The Best Glues for Plastic Eyeglass Frames

Are you here to look for the best glue for plastic eyeglass frames after you’ve just broken your precious pair. Don’t worry; it can happen to everyone, no matter how careful we are with our glasses.

While you could always replace them at your local optical store, brand new frames can cost anywhere from 30 to well over 200 dollars for luxury brands’ premium frames. Not to mention, optical stores usually take days, if not weeks, to get you a new pair which can be very frustrating. A third-party repair person can do it faster, but it won’t be cheap either.

This leads us to the third option—doing it yourself. And for the best results, you need the best adhesives. Here are a few of them.

Best Glue for Plastic Eyeglass Frames Reviews

1. Loctite Glass Glue 2-Gram Tube

When it comes to chemical adhesives, Loctite is one of the most trusted names. Loctite, after all, one of the first companies to sell superglue in the 60s. Since then, they have been refining their adhesives’ expertise to make glues such as this special Glass Glue.

The headline feature of this eyeglass glue is its ability to bond strongly to the glass. This is possible thanks to its unique formulation that gives it a better grip on smooth, dry materials like glass. I found this very useful because it lets me do some repairs most other glues can’t.

For example, I have this one pair of glasses where the left lens constantly falls out of the frame. Of the many types of glue that I’ve tried, this one was the only one that could stick the lens back onto the frame.

The Loctite glass glue sets just a few seconds after application and is completely transparent when dry, so your clear glasses stay that way.

Although this glue sets very quickly, Loctite does recommend leaving it for at least 24 hours to cure completely. It does take a while, but once it’s done, the adhesive holds tight and lasts a long time.

2. Glue Masters Professional Super Glue

This glue from Glue Masters is another excellent option for fixing glasses frames. Their cyanoacrylate glue is well trusted by hobbyists and model builders everywhere for their impressive industrial-strength bond.

I especially like this glue for having one of the fastest curing times on the market. It takes under a minute for the glue to cure completely after applying. This makes them a very convenient glue to repair plastic glasses frames because you will only need to hold the frame pieces together for just a few seconds to fix them just like that.

Another reason why this glue is great for glasses repair is its high viscosity. In other words, the adhesive flows more slowly and smoothly than others. This feature makes them much easier to control when applying glue to small parts like glass frames. The long nozzle of the bottle also helps guide the glue to where you want them to go, which is very useful for everyone.

3. Gorilla Super Glue – Two 3-Gram Tubes

Gorilla Glue is another popular brand that is known for its high-quality adhesives. This pack comes with two bottles of superglue that’s enough for several repairs, but not too much that you won’t be able to use it all by the expiration date. In my opinion, this gives a good value for DIY glasses repair.

The cyanoacrylate glue bonds instantly to plastic, metal, wood, and other materials and dries in under a minute. As a result, repairs are quick and easy. However, this also means that you have to move quickly to join your materials together before the glue dries out.

Whereas other superglues rely entirely on the cyanoacrylate for the glue’s bond strength, Gorilla Glue takes their superglue a step further. Their adhesive is reinforced with rubber, giving the glue a lot more elastic power. Hence, the formula allows the bond to flex a bit before breaking, whereas cyanoacrylate on its own would simply snap.

I’ve had a lot of trouble with the generic hardware store super glues in the past. Their nozzles somehow clogged up after I used them the first time, wasting a lot of the glue that I could have used for other repairs. Gorilla Super Glue has fixed that problem with their special anti-clogging caps.

4. GUGUYeah UV Light Liquid Plastic Welder Kit

This glue from GUGUYeah is a little bit different from the other superglues we’ve seen so far. It comes in a kit of 3 parts, which includes alcohol cleaning pads, a UV light, and a UV-activated resin. This set gives you just about everything you need to fix your glasses.

UV curing resin stands out from the other superglues on this list because it only hardens when exposed to UV light. So, you can spread the glue onto the cracked or broken area without worrying about the adhesive drying out.

My favorite part about this superglue kit is the glue applicator. Its cylindrical shape is just the right size and is comfortable to hold. The applicator also has a slim nozzle that allows me to put glue into tight areas without making a mess.

Fixing my glasses frames with this kit was effortless. After cleaning the parts to be glued with the included cleaning pad, I applied glue on one side and joined the two parts together. Then I shined the included UV light onto the adhesive to get it to harden.

5. Ontel 5 Second Fix – Liquid Plastic Repair Tool

This liquid plastic repair kit from Ontel uses a UV curing resin similar to the glue kit from GUGUYeah we looked at earlier. Instead of a three-part kit, though, this kit has all of the things you need to repair your glasses in a single pen-shaped enclosure.

