Written from firsthand experience with a deviated septum and checked against clinical sources. We make Ventriq Nasal Strips, so we are always upfront that a strip relieves symptoms rather than fixing the structural problem. Read our methodology or our editorial policy.
Our number one pick for glasses wearers: the Ventriq Sleep Nasal Strips. Your glasses come off when the light goes out, so a night strip never has to share your nose with a pair of nose pads.
Yes, you can wear nasal strips with glasses, and for sleep it is barely an issue, because your glasses are on the bedside table while the strip does its work. The only real clash happens during the day or while you read in bed, when the nose pads or bridge of your frames sit on the same patch of skin as the top edge of the strip. Place the strip low, just above the flare of the nostrils, and most frames rest above it without pressing on it. If you need to breathe better while wearing glasses all day, an internal dilator is often the more practical choice, and I will say so plainly below. For nights, our number one pick is Ventriq Sleep, the strip I make and the one I wear.
Where Glasses and Nasal Strips Actually Meet
A nasal strip works on the nasal valve, the narrowest point of your airway, about one to two centimetres inside the nostril. The pads stick to the soft outer wall of each nostril and the spring band inside tries to flatten out, which lifts that wall and widens the opening. All of that happens on the lower third of the nose.
Glasses sit higher. Frames with adjustable nose pads rest on either side of the bony bridge, and plastic frames with a moulded bridge rest across the top of it. On most faces there is a gap between where the frames land and where a correctly placed strip sits. Problems only start in a few situations:
- The strip is placed too high. Put it up on the bony bridge and it does very little for your breathing anyway, because the bone does not move. It also sits exactly where your nose pads want to go.
- Your glasses sit low on the nose. Heavy lenses, loose frames or a low bridge on the frame let glasses slide down until the pads press on the top of the strip. That pressure can lift the edge of the adhesive.
- You wear glasses for hours with the strip on. Constant pressure from nose pads on adhesive gets uncomfortable, and pushing your frames back up all day rubs the strip.
- Sport glasses and goggles. Wraparound sunglasses, cycling glasses and ski goggles often have a deeper nose bridge that comes further down the nose than everyday frames.
Why I Wrote This One
I came to nasal strips through my own nose, not through glasses. I played rugby for more than ten years and took enough knocks to the face that my nose was probably broken more than once. An ENT specialist referred me to a Consultant Otolaryngologist at a private hospital in Dublin, who recommended septorhinoplasty for my deviated septum. I put it off so I could keep playing, and I built Ventriq as a drug free way to get my nights back.
One thing I learned while reading up on that surgery is how much the bridge of the nose matters to glasses wearers. Surgeons commonly tell rhinoplasty patients to keep glasses off the nose for several weeks while it heals. That made me think harder about anyone who has frames sitting on their nose every waking hour, and about where a strip needs to sit so the two do not fight. If a deviated septum is part of your picture, our guide to the best nasal strips for a deviated septum covers that properly.
The Best Nasal Strips for Glasses Wearers, Ranked
1. Ventriq Sleep Nasal Strips: our number one pick
Ventriq Sleep is the one I make and the one I use. For glasses wearers it makes sense because of when you wear it. Glasses off, strip on, lights out. The band gives a steady lift at the nasal valve and the adhesive is gentle enough for nightly use and built to hold through a full night of turning on the pillow. If you like to read in bed with your glasses on, put the strip on low and your frames will usually rest above it for that last chapter. It comes in one size. Thirty strips cost EUR 20, about EUR 0.67 a night, and there is no medication in it.
2. Breathe Right Extra Strength
Breathe Right is the strip most people have already tried, and the Extra Strength version is a decent strip with a firmer band than the Original. You can pick it up in almost any pharmacy in Ireland or the UK. The same placement rule applies: keep it low on the nose, below your nose pads. If you are weighing the two, our Ventriq vs Breathe Right comparison goes through the differences.
3. Internal dilators such as Mute or AIRMAX: best for daytime with glasses
I will be straight about this one. If you want help breathing through your nose during the day, at your desk or while driving, and you wear glasses the whole time, an internal dilator is often the better tool. Mute and AIRMAX sit inside the nostrils, so nothing touches the outside of your nose where frames rest, and nobody can see them. Both come in more than one size. The trade off is comfort: something inside the nostril takes getting used to and some people never settle with it. Our piece on internal vs external nasal dilators lays out both sides fairly.
