Reading Glasses Recommendations?

steelyman

steelyman

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I have a flexible spending account with a balance in it that will need to be spent down shortly so I don't lose it. This is pre-tax money that can be used for health-related purchases.

Like many, as I have gotten a little older my eyesight isn't quite what it used to be, so I am considering purchasing extra reading glasses. Anyone have any recommendations on brands/sources they have bought and particularly like?
 
Don't get more than one extra pair. Vision changes pretty steadily for most people, so a year from now you might well need a different strength.
 
Or, get the cheap ones.

I used to buy multiple pairs of reading glasses at Walgreens, where they are pretty inexpensive. These reading glasses were fine, and it was good to have several pairs in strategic locations around the house and an extra pair at work.

Now that I no longer wear contacts, I have to make do with trifocals and no longer use reading glasses.
 
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I buy eyeglasses from Zinni Optical, on line, and I have 10 or so pairs, for reading, computer, and distance. They're quite cheap: 8 dollars and up for frames and (polycarbonate) lenses and 4 dollars shipping. Bifocals, progressive, tint, anti-reflective coatings are a little more. I think they're fabricated in Hong Kong, but they ship from CA.
 
For reading glasses with no serious other issues, I use the cheapos. They are scattered all over the house so usually one is handy.
 
Thanks for the tips. I had never heard of Zinni Optical before, but I will check them out. A couple of weeks ago, at Walgreen's, I bought a pair of the Foster Grant models that are being shown in commercials right now that have lights at the temples, and they're great for bedtime reading. Borrowing a gag from "Seinfeld", they do make you look like you're tunneling to the center of the Earth, but hey who cares?

I'll probably pick up one or two more pairs, following your advice. I like the idea of having a pair handy around the house for various activities!
 
I use Costco for my day to day optical service, primarily contact lenses.

I had a bunch of dollar store reading glasses which I leave all over the house, garage and car. At a buck a piece, if I lose or break a pair, it is no great loss. I have found the optical quality to be just fine.
 
W2R said:
Or, get the cheap ones.

I used to buy multiple pairs of reading glasses at Walgreens, where they are pretty inexpensive. These reading glasses were fine, and it was good to have several pairs in strategic locations around the house and an extra pair at work.
Click to expand...
Me too. Aside from my first prescription reading glasses at an Optometrist, none of mine have cost more than $15 (and as little as 3 pair for $15!!!). I started at +1.25 and 13 years later I'm at +2.00. I also have them around the house and a pair at work (for 11 more working days) so I never lose them. YMMV

And I even stumbled on cheapo bifocal dark reading glasses, handy outside. Still only about $15.
 
El cheapos from Costco or CVS. I keep pairs all over the place so they are handy when needed.
 
I need glasses only for reading but I purchased rimless, progressive, anti-refelctive, Transition bifocals and I love them. Finding my cheaters every time I needed to read something became a pain so I went to full time. The best part is never having to hunt down sunglasses when I go outdoors.

They cost a fortune because I bought them at the optical shop outside the eye doctor's office. My vision benefit helped some and I wanted hand holding for the first pair. The good news is they replaced them in a snap when I scratched them while carrying firewood at the beach. I have learned the safest place for glasses is on your head, not in your pocket!

The next pair will be at Costco where DH got his latest exam and lenses.
 
Since I had my extremely near sighted eyes corrected to 20/20 with cataract surgery, I don't wear glasses any more, except for the occasional cheapie readers scattered around. I LOVE cataract surgery.
 
Ally said:
Since I had my extremely near sighted eyes corrected to 20/20 with cataract surgery, I don't wear glasses any more, except for the occasional cheapie readers scattered around. I LOVE cataract surgery.
Click to expand...

Me too & I even bought polka dot ones at Target .
 
Today I placed an order for my TV glasses. That's right special glasses just for watching TV. When in the recliner, the screen falls into the bifocal reading area. So I took in some old, super big frames and had them put the vision center very low, non bifocals. It will be $80.
 
