Reading Glasses – Buyers Guide

Difficulty with reading can be one of the first signs that you need glasses for the first time. If you find yourself stretching your arms out with a book in order to read, you should visit your optician for an eye test.

Depending on your preference, you can choose from either a half eye frame which enables you to read but look over the top of the frame to see further away, or a full frame that has a larger area of vision.

Custom Prescription or Ready Readers?

There are a lot of cheap off the shelf “ready readers” available from your local pharmacy or supermarket that come in a variety of styles and colours.

The affordable nature of such specs enables you to have a number of different pairs, for example in the car, and in different rooms of the house.

While extremely affordable, ready readers are sold with equal, fixed strength lenses in the left and right lenses. Many people have a different prescription for each eye, so wearing reading glasses with a fixed strength may lead to headaches or eye strain.

Prescription Reading Glasses

Reading glasses made to your own unique prescription will offer a much more comfortable reading experience and should reduce the potential of developing headaches or eye strain.

When you go for an eye test, tell your optician that you want a prescription for reading glasses as this will differ slightly from a conventional prescription.

Computer Glasses

If you wish to use your glasses when using your computer, you may need a specific prescription. A computer generally sits further away than a book, so an intermediate prescription will be required.