With the glue applicator on one end and the UV light on the other, the pen enclosure is ergonomic and easy to use.

One of the reasons why I like UV curing resin is that it stays in its liquid form until you shine the UV light on it. This means you can adjust and reposition your glasses frames as much as you want. The resin is even washable if you’re going to start over. Then, when you feel the fit of the cracks is just right, you can shine the UV light to harden the resin.

The UV light in the package is compact yet powerful, so the resin cures very quickly. Once hardened, the resin bonds quickly and firmly to the plastic glasses frames that I used these on.

6. Loctite Ultra Gel Control Super Glue

In my experience, one of the most annoying parts about using superglue is controlling how much to drop. Super glue containers tend to have either a toothpaste tube design or a rigid plastic bottle design. And in both designs, it is easy to squeeze the container too much and making a mess that is very difficult to remove.

Loctite has made these two problems outdated with their Ultra Gel Control super glue. Instead of the traditional container design, this bottle has two squeezers on either side of the bottle. This makes sure that glue is squeezed out evenly until the last drop.

The only downside to this is that the bottle holds a lot less glue for its size. The squeezers take up quite a lot of space and leave just 4 milliliters of adhesive inside the bottle.

A big annoyance with super glues is that they tend to be very runny. The gel-based glue used here is nothing like that. Gel-based glue sticks to surfaces better and is less likely to drip, giving you a lot of control during the repair.

7. CreativeBond Super Strong Bonding Tool

Few things in life are quite as satisfying as successfully fixing something yourself. The process of repairing is a great learning experience, and seeing your things work just like new at the end is immensely rewarding. That’s why the folks at CreativeBond have marketed their glue as an all-purpose repair tool for do-it-yourself work.

At its core, this bonding tool is another UV curing glue kit with an applicator and a UV light. The glue applicator has a slim nozzle which is great for working with small parts such as glasses frames. However, the applicator only holds a small amount of glue, making it less suitable for larger projects.

The superglue is the typical cyanoacrylate kind, a reliable formula that binds strongly to all sorts of materials. I personally like the UV light that comes with the package, as the light is strong enough to cure the glue in just a few seconds.

Although it seems generic on the surface, this super glue actually hides a unique feature. CreativeBond uses a special formula to the adhesive to make the resin extra hard once it has fully cured.

8. Gorilla Micro Precise Super Glue Gel

This product is another example from the ever-popular Gorilla Glue brand. Unlike their typical superglues, this Micro Precise Super Glue Gel has a few tricks up its sleeve. With various useful features, this super glue is designed to give you maximum control with minimum waste.

To start things off, the superglue used in this bottle is gel-based, which flows a lot more slowly than the regular liquid-based super glue. This glue is very easy to apply on whatever surface you’re gluing together without running or dripping. The formula is also infused with rubber to make the gel thicker and improve its already excellent bonding strength.

Because of the super glue’s thickness, it can be a bit tricky to control how much glue you want to squeeze out of the bottle. But this super glue does not have an ordinary glue bottle. It has large plastic pieces on the sides that press into the glue container evenly across the length of the bottle, making sure that every drop of glue is squeezed out in a controlled manner.

Although the squeezers are a great feature, I sometimes find myself gripping on them too much when opening the bottle, causing the glue to spurt out. Holding the bottle by the nozzle solved this for me, and you should keep this in mind if you buy this super glue for your repairs.

9. Damn Good UV Glue Plastic Weld

One of the big problems with UV glue repair kits is that the glue containers tend to be very small. And while they are good products, all of the UV glue kits on this list hold less than 5 grams of glue in their applicators.

So what happens when you run out? Sure, you could always buy another UV glue repair kit, but that would just be wasteful. What you could do instead is buy this UV glue bottle from Damn Good.

This bottle contains 10 milliliters of high-quality UV curing resin that you can use to refill the glue applicator you already have. The manufacturer estimates that you can refill a typical glue applicator up to three times. With this much glue, you can repair a lot more things without having to buy an entire glue kit brand new.

The high-strength glue in this bottle maintains great clarity from application to curing, which is very useful when you’re repairing transparent parts like the plastic lenses on sunglasses.

The thick resin is also great for filling in dents, cracks, and holes, and having 10 milliliters of it ensures that you should have enough for larger fills. This resin could also be sanded and filed without it coming off—perfect for model building and other DIY projects.

10. Loctite Go2 All Purpose Gel Super Glue

At this point, you might be wondering why there are three products from Loctite in this list. Well, the reason for that is simple: these glues are just that good.

The people at Loctite have pushed their engineering expertise to the limit with their Go2 super glue. The glue combines the power of two substances to create what could be the best glue for plastic glasses available.

