Which Type of Reading Glasses Are Right For You?

Do I need Reading Glasses?

Over the span of our lifetime, our visual clarity can change a lot. As you get older, even if you have had perfect vision your whole life, you may notice that you have trouble focusing on objects that are close-up. But not to worry, as this is just a part of the natural aging process. 

In fact, you can do a simple test by holding a newspaper in front of you. If you cannot make out the print until your arms are completely outstretched, then this is a sign that you may have presbyopia, which is blurred vision as a result of a loss of elasticity in the eye’s lens. Fortunately, presbyopia can be fixed easily with the right pair of reading glasses.

What are Reading Glasses?

There are several types of reading glasses to choose from and they all address the problem of being unable to focus on materials that are close to you. If you spend a lot of time concentrating on printed words or on a computer screen, then you may want to consider investing in a pair of single-vision reading glasses.

There are two main types of reading glasses: Full-Eye frames and Half-Eye frames. In full framed glasses, the entire lens is a prescription lens and the frames sit close to the eye, so if you were to look into the distance wearing these glasses, everything would appear blurry. Meanwhile, in half-eye frames the lenses are much smaller and sit further down the nose, allowing the wearer to look both at material close up, and also look up and over the lenses into the distance.

Single Vision Lenses

While it is easy to get a hold of single-vision lenses both online and over-the-counter, we advise that if you think you need reading glasses, you should first confirm this by getting your eyes tested.

Presbyopia differs in severity for each person, and as a result, lenses are available for several levels of magnification. Most people fall into the category between +1.00 and +3.00, but even within this range, choosing the wrong magnification level might result in blurred vision and may feel uncomfortable to your eyes. Therefore, it is important that you choose the appropriate lens type when purchasing your glasses. 

Multi-focal Lenses

While single-vision lenses will improve your presbyopia symptoms, for those who have more complex vision problems, you may need to consider other types of advanced lenses. One example being if you develop presbyopia in addition to pre-existing nearsightedness. 

Previously, people used bifocal and multifocal lenses to correct multiple visual correction problems all at once. However, these lens types were considered not to be aesthetically appealing because there were obvious lines and texture differences separating the varied prescription powers on the lenses.

Progressive lenses

Recently, progressive lenses have become the most popular multifocal lens type. Rather than featuring segments, often divided by visible lines, progressive lenses feature a gradient of increasing lens power which the eye naturally adjusts to, meaning that you can seamlessly transition between different prescription powers. This is great if you want one pair of glasses to fix both your presbyopia, nearsightedness, farsightedness or any other visual problems all in one lens. 

In addition, the lack of visible lines or segments means that progressive lenses are considered by most eyewear consumers to be more convenient and offer a more attractive aesthetic appeal, compared to the traditional segmented multifocal lenses. 

Check out our guide for more information on reading glasses and the types of glasses we offer.