How to measure pupillary height at home? Simple step-by-step guide
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What is pupillary height?
Pupillary height (also called fitting height or segment height) is a measurement used when making progressive lenses. It shows how high your pupil is positioned in relation to the bottom edge of the lens in the specific frame you are using.
This measurement is crucial for the lenses to be correct. Without correct pupillary height, it is not possible to center the progressive zones – distance, intermediate, and near zones – in the right place. Otherwise, the lenses may feel off or uncomfortable from the start.
Pupillary height is measured for each eye individually and differs from pupillary distance (PD), which shows how far apart the eyes are horizontally. To manufacture progressive lenses that work optimally, both pupillary distance and pupillary height are required.
Method 1: Mark the pupil directly on the lens (recommended)

You will need: a permanent marker. Optionally, some rubbing alcohol.
- Put on your glasses and make sure they sit comfortably on your nose. Stand straight and look straight ahead.
- Ask someone else to stand in front of you and mark a dot on the lens where the center of your pupil is visible.
- If the dot is in the wrong place – gently remove it with a little rubbing alcohol and repeat.
This is the same method opticians often use. When we receive your frames, we can measure the pupillary height directly from the markings.
Method 2: Measure pupillary height in a mirror with a ruler
You will need: a mirror and a ruler.
- Stand about 20 cm from the mirror with your frames on. Look straight ahead.
- Hold the ruler vertically against the front of the lens and place zero at the bottom edge of the frame opening (the lowest point of the frame opening).
- Read the millimeter line that is level with the center of your pupil. Repeat and note the value for each eye.
How to provide pupillary height to Swopti
- Do you have the measurement on your prescription? Enter it when you upload your prescription or enter your prescription values.
- Have you marked the lenses? Then you don't need to enter the pupillary height – we will measure it ourselves from the marking.
- Have you measured with a ruler? Enter the value in mm per eye (e.g., Right = 17 mm, Left = 18 mm) in the message field before adding to the cart.