The Best Reading Glasses:
How to Find Your Perfect Pair

The 6 Trendiest Sunglasses Having Their Day in the Sun in 2023

If you have no problem reading the room but are struggling to read the Sunday crossword clues, it’s probably high time for you to enter the wide and wonderful world of reading glasses. Welcome! It’s bigger than it looks. We know considerations from strength to quality to comfort can feel a tad overwhelming at first sight, so we’re here to guide your wandering eyes. Go ahead and follow us down the rabbit hole to find a whole new world through the looking glass – one you can actually see. If you’re new to near-sightedness (or an old hat looking to brush up on their lore), consider this your one-stop-shop to finding a pair of readers that will take up permanent residence in your good books.

If you have no problem reading the room but are struggling to read the Sunday crossword clues, it’s probably high time for you to enter the wide and wonderful world of reading glasses. Welcome! It’s bigger than it looks. We know considerations from strength to quality to comfort can feel a tad overwhelming at first sight, so we’re here to guide your wandering eyes. Go ahead and follow us down the rabbit hole to find a whole new world through the looking glass – one you can actually see. If you’re new to near-sightedness (or an old hat looking to brush up on their lore), consider this your one-stop-shop to finding a pair of readers that will take up permanent residence in your good books.

The First Step: Finding the Right Strength

The First Step: Finding the Right Strength

As any bodybuilder or life coach worth their salt will tell you, the key to success lies in knowing your strength. This holds true for reading glasses, too. In their case, strength means the amount of magnification you need in your lenses to better allow you to focus on up-close activities, like reading the wine list or writing Whitman-worthy prose in your Notes app.

 

We measure strength in diopters, units of measurement from +1.00 to +4.00 that tell you how strong the magnification in your lenses are. Generally speaking, if in-front-of-your-face things are just looking a tad hazy, you probably only need +1.00 strength glasses. If you’re squinting and sweating trying to read the takeout menu and it still looks like Greek to you, you might be closer to a +4.00.

 

Take a peek at our cheaters cheat sheet to level up your knowledge and impress your friends by using words like “presbyopia.” (Spoiler alert: it’s the common condition behind the need for readers).

How to Test Your Vision for Readers, DIY Style

How to Test Your Vision for Readers, DIY Style

Okay, so how do I actually go about finding my reader strength, you might ask? Well, you probably recall the ubiquitous eye test poster in most optometrists’ and doctors’ offices that helps pinpoint your prescription. We have something similar to help you find your reader strength, and the best part is you don’t have to schedule a doctor’s visit to do it. All you need is a printer and your eyeballs, and you’re well on your way to easy reading.

What to Look for in a Pair of First-Rate Readers

What to Look for in a Pair of First-Rate Readers

Especially if you’re in the market for your first pair of readers, finding your perfect pair can give you flashbacks to dating in your 20s and 30s. There are just so many things to look out for, and they pretty much all come down to your personal preferences. Above all, though, quality matters.

Unsure Which Frame is Best for You?

Take our style quiz to find out which reading glasses are your best fit.

Style Quiz

Comfortable Reading Glasses are Key

Comfortable Reading Glasses are Key

We’re all for leaving your comfort zone, but when it comes to the fit of your readers, that’s precisely where you want to be. Readers that slide down your nose or squeeze your temples aren’t exactly easy on the eyes. Depending on your face shape and personal preferences, some frame types and bridge styles will be comfier than others.

First thing’s first: make sure to choose readers that match up with your head size. For the 411 on determining your face’s width, check out our Fit Guide. Once you have that, you can start nailing down the features that make your frames feel the most comfortable to you.

One thing that can determine whether or not your frames are soulmate material is their literal material. We offer acetate and metal frames, and these two options have some key differences in look and feel. Acetate is a higher-quality and thicker material compared to plastic, which makes it easier to incorporate groovy patterns and eye-catching colors into the frame. If boldness is your numero uno goal, acetate frames may be for you. We use luxury, Italian-designed acetate – only the best for you, our fearless readers. On the other hand, metal frames can often be lighter weight and are super strong, so they might be a good match for anyone who prefers a barely-there feel or is a bit tougher on their glasses. We use stainless steel, which is far more metal than other metals. You heard it here first, folks.

