4 May 2021
 Categories: , Blog

It's important to choose a good pair of reading glasses that you can conveniently carry around with you if you're starting to have some eye troubles. There are numerous considerations you'll want to take into account if you are choosing a pair of compact reading glasses for the first time.

Strength

You need to figure out what strength reading glasses you need. Reading glasses range in strength from +1.00 to +7.00. The higher the number, the stronger the strength is. 

You can determine the strength of the reading glasses you need by using a diopter reading test card. All you have to do is determine the smallest text on the card you can read comfortably and find what the corresponding strength is.  

Size

It's important to choose the right lens size for your needs. You don't want to choose a lens that's too small for your needs. Excessively small lenses can result in a distorted image.

In general, it's best to use reading glasses with a larger size lens if your prescription is particularly strong. It's also a good idea to choose reading glasses with a larger lens if you need multi-focal lenses. 

Lens design

There are a variety of lens designs available for compact reading glasses. These include single vision or progressive lenses. Two other lens design options are bi-focal and tri-focal lenses.

The type of lens you need depends on which vision issues you're struggling with. If you have trouble with both reading and distance vision, you might need to opt for bi-focal or progressive lenses. 

Lens material

Lenses for reading glasses can be made from numerous materials. Two great lens materials if you want your reading glasses to be lightweight yet durable are polycarbonate and urethane-based monomer. 

Frame material

You can choose between plastic and metal frames for your compact reading glasses. If you want your reading glasses to be as durable as possible, you should choose metal or alloy frames. Titanium generally produces the highest quality frame for reading glasses. 

Lens coating

There are a lot of different coatings that can be used on the lenses of reading glasses to improve lens quality and maximize lens lifespan. These include anti-scratch, anti-reflective, and photochromic coatings. 

While coatings like these increase the cost of compact reading glasses, they also can drastically improve comfort and quality. You probably should at least opt for an anti-scratch coating to prevent scratches from accumulating on your lenses and potentially detracting from vision quality over time. 

Reach out to a local eye doctor to get more advice on compact reading glasses.