Believe it or not, eyeglasses are available with no magnification at all, but there are reasons you might want to wear glasses even if you don’t need magnification.
Here’s some information about why people who don’t need magnification might wear glasses — along with some details about low power reading glasses for people like me who see pretty well but need some extra help to stay comfortable at the computer all day.
Reason To Wear Glasses When You Don’t Need Them
The title of this section is a bit tongue-in-cheek because people who wear unmagnified reading glasses often need or want them for another reason. Here are a few possible reasons:
- Tint. Some people are sensitive to light and are more comfortable when wearing tinted glasses.
- Glare protection. Computer usage can be hard on even the best eyes, but reducing glare with either a slight tint or an anti-reflective coating can reduce eye strain, computer vision syndrome and dry, scratchy eyes for some people.
- Wind protection. Wind from a fan or an air conditioning system can dry eyes, especially those that are already dry from the infrequent blinking that computer use encourages. Wearing clear glasses or the lowest power reading glasses available can provide dry eye relief.
- Cosmetic purposes. Some people think they look better with glasses, and others wear them to hide bags or dark circles under their eyes. Still others wear glasses to cover up asymmetrical eyebrows, scars around the eyes or deformities.
One of the least expensive ways to get clear or tint-only eyeglasses is to order them from Zenni Optical. Simply set all the magnification numbers to zero. Because Zenni has nice, sleek frames starting at $6.95, you can get a complete pair of glasses with anti-glare coating (which I recommend) delivered to your home for just over $15 in many cases. They also offer tints in several color choices and percentages of tint.
The Lowest Power Reading Glasses You Can Get
Optometrists often prescribe low power reading glasses to people with computer vision syndrome, dry eyes and other eye-strain symptoms even if they can see perfectly or fairly well. These readers can dramatically relieve symptoms from the moment you first put them on, and I know that first hand. (Read my computer vision syndrome story here.)
In most cases, +0.25 reading glasses, +0.50 reading glasses and +0.75 reading glasses are all considered low power reading glasses. The problem is that you can’t get anything below a magnification of +1.00 in drugstores or malls, and those are usually hard to find. Powers of +1.25, +1.50 and above are easy to find anywhere readers are sold.
For the lowest power reading glasses, you’ll have to have them custom made. I recommend Zenni Optical once again because the company makes high-quality glasses to your specifications for unbelievable prices. In many cases, you can get the reading glasses you need for less than $20, sometimes a lot less. I hope you will visit their website by clicking this link
and see what they can do for you.
They Could Be Right For You
If you think you need reading glasses, you probably do. And if an optometrist has recommended some of the lowest power reading glasses but you aren’t sure how much good they could do, you owe it to yourself to try them.
You could be surprised how much difference a pair of unmagnified or low power reading glasses will make in your life.
[Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This site also participates in and links to other affiliate and advertising programs. When you click a link on this page or make a purchase after clicking a link, I may make some money.]