Finding the Best Reader Sunglasses: How to Pick Your Perfect Pair

Reader sunglasses are here to save your sunny days. We suppose you could say they’re the superheroes of eyewear. Except instead of a flowing cape and sexy little Spandex suit, it prefers to use tinted lenses to shield your eyes from harmful UV rays. eyebobs reader sunglasses use an anti-reflective coating on the backside of tinted, magnified frames — letting you get lost Where the Crawdads Sing, see bulls fight bears in the Wall Street Journal, or play a hot game of Wordle! So you can say goodbye to squinting or searching for shady spots for good. With the best reader sunglasses, you can see a brighter future without sacrificing precious reading time.

If you’re tired of switching between your readers and your sunglasses, we don’t blame you. That is, if you can even find your sunglasses after searching all over the house — they’re in your car. We know this frustration all too well. That’s why we created our full lens reader sunglasses. Full lens reader sunglasses have the same magnification power across the entire lens, making them ideal for prolonged reading sessions in the great outdoors (or your backyard). The best part? They come in the same oh-you-wish-you-were-as-cool-as-me styles you love from yours truly, but with a fully tinted lens featuring your reader strength. Every pair also comes with 100% UV-protection so you can keep your eyes safe while still looking definitively dangerous.

Your reader sunglasses don’t have to be used for the sole purpose of browsing books, though they certainly will help you keep half an eye on your niece and nephew playing in the yard while you recline on the patio with the latest Home & Gardens. Consider them a catch-all for any up-close outdoor activities. Squinting too hard at your golf score card? Reader sunglasses will put the focus back on your killer short game – literally. Considering layering your readers over your shades to peruse your beach read? Reader sunglasses will eliminate the need for this uncomfortable – and extremely unfashionable – arrangement. They’ll also help you hunt for treasures from the deep along the shoreline with your niece, at least until your back starts protesting. We’ve yet to develop a pair of reader sunglasses that eases sore joints, but we’ll let you know when we do. 

There is one thing your reader sunglasses can’t help with, and that’s operating multi-ton vehicles. We’re not here to tell you what to do, but wearing full-lens reading glasses while driving is a no-no if you want to see the road ahead of you clearly, as we’d imagine most do. Your reading prescription is specific to your close-up vision and will make seeing across distances an arduous task. Simply skip the sunnies imbued with your reader strength when piloting cars, semi-trucks, luxury yachts, hang gliders … you get the idea. Your new shades may be spectacular, but not so much that they can save you from a traffic violation.

We all have our favorites — be it TV show, drink, or child. But at eyebobs, we love all our frames equally. That’s why we made almost every single one of them available in sunglass form. It’s no longer a matter of what frames are available, but what type of lens will work best for your eyesight needs. We’re here to help. Let’s take a closer look. That’s a magnification joke for those of you following along at home.

Ever sit there and do that blinking thing, waiting for our eyes to adjust to focus more clearly on what we’re reading — but then they never do? Yeah, that’s fun. Hate to say it, but those glory days of perfect eyesight are long gone for a lot of us. But fortunately for you, you’re in a fantastic club.

If you’re new to this near-sighted game or are just tired of settling for those poorly designed cheapy readers off the spinny rack at your local drugstore, you’re in luck … because we have a plethora of reading glass options to celebrate this momentous occasion. All you need to know is what magnification power is necessary to turn that tiny fuzzy type into crystal clear communication. But to do that, you must pass the truest test — our reader strength test. Don’t worry, it’s easy. And no, the top letter isn’t E.

Our reader strength test will help you quickly see the intensity of magnification you’ll need in your reader sunglasses, ranging from +1.00 to +4.00 — the higher the number, the more magnification you require. Lucky you. Pick the wrong magnification and you could start to experience blurry text, headaches, and eyestrain. What a pain! You could go to an optometrist to determine your correct magnification number, but we already have everything you need right here. The best part? There’s no failing this test.

With your strength test score in mind, think about your lifestyle and what type of lens you need to support it. Do you find yourself needing glasses to just read what’s in front of you? Full lens reader sunglasses might be best for you. Do you switch between indoors and outdoors quite a bit, with no time to switch out your reading glasses? Perhaps transition lenses are right for you. Once you know that, the fun really begins. Pick that fancy frame you and that perfect face of yours have always desired.

You don’t want to be one of those people who picks the wrong style frame for your melon. Could you imagine?! While you see yourself in the mirror every day, you might not know what you’re working with. We invite you to read our face shape blog to determine yours.   

With that out of the way, let’s find those spectacular specs that will have you struttin’ your stuff. For reader sunglasses, we’re talking round, square, rectangle, oval, cat eye, and geometric. But what’s the difference between them all? Nothing but style, baby.

Oddly enough, round glasses come in more styles than just circles. Check out Wisecracker, TV Party, and Waylaid and see for yourself. Square frames like C Suite, Humble Narrator, and Fare n Square create a sharp, classic shape that’s boldly chic. Rectangle frames like our Peckerhead, Old Sport, and Bob Frapples stand out from boardroom to boardwalk. Want that “my great grandpa was a railroad tycoon” look? Our Old Money oval frame is a sure bet. For that vintage sock hop look, the Overlook cat eye frame will have everyone saying me-wowzers! If you dare to be different, our geometric frames Elgnairt, Space Opera, and Tough Nut will support your wild ways.

If you’re looking to get into the reader sunglass game, start off on the right foot — or rather, frames. For proven winners, look to Clearly, Kvetcher, or On Board. Or, see all our best sellers.

Make the most of your summer — every sunny day. With our men's and women's prescription sunglasses, you’ll never skimp on style. Just determine your magnification, choose the lens type, select your frames, and go show off all season long. You little hottie, you.