Recommended magnifying glass?

February 4, 2006 12:39 PM

Can anyone recommend a good magnifying glass for reading? I already have glasses.

I have a very hard time reading some of the magazines I enjoy due to design/layout issues -- a small font, black text on a grey background, or worse.

By the end of the day, my eyes are shot and cannot focus on things like this for more than a few seconds at a time.

My prescription (glasses) works fine all day long in front of a computer and I don't have headaches, so it's not that.

I just need some help now and then. I bought a full page-sized magnifier from Staples a few months ago and its clarity is horrible due to the way the magnification is designed.

posted by kickslop to Health & Fitness (3 answers total)

How much do you want to spend? Is $100 too much? Zeiss is a German optic company which enjoys a top quality reputation for its products and makes, among many other things, hand-held magnifying lenses. You can purchase one from this site off the link titled Handheld Non-Illuminated Magnifiers.

I've linked to the main magnifier page there in case you might want to think about a slightly different magnifier solution of the various types offered. Many of these products are way beyond anything you would get from Staples in quality (and price), even if you don't go with the high-end Zeiss. There's nothing else particularly special about that site as far as purchasing recommendations so bargin hunt as you wish.
posted by mdevore at 2:42 PM on February 4, 2006

This (the third one down) looks awkward but is effective for a woman who works with me. She's in the same situation you face and swears by the contraption.
posted by DeepFriedTwinkies at 3:46 PM on February 4, 2006

Response by poster: Thanks you two! I don't know why I had such a hard time finding something of decent quality when I searched a few months ago. I believe I was searching for "magnifying lens", yet it appears all of these (including the suggestions emailed to me by someone) are distinctly just called "magnifiers". At any rate, I am armed with options now.
posted by kickslop at 2:28 PM on February 5, 2006