Best Reading Glasses

Reading glasses are usually associated with middle aged people: there is a condition called presbyopia (literally, “old-man vision problem”). The lens of the eye loses it flexibility, and has a harder time focusing properly on reading material. So, if you start to have difficulty distinguishing between certain letters when reading, reading glasses may be in order. Also, if you see that you have to hold something further away to see it better, consider getting reading glasses, for better comfort and less eye strain. There are a wide variety of mild prescriptions that you can buy on-line, while more serious conditions might require an optometrist or ophthalmologist. But there also are a wide variety of frames and styles. Here is a guide to some of the types of reading glasses on the market.

• Typical reading glasses: These are standard eyeglasses for farsightedness. The frame can be

  • Full-frame, which surrounds the lens from all sides.

  • Half-frame, where the frame supports the lens only on the top or bottom. The half without the frame allows you to see without any obstruction.

  • Rimless, where the earpieces are attached to the lenses themselves, and there is essentially no frame. This allows for an even greater field of vision.

• A folding frame is where the earpieces are jointed so that the eyeglasses can be folded and put in your pocket or a small case.

• Flexible frame is where the frame is made from a bending and pliable plastic frame when it is expected that the glasses will get some abuse.

• Reading glasses with lights: These are glasses provided with LEDs that illuminate what you're focusing on if the room lighting is inadequate.

• Sun readers: These serve to magnify and provide UV protection. These are used for outdoor activities, like fly fishing or gardening. There are also sunglasses that fit over or flip-down on top of a person's glasses.

• Bifocal reading glasses: In bifocals, each lens has an upper and lower half, each with a different prescription: the upper half is for distance, whereas the lower half is for reading details up close.

• Computer reading glasses: These are glasses that have been developed for viewing a computer screen. A computer screen is positioned more than 20 inches away from the user, which is farther away than a book or newspaper, but closer than, say, a blackboard or street sign. So there are special glasses made for reading at such a distance. They also try to reduce the glare from the computer screen. There are also bifocal computer glasses, where the upper half is for computer use, and the lower half is for close reading.

Based on all the consumers' reviews we've scanned, these are the top things they mentioned about their new stuff:

• Having several pairs: If you don't require a strong prescription, it's worthwhile getting several pairs of eyeglasses. You can keep one pair in the kitchen, one in the living room, and another in the bedroom. This will spare you the frustration of being without your reading glasses—or having forgot where you used them the last time.

• Even on top of contact lenses: Even people with contact lenses might find themselves in need of some assistance when reading small print. So an inexpensive pair of reading glasses are a good investment, for those emergency situations.

• Cleaning the glasses: There are special silicone-treated cloths that are for cleaning eyeglass lenses. They reduce the risk of scratching the lens. There are also spray cleaners especially for eyeglasses.

• Magnification: Reading glasses prescriptions will be in increments of 0.25 diopters. A “+” sign indicates that the glasses are for farsightedness. (A “-” sign indicates nearsightedness—which can also be corrected with reading glasses.) So you can see +1.00, +1.25, +1.50, etc. If you have two prescriptions that are suitable, try getting along with the lower number. Otherwise, your eyes will become dependent on the stronger prescription.

• Diopters: The optical power of a lens is measured in diopters. One diopter is the reciprocal of the focal length of a lens. (The focal length is the distance at which a lens focuses an image.) The relaxed human eye sees at about 60 diopters. The lens and cornea of the eye can contribute to the make up those 60 diopters. When a person is young, the eye still can correct significantly, according to what they want to view. But, when the lens loses its flexibility due to age, or the muscles of the eye lose ability to focus, the eye loses some of those diopters. That's when you need corrective lenses.

• Tell-tale signs of needing reading glasses: There are a number of indicators that show that you need reading glasses:

  • If you see that you have trouble reading a book or newspaper when you hold it more than 10-12 inches away,

  • If you have difficulty in typical tasks, like threading a needle, or seeing the food on your plate,

  • If you suffer from eye strain or headaches.

Gamma Ray Optics—make eyeglasses against fatigue from heavy computer use, as well as reading glasses with mild levels of magnification.

Vision World Eyewear—are makers of a wide selection of non-prescription glasses. They make sunglasses, reading glasses, fashion glasses, and more.