How and why to choose reading glasses power

[masraum]

I've looked at several sites on the Internet, and pretty much all of them have you choose the lowest power that allows you to read a given text.

OK, but why. If +1.00 is good, why wouldn't +1.50 be better?

Is the theory that the glasses are a crutch and using the crutch allows your eyes to get lazy and therefore worse, needing stronger and stronger glasses sooner?

Or is there some other reason?

Yeah, I think I'm finally to that point.

[red-beard]

Steve,

I use two sets.

1.0 for the computer, because the screen is farther away, 18-24"

1.5 for reading, because I have the book or tablet about 12" from my face.

And if I'm trying to read the fine print on the back of something, I put the 1.0's over the 1.5's!!!

[stomachmonkey]

I have several pair in every room of the house. They are dirt cheap so buy them in 3 packs.

James is correct, different strengths for different uses.

Really they are not much more than a magnifying glass which as you know you adjust the distance depending on the situation.

As far as making your eyes lazy resulting in more deterioration, that's a wive's tale.

It's called Presbyopia. It's your lens becoming stiffer and has nothing to do with the eyes muscles.

Happens to everyone eventually. Fact of life you just have to deal with.

[red-beard]

Myself and my mother are the only ones in the family not needing glasses. In 2011, I started getting headaches. I also was not able to read the tiny tiny print on an iPhone, which had never been an issue (just move it closer). Research on the net showed that I probably had Presbyopia. I printed out the little page.

Print this out: https://www.aclens.com/global/lensimages/pdf/reading-strength.pdf

Use it at various distances for common tasks. You will see which strength for what application.

And Stomachmonkey is corret. Buy the big packs for cheap on Amazon and spread them around the house, car, office, etc. Buy extras, cause the cheap ones break...

[Evans, Marv]

At 43 I noticed some difficulties & went to an optometrist. When I asked why, he said because I was 43. I buy the 3 packs from Costco for $17/$18 and use three strengths. 1.25 for computer & similar, 2.00/2.75 for fairly small print, & as strong as I can get for miniscule print. Oddly enough, if I concentrate, I can focus but can't hold it for too long.

[stomachmonkey]

You can get them from an optometrist as well. I have a couple of not inexpensive, like $15.00 per, which have much better quality lenses but in reality since you are always taking them on and off you end up losing or misplacing them.

The cheapos are just fine.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by red-beard

Myself and my mother are the only ones in the family not needing glasses. In 2011, I started getting headaches. I also was not able to read the tiny tiny print on an iPhone, which had never been an issue (just move it closer). Research on the net showed that I probably had Presbyopia. I printed out the little page.

Print this out: https://www.aclens.com/global/lensimages/pdf/reading-strength.pdf

Use it at various distances for common tasks. You will see which strength for what application.

And Stomachmonkey is corret. Buy the big packs for cheap on Amazon and spread them around the house, car, office, etc. Buy extras, cause the cheap ones break...

Good resource.

You don't want to buy and use just one strength.

If they are too strong for the application you'll end up with a headache.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by red-beard

Steve,

I use two sets.

1.0 for the computer, because the screen is farther away, 18-24"

1.5 for reading, because I have the book or tablet about 12" from my face.

And if I'm trying to read the fine print on the back of something, I put the 1.0's over the 1.5's!!!

Interesting and cool. Thanks for the tip. The missus who has been wearing readers/glasses for a while wasn't aware of this.

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

They are dirt cheap so buy them in 3 packs.

Really they are not much more than a magnifying glass which as you know you adjust the distance depending on the situation.

Yeah, the missus sometimes gets killer deals at Marshalls, 3 packs for $10-12. I was aware of the magnifying glass bit, but hadn't thought about the focal distance issue which, of course, makes sense.

As far as making your eyes lazy resulting in more deterioration, that's a wive's tale.

It's called Presbyopia. It's your lens becoming stiffer and has nothing to do with the eyes muscles.

Ah, yeah, I'd bought into the old wive's tale.