Combining its active ingredients and high-viscosity gel base allows the glue to bond to even the trickiest materials such as styrofoam and MDF (medium-density fiberboard). This is helped further by their Flextec formula, which significantly improves the glue’s impact resistance after curing.

Another important benefit of the Go2 formula is its impressive weather resistance. Whereas most super glues will melt or crack in extreme conditions, Loctite’s glue holds tight even in the dead of winter or the sweltering heat of the summer. The temperature range that it can withstand raging from 58° F to 248° F.

I personally use it to glue together a pair of goggles and work boots, and they’ve held together even in the rain. Being able to use this glue as a filler is only a bonus.

11. The Original Super Glue

It can be challenging to choose a good super glue to buy, especially with so many brands available on the market. When this happens, sometimes the best option is to just go with the original. This value pack of 12 bottles of super glue comes from The Super Glue Corporation, one of the first brands to sell super cyanoacrylate glue.

When you receive this package in the mail, you’ll notice that the 12 bottles are stored in a thick plastic container. This both protects the bottles during shipping and keeps children and pets away from their toxic contents.

The container is so good, in fact, that it was a bit confusing for me to open at first. The trick to opening the container is to cut the label along the seam in the middle, then press on the two notches on the sides to pop out the top half.

After buying this glue myself, I now understand why the glue container is as robust as it is. The glue dries in just a few seconds, 10 to 30 seconds at max, no matter the surface it is used on.

Indeed, the high purity of the cyanoacrylate in this super glue gives it outstanding bonding characteristics. Although it bonds to wood, metals, and other materials very well, I found that they are powerful when bonded to plastic and ceramic.

12. Pacer Technology ZAP-IT UV Light Curing Glue

It can be easy to dismiss a product if its brand isn’t immediately recognizable. And you may have never heard of Pacer Technology before coming across this article. As the Super Glue Corporation’s parent company, the adhesives they have on offer are definitely worth checking out.

ZAP-IT is the brand name of their UV light curing glue and comes in a simple package that includes the glue and a UV light. I like the high power of the included UV light—true to the Zap-It name; it can cure the adhesive in about 5 seconds.

An exciting feature about this glue is that it can still cure even if you don’t use UV light. Unlike typical super glue, though, the Zap-It glue is designed to cure without UV light in 1 to 2 minutes.

Such a feature is beneficial since you have lots of time to reposition your parts before zapping the glue with UV light. You could also hold the pieces together for a couple of minutes, and it will harden all on its own.

However, I would recommend using the included UV light if you can. From my experience using it, the glue is runny and can drip if you are not very careful.

Whether you use UV light or not, the glue sticks firmly to the designated surfaces. Pacer Technology rates these glues as being able to support up to 2,500 pounds of weight.

What to Look for When Buying Glues for Plastic Eyeglass Frames?

Bonding strength: Anyone looking for the best glue to fix glasses would be looking for adhesives with the highest bonding strength to make sure their glasses stay together for as long as possible. But because plastic eyeglass frames tend to be light and thick, most super glues will have no trouble holding them together.

Water & heat resistance: As someone who wears prescription lenses, I can tell you that I take my glasses with me everywhere—and I do mean everywhere. That’s why any good glue to repair glasses frames needs to have good water and heat resistance. After all, nobody wants the adhesives on their glasses frames to fall apart after a dip in the pool or a minute too long in a hot car.

Curing time: Another important factor when looking for the right super glue for eyeglasses repair is the curing time of the adhesive. While many superglues are very quick to set (that is, to dry enough that the glue can hold the pieces together), some glues can take much longer to cure or dry completely.

The tradeoff for a longer curing time, though, is a much stronger final bond. Therefore, it is essential to consider how much time you are willing to set aside for your glasses to cure—if you aren’t able to wait overnight, a quick-drying superglue might be the best option for you.

Curing method: How long a glue for ray bans takes to cure also depends on how the glue is cured. Most superglues are made of cyanoacrylate and are designed to set in the presence of water (including water from humidity in the air).

However, variations in the glue formula can affect its final curing time, which can range from minutes to hours. Other superglues are made to set and cure when exposed to intense UV light. These types of glues tend to cure very quickly, but they also have the disadvantage of requiring you to be involved in the curing process, as you will need the UV light to directly hit the adhesive.

What Kinds of Superglues are There?

As we’ve seen from the examples above, there are many kinds of best glue for plastic eyeglass frames on the market. And although all of them can easily fix plastic glasses frames, they each have their own advantages and disadvantages that make them better for different situations. Below are a few of the most common kinds of super glues.

Cyanoacrylate super glue or CA glue is probably the most popular one, and is the one most people refer to when they say “super glue” or “Krazy Glue”. CA glue is known for being able to bond easily to various materials. This makes them the best choice for quick and easy repairs.

