Are you asking yourself "what strength reading glasses do I need?" It happens to everyone — fine text becomes blurry and you find yourself holding menus farther and farther away to read. You, like millions of others, are likely developing presbyopia and need reading glasses. If you're unsure about when to start wearing readers, here are a few other reading glasses indicators that might help you decide. You can also check out our guide on buying reading glasses for more tips."

We’ve made it easy to determine your reading glasses strength, also referred to as your reading power, especially if you're new to reading glasses and aren’t sure where to start.

Option #1: Use a Printable Diopter Reading Test Card

Diopter test charts feature rows of words in different sizes that correspond to different reading glasses strengths. If you're purchasing reading glasses online, you can use our printable diopter chart . Hold the sheet 14" away and try to read the top line without glasses. Continue down until you can read a line clearly — this indicates the reading glasses strength you need.

Tip: Remember to remove your regular glasses when using the reading glasses test. If your eyes have different vision needs, cover one eye at a time to test each individually.

You'll notice that the diopter chart goes up to +3.25 magnification. This reading glasses test helps you find your reading power up to +3.25. If you believe your reading power is higher, we suggest contacting an eye doctor to determine your correct strength.

Option #2: Test Various Reading Glasses Strengths

Prescriptions for reading glasses strength increase by 0.25 diopters (e.g., +1.00, +1.25, +1.50). Start by trying glasses based on your reading glasses test results. At retailers, test pairs that are both stronger and weaker than your test results. Narrow it down to two magnifications you see clearly with — always choose the lower power.

Now, Time to Purchase!

At Readers.com , you'll find readers in the following reading glasses strengths:

Shop all our available powers:

+1.00
+1.25
+1.50
+1.75
+2.00
+2.25
+2.50
+2.75
+3.00
+3.25
+3.50
+3.75

Looking for something more specific? Maybe you need computer glasses, reading sunglasses, or high-powered readers? We have all that and more at Readers.com!

Shop Reading Glasses

Disclaimer: Our reading glasses strength finding options are general guidelines and should not replace an annual eye exam with a licensed professional. [View our full disclaimer]

Back to Hub