“Do I Really Need Reading Glasses?” A Clear Look at a Common Question

Free Australia-wide shipping on all reading glasses via Australia Post. No minimum purchase required.

Express and world-wide shipping also available.

Love your new Ministry of Sight reading glasses or easily return or exchange them with our 30-day happiness guarantee.

All our frames are thick acetate, which are luxe, durable, lightweight and comfy. Not plastic!

Unlike cheap plastic frames, acetate is strong, flexible, and less likely to break or warp over time. 💪

Being plant-based and biodegradable, acetate is a greener choice for your eyes — and the Earth. 🌎💚

Reading glasses help stop headaches by reducing eye strain. When your eyes work too hard to focus on close-up tasks, it can cause tension around your eyes and forehead.

The right pair of glasses makes reading, phone use or computer work easier, easing eye fatigue and preventing headaches. They also improve posture, reducing neck and shoulder strain.

No more squinting at your phone, menus, food labels or books.

Our reading glasses are designed to bring clarity back to your everyday.

Read, work and relax without the strain. Say goodbye to squinting and hello to effortless vision in frames you’ll love to wear.

Our high-quality lenses are scratch-resistant and feature anti-glare protection for clear, comfortable vision.

It's important you get the right fit for your glasses. Style. Fit. Function. We’ll show you the way.

Not sure what style to choose, or which frames will fit you best? Start with what you already love. Grab a pair of sunnies or glasses that fit you well - that’s your best reference point for shape and size.

Key Measurements

Every pair of our reading glasses comes with three key measurements to help you find the right fit, LW-BW-TL:

LW	Lens Width	The horizontal width of each lens (excluding the frame), measured at its widest point.
BW	Bridge Width	The distance between the lenses (across your nose).
TL	Temple Length	The length of the arms, from hinge to tip (including the bit that curves behind your ear)

Quick Tips

👀	Check the inside of the arm on your current glasses - most will have three numbers printed on the arm (eg 50-20-140, ie LW-BW-TL). These are your frame's measurements.
👀	Sunnies don’t usually include these, so you might need to break out the tape measure for those old-school stats.
📏	Use these numbers to match up with the fit guide on each of our product pages - and you’ll be looking sharp in no time.

 

It's important that you get the right lens power for your reading glasses. We’ll help you find your perfect pair.

What is Lens Power?

Lens power (also called magnification strength) tells you how much help the lenses give your eyes to see things up close. It’s measured in dioptres (D) and for reading glasses comes in + (positive) numbers.

How It Works: 

+1.00 to +1.50	Great if you’re just starting to need a little help with small print.
+2.00 to +2.50	Ideal for more noticeable reading struggles or longer reading sessions.
+3.00	Best for strong magnification needs or serious close-up clarity.

If you're just starting out (you're getting headaches, you're squinting to see, you're holding text at arm's length to read it), try starting with a +0.5 or +1.00 or and adjust based on comfort.

💡 Pro tips

💡You can test different powers with printable reading diopter charts online - or try a few at a local retailer and see what feels best.

💡 You might be able to determine which strength of reading glasses you need by consulting a "lens power by age table" like this:

Age 40-44 Age 45-49 Age 50-54 Age 55-59 Age 61-65

Recommended power +0.5 to +1.0 Recommended power +1.0 to +1.5 Recommended power +1.5 to +2.0 Recommended power +2.0 to +2.5  Recommended power +2.0 to +3.0

💡If you’ve narrowed it down to two pairs of readers, it’s usually best to choose the one with less magnification.

💡 Non-prescription glasses are designed to work for reading or looking at other things up close, and if you are using them to see far away you should visit your local optometrist to discuss this.

💡 Note that a stronger lens is not always better, so reconsider a lens power that allows you to read something at a comfortable distance.

💡 You might find that you require different lenses for various tasks. If so, have a think about buying several pairs of reading glasses, each with a different strength of lens.

💡 If you're wearing reading glasses to see objects that are very close or very small, you will need stronger strength lenses with higher magnification than what the age-based reading glasses power chart might recommend.

💡 If you’re using reading glasses mainly while on the computer, perhaps choose a lower reading glass power. A lower reading glass power should be used when the viewing distance is longer. A lower strength of our reading glasses work great for computer readers. Keep a pair next to your screen.