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Styles of Non Prescription Reading Glasses

Non prescription reading glasses are the ones available in a chemist or store without requiring a doctor's prescription. You wear reading glasses to assist with close up activities such as reading and looking at a computer monitor or television screen. Non prescription reading glasses eliminate the need for eye exams and are cheaper than prescription glasses.

  1. Needing Readers

    • You can tell when you need reading glasses when it becomes difficult to focus upon or read text that is close to you, symptom of being longsighted. Other tasks such as looking at a computer screen, drawing or writing, painting and sewing will also prove difficult if you struggle to focus on close up objects. Symptoms of being longsighted include headaches and tired eyes.

    Chosing Strength and Style

    • Reading glasses are categorized by the magnification strength of the lens, which depends on how longsighted you are. The most effective way to determine the correct strength is by trying on different strengths in the shop and test them by reading something close up. Non prescription reading glasses typically only offer the same magnification strength for each eye compared to prescription .Only use them if you feel both eyes are of equal longsightedness, otherwise one eye will be over- or under-corrected. Styles start at +1 and increase in intervals depending on how magnified you require the lenses to be.

    Fashion of Lens and Frame

    • As well as the type of magnification you will want to consider the style of lens and frame of your non prescription glasses. Typically the strength of magnification will affect the thickness of the lens although the lens shape can range from square to round to oval shape depending on preference. The frames range in thickness, color and material according to preference and price range, with thick plastic frames at the bottom end of the scale to subtle thin metal frames or designer non prescription glasses at the top end.

    Through the Ages

    • Styles of glasses in fashion terms have been dictated through the ages in terms of their size, shape, color and the materials they were manufactured from. In the 1950s cat eye glasses were popular and had the lenses sitting at an angle to give a cat-like appearance; the 60s' frame were round black colored style; the 70s were over-sized square or round frames; the 80s had large frames in a multitude of colors and the current trend for subtle eyewear. Retro style glasses will be available for purchase at specialist or vintage stores.

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