How to Prevent Your Sunglasses from Slipping

It’s a perennial problem. You’re out enjoying the sunshine, wanting to feel like you don’t have a care in the world, and your sunglasses keep slipping off your face.

The last thing you want to think about when you’re enjoying the outdoors is losing your favorite sunglasses. Just worrying about them constantly can really take you out of whatever you're trying to experience. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to prevent your sunglasses from slipping. Check out the following tips, which are helpful for women’s sunglasses, men’s sunglasses, and any of the most popular sunglasses styles.

Tighten the Screws

In many cases, the solution to the slippage problem is very simple and straightforward: just tighten up the screws that fix the arms to the main part of your frames. The only tool you'll need is a tiny screwdriver. If possible, you can also carefully bend the arms of your sunglasses so they fit more tightly to your head.

If you’re nervous about making these adjustments yourself, you can take your sunglasses to an optician’s office to have them adjusted specifically for your face.

Add Anti-Slip Silicone Nose Pads

Some styles of sunglasses (such as Odin) feature nose pads as part of their design. If your sunglasses have nose pads, you can purchase special anti-slip silicone nose pads that are designed to keep your shades in place. Many of these pads are very simple to install--just peel and stick them in place, and you're all set!

Clean Your Glasses Regularly

Sweat, grease, and lotions can build up on your sunglasses, making them extra slippery. Keep this problem at bay by remembering to clean your frames regularly. If necessary, use some mild soap on your frames to get rid of any greasy buildup. Be sure you're up to speed on other tips for how to clean sunglasses!

Try Ear Hooks or Ponytail Holders

Plastic ear hooks and their life-hack companions, ponytail holders, can keep your sunglasses firmly in place. Ear hooks just slide onto the arms of your glasses and prevent them from sliding off your ears. Ponytail holders work in much the same way--all you have to do is twist them onto the back arms, and now you have a DIY ear hook to keep your sunglasses right where they should be.

Attach Some Foam Pads

Most pharmacies carry foam pads that you can attach to your glasses. They’re intended for eyeglasses with metal frames, but you can also affix them to the bridge pads of your sunglasses to prevent them from slipping.

If your sunglasses are plastic or wooden, you can still use the foam pads--just place one on each side of the bridge. You can also put the pads on each earpiece for additional security. Note that these pads get gross over time because they’ll soak up perspiration, so it's smart to stock up and take care to replace them frequently.

Use wax

There are products on the market that are designed to prevent your sunglasses from slipping. They make look like lip balm and even come in a similar tube, but they're designed to keep your glasses in place. These products are made out of ingredients that you usually find in cosmetics, such as beeswax, coconut oil, and peppermint oil. But they also contain gum rosin, and we suspect that’s the ingredient that really helps to hold your glasses in place. All you have to do is rub the wax on your sunglasses before you put them on.

Try Eyeshadow Primer

If you’re a woman, you might already have this product in your handbag, but you can use this tip even if you don’t wear makeup. Apply a couple dabs of eyeshadow primer on either side of your nose before you put your sunglasses on, and then gently press your glasses into place. The primer is designed to keep your eyeshadow in place, and some people swear it can do the same thing for your sunglasses.

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