Lenses, not just frames
Temple Length on Glasses, Explained
The temple is the arm. It should reach the point behind the ear and hook without digging. 5mm is the difference between a fit and a headache.
Updated 27 Aug 2026 · 6 min read · temple length glasses explained
The three numbers on the frame
Inside the temple you will often see 52□18 140: lens width, bridge, temple length. People obsess about the 52 and ignore the 140. On a small head, 135–140. On an average head, 140–145. On a large head or a wrap sun, 145–150. These are starting points, not laws — ear position varies.
Cable temples (the kind that wrap further) run longer and are a cycling and kids’ trick. Straight ‘library’ temples need the right length even more, because there is no hook.
Symptoms of the wrong length
Short: pressure on the mastoid, headaches after 40 minutes, the front lifting. Long: slide, especially when you look down, and a hook that sits on the skull instead of behind the ear.
| What you feel | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Dig behind the ear | Temple too short, or bend too sharp |
| Slide on the nose | Temple too long, or bridge too wide |
| One side high | One temple bent, not a length problem |
| Sore mastoid after an hour | Length or wrap; also spring hinge clamp |
Buying online without a fitting
Measure a pair that works, hinge to tip, along the arm including the curve. Match within 5mm. If you are between sizes, the longer temple can be re-bent; the shorter one cannot be grown. Small faces and large faces fail here first — see the small-face and large-face guides before you reorder the same 140 on a head that wanted 150.
Questions, answered
- Can an optician shorten a temple?
- Often yes on acetate and some metal, by cutting and recapping, or by moving the bend. Not on every hidden-core fashion arm.
- Do sunglasses use the same lengths?
- Yes, though wraps often run 125–130 along a curved path that is effectively longer on the head. Try on.
- Is 145 ‘standard’?
- It is common. It is not a head.