4. Ventriq Sport for training in sport glasses
If you train in cycling glasses or running sunglasses, Ventriq Sport has a firmer band and an adhesive built to hold through sweat. Check how far down the nose your sport frames sit before your first session. Most wraparound frames rest on the bridge and clear a low strip, but a deep nose piece can press on the top edge. Goggles for swimming and skiing are their own story, so check the relevant post in our sport series before relying on a strip under them.
| Option | Contact with your frames | When it suits a glasses wearer | Visible? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ventriq Sleep | None at night, minimal if placed low | Sleep and reading in bed | Yes |
| Breathe Right Extra Strength | Minimal if placed low | Sleep, easy pharmacy pickup | Yes |
| Mute or AIRMAX internal dilator | None | All day wear with glasses on | No |
| Ventriq Sport | Depends on how low sport frames sit | Training in sport glasses | Yes |
How to Wear a Nasal Strip With Glasses
- Find the right spot first. Run a finger down your nose until the hard bone gives way to soft, flexible tissue. The strip belongs just below that point, above the flare of the nostrils.
- Put your glasses on after the strip. Check in a mirror that the nose pads land above the top edge of the strip rather than on it.
- Get loose frames adjusted. If your glasses keep sliding down onto the strip, an optician can tighten the arms or adjust the pads in a couple of minutes. That fixes the clash and the constant pushing up.
- Clean and dry the skin. Nose pads leave oil behind, and so does moisturiser. Wash the nose and dry it fully before you apply the strip.
- Take the glasses off before you sleep. Obvious, but falling asleep reading with frames on is the one way a pair of glasses will push a strip loose overnight.
Not sure which strip suits the shape of your nose? Read how to choose the right nasal strip for your nose shape.
What a Strip Will and Will Not Do
A strip widens the nasal valve while you wear it. That can mean easier breathing through your nose, less mouth breathing and, for plenty of people, quieter nights. It does not straighten a deviated septum, shrink swollen turbinates or settle the mucosal swelling that comes with a cold, and wearing glasses has no bearing on any of that. If you snore heavily, stop breathing in your sleep or wake up shattered, see your GP. For the snoring side, read the best nasal strips for snoring, and for nights in general, the best nasal strips for sleeping.
The Bottom Line
Glasses and nasal strips sit on different parts of the nose, so for sleep they never really meet. Ventriq Sleep is our number one pick because it does its job after your frames are off. Place any strip low, below your nose pads, and reading in bed is fine too. If what you want is easier nose breathing all day with your glasses on, an internal dilator is the honest recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you wear nasal strips with glasses?
Yes. A nasal strip sits on the lower, soft part of the nose and most glasses rest higher up on the bony bridge. Place the strip just above the flare of the nostrils and your frames will usually sit above it without pressing on it.
Will my glasses make a nasal strip fall off?
Only if the nose pads press on the top edge of the strip. That happens when the strip is placed too high or the glasses slide down the nose. Place the strip lower and have an optician tighten loose frames.
What is the best nasal dilator to wear with glasses during the day?
For all day wear with glasses on, an internal dilator such as Mute or AIRMAX is often more practical, because it sits inside the nostrils and nothing touches the outside of the nose. For sleep, an external strip like Ventriq Sleep is our pick, since your glasses are off.
Can I read in bed with glasses and a nasal strip on?
Yes, as long as the strip is placed low. Check in a mirror that your nose pads land above the strip. Take your glasses off before you fall asleep so they cannot push the strip loose overnight.
Do nasal strips work with sports glasses?
Usually. Most cycling and running glasses rest on the bridge and clear a strip placed low on the nose. Some wraparound frames with a deep nose piece sit lower, so try them together before a race or match.
Do nasal strips fix a deviated septum?
No. A strip opens the nasal valve while you wear it, which can make breathing through your nose easier, but it does not change the structure of the septum. An ENT specialist can tell you whether surgery such as septoplasty is worth considering.
Wearing glasses is no reason to put up with a blocked nose at night. Try Ventriq Sleep Nasal Strips, place them low on the nose and see how your first night goes.
