Gifts for people who wear glasses: small gifts they will use every day

If someone you know wears glasses, you already know one thing about their day: those glasses go on and come off, again and again. Into the car, out of the sun, onto the desk, into a bag. That small, constant habit is where a good gift lives.

It does not need to be large or expensive. It needs to be used.

What makes a good gift for someone who wears glasses

• Something used every day. A gift that lives in a drawer is forgotten by spring. One that travels with their glasses is picked up every morning.
• Not the glasses themselves. Frames are chosen for a face and fitted by an optician, and prescription lenses are personal. Leave those to them.
• Small enough to carry. Most people who wear glasses already own a case. Usually it is too large to take anywhere, so it stays at home.
• Quiet. Glasses are worn on the face. What surrounds them should not compete.

Gifts by budget

Stocking stuffers under $15

A stocking stuffer should be small, useful and a little better than the version they would buy for themselves. Two that fit:

• A slim glasses case. Our silicone glasses case is $11. It is 6.1 × 2.2 in and 0.5 in thin when empty, so it fits in a stocking with room to spare, and it comes with a suede-finish cleaning cloth.
• A good lens cloth. Most people clean their lenses with a shirt. A soft cloth made for lenses saves them from fine scratches.

Secret Santa and gifts under $25

A Secret Santa gift has a hard brief: a budget, a person you may not know well, and the wish that it will not end up in a drawer. Something for their glasses solves most of it, because you know at least one thing they use every day.

Three Lights is our set of three cases for $24.99: one for the desk, one for the car, one that never leaves the bag. It ships free within the US.

Gifts by who they are for

For the person who always has sunglasses on

Sunglasses are taken off more often than almost anything else we carry, and usually end up on top of a head or at the bottom of a bag. A case that hangs from a bag handle gives them somewhere to go. Choose the colour of their summer: Cream for the beach, Olive for the road, Navy for the city.

For a parent or grandparent with reading glasses

Reading glasses are put down everywhere: by the bed, next to the newspaper, beside the remote. Most pairs fit a slim case easily. A set of three, one for each room where they read, means the glasses are found where they were left.

For someone who travels

On a trip, glasses move constantly: the airport, the hotel, the beach, the car. A light case that hangs on the outside of a bag is easier to reach than one buried inside a suitcase. Silicone also rinses clean after sand and sunscreen.

For a coworker

Something useful, not personal, and pleasant on a desk. A single case in a calm colour is easy to give and easy to keep.

Small gifts that are actually used

1. A good lens cloth. The smallest upgrade with the most daily use.
2. A case they will carry. Slim, light, easy to reach. The best case is the one that leaves the house.
3. A second case. One for the bag, one for the car, one for the desk. Glasses are rarely where their only case is.
4. A small tray for the nightstand. A fixed place to set glasses down at night, instead of face down on the table.
5. A gentle lens spray. For the end of a long day of fingerprints. If their lenses have special coatings, their optician's advice comes first.

Before you choose a case: will their glasses fit?

You can check without asking. Look inside one arm of their glasses for three small numbers, something like 52□18 140. Add the first number twice, then the second, then about 10 mm: that is the width of the frame. Our guide to the numbers explains it, and our fit checker does the sum for you.

Our case is made for frames up to about 148 mm (5.8 in) across, with lenses up to about 50 mm (2 in) tall. That covers most everyday glasses, reading glasses and sunglasses. Wraparound sport frames and oversized frames are shaped for a different kind of case.

Three Lights: one for each place

Three Lights is our set of three silicone glasses cases, in any combination of Navy, Cream and Olive.

• Soft-touch matte silicone, with the SØNNÆR mark laser-engraved in each case's own colour.
• A beaded silicone lanyard on every case, to carry it on a bag handle.
• Each case arrives in its own frosted pouch with a suede-finish cleaning cloth, embossed with the SØNNÆR mark.
• $24.99 for the set. Packed and shipped from New Jersey, with free shipping within the US on orders over $23.

Holiday delivery

For delivery before Christmas within the US, order by December 17. Orders are packed and shipped from New Jersey within 1–2 business days.

Questions people ask

What do you get someone who wears glasses?

Something that makes the daily habit easier: a case they will actually carry, a good lens cloth, or a set of cases for the places their glasses are put down. Leave frames and lenses to them and their optician.

Is a glasses case a good gift?

Yes, when it is one they will carry. Most people already own a case that came with their glasses, but it is often too bulky to take anywhere. A slim, soft case, or a second and third one for the car and the desk, is used every day.

How can I check their glasses will fit without asking?

Look for the three numbers printed inside one arm of their glasses, then use our fit checker. If the numbers have worn away, measure across the front of the frame with a ruler.

Can I order a gift for Christmas?

Yes. Order by December 17 for delivery before Christmas within the US.

The point of a small gift

The best small gifts are not noticed on the day. They are noticed in March, on a sunny afternoon, when the glasses come off and there is somewhere to put them.

Three Lights — The Complete Set · The Silicone Glasses Case