Originally Posted by red-beard

Myself and my mother are the only ones in the family not needing glasses. In 2011, I started getting headaches. I also was not able to read the tiny tiny print on an iPhone, which had never been an issue (just move it closer). Research on the net showed that I probably had Presbyopia. I printed out the little page.

Print this out: https://www.aclens.com/global/lensimages/pdf/reading-strength.pdf

Use it at various distances for common tasks. You will see which strength for what application.

Yeah, I first noticed a slight change when I was 40, and then only in the left eye. Now that I'm 46, both eyes are affected, but the left a bit more than the right.

Prior to this, I'd always had perfect vision. It's still good, but not as good for tiny stuff.

Originally Posted by Evans, Marv

At 43 I noticed some difficulties & went to an optometrist. When I asked why, he said because I was 43. I buy the 3 packs from Costco for $17/$18 and use three strengths. 1.25 for computer & similar, 2.00/2.75 for fairly small print, & as strong as I can get for miniscule print. Oddly enough, if I concentrate, I can focus but can't hold it for too long.

Yeah, I also find that I can get focused with a little time and concentration which makes it even more frustrating.

Thanks everyone for all of the info.

[hcoles]

Slightly off topic but if you want "fancy" glasses where is the best place to get them.
Fancy means:
- progressive
- transition (auto darkening)
- select frame

[masraum]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

You can get them from an optometrist as well. I have a couple of not inexpensive, like $15.00 per, which have much better quality lenses but in reality since you are always taking them on and off you end up losing or misplacing them.

The cheapos are just fine.

Yeah, when we first got them for the missus years ago we tried the drug store route, but they were all $15-20 which seemed crazy for what I assume is still a really cheap pair, but we ended up finding the multipacks at Marshalls much cheaper. I'd read on the board about someone getting a nice pair by Porsche Design that they really like. The missus just recently got a nice prescription pair.

I've wondered about some of the ones that come with a case that either fold down to the size of one lens or lay completely flat so they are super thin so I can carry them. I'm usually fine, but every once in a while, something really small will surface or occasionally, my vision will seem a tiny bit worse than usual, so I'd like some for those occasions.

[911 Rod]

Costco has the chart thing to choose for reading. I find working on the car the hardest. You know. Upside down with a flash light and readers on the end of your nose.
And yes to Red-Beard! I put one on top of each other and wham! I can see!

[craigster59]

I find +1.25 works best for me, but the more I use them the more dependent I become. I buy the 3 pack at Costco and also wear these that I got from a "product placement" company years back. Clic readers......

[Geronimo '74]

Originally Posted by masraum

I've looked at several sites on the Internet, and pretty much all of them have you choose the lowest power that allows you to read a given text.

OK, but why. If +1.00 is good, why wouldn't +1.50 be better?

Is the theory that the glasses are a crutch and using the crutch allows your eyes to get lazy and therefore worse, needing stronger and stronger glasses sooner?

Or is there some other reason?

Yeah, I think I'm finally to that point.

If your eyes need +1.00 correction, get +1.00.
Then +1.50 will not suit you, from what they told me, but it is interesting how some seem to use different powers for reading close or far.
Following your reasoning, +1.00 is good, +1.50 should be better, you should try +5.00....
Try, and see how that works for you....

My eye doctor said that if your sight gets worse because of age, which is normal, using glasses will not make your eyes worse or lazy and you will not need stronger glasses quicker.
She said by 40, a correction of +1.00 is normal and it will increase by 0.5 every five years or so.
I'm 40, I could use reading glasses (+1.00), but I can still manage fine without.
Thinking about getting some anyway, for when I'm tired or need to look at a screen for longer periods.

It never hurts getting your eyes looked at by a professional, besides age, there can be other things causing poor vision.
I had them checked and was glad to learn that my eyes are in good shape, eye pressure is ok, eye nerve is ok, retina, cornea all fine.

I do find it very difficult to find glasses that suit my face.
Finding sunglasses was a real pain, most just look weird on my face or don't fit.
I guess finding a decent pair of reading glasses will be the same...
They should make an app for that...

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Two of the factors that affects the magnifying loupes I use are two concepts- depth of field, and focal length.

