Can you buy reading glasses without a prescription? Well, you can. Reading glasses come in two main styles;
- Full frames, in which the entire lens is made in the reading prescription, AND
- Half -eyes, the smaller “Ben Franklin “style glasses that sit lower down on the nose.
Ready-made reading glasses, often called ready readers, were first introduced in the UK in 1989. Up to this point, people were not allowed to buy these over-the-counter reading glasses. However, a visit to the optician was the only way to obtain a pair of reading glasses.
If you are having problems reading and seeing clearly, there are a choice of lenses to suit your needs. However, it’s important to make sure your lenses meet your vision needs to ensure comfortable vision.
Ready-Reading Lenses
Both lenses have the purpose of aiding vision problems. However, the primary purpose of reading glasses is to aid an individual with presbyopia. Presbyopia is an eye condition that is fairly common among people ageing 35 to 45 years olds.
However, individuals suffering from presbyopia have lost elasticity on the lenses of their eyes. This resulting in problems like blurry vision and the inability to focus sight on a close-range object.
Reading lenses can be custom-made for each individual through an optical dispenser. Moreover, they can also be purchased “ready-made “ at a pharmacy.
Ready–reading lenses are less expensive than custom eyewear, allowing you to own several pairs for a small amount of money and these ready reader lenses became popular in the 1990s.
Ready reading glasses are usually made with material of lower quality. However, they are made for people with presbyopia. In addition, it helps deal with near vision problems, consequently hindering far-range vision. However, It has the power for long-range and near vision capacity.
Prescription lenses
Prescription lenses are spectacles lenses to match your needs specifically. It is customized and more accurate. The prescription lenses are used to treat almost every related to vision, including myopia, presbyopia, and many more.
They are made of high-quality material and have a wider set of options and the lenses are powerful. However, before you can get any prescription lenses, you need to go through a series of vision tests. Moreover, these are the reasons why prescription lenses are more generic than reading glasses.
Prescription lenses can be reused if your prescription alters. However, the lenses are centred in front of your eyes with the PD ( pupillary distance), where RR (Retinal Reflex) is centred in the middle of your frame.
But both glasses are unique and have their benefits. Ready reading lenses are best for individuals with mild presbyopia. They are also good for reading in the daylight. It doesn’t need any vision correction every day, but all-day prescription lenses are the best choice for long use of glasses.