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Material MATTERS

A go-to guide to the pros and cons of today’s high-tech lineup of raw frame materials

BY ERINN MORGAN

What’s in a frame? Today’s eyewear is crafted from more advanced raw frame materials than ever before.

The benefits are tangible. Because of their high-tech materials, frames are now lighter in weight, stronger, more durable, more colorful, and better performing than their predecessors.

Want to learn more? Check out this Eyecare Business guide to the ins and outs of each of the key materials on the market today. It provides the details you need to know—and intelligent information you can use—as a selling tool with your patients.

ZYL

[Also called plastic or cellulose acetate]

THE DETAILS: Culled from the cotton plant’s cellulose substance (plus a few stabilizers and plasticizers), plastic is one of the most widely used frame materials. How is zyl fashioned into a frame? Eyewear styles are either injection molded or cut from blocks of plastic.

THE PROS: This ubiquitous frame material is lightweight, comfortable, and easily colored with a rainbow of hues and prints. Easily laminated, patterned, and fused with fabrics, plastic lends a lot of creativity to the frame-making process.

THE CONS: Plastic frames can break more easily than those made of other materials, plus sun exposure and aging can slightly decrease strength.

METAL ALLOY

THE DETAILS: Also highly popular in eyewear today, metal alloy frames are crafted from a variety of alloys. Monel is a popular, widely used metal alloy frame material—it is a nickel alloy made of 68% nickel, 30% copper, and 2% iron. Some affordable alloys employ titanium to gain lightweight benefits without high cost. One example is Ticral, a blend of titanium, copper, and chrome. Another is Beta Titanium, an alloy of titanium, iron, chromium, cobalt, nickel, and other metals.

THE PROS: Metal alloy frames are generally one of the most affordable eyewear options. They are strong, durable, malleable, and sometimes corrosion resistant.

THE CONS: Metal alloy frames offer fewer vibrant color options than plastic and they may not always be hypoallergenic or corrosion resistant.

TITANIUM

THE DETAILS: Most often utilized in the design of high-end eyeglass frames and sunglasses, this space-age, pure metal material is both high tech and high performance.

THE PROS: Titanium has many coveted benefits, including its strength, notable light weight, hypoallergenic nature, and corrosion resistance.

THE CONS: Titanium frames are more expensive than most other frames crafted of different materials, including stainless steel, metal alloys, and plastic.

STAINLESS STEEL

THE DETAILS: A lower-cost, lightweight alternative to titanium, stainless steel is a widely used metal in the manufacture of eyeglasses. It is an alloy of (mostly) steel and (about 1/3) chromium.

THE PROS: A notably lightweight frame material, stainless steel is also strong, reasonably priced, corrosion-resistant, and (mostly) hypoallergenic.

THE CONS: Stainless steel is not as lightweight or flexible as titanium.

ALUMINUM

THE DETAILS: Another lightweight option for eyeglass frames, pure aluminum is soft enough to carve, but when combined with alloys it delivers excellent strength (similar to that of steel but at half the weight).

THE PROS: In addition to its lightweight nature, aluminum is also malleable, strong, and even corrosion resistant.

THE CONS: Because aluminum is a softer frame material, aluminum frames can bend and be slightly less durable than other materials.

COPPER BERYLLIUM

THE DETAILS: Beryllium is a strong, lightweight element that occurs naturally in gemstones such as aquamarines and emeralds. It forms a very strong alloy suitable for eyeglass frames when mixed with copper.

THE PROS: Copper beryllium is notably lightweight, strong, and flexible, plus it also delivers a highly polished metal finish and excellent machining abilities.

THE CONS: A small number of people are allergic to beryllium.

MEMORY METAL

THE DETAILS: Made of a blend of metal alloys, memory metal is a high-performance, shape-retaining frame material that returns to its original shape even after being bent. Common memory alloys include copper/aluminum/nickel and nickel/titanium. Examples from eyewear manufacturers include Marchon’s Flexon and Safilo’s Flex-O-Light.

THE PROS: Shape-retaining memory metal alloys recall their original shape, even when bent. This feature delivers comfort and confidence for eyeglass wearers.

THE CONS: Eyewear crafted of memory metal can be more expensive than many commonly used metal alloys.

NYLON

THE DETAILS: A lightweight and flexible frame material that is often utilized in sports-oriented sunwear, nylon is a form of cellulose acetate that has numerous performance-enhancing features. It is also referred to as gliamides and Grilamid.

THE PROS: Nylon is spot-on for sports because it is lightweight, strong, durable, hypoallergenic, and flexible yet stiff. It is also easily molded into today’s popular sports performance wraparound styles.

THE CONS: Because this nylon-based plastic is stiff, it can also sometimes be brittle and difficult to adjust. In addition, it does not lend itself to vibrant colors the way zyl does.

CARBON FIBER

THE DETAILS: This futuristic material, which is made of extremely thin fibers woven together in a crystal alignment that becomes incredibly strong, is often used for temples or as an accent on eyeglass frames.

THE PROS: Carbon fiber is extremely lightweight, ultra strong and flexible, and highly durable.

THE CONS: Eyewear that is crafted out of carbon fiber is typically more expensive than other materials.

TOP-SELLING FRAME MATERIALS

Which frame materials see the most sales? These statistics from The Vision Council VisionWatch Report (12-month sales as of December 2014) paint the picture of the most popular choices for eyeglass wearers.