This Is the Best Way to Store Your Glasses When You’re Not Wearing Them

Whether prescription, sun or both, your specs deserve a nice case to put them in .

ettinger sunglass case sitting inside a marble bowl

Published May 14, 2022

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Full-time glasses wearers know what it feels like to break or lose a pair. It’s not quite like your sunglasses suddenly disappearing; it’s much, much worse. When you break or lose your glasses, even if they’re just readers, you can’t see. Depending the degree to which you’re visually impaired, that means you can’t drive, read a book, ride a bike, see a TV or movie screen, scroll your phone or watch that sweet, sweet sunset.

Why You Need a Glasses Case

How do you prevent this sort of disaster? By following this simple rule: If they’re not on your face, they’re in their case — and ideally, one like Ettinger’s Spectrum Spectacle Case. But this rule is just one of many both part- and full-time glasses wearers should follow, whether the frames are optical or protect against the sun.

4 Rules for Glasses Wearers

Use both hands to take them off.
If they’re slipping, as some do, don’t forcefully push them up — especially not by the nose piece (if you have those).
Never wear them like a headband. Hair products can smudge the lenses, nose pieces can get caught in your locks and forcing the frames to expand around the noggin widens them.
Put them in a hard case when you take them off. Get a soft one if you must put them in your pant or bag pocket. If you’re someone who wears glasses all of the time, look for bags that have dedicated spaces for glasses. They’re typically at the top by the zipper so the contents don’t crush them.

Important as these four rules are, they don’t necessarily cause irreparable damage. If you constantly take your frames off with one hand, one hinge will get looser faster, but there are tools to fix that. If you aggressively push them up, a nose piece could come off, but you can buy a replacement. If you slide them up into your hair, they’ll smudge, but you can easily clean them.

However, if they’re crushed or disappear altogether, you have no hope. See? You need a case. Here’s why Ettinger’s is the best.

Ettinger Spectrum Spectacle Case

Dimensions: 17 by 6.5 by by 4cm
Price: $135
This leather case comes in five colors and can be personalized for just $30 dollars more.

ettinger case inside a marble bowl — You can add custom initials to your case for $30, but you have to order it through the brand.

In the glasses case category, there are two primary types: hard and soft. A hard case is usually made from metal or plastic and covered with fabric. Soft cases, on the other hand, can be made from fabric, leather or wool. The former is best for packing your glasses or way or putting them into a commuter bag — like a backpack. Soft cases are designed to be carried or put into a pocket, because they don’t offer the same protection as a hard-shell case.

Ettinger’s is essentially both. Assembled from durable dressed leather in the brand’s Walsall, England factory, the Spectrum Spectacle Case will withstand long-term wear and tear, both because it’s made from high-quality leather and built with reinforcements where most cases fails. Within, there’s a curved nosepiece holder that keeps the glasses in place, and out of the way of most of the pressure, should they be sat on or the snap button closure be pressed too hard or slightly off center.

inside of an ettinger case with sunglasses poking out — Each case is tonal, meaning the outside leather, inside suede and stitching will be different shades of the same color.

the inside of an ettinger case from above — Each case is tonal, meaning the outside leather, inside suede and stitching will be different shades of the same color.

Inside, the case is lined with pig suede, a soft material that’s naturally thin. It envelopes the interior in its entirety, but the nosepiece holder is made of stiff leather to prevent bending. The rivets securing the holder in place act as a natural base, too, because the case flattens where they surface on the outside. That gives the case enough bulk to be noticeable, reducing the likelihood you, or someone else, accidentally sits on them or forgets them at the table.

The built-in frame doesn’t make the case too bulky, by any means, but it doesn’t fit super easily inside a pocket — unless it’s a big bucket one on the front of a chore coat. Dedicated pockets on most bags — whether that be a backpack, crossbody, or duffle bag — can accommodate the Spectrum Case, though, so you shouldn’t worry about having to carry it in your hand at all times. It’s also the perfect size for occupying a single cup-holder if you keep your case in the car.

Ettinger’s Spectrum Spectacle Case: The Verdict

This is the ideal glasses case for full- and part-time wearers. Neither too bulky nor too flimsy, it’s a hard-soft hybrid with plenty of structure and a suppleness reserved for luxe, handmade leather goods (because it is one). Buy it for yourself; buy one for a four-eyed friend. It’s a hell of an upgrade over the basic, bulbous ones the optometrist gives you whenever you get new glasses.