There are plenty of myths about reading glasses.
Start wearing them and your eyes will get lazy. Buy the wrong strength and you'll damage your vision. Hold off for as long as possible and you'll somehow train your eyes to keep working harder.
The good news?
Reading glasses are much less dramatic than that.
They're simply magnifying lenses designed to make close-up text and objects easier to see.
So, before you continue holding the restaurant menu at arm's length, let's clear up some of the most common reading-glasses myths.
Myth 1: Reading Glasses Make Your Eyes Weaker
They don't.
Reading glasses don't train your eyes to become lazy, and wearing them doesn't make your eyes progressively dependent on stronger glasses.
What often causes the confusion is timing.
Many people first start using readers when close-up focusing is already changing with age. Those changes can continue over time, whether you wear reading glasses or not.
So if you start with +1.00 readers and eventually prefer +1.50, it can feel as though the glasses caused the change.
They didn't.
Reading glasses simply provide magnification when you're wearing them.
Myth 2: Once You Start Wearing Readers, You Won't Be Able to Stop
This is probably one of the most persistent myths.
You might certainly want to keep using them once you've discovered how much easier small print is to see.
That's different from your eyes becoming dependent on them.
Take your readers off and your eyes haven't forgotten how to work. You're simply back to seeing close-up objects without the additional magnification the lenses provide.
The problem is that once you've experienced a restaurant menu at normal arm length, going back can feel rather unnecessary.
Myth 3: You Should Wait as Long as Possible Before Getting Reading Glasses
There's no prize for making the small print unnecessarily difficult.
Waiting to use readers doesn't “exercise” your eyes into maintaining their close-up focusing ability.
If magnification makes close-up tasks easier to see, there's no virtue in refusing to use it.
Reading glasses are a tool.
Use them when they're useful.
If you're buying your first pair, our guide to choosing reading glasses strength is a good place to start.
Myth 4: Stronger Reading Glasses Are Better
Definitely not.
Reading-glasses strengths are generally shown as plus numbers, such as:
- +0.50
- +1.00
- +1.50
- +2.00
- +2.50
- +3.00
The higher the number, the greater the magnification.
But that doesn't mean you should automatically choose the strongest pair that makes the words enormous.
The aim is to find a strength that gives you clear, comfortable close-up vision at your normal reading distance.
A useful approach is to compare different strengths while reading something you genuinely use — your phone, a book or a menu.
Start lower and increase the magnification if necessary.
Our Lens Power Guide can help you get started.
Myth 5: Ready-Made Reading Glasses Are Just Cheap Pharmacy Glasses
This one is particularly close to our hearts.
Ready-made readers are simply reading glasses produced in predetermined magnification strengths rather than lenses made to an individual's prescription.
That describes the $15 pair hanging at the chemist.
It also describes Ministry of Sight reading glasses.
The difference is that ready-made doesn't have to mean disposable, generic or boring.
You can choose premium acetate frames, interesting shapes, polished finishes and lens features while retaining the convenience of ready-made magnification.
That's essentially why Ministry of Sight exists.
Ready-made reading glasses without the ready-made reading-glasses look.
If you've heard them called “cheaters”, we've also explained what cheater glasses actually are.
Myth 6: Everyone Can Use the Same Ready-Made Readers
Not necessarily.
Standard ready-made reading glasses generally provide the same magnification in both lenses.
That works well for many people.
But not everyone's eyes have identical requirements.
If one eye needs substantially different correction from the other, you have other vision requirements, or standard readers simply aren't giving you comfortable, clear close-up vision, an optometrist can assess your individual needs.
You should also seek professional advice if you experience things such as sudden changes in vision, persistent blur, double vision or eye pain.
Ready-made readers are convenient.
They're not intended to replace individual eye care when you need it.
Myth 7: Reading Glasses Have to Look Like Reading Glasses
Absolutely not.
This may be the myth we're most interested in destroying.
For years, readers were treated as purely functional objects.
Small frames. Limited colours. Something you put on to read and immediately took off again.
But glasses are one of the most noticeable accessories you can wear.
There is no reason your readers can't be:
Oversized.
Tortoiseshell.
Clear.
Geometric.
Bright.
Classic black.
Or whatever else looks like you.
Shop Tortoiseshell Reading Glasses →
Shop Geometric Reading Glasses →
What About Blue-Light Reading Glasses?
Another area surrounded by big claims.
Ministry of Sight clear readers include blue-light filtering, along with anti-glare and scratch-resistant coatings.
We don't think that needs to come with promises that glasses will transform your sleep, eliminate headaches or protect your eyes from every screen you've ever looked at.
Think of blue-light filtering as a lens feature, not a medical treatment.
If you're interested in the subject, read our Blue Light Reading Glasses Australia guide.
Do You Need Prescription or Ready-Made Reading Glasses?
There's no universal answer.
Ready-made readers can be a convenient option when the same magnification works comfortably for both eyes and you primarily need help with close-up tasks.
Prescription glasses are individually made and can accommodate more specific vision requirements.
One isn't automatically “better” than the other.
What matters is whether the glasses are appropriate for your eyes and what you're using them for.
If you're uncertain, an optometrist is the right person to assess your vision.
Another Myth: You Only Need One Pair
Technically, yes.
Practically?
Ask anyone who wears readers regularly.
The problem isn't necessarily owning reading glasses. It's having them with you when you suddenly need to read something.
That's why readers tend to migrate.
One beside the bed.
One in your bag.
One at work.
One mysteriously missing.
And perhaps another pair because tortoiseshell worked better with what you were wearing.
We've covered this particular phenomenon in How Many Pairs of Reading Glasses Do You Really Need?.
Reading Glasses: Much Less Complicated Than the Myths
Reading glasses don't make your eyes lazy.
You don't need to resist wearing them.
Stronger isn't automatically better.
Ready-made doesn't automatically mean cheap.
And needing magnification certainly doesn't mean you suddenly need to start wearing boring glasses.
Find the strength that works comfortably for you.
Find a frame you actually like.
Then get on with reading the small print.
Shop Ministry of Sight Reading Glasses →
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