Decent longer lasting reading glasses?

[WinterCosiness]

I was extremely blessed to have 20/20 vision for the first four decades of my life. Which of course I took for granted! So, I'm struggling to get used to the whole glasses wearing thing! I only need them for reading, and am on a budget, so have just been buying very cheap and cheerful ones, some of which have been fine, but some are so flimsy and, without my doing anything, and despite my really looking after them well (never leaving them lying around, putting them in a case etc) they sometimes just spontaneously start to fall apart! One arm has fallen off at least 3 pairs! The lense has fallen out of others! Obviously Poundland and similar, what should I expect?! But, I feel so guilty about all that plastic waste as an environmentalist. I've decided I'm willing now to pay extra for pairs that last longer. Does anyone know of decent sturdy reading glasses? Advice from experienced glasses wearers especially welcome. Thank you so much 👓

Invest in classic style frames from an optician, then just pay to change the lenses each time. More expensive initially but better for the environment.

Thank you. Yes, it's the environment that worries me, in terms of all that cheap plastic.
Funnily enough, with clothes and furniture and almost everything, I usually get good quality (often second hand) and really look after them, and they last donkeys years. I think because I'm in a bit of denial about my recent ocular decline, I've not wanted to fork out. But, after my umpteenth pair in just a few months lost an arm, I need to have a rethink. It sounds bonkers, but I'm sort of grieving the loss of my previously perfect vision. I feel awful saying that, as some people are blind all their lives. But, I can't help how I feel. I'm a fairly average person in lots of ways, so my good eyesight was one of my only obvious gifts. But, maybe investing in good glasses would help me to accept it more.
Anyway, thank you. That's great advice.

My experience. Been wearing prescription since a child. Started out shortsighted now gone the other way due to advancing years, into varifocal territory, wear them for reading watching TV, computer and a bit of driving. So most of the day.

For the first time about 3 or 4 years ago I bought my glasses from an independent. Advised they were the best glass and frame...about £350 ! Didn't even buy a fancy style. The leg broke about 2 months in and again 6 months later.

I had always gone for the highstreet versions before this. My more recent go tos have been ASDA 2 FOR £180 (??) I don't treat my glasses very well, on and off through the day, hang them on my collar , never put them into their case but through it all they never fell apart, ( a few scratched lens though) but the first £350 glasses they just couldn't stick the abuse!

Oddly enough my current main specs from asda I've never had so many compliments. Metal large square frame.

Figure out how much you will use them , what you'll need them for, computer, reading TV etc how style driven are you ( I have a friend who spends a fortune on really trendy specs ) , and for me having a second or even cheapo third pair in the car for emergencies is vital. My current situation is that two of my pairs are varifocal and the other just reading glasses. Also have a pair of prescription sunglasses just for reading not varifocal.

Depending on your prescription you might be suitable to use contacts , I found that as much as I hate having to rely on glasses they were less bother than contacts. Stung my eyeball when I accidentally didn't wash my hands of my face cream properly before putting them in which didn't help. Also I suffer with cold sores and was afraid of cross contaminating the cold sore virus to my eye.

Hope this helps...somewhat.

PS, I have donated my old glasses to my local opticians who recycle them if that's a consideration.

If it's the same arm falling off each time then it could be because you're pulling them off your head with one hand. Puts strain on that one side. This will happen with any frame - cheap or expensive. Use two hands and you shouldn't have a problem.

@Petuniaspetal thank you. All very helpful. Gosh, so for you the pricey ones were more breakable? That must have been frustrating.
Funnily enough, one of my first pairs, from a local chemist, but still cheap, seemed very good quality. No scratches or anything.
I've not found the same ones since. Since then, it's mostly been Poundland, Savers etc.
I mostly just use them for reading. I look after them pretty well I think. The one thing I do do is wear them in the bath! I read in the bath 🤭 Maybe the steam doesn't help them? Obviously if the arms come off I could theoretically get some little screws and fix them?

