Computer Reading Glasses vs. Reading Glasses: Do You Need Both?

Whether you’re reading an informative blog (like this one) or a great book, you may have started to wonder if you need a separate pair of specs for reading on your computer.

If you get a dedicated pair of glasses for your computer, they may have some features your regular reading glasses lack — but is it really necessary to swap back and forth?

If you, like us, are doing a lot of your reading on the computer or on another digital device, like your smartphone, then you might benefit from a pair of computer reading glasses. Investing in a second pair of readers, designed specifically for your screen time, can help reduce some of the eye strain associated with digital screens.

We’ll take a look at the differences between standard reading glasses and computer reading glasses to help you decide if computer readers are right for you.

Standard Reading Glasses vs. Computer Reading Glasses

Both standard reading glasses and computer reading glasses help correct presbyopia, or the loss of close-up vision that happens naturally as we age. Reading lenses magnify the image or text in front of us to make it easier to see. And they come in different levels of magnification, so you can choose the right level for you.

But that “right level” might be different if you’re reading from your computer monitor instead of from a book or your smartphone. And while standard reading glasses have clear lenses, computer reading glasses often have an anti-blue light filter. Here’s a more detailed look at these differences.

Magnification

The magnification on reading glasses ranges from +0.25 to +2.75. Presbyopia often comes on gradually and this range allows you to increase the strength of your glasses as your vision changes. However, that’s not the only time to adjust your magnification strength.

Choosing your preferred reading distance will help determine your prescription. For example, if you hold a book two to three feet from your face, you would likely need less of a prescription than if you hold a book a foot from your face.

As such, keep in mind that a computer screen will likely be further from your face than a book, while a smartphone may be held at about the same distance.

These are different distances, so you may need a different magnification strength to comfortably view each object. You’ll likely need stronger magnification to see that book that’s very close to your face, and you’ll be able to use weaker magnification to see the computer screen.

Experiment with different levels of magnification to decide what’s most comfortable for you. You can head to your local pharmacy and try on different strengths of over-the-counter glasses. (Then leave those generic pharmacy glasses behind and find a cuter Pair). Or, you can talk to an eye doctor to get their recommendations on the ideal magnification strengths for your different needs.

Blue Light Filtering

The other feature that differentiates computer reading glasses from standard reading glasses is that computer readers typically have a blue light filter added to the lens to block out potentially harmful blue light.

Blue light won’t necessarily appear blue to the naked eye (or even to the bespectacled eye). It simply falls on a part of the visible light spectrum that has a blue wavelength. Computer screens and digital devices emit a lot of blue light.

While blue light is potentially harmful, it isn’t always harmful. Morning sunlight emits a lot of blue light (far more than your computer screen), which helps wake us up and makes us feel more alert, focused, and energetic.

But if you’re exposed to too much blue light over time, it could damage the cells in your retina and cause vision problems. A lot of blue light at night can also disrupt your body’s production of melatonin (the sleep hormone), and make it difficult to fall and stay asleep.

So basically, blue light in the morning is good, blue light in the evening is bad, and too much blue light overall is also bad. Wearing blue light readers, especially when you use the computer in the late afternoon and evening, can help protect you from some of these negative effects.

You can get blue light blocking glasses and gaming glasses with no magnification, or you can get blue light reading glasses with magnifications from +0.25 to +2.75. You can even get prescription blue light glasses with single vision or progressive lenses. All of these options will feature filtering technology to block out the blue light.

This raises an important point: While you may need computer glasses that block blue light for working long periods of time on a computer, you still need blue light protection when reading material on a smartphone or tablet.

If you usually use your reading glasses to read on one of those devices, you’ll want to make sure they have blue light lens technology to protect your vision and prevent eye strain.

What Are the Benefits of Computer Reading Glasses?

Computer reading glasses can help your eyes feel more comfortable during computer use, and they may reduce some of the negative side effects of extended screen time. The main benefits of using computer readers over standard readers include:

• Reducing the harmful effects of blue light: The main benefit of blue light blocking glasses is that they allow less blue light to get to your retinas, which can protect your eyes from damage and improve your sleep.
• Decreasing digital eye strain: Staring at a computer for long hours can lead to dry eye and eye fatigue. Using blue light readers can help decrease these uncomfortable symptoms. Other symptoms of digital eye strain include headaches, blurred vision, burning or watery eyes, eye twitching, and pain in your neck, back, or shoulders.
• Improving your computer posture: If you’re struggling to see your computer screen, you’re more likely to tilt your head at an angle that’s uncomfortable for your neck, contributing to neck strain. Getting glasses that are the correct magnification for computer use will allow you to hold your head at a more natural angle.

Even when you use computer reading glasses, you should follow other best practices for taking your eyes during screen time. Use the 20-20-20 rule, and take a break every 20 minutes to look 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Whenever you use a digital device at night, dim the screen as much as possible. And try to avoid screen time after 8 p.m.

Do You Need a Prescription for Computer Reading Glasses?

Readers are considered non-prescription glasses. So you don’t need a prescription to order a pair. You just need to know your preferred magnification level for reading on the computer. If you’re not sure what magnification strength you need, you can always consult your eye doctor even though you don’t need a prescription.

However, if you typically wear a multifocal lens, like bifocal lenses or progressive lenses, you may want to visit your eye doctor. These are prescription lenses.

You may be able to get away with wearing a pair of non-prescription computer reading glasses, instead of your prescription glasses, when you’re on the computer. Then you can switch to your prescription glasses for your other daily activities.

But there may be other options — like computer progressive lenses — that could be more comfortable and allow you to switch glasses less often. If you’re not sure what lens type you need, talk to your eye doctor.

How To Know if Computer Glasses Are Right for You

If all this talk of computer glasses has you wondering if they’re the right choice for you, there are a few different things you should consider. First and foremost, think about how much time you spend in front of a computer each day.

If your job requires you to be at your computer during most working hours, computer eyeglasses are probably an ideal fit. That said, if you do some work at your computer and some work in person or do other tasks that require you to see near and far during the day, then different eyeglasses might suit you better.

Also, if you spend a lot of time working on a computer but need glasses for other visual impairments, prescription computer glasses will be more your speed. For the lucky ones among us who have perfect 20/20 vision but are worried about the effects of blue light, a regular pair of blue light filter glasses will totally do the trick.

Regardless of which option is best for you, take some time at your next eye exam to talk with your doctor about all of the options available. They’ll be able to brainstorm with you and develop a plan that will protect your eyes and help you see clearly.

Once you have a plan in place, come check out our Top Frames to add some style to the mix.

How To Select the Perfect Frames

Whether you want computer glasses, reading glasses, or both, your eyewear should make you feel like a million bucks. When you shop by face shape, it’s easy to select glasses that look amazing. Understanding how different styles will look on your face can help you narrow down your options and pick the frames that are best for you.

Having trouble? Try using a virtual try-on tool, like the one at Pair. This can help you determine what a particular style will look like in real time — on your real face!

Don’t feel as if you have to limit yourself to one style, though. If you shop with Pair, you can build an eyewear wardrobe that you can change on a daily (or hourly) basis. It’s entirely up to you.

Spend Your Screen Time in Style

Maybe you want cat-eye computer glasses or a more classic frame style. Whatever the case may be, Pair’s bestsellers include both trendy and time-honored looks.

Shop with us today and find out how we can turn one pair of Base Frames into a whole new you.

Sources:

What Is Presbyopia? | American Academy of Ophthalmology

How blue light affects your eyes, sleep, and health | UC Davis Health

Visible Light | NASA Science

(PDF) Ergonomic Diagnosis of a Computer Workstation, | ResearchGate