By Cheryl Wischhover
For years I watched my 40- and 50-something friends pull out their reading glasses to read menus, their phones, and the small print on beauty packaging. I smugly assumed that my close-sighted vision would last, because well into my 40s, I did not need supplemental eyewear to mindlessly scroll through Twitter or order a drink in a dim bar.
But last year, I needed a new contact lens prescription (I have worn glasses/contacts since third grade for nearsightedness), and my eye doctor warned me that, based on my age, my crisp new corrected far vision would likely come with the need for reading glasses. Sure enough, I opened my phone in the dying light of dusk and everything on the screen was a blur. I gave up my last shreds of dignity and enlarged the print on my phone. Still terrible. So I bought reading glasses.
Chances are high that you, too, will eventually need reading glasses. As people age, the lens in the eye becomes less flexible, making it harder to focus. It’s called presbyopia, and according to a study cited in the New York Times, it affects 83% of people in North America by the time they’re 45.
In a year of using reading glasses, I’ve learned a few things:
-They will make your eyes look big and buggy like the stapler-obsessed guy on Office Space who was relegated to the basement storage room, no matter how low the magnification. It has happened with every reader I’ve tried, even pricey ones. Just accept this
-You need more than one pair. I own six. I have pairs in the kitchen and bedroom, in the car, and in a few different bags. There is nothing more rage-inducing than not having them when you’re trying to read a label.
-You will probably wear them on top of your head a lot to have them close by. This is important when you are thinking about the heft of the frames. I’m tempted to find an ironic funky chain, a la Annie Potts in Ghostbusters, but for now I use my head as storage.
-Pulling reading glasses out is like flashing your birth certificate for everyone to see, but can lead to lovely bonding moments with fellow middle-aged people who also can’t see the goddamned menu.
A lot of reading glasses are still really hideous, but the market has come a long way in terms of stylish frames. Many companies even offer reader sunglasses, blue light blocking lenses, and progressive lenses, which allow you to see both near and far with one pair.
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“If you are a person of a certain age, an ad for this brand has certainly found you on social media. There are people on the site with gray hair and wrinkles, all wearing very cool-looking, chunky-rimmed glasses while doing things like playing bluegrass.”
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For my first pair of readers, I went to a drugstore and bought ugly $5 glasses because I really just needed a pair, then started searching online for good-looking ones. Because I end up wearing them for a large chunk of the day, I wanted them to be attractive. But I recommend popping into Walgreens and trying on a few just to get an idea which strength you need before ordering online, where there are infinitely better styles available. (They range in power from +0.25 up to +4.00.)
First, I ordered a pricey pair ($95) from Caddis. If you are a person of a certain age, an ad for this brand has certainly found you on social media. There are people on the site with gray hair and wrinkles, all wearing very cool-looking, chunky-rimmed glasses while doing things like playing bluegrass. Gwyneth Paltrow recently anointed Caddis after she appeared in an unrelated Goop Instagram video a few weeks ago wearing the brand’s Miklos blue light glasses. Fans clamored for the brand name, which Goop provided in a later post.
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The founder, Tim Parr, previously founded the bike brand Swobo and did a stint at Patagonia before launching Caddis. It’s a category that was ripe for (I’m sorry to say this word) disruption. So many people need this thing, so why not make it good? The copy on its site reads: “We’re here to call out the whole fountain of youth illusion, industries that profit from the fear of getting older and the concept of ‘aging gracefully.’ And yes, we sell reading glasses. Get older. Own it. See stuff.”
I fell for its branding immediately, and ordered when the Kim France/Jennifer Romolini podcast “Everything Is Fine” offered a discount code. I purchased the Porgy frame. They are sturdy and expensive-feeling, but their heaviness makes it uncomfortable to wear on my head for a long period of time. And, as it became clear that one pair would not be enough, having exclusively Caddis readers became prohibitively expensive. So I bring the Caddis with me when I am going to be seen in public. They are the middle-age equivalent of a going-out top.
Next, I tried Zenni Optical, a site that sells inexpensive prescription frames, but which also has a huge selection of readers. Prices range from about $6 to $36. Some are ugly, but your patience will be rewarded as you scroll. I ordered a few different styles to try, and have fallen in love with a $6.95 pair that looks like a Caddis Miklos knockoff in a clear smoke color. They are now my default. Though they’re definitely cheaper-feeling than Caddis, they’re light and comfortable and I often forget they’re on my head.
Now, if only I would stop forgetting where I put them.
Other places to shop for readers:
–Warby Parker: If you’re a fan of the brand, they also sell reading glass versions of many of their styles for $95.
–Look Optic: This brand sells readers and blue light glasses for $68. The shapes are simple and stylish. The ‘70s inspired Wills is a standout.
–The Book Club Eyewear: This Sydney-based brand annoyed me at first because the models on the site do not look old enough to need readers. There’s also a gimmick that the glasses styles all have names that are sort of based on books like “Hairy Otter” and “Spittle Swimmin’” ugh. But the styles are fun and, for $50, are about half the price of Caddis.
–ReadingGlasses.com: If you love a designer logo, you will find Prada, Burberry, and … Bobbi Brown (?) styles here. They are priced at a designer level, with some pushing $300.
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