About Repair My Specs
 
Helping broken glasses stay out of the bin

A broken hinge, snapped arm or damaged bridge can make a pair of glasses look beyond saving. But the lenses may still be perfectly usable, the frame may still fit comfortably and the damage may be confined to one repairable area.

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Repair My Specs was created around a simple idea: broken should not automatically mean finished.

We provide a specialist postal glasses-frame repair service for customers throughout the UK. By assessing frames from photographs before asking customers to post them, we aim to make professional repair straightforward, honest and accessible.

Glasses are worth saving

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Glasses are not simply another accessory. You rely on them to work, drive, read and go about everyday life. Finding a frame that fits properly, feels comfortable and suits you can take time—and replacing it is not always inexpensive.

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Research conducted by Glasses Direct in 2023 and reported by The Guardian claimed that its customers had previously spent an average of £212.90 when purchasing comparable glasses from a high-street optician. That is not an official national average, and eyewear prices vary considerably, but it demonstrates how valuable a complete pair of prescription glasses can be.

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Basic frames may cost relatively little, while designer frames alone can cost more than £500 before prescription lenses are added. Thinner lenses, varifocals, coatings, tints, polarisation and other options can increase the total further.

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Prescription sunglasses can also represent a considerable investment because they combine a frame with prescription lenses and specialist sun protection. If the frame breaks while the lenses remain usable, replacing the complete pair may feel particularly wasteful.

When a small break creates a big problem
 

A frame does not always wear out as a complete object. One small component can fail while everything around it remains serviceable.
 

A spring hinge can break. A temple can separate from the frame. A nose-pad arm can snap away. A bridge can fracture even though both lenses remain intact. These faults can prevent the glasses from being worn, but they do not necessarily mean that every part of the frame has reached the end of its life.
 

The financial impact matters too. Replacing a complete pair can create a significant and unexpected expense, particularly when the lenses remain usable and only one part of the frame has failed. NHS assistance with repair or replacement is limited: most adults qualify only when they are eligible for an NHS optical voucher and an illness caused the loss or damage.
 
Why frames are often replaced rather than repaired

Specialist frame repair is not available through every optical practice. Repairing a damaged hinge or frame joint requires appropriate equipment, patience and an understanding of how different metals, plastics, acetate and other frame materials behave.

The condition surrounding the break also matters. Age, corrosion, brittleness, previous adjustments
and earlier repair attempts can all affect the method and likely outcome.

For many optical businesses, replacing a frame is easier to incorporate into their normal service than carrying out specialist structural repairs. Repair My Specs exists to concentrate specifically on the frames that may still have useful life remaining.

We do not replace prescription lenses at present. Our focus is repairing and refurbishing spectacle and sunglasses frames.

Keeping valued frames in use

Sometimes the reason for repairing glasses is financial. Sometimes it is practical. Sometimes it is personal.

The frame may have been discontinued. It may be a designer style that would be expensive to replace. It may fit better than anything the customer has tried since. It could be vintage, difficult to source or connected to an important memory.

Whatever the reason, extending the useful life of an existing frame can delay unnecessary disposal and make better use of the materials, lenses and manufacturing already invested in that pair.

We cannot save every frame, and repair is not always the safest or most economical recommendation. But we believe every suitable pair deserves a proper assessment before it is discarded.

The experience behind the repair

Our frame assessments and repairs are carried out by a specialist with more than 20 years of experience in the optical sector.

He began his career as an optical assistant before training and qualifying as a dispensing optician. He later managed optical stores and teams and spent 15 years operating within a major optical franchise, while continuing to work directly with customers and their eyewear.
 

During that time, he repeatedly encountered people whose glasses had failed because of one damaged hinge, arm or frame joint—sometimes before the glasses were two years old.

That experience now informs each assessment. We consider the frame material, the location of the break, the surrounding condition, any missing pieces and evidence of previous repairs before recommending work.

Repair My Specs is operated by Sunil Varma, who manages the website, customer enquiries, online assessment process and digital side of the service. Together, we combine practical optical experience with a simple postal process for customers across the UK.

How our postal repair service works

We begin with photographs so you can receive an initial assessment before posting your glasses.

1. Complete our online form and upload clear photographs of the complete frame and damaged area.

2. Our repair specialist assesses the visible damage and provides an initial estimate.

3. If the repair appears suitable, we explain how to send the glasses to us.

4. We physically inspect the frame and confirm the proposed repair, final price and expected timescale.

5. We begin work only after you approve the final quote.

6. Once the agreed repair is complete, we send a secure payment link and return the glasses after payment.

Photographs cannot always reveal hidden damage, brittle material, corrosion or previous work.
That is why the final repair method and price are confirmed following physical inspection.

Honest assessments, not unrealistic promises

Repair cannot make every older frame factory-new. The repaired area may remain visible, a replacement component may not exactly match the original, and wear elsewhere on the frame may affect its remaining lifespan.

We explain important limitations before beginning work. If we do not believe a repair is suitable, dependable or worthwhile, we will say so.

Our purpose is not to repair every frame at any cost. It is to save the glasses that can reasonably be returned to useful service.

Give your glasses another chance

Before throwing away broken prescription glasses, sunglasses, designer frames or a discontinued favourite, let us assess the damage.

Send us clear photographs and we will explain whether the frame appears repairable, what the work may involve and what to do next.

Start your repair assessment