Does the menu need more light these days, and does your phone keep moving further away from your face? Then you may be asking yourself: do I need reading glasses? Here you will find out how to recognise presbyopia, when reading glasses are typical and when ready-made readers are enough or custom-made reading glasses are the better choice.
Key points at a glance
- Presbyopia is not a disease. The lens of the eye loses elasticity over the years, and most people notice it from their mid-40s.
- Typical signs are a growing reading distance and needing more light. Only an eye test at an optician or eye doctor shows whether you need reading glasses and which strength.
- Ready-made reading glasses have the same strength in both lenses. If your eyes differ or you have astigmatism, custom-made reading glasses are the better choice.
- The strength you need usually increases until around 60, so have your eyes checked regularly.
Do I need reading glasses? What is behind presbyopia
To see sharply up close, the lens of your eye has to change shape. This focusing is called accommodation. Over the years the lens becomes less flexible and focusing up close gets harder. Experts call this presbyopia. It sounds like an illness, but it is a normal part of getting older and affects almost everyone sooner or later.
Presbyopia is not the same as long-sightedness (hyperopia). With hyperopia the eye is too short in relation to its focusing power, which can be the case at a young age. You can read more about the background in our article on presbyopia.
When do you need reading glasses?
The first signs usually appear from your mid-40s, a little earlier for some people and later for others. When you need reading glasses also depends on how well you see in the distance without glasses:
- Slightly long-sighted: you often notice presbyopia earlier, because your eyes already had to work harder up close.
- Slightly short-sighted: without glasses you can often read up close for a long time. With your distance glasses on, however, close-up vision becomes difficult.
- No distance prescription: small print usually becomes hard to read first in dim light or in the evening.
The strength you need generally increases until around the age of 60 and changes little after that. So it is normal to need new reading glasses more often in the first few years. The change is gradual: what works well today may be a struggle with your next book.
Reading glasses test: signs that it is time for an eye test
No article or online test can tell you for sure whether you need reading glasses. These everyday observations are, however, a good reason to have your eyes checked:
- You hold your phone, book or menu further and further away to see it clearly. Your arms seem to be getting too short.
- Small print, for example on medicine leaflets, labels or receipts, blurs or seems to “dance”.
- Reading in dim light is much harder than it used to be.
- After looking into the distance, it takes a moment before you see sharply up close again.
- Threading a needle, crafts or small screws take more effort.
If you recognise yourself in several of these points, book an appointment with an optician or eye doctor. Blurred vision can have other causes too, so this self-check does not replace an examination. If your vision changes suddenly, please see an eye doctor straight away.
Eye test for reading glasses: optician or eye doctor?
The eye test measures how much extra strength your eyes need for close-up vision. It is given in dioptres (D). The dioptre is the unit of measurement for the refractive power of a lens. Reading glasses have plus lenses, meaning lenses with a positive dioptre value. Tell the optician at what distance you usually read or work, because the right strength depends on it.
You can have an eye test at an optician. An eye doctor (ophthalmologist) will also examine the eye itself.
Which reading glasses do I need? Ready-made or custom-made
Once it is clear that you need reading glasses, you have two options: ready-made reading glasses or custom-made reading glasses. The difference lies in the lenses.
| Feature | Ready-made reading glasses | Custom-made reading glasses |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | the same on both sides, usually in steps of 0.5 D | for each eye individually, in finer steps |
| Pupillary distance | lens centres set to an average value | matched exactly to your pupillary distance |
| Astigmatism | not corrected | corrected as well |
| Good for | eyes of equal strength, occasional reading, a spare pair | different values per eye, long reading sessions and close work |
When are custom-made reading glasses better?
Ready-made readers are handy, but they do not suit everyone. An optician will usually recommend custom-made reading glasses if
- your eyes have different strengths,
- you have astigmatism or already wear glasses for distance,
- your pupillary distance differs noticeably from the average,
- you read, work on screen or do detailed work for long periods every day,
- you do not see clearly or comfortably with ready-made reading glasses.
If you need glasses for both distance and near vision, also ask your optician about varifocal or office lenses, so you do not have to keep switching.
Cheap reading glasses: what matters in a test
Ready-made reading glasses are sold in supermarkets, chemists, discount stores and by eyewear brands. A good test result is of little use if the glasses do not suit your eyes. When comparing, these points matter most:
- Strength: only buy ready-made reading glasses once you know your values, and only if both eyes are the same or almost the same.
- Lens centre: look through the glasses at a line of text. If it looks distorted or unsteady, the lens centres are probably not in front of your pupils.
- Lenses: free of streaks and scratches, ideally with an anti-reflective coating.
- Build quality and fit: sturdy hinges, straight temples, no slipping on the nose.
- Marking: ready-made reading glasses are medical devices and should carry a CE or UKCA mark.
Reading glasses: which strengths are available?
Ready-made reading glasses usually come in steps of 0.5 dioptres, typically from +1.0 D to +3.0 D or a little higher. At Edel-Optics you will currently find ready-made reading glasses in +1.0, +1.5, +2.0, +2.5 and +3.0 D, depending on the model. Custom-made lenses come in finer steps and with a different strength for the left and right eye.
Tables that give a strength by age are only rough guides, because the right strength depends on your distance vision and reading distance. If your reading glasses are too strong, you have to bring the text closer. So the rule is: eye test first, then reading glasses.
Reading glasses for women and men at Edel-Optics
Reading glasses are also part of your look. Square or round, full-rim or slim, plastic or metal: choose a shape that suits your face. You will find tips in Which glasses suit me?
On our reading glasses page you will currently find ready-made reading glasses from Porsche Design, for example the P8801, P8812 and P8815, and from Polaroid, such as the PLD 0026/R/BB, PLD 0033/R/BB and PLD 0030/R/C. You can see which strengths and colours are available right now on each model. If you need custom-made reading glasses, you can order lenses made to your prescription with many frames from our range.
Porsche Design P8801 F D1.00£140.41Porsche Design P8801 P D1.00£121.65Porsche Design P8801 A D1.00£137.44Polaroid PLD 0030/R/C 807/M9 D1.00£36.78Polaroid PLD 0028/R/BB 7C5/G6 D1.50£30.21Polaroid PLD 0033/R/BB 1ED/G6 D2.50£30.21Porsche Design P8801 N D1.00£132.89Polaroid PLD 0033/R/BB 807/G6 D2.50£30.21Frequently asked questions about reading glasses
Can I wear reading glasses all the time?
Reading glasses are made for close-up vision. Things in the distance look blurred through them. That is why you put them on to read and take them off again, or look over the top of a slim pair of half-eye readers. If you want glasses you can wear all day, varifocal lenses are usually the better solution. Ask your optician for advice.
Do reading glasses make your eyes worse?
No, that is a common myth. Presbyopia progresses over the years whether you wear reading glasses or not. If you need a stronger pair after a while, that is down to age, not to the glasses.
Reading without glasses: are there alternatives?
Yes, for example contact lenses for near vision or multifocal contact lenses, as well as surgical procedures. Whether any of these is right for you is best discussed with your eye doctor.
This article does not replace medical advice.
