Are there any extra-nice reading glasses?

November 16, 2022 9:19 AM

Are all reading glasses basically the same, or do any brands have extra features that make them worth searching out? Is it worth it to buy them from a "real" place (either an optometrist or even like Zenni)?

I wear 2.00 drugstore "cheaters" a lot. Most of them are really cheaply made, but even when I spent like $15 on a pair there wasn't much of a difference in build quality or clarity or anything.

Am I missing out on anything special, or should I continue to buy them in bulk packs and just throw them away when the lenses cloud over and the arms splay and the hinges are loose?

posted by wenestvedt to Shopping (12 answers total)

In my experience there are reader-quality glasses and then there are very low quality reader-quality glasses.

One option that you might consider, you can get normal frames with whatever reading prescription you like, from any optician. Then the quality can be arbitrarily high.
posted by fake at 9:22 AM on November 16, 2022

after years of mucking around with random drugstore options that tended to break if the wind blew too hard, I stumbled upon the three packs that Costco always seem to have in stock. They're reasonably cheap (roughly twenty bucks Canadian for three), they offer some style options, and they're tough. I find I really have to try to break them (ie: step or sit on them).

I bought my last three-pack early this year and I've still got all three. One pair stay at my bedside, another in my backpack, the third are the ones I'm using right now.
posted by philip-random at 9:48 AM on November 16, 2022 [4 favorites]

I have several pair:
-cheap readers from Target (I think they were 3 for $9.99)
-funky, nicer readers from readers.com
-a pair of DL Eyewear frames that I had LensDirect put reader lenses into

The DL frames are certainly my preferred aesthetic (I wear their frames as regular glasses as well), but other than that, I honestly can't tell the difference between the various pairs, and the ones I wear the most are just whatever's nearest to me when I need them.
posted by okayokayigive at 9:49 AM on November 16, 2022

I started to need readers for the first time this year; my long vision is fine.

I bought cheap readers to begin with, but hated that all I could do in them was read, because as soon as I looked up, everything else looked all warped and wobbly (because the glass was all the same prescription).

I paid £80 at the opticians and got some that have 1.5 strength reading glass on the bottom and clear glass at the top, which means I can eg. Watch a TV that's across the room, and look down at my laptop without any difficulty switching back and forth; can get up from reading and walk around the house or look up at someone across the room without having to peer over the top of the glasses/take them off etc.

Well worth it.

(There's also the "don't buy short-term use plastic if you can avoid it" environmental argument.)
posted by penguin pie at 9:59 AM on November 16, 2022 [2 favorites]

I personally found cheap plastic frames to disintegrate a bit after too much time spent on my nose; this has not been an issue with more expensive frames. I actually love my very expensive glasses so much that I just got another pair this year with my slightly updated rx. I may never buy new frames again!

If you don't want to be throwing out plastic a lot, you can always get metal frames etc., and then you're only worrying about the nosepads, which any eye doctor shop can fix quite cheaply and easily. This likely works for plastic frames too but it doesn't seem as common for them to have nosepads.

YMMV as I wear glasses full time.
posted by love2potato at 10:01 AM on November 16, 2022

Best answer: The more expensive reading glasses are definitely nicer and worth it, in my opinion. I bought cheap ones when I first needed them just to try a variety of different strengths, but after that, I switched to better ones.

I previously asked about online sources for good reading glasses and got a lot of recommendations.
posted by FencingGal at 10:01 AM on November 16, 2022 [2 favorites]

I bought some $30 Foster Grants from readers.com via FencingGal’s previous ask and they are WAY nicer than the Foster Grants I was getting from Rite Aid. The plastic is much higher quality, like denser and richer. The old ones feel like toys by comparison. Definitely plan to stick with the pricier ones from here on out.
posted by HotToddy at 10:20 AM on November 16, 2022 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: (Dammit, I searched and didn't see that Previously. How could I have missed it?!?)
posted by wenestvedt at 10:48 AM on November 16, 2022 [1 favorite]

Specifically to your question, do any brands have extra features that make them worth searching out? I recommend Clic readers in some circumstances. They stay around your neck, and the nose bridge contains magnets that "clic" them into place. I wear them sewing, and a good friend wears them on construction sites. They are very durable and handy. I don't think they look bad, either.
posted by 10ch at 11:18 AM on November 16, 2022

You must buy custom readers if you have any astigmatism. A couple hours without that correction will make your head hurt. I usually get cheap things (or on sale items) at eyebuydirect.com
posted by pjenks at 11:19 AM on November 16, 2022

I only wear Izipizi for my readers. They have a rubbery finish that makes them feel light and flexible. Magnification is excellent.
posted by Elsie at 2:37 PM on November 16, 2022

I really like the Caddis readers but then I like heavy frames. I also like the ICU readers I get in Whole Foods.
posted by Peach at 2:42 PM on November 16, 2022