I'm a dentist, so we spend a lot of time and $$$ on glasses/magnifiers.etc.
The focal length for a dentist is approximately the distance from the dentist sitting in their chair, looking down to the patient's teeth as they lay in the chair. At that distance, everything should be in focus. For someone reading a book, it would be from the person's eye level sitting up, down to the book, on the table. You want a focal length where you are comfortable.

With that approximate length in mind, then the depth of field comes into play. With lower magnifications, there is a deeper depth of field, so let's say you took the book off the desk and sat it in your lap (further away), you could still read it in focus. With a deep depth of field, you could also pull the book closer to your face and it would still be in focus.

As you increase the magnification 3x, 5x, etc...that depth of field decreases, so you need to pay more attention to keeping the book right at the desk height (or whatever height you read at- focal length) to keep it in focus. You get the higher magnification, but your leeway decreases in the depth of field. Put the same book on your lap, or closer to your face- and it will go out of focus quicker.

Lately, I've had to go to reading glasses myself, and have noticed that although I like the higher magX glasses, the lower ones are better for wearing around the house. I can still look up with a 1x set and see whats on tv, or walk down a flight of stairs. With the higher mag levels, the room gets pretty blurry. Obviously, you aren;t supposed to wear them walking around the house/ descending stairs/etc... but I'm lazy

If you are going in for glasses at a supermarket or something- grab a magazine and sit down with the book in your lap (or on a table) and experiment with the two concepts. If the book readable at a comfortable focal length for your needs? - then move the book away from you and toward you to see you deep the depth of field is.

[MBAtarga]

On a related note - I had been shopping for sunglasses with built in reader lenses for a while. Mai Jim has some but they were $240/pair or so and I wasn't willing to spend that. I'm pretty harsh on both readers and sunglasses from dropping them, etc.

I looked on Amazon for options there as well. I found a website - well, named readers.com and ordered two pair for me and 1 for the wife. We've been very pleased and for the price - around $15 to $20 each - can't complain.

For readers I get a "nice" pair with my yearly checkup covered by insurance - but always have some cheapies from Dollar General or where ever for a few bucks each.

[Baz]

Lot of good information here.

My optometrist told me what strength I needed at my last exam. I was a little surprised she did this. Thought it was something you figured out on your own.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Baz

Lot of good information here.

My optometrist told me what strength I needed at my last exam. I was a little surprised she did this. Thought it was something you figured out on your own.

They do tell you, mine did, but the reality is they tell you what you need for "reading". Holding something in your hands at the distance one normally would hold a book, newspaper, magazine.

The number they give you is for that limited distance and as you move farther / closer the focal point changes and so does the strength.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by craigster59

I find +1.25 works best for me, but the more I use them the more dependent I become. I buy the 3 pack at Costco and also wear these that I got from a "product placement" company years back. Clic readers......

I saw a guy with a pair of those a while back. They are available on Amazon. It seemed like a good idea since my wife never knows where hers are, but I'm not sure that would help, and they would just take up more room when she set them down somewhere.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by hcoles

Slightly off topic but if you want "fancy" glasses where is the best place to get them.
Fancy means:
- progressive
- transition (auto darkening)
- select frame

You can find virtually anything on Amazon. Readers.com has an extremely good selection and reasonable pricing.

I do not like the progressive lenses. You have to angle your head so that you can read what you want. If you are moving from one thing to another, your head is bobbing all over the place.

FYI, I use BIG lenses in the 1.0's. I use the small lenses for my 1.5's. This way I can look over the 1.5s for things at a distance. The 1.0s I can see reasonably at a distance, if needed.

I do hate them. Fingerprints. Having to put them on, take them off, all the time.

In the big packs, you get a variety of colors. The pink ones invariably end up in the bathrooms.

[red-beard]

Oh and one other thing. They make sunglasses of every kind, with readers built into the bottom. I actually buy fairly expensive ones ($75) to have top of the line polarized glasses with the readers. This was extremely helpful when bicycling, so I could read the bike computer.

It does look funny, when I forget a pair of readers, to have to put my sunglasses on, inside.