Q&A – ARE READY READERS RIGHT FOR ME?

What is a ready reader?

A ready reader is a pair of ready-made reading glasses with both lenses in the same, basic power or prescription.

Who might benefit from ready readers?

Are you are aged 40 or over and find yourself having to hold a book or newspaper further away in order to focus on the print?  Obviously, the first step is to visit your optometrist for an eye examination to check the health of your eyes and to correctly diagnose the problem, but you may have a condition known as presbyopia.  Presbyopia occurs when age causes the lens in your eye to become harder and less elastic, making it difficult to focus on close objects.  Ready Readers can be very useful for people with presbyopia, popped into pockets or handbags and used to read menus, print on packaging, etc.

For those with presbyopia who wear contact lenses to correct their distance vision, ready readers can be worn with contact lenses to facilitate reading.People who find it useful to have a handy pair of reading glasses in every room of their house!

That sounds like me!  Should I just go out and buy a pair of ready readers?

No!It’s important to be aware that your need for reading glasses may not simply be due to the natural ageing process, AND, as the lens power is the same in both lenses, you will not necessarily experience good vision if your prescription is different in both eyes. It is very important to bear this in mind.  Also, your visual changes may be symptomatic of an underlying eye problem, so simply getting a pair of ready readers is not a substitute for having regular eye health checks.  So always arrange an eye examination with your optician first.  After all, the optician is the expert on eyes! Better to be safe, not sorry.

How do ready readers differ from prescription reading glasses from my optician?

Everyone’s eyes are different.  Ready readers offer a one-size-fits-all solution, with the same prescription in both lenses and no customisation of the lenses or compensation for eye conditions such as astigmatism.Whereas prescription reading glasses from your optician provide lenses tailored exactly to your individual visual needs and the size of the spectacle frame. This means they offer clearer, better and more comfortable reading, along with the option of having special coatings, such as scratch resistant, photochromic and anti-reflective.  Due to their basic nature, ready readers are not suitable for people with a high reading prescription, so no higher than a basic lens prescription of +3.50.

At Croft & Graves Optometrists, we offer a varied range of ready readers, from subtle designs to bright colours and fun patterns.  We also stock beautiful Moleskine Ready Readers, designed by the famous Italian notebook brand, and presented in a slim notebook style case.