bubbles in lenses cause vision distortion.
Product defects can compromise not only the durability of glasses but also pose potential harm to users. For instance, frames that easily break under normal usage conditions could lead to lenses dislodging and potentially injuring the wearer’s eyes or face. 53 Moreover, the use of substandard materials in eyeglass frames can cause harm such as skin irritation. 54 Such quality issues may result in product recalls and damage the supplier’s reputation and sales. Therefore, some manufacturers and suppliers proactively implement quality control and assurance measures to meet international quality standards. These measures focus on strength, durability, and impact resistance, even though regulations in many LMICs may be inadequate.
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