Frames can be divided into two main types: plastic and metal.

Plastic frames

A plastic frame is light and most of them are thicker and do not have nose pads. There are three types of plastic frames:

1. Acetate - It's a solid and glossy plastic. Most of these frames will have metal wire inside the plastic temple in order to provide strength and ease in fitting. They also need heating when fitting and adjusting.
2. Optyl - This type of frame is translucent and very glossy. There are many attractive color such as pink, blue, purple, gray, yellow, and green. The weight is lighter than other plastics. There is no metal wire inside the temple. It also needs heating when fitting and adjusting.
3. Carbon - Most carbon frames are black and brown. This frame type is highly flexible and some designs also have nose pads. The temple may be made of color coated metal with contrast color.

Metal frames

Most of these frames are thin and have nose pads which are adjustable. There are several metals used for frame production. The weight of the frame is based on the raw material. We can differentiate metal frames into five types as follows:

1. Enameled Metal - Most of these frame types are made of color plated tungsten or ordinary metal. The surface may be glossy or matted according to the designers.
2. Nickel Silver - Most of the frames in the market are made of this kind of metal. Nickel silver is able to be enameled with various colors. This frame can be decorated with epoxy wire on the eye rim. Nickel can sometimes cause skin reactions in persons with sensitive skin
3. Monel - The most commonly used metal in eyewear, monel is more resistant to corrosion than nickel and easier to silver-plate or gold-plate. However, monel still has nickel as a component.
4. Stainless Steel - This is a nickel free frame so it is Hypoallergenic. It is usually thinner and lighter weight than monel.
5. Titanium and Flexible Titanium - The lifetime will be very long because titanium is rust free and does not corrode when exposed to salty sweat. Another benefit of titanium as a frame is its allergy free (bio-compatible) characteristic. Flexible titanium is a titanium-based alloy with a high "memory" factor that enables a twisted frame to return to its original shape. In addition to making frames extremely durable, the flexible titanium material holds adjustments longer and is lighter in weight than other metal frames.