OTC Reading Glasses vs Prescription Glasses (2024)

FAQs

OTC Reading Glasses vs Prescription Glasses? ›

Eyeglasses purchased through your eye doctor will be customized to fit the corrective power each individual eye needs. OTC reading glasses also cannot correct vision problems such as near-sightedness or astigmatism. And they don't come in multifocal options for people who need both near and far vision assistance.

You can find an inexpensive pair of reading glasses at your local drugstore, but keep in mind that the lens quality and frame materials are likely to be much less durable than a pair of prescription reading glasses or prescription glasses.

The lowest-strength reading glasses have powers of +0.25 diopters, whereas high-strength ones can go well beyond +2.50 diopters—in rare cases, all the way up to +4.00. When you need reading glasses beyond +2.75 diopters or so, you may have to get them custom ordered.

For the vast majority of people, over-the-counter (OTC) readers should not be a problem as long as they match the power of the prescription. For instance, if your doctor recommends +2.00 in each eye, then purchasing OTC readers of the same power should generally suffice.

Often times headaches and nausea can result from wearing the wrong prescription of readers or may have optical centers far from your pupil centers. This is why we recommend having an eye doctor specialist do an eye exam.

The higher the number in diopters, the higher the strength. So, +1.25 reading glasses would be less strong than +1.50 reading glasses, which would be less strong than +1.75 reading glasses.

'Ready readers' can be found in most chemists, supermarkets, and even petrol stations. But, while they offer some sight correction, they can't do the job as well as prescription lenses. Glasses only work properly when several parts of the lens and frame are tailored to the person wearing them.

If they are non-prescription ready-made reading glasses, you can often find the strength marked on the inside of one of the temple arms. Use this strength as a starting point, since you suspect that you need a stronger power than what you currently have.

If you don't already need to wear regular eyeglasses, they may even be fine for longer. But cheap readers only magnify the print to help you read it. They are not specific to your individual eye's needs. They probably won't harm your eyesight, but you may experience headaches and eye strain if you use them too much.

Misleadingly called “magnifiers”

According to the FDA, over-the-counter reading glasses are categorized as “magnifying spectacles”, which is unintentionally misleading to many consumers. This is because the primary function of these convex lenses is to improve the focus of near objects.

What happens if you wear reading glasses all the time? ›

Wearing reading glasses all the time won't harm your eyes' health, but you may get a headache from wearing them while driving, playing sports, or other activities that involve a wider scope of vision. It's important to get the right glasses for your particular circ*mstances.

Are Reading Glasses Better than Bifocal Lenses? If you currently wear reading glasses, you should consult with your eye doctor to see if multifocal glasses would be beneficial. Bifocal lenses are only better if you need them.

Reader Strength = SPH + ADD

To calculate your reader strength, take your SPH and add the ADD. For example, if the SPH is +1.00 and the ADD is +1.75 for the right eye, the strength of the reader lenses would be +2.75 for that eye. And if the SPH were -1.00 instead, you'd be looking at a +0.75 reader strength.

Eyeglasses purchased through your eye doctor will be customized to fit the corrective power each individual eye needs. OTC reading glasses also cannot correct vision problems such as near-sightedness or astigmatism. And they don't come in multifocal options for people who need both near and far vision assistance.

Sometimes your glasses may cause blurry vision because they are not clean. Glasses gather oil from fingertips that attract dust and dirt, slowly accumulating and build over a period. This accrued debris can affect the performance of eyeglasses by causing blurry vision that is not as clear as it should be.

The lenses of OTC reading glasses will likely have some quality issues. When you buy a pair of reading glasses from your eye doctor, they're made of high-quality materials, such as polycarbonate. These prescription lenses are free of defects. That means you'll see your best while wearing them.

The primary difference is in the quality of the materials. More expensive reading glasses will be made with better, higher quality materials. The lenses may be scratch resistant and fit the frame better. They may be made out of thinner and lighter materials.

Standard reading glasses are only designed to view objects at close range, which is why bifocals are commonly used to shift between short range and distance vision. Reading glasses are not designed to correct vision problems, and unlike prescription glasses, are not designed for full-time use.