It’s natural for your eyes to get weaker as you age. Having trouble reading is quite common, and nearly everyone will develop some degree of presbyopia over time, the technical term for age-related blurry vision caused by the lens of the eye becoming less flexible.
“The human lens grows like a little onion and adds layers, and right around age 40 becomes stiffer,” Dr. Viola Kanevsky, a past president of the New York State Optometric Association, told CNET. “Even a person who’s always had perfect vision suddenly needs reading glasses and starts to pull things out further.”
The American Academy of Ophthalmology says that if presbyopia is your only vision problem, reading glasses can be a simple solution. While the best option is to get a thorough eye exam to determine your prescription and specific power requirement, you can easily buy reading glasses online and have them shipped right to your door.
You’ll find tons of retailers offering reading glasses online, but not all of them are created equally. We’ve sifted through nearly a dozen sites, carefully considering customer reviews, product variety and shipping policies to help you narrow down your choices. Find out where to get the best readers and find your perfect pair.
What are the best overall reading glasses?
GlassesUSA is our pick for the best overall reading glasses you can buy online, thanks to its well-rounded inventory, fair policies and great customer reviews. GlassesUSA was also one of CNET’s picks for the best online glasses and best prescription sunglasses.
Best reading glasses for 2024
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GlassesUSA offers nearly 200 frames as reading glasses. You can get lens powers from +0.25 to +4 on every pair, which is one of the widest ranges out of all the brands we looked at — even people with very weak or very strong farsightedness can get their readers here. There are many different styles to choose from, from traditional to bold. Frequent sales bring the prices down to as low as about $34 for a pair. GlassesUSA also has other policies and perks that make it a convenient vendor to buy from. These include virtual try-ons, free shipping, free returns or exchanges and a year-long warranty.
Warby Parker is a popular and well-known brand in the online glasses world, and for good reason. Its site makes it easy to shop for the exact styles you’re interested in based on size, shape, color and more. You can try on frames virtually or even at home. All of Warby Parker’s glasses are available as reading glasses with powers from +0.25 to +2.75. Glasses start at $95 and come with free shipping and 30-day returns.
You can’t go wrong with a budget pair of glasses from Zenni, with more than 1,700 frames to choose from. The company now offers a line of ready-to-wear readers with powers from +0.50 to +2.75 starting at just $7. (If you need +0.25, you can also go the custom route.) The site offers a virtual try-on experience and because the frames are so affordable, it’s easy to get a couple of pairs for different occasions or to stash in different locations. If you do change your mind, make a return within two weeks for a refund or within 30 days for store credit.
There’s something to be said for buying a pair of reading glasses from a brand that’s dedicated to that specific product. Readers.com offers little perks like an online “PowerFinder” to help you determine the best strength for your eyes, and it sells frames in +1 to +4 powers to accommodate a wide range of vision needs. The site’s frames come in a range of prices and styles (over 500). You can filter your search by shape, style and more.
Peepers, a brand you might recognize from talk shows or Oprah’s Favorite Things, is ideal for people who want a bolder or more creative look at a reasonable price. The brand keeps things simple: The selection isn’t huge, but it is well-curated and each pair of glasses is the exact same price: $29 (before tax and any discounts). Virtual try-on is available, and shipping is free over $42. Powers range from +1 to +4.
Pair Eyewear is unique in that each of its frames allows for multiple different looks — you can add magnetic attachments to the frames to achieve a new color or pattern. Any one of the frames on Pair’s website can be made into reading glasses with strengths from +0.25 to +2.75 for the same price as a prescription pair of glasses. There are 15 base frames for women and 11 base frames for men to choose from and almost 500 tops to switch out per frame. CNET reporter Jessica Rendall explained the process in detail in her pair eyewear review.
| Company | Powers | Shipping | Returns | Warranty | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GlassesUSA | +.25 to +4 | Free standard shipping; $20 for next day | 14 days | 1 year | $19 to over $400 |
| Warby Parker | +.25 to +2.75 | Free standard shipping; $25 plus tax for expedited | 30 days | Six-month no-scratch guarantee | $95 to $295+ |
| Zenni | +.25 to +2.75 | $5 shipping; $19 rush shipping | 2 weeks for refund; 30 days for store credit | 30 days | $12 to $50 |
| Readers.com | 1 to 7 | Free first-class shipping over $35; $13+ for priority express or next-day | 90 days | 90 days | $14 to over $42 |
| Peepers | +1 to +4 | Free standard shipping over $42; $9 for priority mail | 90 days | None | $29 |
| Pair Eyewear | +.25 to +2.75 | Free standard; $15 for priority or faster | 30 days | 30 days | $60 and up |
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- Strength: Reading glasses typically range from +0.25 to +2.50 diopters (the unit of power that glasses prescriptions use). It’s important to see an eye doctor to find the power that works for your eyes. You may need a stronger pair as you get older, or you’ll want bifocal or progressives if you need both distance and nearsighted vision correction.
- Style: Expressing your style is one of the main perks of wearing glasses. Find the ideal shape, width, material and color. Don’t be afraid to change things up.
- Price: Reading glasses can be quite affordable since they don’t need to be custom-made like prescription glasses. However, designer reading glasses will cost more, with prices of $150 and up. If you tend to lose your glasses or want to have multiple pairs on hand, it might be better to stick with lower-priced options.
- Upgrades: Consider whether you need any lens treatments like blue-light filters, polarization or anti-glare coatings.
- Shipping and returns: If you opt for an online pair, you probably won’t get to try them in person, making it more important to use a company with timely shipping and an easy way to make returns or exchanges.
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- Selection: We looked at not only the number of different frames but also the range of colors, shapes, materials and so on. Essentially, how likely is it that a range of people would be able to find a pair they liked from this store?
- Shipping policies: We considered whether free shipping is available, how long that shipping takes, and how much it costs to upgrade to faster shipping. We also looked at warranties and return policies.
- Customer satisfaction and reviews: We took other CNET editors’ experiences into account, as well as customer reviews online.
- Price range: We looked at the average price of a pair of frames, and the lowest and highest prices, to find the best reading glasses for different readers’ budgets.
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How do I know what strength of reading glasses to get?
Are cheap reading glasses OK?
