The best cases for storing eyeglasses or sunglasses

No one wants broken glasses, especially if you’re someone who needs them full time to see. But mistakes happen: you let them sit on the floor and they get stepped on; you put them in the bottom of a bag and they get crushed by your laptop; they fall out of your pocket onto rock-hard pavement, scratching both the frame and the lenses.

No matter the disaster, most are largely preventable if you put your glasses in a protective case when you’re not wearing them. Beyond regular maintenance — like cleaning lenses, tightening screws, playing with your nose (if you have one) — having a safe place to store them is the surest way to prevent permanent damage. Ideally, the case is hard enough to prevent its contents (your glasses) from being crushed. Or, maybe it’s leather, because you like the way it ages. Either way, a case is one part of eyewear ownership (whether optical or solar) that you cannot overlook.

How to take care of your glasses

Gone are the days of tossing them to the bottom of your bag.

• Use both hands to remove them.
• If they slip, as some do, don’t push them hard, especially not through your nose (if you have one).
• Never wear them as a headband. Hair products can stain lenses, nose pieces can get caught in your locks and cause frames to expand around the noggin widens them.
• Put them in a hard case when you take them out. Get a soft one if you have to put them in your pants pocket or bag. If you’re someone who wears glasses all the time, look for bags that have dedicated spaces for glasses. They are usually at the top by the zipper so that the contents do not crush them.
• Do not store your glasses with the lenses down. Store them upside down with open arms.
• Establish a storage routine: a place where you put them when you’re not wearing them or heading to bed.
• Get the necessary cleaning and maintenance tools: spray cleaner, microfiber cloths and goggle tool kit.
• Don’t leave them in a hot car. Indoor temperatures, which can reach 200 degrees Fahrenheit, can melt plastic or warp acetates.

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The best cases to store your precious glasses