Spectacles, also known as spectacle lenses or spectacles, are vision glasses in which the lenses (clear or tinted) are mounted in a frame that holds them in place in front of the person's eyes, usually with a bridge of nose and hinged arms (called temples or temple pieces) ) ) on the ear.

Glasses are often used to correct vision, such as reading glasses and glasses for nearsightedness; however, they are sometimes used for cosmetic purposes when specialized lenses are not available.

Safety glasses provide eye protection for construction workers or laboratory technicians from flying debris; these glasses may have protection on both sides of the eyes and on the lenses. Certain types of safety glasses are used to protect against visible and near-visible light or radiation. Glasses are worn for eye protection in some sports, such as squash.

Glasses wearers can use the strap to keep glasses from falling out. Wearers who only wear the glasses part-time can attach them to a cord that wraps around their necks to prevent them from being lost and broken. Loss of eyeglasses can be detrimental to those working in these conditions.

Sunglasses provide better vision in bright daylight and are used to protect the eyes from excess UV rays. Typical sunglass lenses are tinted to protect against glare or polarized light to eliminate glare; photochromic glasses darken or lightly tint in dark or indoor conditions, but turn into sunglasses when exposed to ultraviolet light. Most over-the-counter sunglasses have non-corrective lenses; however, special prescription sunglasses can be made. People with photophobia as a major symptom (such as certain migraines or Irlen syndrome) often wear sunglasses or precision tinted glasses, even indoors and at night.

Specialized glasses are used to view specific visual information, for example, 3D glasses for watching 3D movies (stereoscopic vision). Sometimes glasses are worn purely for fashion or aesthetic purposes. Even eyeglasses for vision correction come in a wide variety of styles with frames made of plastic, metal, wire, and more.