What is pupillary distance?
Pupillary Distance (PD) is simply the distance between the pupils of your right and left eye. The measurement is used when fitting your lenses, ensuring that the correction is in the right place to properly correct your vision. Your optician should give you this information when you have an eye exam but sometimes they forget. Instead, just follow our guide to measuring your own PD and you can be just like an optician. It’s best to ask a friend to help, or if you’re lonely, stand in front of a mirror and be your own best friend (human interaction is overrated anyway).
Measuring Pupillary Distance
Step 1 – Hold a ruler with millimeter markings up to the bridge of your nose.
Step 2 – Have a friend stand about an arm’s length away from you and close one eye.
Step 3 – Ask your friend to ensure that the ruler is lined up with your pupil (the black circle in the centre of your eye).
Step 4 – Keeping the ruler still, have your friend read the measurements and write down the results. Be sure that your friend keeps the same eye closed to guarantee accuracy.
Step 5 – Repeat the process to ensure that you have the most accurate results.
Average pupillary distance
The average PD for most adults lies between 55 and 65mm. The average PD for children is usually between 42 and 54mm. Remember, being normal is overrated and if you’re PD is not within the numbers, that’s OK too.
Measure pupillary distance
An alternative method is to wear a pair of glasses with a clear lens and mark the spot where your pupils are with a marker then take the glasses off and measure the distance. Again, repeating this process will ensure the most accurate results. Just make sure you erase the pen before you wear the glasses again.
There you go, easy as 1,2,3,4,5. Now you’re armed with your PD, you can check out our range of Prescription Glasses and Prescription Sunglasses and start saving yourself some serious dough.
