Many would consider Nerdwax, a wax-based product that helps eyewear stay on the patient’s nose, to be snake oil. After all, a well-dispensed frame should not need additional help remaining in place on the nose. Not all eyewear is dispensed perfectly, though. Most is not even dispensed, simply purchased.
It was with a little bit of scepticism that Optician initially greeted the product, but Tried & Tested is always open-minded.
The product comes in a tube similar in size to a lip salve. The beeswax-based blend of natural organic ingredients is applied directly to the bridge or nose pads and is meant to provide additional grip.
Optician tried the product on a few types of frame construction with different nose pad set-ups. On the acetate frame without nose pads, and what was a pretty good nose fit to start with, Nerdwax felt like it was of little use. On a frame with regular hard plastic nose pads, additional purchase was more noticeable, but it did not last for long and needed reapplication after about 30 minutes. Lastly we tried a sunglass with silicone nose pads embedded within the frame. No discernible difference was noticed – possibly a compatibility issue with the wax and the silicone.
After Optician’s informal testing, it is hard to recommend Nerdwax to optical practices, especially as it is the sort of product meant to sit on counter tops for secondary sales. In a consumer retail setting, the product probably has more merit as a result of quick-fix sunglass purchases.