TromboneAl said:
Today I placed an order for my TV glasses. That's right special glasses just for watching TV. When in the recliner, the screen falls into the bifocal reading area. So I took in some old, super big frames and had them put the vision center very low, non bifocals. It will be $80.
Click to expand...
I'll have to admit I'm surprised a frugal guy like you wouldn't have simply turned the lenses upside down...
 
Some of us seem to be talking about prescription eyeglasses -- others, not. The ones I mentioned from Zenni are prescription glasses, so when I get reading glasses there, they are also corrected for the astigmatism I have in my left eye. I bought one pair of bifocals at Costco, and while they work fine and are a good deal compared to other local retail stores, they are much more expensive than the ones you can order on line.
 
TromboneAl said:
Today I placed an order for my TV glasses. That's right special glasses just for watching TV. When in the recliner, the screen falls into the bifocal reading area. So I took in some old, super big frames and had them put the vision center very low, non bifocals. It will be $80.
Click to expand...

Years ago, Letterman had a running joke something like "So what's the deal with old men and big glasses" on top of video of Larry King, George Burns, etc.

You might just bring back the trend.
 
For my first pair of reading classes, I went to the optometrist and bought the expensive kind. Of course, I almost immediately lost them. So for the last ten years, I have been getting the cheap CVS ones. They usually break just about the time I need a stronger magnification. I do not care what they look like, as long as I can read.
 
Gumby said:
I do not care what they look like, as long as I can read.
Click to expand...

Reminds me of a pair I bought somewhere for ~50 cents and they were admittedly horrid looking. DW said "Ewwww, why'd you buy those ugly things?"

" They were cheap, and I don't care what they look like. When I'm wearing them I can't see them."

Long sigh and eyeroll....
 
I put a pair in most rooms, the basement and in the car so they are there when I need them. I have bought them when they were B1G1F at the grocery store. They varied from $10 to $20 a pair so I paid 1/2 that. I never broke a pair and have used the same ones now at least 9 or 10 years. My eyesight hasn't changed hardly at all in the past 12 or 13 years so they still work fine. I have noticed tho my right eye is starting to get a little worse than it was a year ago. Used to be 20/15 (2008) then 20/20 (2009) 20/30 or 40 (2010). Still pretty good but as someone that always had excellent eyesight I am now a little frustrated, part of getting old I guess.
 
A slightly different twist to the reading glasses. I normally wear trifocals
with a medium correction for distance on the top. When playing golf, I cannot stand to wear those glasses and look down through bifocals, etc. And I want sunglasses. I wear regular sunglasses on the course but cannot follow the ball flight. So, after just getting my eyes examined again, I decided to order prescription sunglasses with just the distance correction. No trifocals. Hope this works out. Getting these at COSTCO and the "specialist" said to get the brown tone rather than the green tone to allow me to better pick up the ball flight. We'll see.
 
JOHNNIE36 said:
So, after just getting my eyes examined again, I decided to order prescription sunglasses with just the distance correction.
Click to expand...
That's what I do for sunglasses, too. Zenni (on line) charges $4.95 extra to add tint to prescription eyeglasses, and another $4.95 for an anti-reflective coating. They have 21 tints to choose from. Sunglasses (monovision, 1.57 index polycarbonate) I just ordered cost me $16.85. They're probably not very stylish.
 
GregLee said:
That's what I do for sunglasses, too. Zenni (on line) charges $4.95 extra to add tint to prescription eyeglasses, and another $4.95 for an anti-reflective coating. They have 21 tints to choose from. Sunglasses (monovision, 1.57 index polycarbonate) I just ordered cost me $16.85. They're probably not very stylish.
Click to expand...

I'll look into Zenni next time I guess. Mine are ordered at COSTCO. $90
and using a frame I had as extra. If those frames can't be used, I'll go to Zenni. Thanks for all the tips.
 
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