You may benefit from a pair of reading glasses if you suffer from blurry vision or eyestrain while reading or doing other close work. But finding the right pair is more complex than picking up an inexpensive pair at the drugstore.
You’ll want to consider frame style, lens material, and magnification strength. This guide will help you find a comfortable, stylish pair that suits your needs.
Comfort
Reading glasses magnify the print on books and other materials, making it easier for your eyes to decipher and reducing eye strain. They work with paper books, digital screens, e-readers, and more. Reading glasses can also be a good option if you spend a lot of time at the computer and want to protect your eyes from blue light from digital screens.
The best reading glasses are lightweight, easy to adjust, and comfortable for extended periods. Whether you like a sophisticated black or gunmetal frame or something more colorful, the frames should fit your face shape and go with your style. Look for flexible temples, spring-loaded hinges, and shatter-resistant lenses and frames. The best reading glasses also feature a scratch-resistant coating to protect the lenses from damage and an anti-reflective coating to reduce glare.
Depending on your magnification strength, you may need to replace your readers every five years. You can test out different strengths at the optician’s office to determine what is right for you, and you can buy a pair of readers anywhere from drugstores to designer eyeglass brands. If you have insurance, optometrists can use your plan’s benefits to order prescription-only cti signages glasses.
Frame Style
Whether you’re just getting started with reading glasses or have been using them for years, it can be daunting to shop for new frames. There are so many combinations of frame shapes, lens types, and magnification powers that it can be challenging to know what to look for. The right pair of readers can make your eyes feel more comfortable and may help prevent eye strain.
An excellent place to start is looking at your face shape. For example, those with a heart-shaped face are defined by narrow cheekbones, wide jawlines, or a widow’s peak. In these cases, it is suggested to opt for rounded frames to soften the lines and angles of your face shape. Those with a triangle-shaped face, however, should look for frames that are bold and heavy on top to balance out their angular features. On the other hand, those with an oval or oblong face can go for any frame style, including rimless options and half-frame styles.
If you need help figuring out where to start, some online glasses retailers have directions for their customers that walk them through measuring their faces and finding the best frames for their face shapes.
Lenses
The lenses that make up your reading glasses aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. You’ll need them to read, but you also use your eyes for various other tasks, from looking at computer screens at work to chatting with people across the room. That’s why it’s essential to consider the quality of your lenses and the magnification you ssis 816 need.
Many online glasses retailers sell reading glasses at varying prices, from less than $12 to more than $50. To save money on high-quality readers, consider buying a pair from a company that offers a virtual try-on and returns on all joinpd.cpm orders.
Unlike prescription eyeglasses, over-the-counter reading glasses aren’t rated in terms of lens power—instead, they’re labeled by text strength. The easiest way to determine your lens strength is to print out the Foster Grant diopter test, hang it up 14 inches from your face, and then read each line of text, starting with the smallest and going down in size until you find a text that you can’t see clearly without reading glasses. That’s the reading glasses strength you need.
Some reading glasses brands offer a bundled set with several pairs of lenses of varying strengths. These are a great option if you need to find your current readers or want to have extras around for different occasions. However, it’s worth noting that many of these bundled sets include lens options you may not need or want, such as a scratch-resistant coating and blue light-blocking lenses.
Magnification
The magnification of a reading lens is one of the most critical aspects of finding the right glasses for your vision needs. The higher the magnification of the lenses, the closer your eyes can comfortably focus at a distance. It allows you to read, write, use the computer, and do other tasks without putting unnecessary strain on your eyes.
When selecting reading glasses at the store, gauging the exact magnification you need from the display can be challenging. Finding an eye doctor, printing a diopter chart online, and testing your vision at home is best. Hold the chart about 14 inches away from your face and read through the lines until you see a line that is difficult to read clearly, then note the number of diopters (or magnification) needed to make it appear straightforward.
Most prescription glasses, including over-the-counter readers, are set with a specific magnification. However, it is still a good idea to test bifocal-style reading glasses at the store or online to get an idea of what magnification you need. Bifocal lenses contain unmagnified portions of the lens on both sides, allowing you to transition from close-up to distant vision quickly when necessary. They come in various frames, from playful patterns to classic tortoise metal.
