Carbon fiber seems to be in everything these days. Once upon a time, this material was only popular in the automotive scene. However, you can now find this man-made material almost everywhere. From bikes to furniture, and now even eyewear. Yes, you can now make eyewear using carbon fiber.

What is Carbon Fiber?

Carbon fiber is an artificial material that is extremely lightweight, but pound-for-pound, it is ten times stronger than steel. In addition, carbon fiber is also pleasing to the eye. It has colors and repeating patterns that just look good on everything. This is the reason why when car enthusiasts replace certain body panels with carbon fiber, you can leave them unpainted. Aside from shaving off excess weight, the panels already look good as is.

Carbon fiber is made using organic polymers consisting of long molecule strings held together using carbon atoms. About 90% of carbon fiber made today underwent the polyacrylonitrile manufacturing process. This is a process wherein 10% of the carbon fiber came from rayon or the petroleum pitch process.

Why Choose Carbon Fiber Frames?

Now that received a quick intro to the world of carbon fiber, it is time to learn and understand why should you pick it to be the material for your next frame? Here are some of the most popular reasons:

Lightweight

If you will be wearing eyeglasses the entire day, then you would appreciate it if what you are wearing is so light that you often forget it is there. This is what would usually happen when you wear carbon fiber glasses. These are so light that you would often forget that you are wearing them.

Strong

Acetate plastic might be lightweight but it is also quite fragile. The iconic image of nerds with glasses held together with tape is not a joke. It is a common occurrence. If you accidentally drop a pair of acetate glasses on the floor, there is a good chance that you will be picking up two pieces afterward. This will not be a problem with carbon fiber.

Carbon fiber is essentially bulletproof. Arms manufacturers have made body armor using carbon fiber. You can throw your carbon fiber glasses onto tile or concrete and it will just bounce back. Of course, there is a high chance for the lenses to get shattered but the frame will still be alright. 

In addition to being impact-resistant, carbon fiber is also immensely flexible. If you accidentally sit on your carbon fiber frame, it will bend but it will not break.

Hypoallergenic

Most metal frames contain a bit of nickel, and a lot of people are allergic to nickel. Even some titanium alloy glasses frames contain trace amounts of nickel, which is more than enough to cause an allergic reaction on someone highly sensitive to it.

Carbon fiber is completely hypoallergenic. There are absolutely no traces of allergens in carbon fiber composites, so you can be sure that it is completely safe.

Highly-resistant to Corrosion

One of the many problems with metal glasses frames is that they are somewhat prone to corrosion. If you lead an active lifestyle, you will usually need two pairs of glasses – one for everyday use and a plastic one for exercising. The salt and water in human sweat can cause metals to corrode at a much faster rate, so wearing metal frames when exercising is not a good idea. 

Carbon fiber is completely resistant to corrosion. You can wear it while jogging or working out at the gym. The most that you will need to do is just clean it afterward and you are fine. The frame will not show any signs of corrosion whatsoever. 

Conclusion

Even though carbon fiber glasses are a bit on the expensive side, consider it as an investment. These glasses are nearly indestructible that these will likely be the last pair of glasses that you will ever buy.