These glues could also be made in different viscosities— in other words, a faster or slower flow. This is great if you need glue to seep into hard-to-reach cracks or if you want to have more control when applying the glue to the glasses frames.

UV-curing super glue is a special kind of CA glue designed to only harden when exposed to UV light. Because of that, you can spread and move the glue around to where you need to without worrying about the glue drying immediately. This makes UV curing glue a great option for beginners who are just starting to figure out how to fix broken glasses bridge.

Polyurethane glue or PU glue is another kind of plastic adhesive made popular by brands such as Gorilla Glue. PU adhesives usually take longer to harden than the other types of glue we’ve covered here but cures with a strong elastic bond that is more resistant to snapping than CA glue.

Two-part epoxy is an adhesive that, as the name suggests, comes in two parts with separate containers. One container holds the adhesive resin, while the other holds a hardening chemical that starts the curing process when both parts are mixed together.

While this means that the gluing process has more steps, the resulting bond from using epoxy glue for glasses is much stronger than the other two types of glue mentioned.

How Do You Glue Plastic Eyeglass Frames?

Gluing plastic eyeglass frames can vary a little bit depending on the kind of glue you are using. However, they should still follow three general steps.

Preparing the parts to be glued is the first and most crucial step. This is because the strength of the bond depends on how clean the surfaces to be bonded are. Even the strongest super glue for glasses available can’t hold if the surfaces it sticks to are dirty. As such, you should take the time to clean each surface with alcohol and allow it to dry completely before applying your glue.

The next step is to apply the glue onto one of the broken parts of the glasses and join the pieces together. Depending on the kind of glue you use, you will need to hold the pieces together for anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. For some glues like UV curing resin and epoxy, you might want to use clamps or another person to help hold the pieces together for the next step.

The final step is curing or letting the glue fully dry and harden. UV curing glue is slightly different, as you will need the frame to be held in place while shining a UV light on the glue. Again, how long this takes depends on the adhesive you are using. Always make sure to read the labels, so you know the proper curing time for the best results.

What Materials Can Super Glues Bond?

One of the big reasons why superglue is one of the best glue for eyeglass frames is that they are very good at bonding different materials. Since superglues are also a kind of plastic, they are especially good for gluing plastic pieces together. But they are also very good at sticking to metal, wood, and glass, although how well they do this depends on the formulation of the superglue.

What are the Weaknesses of Superglues?

While super glue is the best and easiest option for plastic eyeglass frame repair, it still has some weaknesses.

One major example is that super glue joints have weak shear strength compared to their tensile strength. This means that super glue bonds can hold together when pulled apart but will break easily when snapped sideways. They are also weak to solvents such as alcohol and acetone.

For most kinds of glasses, these weaknesses are not a big issue. In my opinion, what is more important is that the instructions are followed correctly. As we’ve mentioned before, even the best glue for glasses frames won’t hold very well if the glasses aren’t properly cleaned before applying the glue. So if you follow the proper procedure for gluing your glasses frames back together, the adhesive will last for a very long time.

Can You Use Gorilla Glue on Glasses?

When most people talk about Gorilla Glue, they are usually referring to superglues in general. However, Gorilla Glue is a bit different from the typical superglue. Instead of cyanoacrylate or CA (which is what is usually marketed as “super glue”), Gorilla Glue is an adhesive that is based on polyurethane or PU.

Polyurethane adhesives like Gorilla Glue can be used for plastic frame glasses repair because they work on the same range of materials as cyanoacrylate and cheaper than CA glues. However, PU glues do take longer to cure than CA glues, so you will need to hold the frame pieces together for longer to get the same results.

Of course, Gorilla Glue is not just one product, but an entire brand with different kinds of glues, including a CA glue called Gorilla Super Glue. So when you are shopping for super glue for eyeglasses repair from the Gorilla Glue brand, make sure you are getting the Super Glue for a fast and easy repair.

Conclusion

Repairing glasses seems pretty straightforward at first glance. It’s just a matter of sticking glue to one side, holding the parts together, and letting it dry, right? Well, the answer is not quite so simple.

With so many different kinds of super glues on the market, you don’t just buy any glue for your glasses repair, thinking it will work. You might end up disappointed when you find out that the adhesive you bought isn’t actually formulated to work with the material of your glasses frames.

Hopefully, this list of the best glue for plastic eyeglass frames has shown you some great options for your repair, and I hope that your glasses will come out looking as good as new.

Alexander M. Thompson

Hi, I am Alexander, forty-seven years old this year. I have been in the construction industry for twenty-five years and have provided a wide range of services. When it comes to expert guidance on site safety gear, you can put your trust in me.