What are reading glasses?
Reading glasses are just a fact of life. As we get older, our sight gets worse and we need to start wearing reading glasses to be able to see objects close-up. It gets tiring after a while to have to keep moving a book around to read them clearly. The common term for this deterioration of our eyesight is Presbyopia and reading glasses help to treat this. The term reading glasses conjures up all sorts of images ranging from Deirdre Barlow’s huge bug-eyes on Coronation Street to those cheap glasses you can pick up on any high-street. There are however a lot more options out there.
Do I need reading glasses?
The best answer to this question is to visit your optician and get an eye test. If you’re having trouble reading things then maybe it’s time for a checkup, especially if you’re over 40 as this is when you typically develop Presbyopia. However any change in your eyesight is always worth a trip to the opticians just to make sure that it’s nothing more serious. They’ll be able to tell you exactly what’s up and what you need to have clear vision. Plus they can give you the important figures required when buying reading glasses.
When buying your reading glasses, there’s a lot of different options. Gone are the days of huge lenses that magnify your eyes or even the need to purchase bifocals, the glasses that have a line in the middle. The 90’s brought about the age of disposable reading glasses. The ones that can be purchased in a number of high-street stores in a variety of different prescriptions. Since then we have however discovered that these glasses can do more harm than good.
It’s very rare that people have the same prescriptive needs for both eyes plus the point of correction varies massively for different people (the average pupillary distance can range from 40mm-60mm). Plus, people seem to think that as soon as they can’t see through one pair, they should just go out and buy another stronger pair, forgoing the opticians and self prescribing instead. All of this can have serious repercussions on your vision. Some better options are listed below:
Bifocal reading glasses
Bifocal lenses have been around since the 1800’s and were a favourite of American hero Ben Franklin. There’s no wonder that the lenses are considered outdated. Bifocal lenses correct your vision for both distance and close up work and the two different areas are separated by a line. They’re a great option for convenience as you don’t have to carry two pairs of glasses around. As much as they may be old fashioned, the world seems to be going crazy for anything retro and I can imagine the quirky types picking these lenses for that ‘individual’ look, so hey, who knows, maybe it will catch on in a year or so.
Progressive reading glasses
If you’re not quite ready to take the Hipster plunge, then Progressive lenses are really the best option for you. Progressive lenses do the same thing as bifocals but don’t have a line and look just like normal glasses. Another added benefit is that the lenses can correct vision for two or more distances so can be used for reading, using computers and seeing things that are further away.
Designer Reading Glasses
All of the above is the options you have of lenses, which may sound boring but is quite essential when buying reading glasses. But now you’re thinking all of this is going to have a serious impact on that flawless office look you’ve put together. Thankfully these lenses are quite easily fit in a whole range of various designer frames. At SmartBuyGlasses you just have to pick the frames you want and purchase with prescription and a whole range of stylish frames can become your reading glasses. We’ve put together a few of our favourite styles below to help you keep on looking stylish anytime you need to read.