The bridge, or part of the frame that sits on your nose, is another consideration. Some people prefer adjustable nose pads for maximum comfiness, since the frame can be adjusted to fit your nose flawlessly. Others find that nose pads aggravate the pressure points on the sides of their schnozzes, and might prefer a molded nose bridge that distributes the weight of your frame evenly. Our frames have two types of bridges: a keyhole bridge is shaped like an old-fashioned keyhole and, since it rests on the sides of the upper part of the nose, is best for those with small or flat-topped noses. A saddle bridge is also shaped just like it sounds, and distributes the weight of the frame across the sides and top of the nose, meaning it might suit those with sensitive schnozzes a bit better.

Durability: Another Must-Have Feature in a Great Pair of Readers

Durability: Another Must-Have Feature in a Great Pair of Readers

As any veteran of the Rite-Aid vision aisle can tell you, drugstore readers tend to be cheap in more ways than one. Sure, they’re inexpensive, but they tend to come apart after a few months to a year, and certainly won’t last as long as a well-made, high-quality pair like those we offer. We use premium, Italian-designed acetate that feels sturdy and expensive (without actually being pricey). An added bonus is that it looks just as good as it feels, and gives us room to really go all out with color and patterns. Our frames also use flexible spring hinges that keep your frames from stretching and bending at the temples as dramatically as glasses that don’t have them. We’ll pause for applause now.

Mighty Lenses: Scratch-Resistance

Mighty Lenses: Scratch-Resistance

If you’re someone who likes to whip their glasses off mid-plot-twist for dramatic effect, you’ll be pleased to know that all of our readers are scratch-resistant. We make our reader lenses with the highly hardy CR-39 material and a scratch-resistant and smudge-proof coating, meaning you can indulge your bibliophilic tendencies without fear of small children, pets, or general klutziness damaging your readers.

Finding the Best Small Reading Glasses

Finding the Best Small Reading Glasses

For those with petite noggins, finding readers that fit can be a struggle. They can be of no help if they can’t stay on your face, right? Luckily for near-sighted folks with compact craniums, we have a range of readers made just for you. When swiping on a new pair of specs, make sure you filter your search to only show narrow-sized frames. Say hello to our little friends!

Our Best Reading Glasses:
5 Favorites from eyebobs

Our Best Reading Glasses:
5 Favorites from eyebobs

Still not quite sure where to start? Never fear, dear reader. We’ve put together a few of our personal favorites to get you started on your journey towards unrivaled up-close vision.

Still not quite sure where to start? Never fear, dear reader. We’ve put together a few of our personal favorites to get you started on your journey towards unrivaled up-close vision.

Waylaid

These circular frames really get around – they’re longtime best-sellers, and it’s not tough to see why. With sizes in average and wide, this timeless yet trendy frame answers the question, “what would happen if a round frame and a square frame got together?” With more than 10 stunning hues to choose from, it’s no wonder these frames have a reputation for sparking conversation.

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Case Closed

You may end up halting your investigation into your ideal readers after this pair becomes a frame of interest. This classic round pair comes in 10+ colors, has sizes in average and wide, and features a classic saddle bridge. It’s both highly wearable and highly fashionable, meaning you’ll be dying to whip these babies out no matter the occasion.

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Board Stiff

Another round? Yes, please. With its keyhole bridge and wide range of off-the-wall colors, this circular frame is brimming with quirky charm. It comes in narrow and wide sizes to suit craniums on both ends of the spectrum, and can be worn high or low on the nose. If adaptability is the name of your game, Board Stiff might just be The One.

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Biff

It’s hip to be square, dear reader. As readers, our Biff frames are real showstoppers, with a handful of kooky colors and sizes in both narrow and wide. This classic square with semi-thick acetate certainly creates an “all eyes on you” situation, and is highly likely to become your go-to style staple.

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Boardroom

Here’s another classic square frame, this time with thinner acetate and a keyhole bridge for those who might prefer a skinnier or lighter-weight frame. Boardroom is a vision in versatility, with a wide range of eye-catching colors and an uber-unisex style. When these frames come out, everyone in the room will know you mean business. Funny business, that is.

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You shouldn’t believe everything you read, especially if it’s an email from a Nigerian prince, but you should certainly be able to see everything you read. And, once you find a pair of readers that look and feel like they were made just for you, you really want them to stick around.

Now that you know what to keep an eye out for, go ahead and put those peepers to work. We wish you the best of luck as you seek out your forever pair, and remember, our style quiz can help you with matchmaking if you come down with a case of choice paralysis. Now go forth and read!