Where to shop and find Nickel-free spectacle frames
Nikon have a range of “guaranteed nickel free” spectacle frames which are at the high end of the standard mall/high street price range (ie not overpriced designer $$$$). I personally use a pair of Nikon titanium frames which Nikon guaranteed to be 100% nickel-free and have had no trouble with them. Ask your optician for them.
I’m looking for more manufacturers with nickel free frames and a useful buyers guide to their products…. please let me know if you find any others to add to this list.
If it’s not 100%
There is a lot of advice I have read which makes broad statements such as “titanium does not have nickel in it”. Unfortunately this advice can be plain wrong – for example titanium spectacle frames may be alloyed with another metal such as nickel or copper. You need to be sure it’s either 100% titanium or at least 100% nickel-free (ie possibly alloyed with another metal).
Nickel-free plating
Many frames which are alloyed with nickel are coated with a nickel-free coating. This is great until it wears off. If you change your glasses every few months, this could work for you. If like many of us you only change them every 1-3 years this route could cause you serious problems (as it did me).
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