Oh wow, I'd never thought of that. Great advice. Yes, always the same arm! I'll definitely follow your advice 👍

@Petuniaspetal when I say cheap, I mean extremely cheap. When I read your post saying two for £180 from Asda. I thought you meant two for £1.80! The ultra cheap reading glasses I get, are non prescription flimsy £1 to £5 offerings! I reckon if I pay just a little more, I could get something longer lasting.
I was very naive about the cost of 'proper' glasses. Seems so unfair you have to pay so much just to be able to see. So far, no prescription needed for my glasses. Really hope it stays that way 🙏

London Mole from Amazon are good quality readers. I wear varifocals, but struggle to read in them, especially in bed.

So I get these, and they’re about £18 a pair, robust and come in quite cool colours and styles. I have pairs scattered all over the place, because I spend far too long looking for my specs otherwise.

Oh, that sounds like the perfect compromise price/quality wise. Thank you 😊

I wear glasses for 40 years now and had exactly one where the frame snapped. I got new frames around every 2 years, some every 4 years depending on the style.

Get a good qualilty frame, my current reading glasses are 18 month old and my optician checks and tighten them for free, they encourage us to come every 3-4 months. Yes the frame costs £200 but my lenses are nearly £1000, so I don't complain.

Do take them off with both hands though, it does make a difference.

Thank you. That's all very helpful advice 😊

@LunaNorth Thanks for the mention of London Mole, they look fab!
I have a lot of spectacle requirements due to extreme myopia but I can still wear contacts for socialising etc.
I need readers on top for reading menus though and the London Mole frames look really nice and quite sturdy.
@WinterCosiness I do get what you mean about "good eyes" was your thing, my husband struggled with the same thing in his fifties.
The thing is, nice specs can look gorgeous and if you select ones that flatter your colouring or work with your preferred look/colours it will all be grand.

I see you've already had some good suggestions but I have been buying these for years, they last ages, I've never broken a pair as they are sturdy and the arms are spring-loaded like 'proper' glasses (but I am a demon for losing glasses!). I've even mended a pair once when the little screw came out! But at £9-ish for three pairs, they are brilliant.

Not the prettiest glasses in the world, but I think I look ok in them.

I've gradually gone up the magnification levels over the years.

Amazon UV reading glasses

I found Flying Tiger pretty good, about a fiver.

I'll never understand posts like this.

It's just virtue signalling nonsense.

I realised you were going for cheap initially but misunderstood and thought you were going to go with prescription as your next option.

My brother in law goes with izzi pizzi (?) he rates them but they're not in the £5 bracket I don't think !

I was in Spain last year and the local pharmacia sold really funky groovy sunglasses and cheap glasses for about 10 euro. Sorry I didn't buy a few more sunglasses tbh. So have a look if you're going to Spain.
😎

I wear varifocals that I get from asda but when I wanted some simple reading glasses I went to specsavers
They do single vision lenses in their cheapest frames for £15 I got a black plastic frame that is if not the height of fashion certainly nothing like my old nhs specs I had as a child

Another vote for izzipizzi, I have several pairs and they have lasted. Think they are about 25 EUR so probably 20+ pounds.

I got a pair from Tiger, they were £6 and still going strong after a couple of years. I don't put them on my head and I take them off by the lens not the arm if that makes sense.

Any ideas of any reading (magnifying) glasses off the shelf so to speak that are really lightweight as I find most of them are really heavy on the bridge of my nose and most uncomfortable.

The best ones I got were from USA on holiday in a Dollar Shop but they are on their last legs now unfortunately.

I’ve got a couple of pairs of Izipizi and they seem sturdier than my previous Boots readers. They’re much more stylish, too.

Izipizi are around 30 quid, btw.

Thank you all for all the advice. Lots of really helpful info.
I'm definitely going to make a few ocular investments based on this thread!

@handsmacksforehead I wasn't virtue signalling. I was just looking for advice about decent reading glasses.
Apologies if it came across in any other way.
I think not wanting to create more plastic for landfill is fairly mainstream these days. A practical motivation rather than a virtuous one 🤷‍♀️

Ignore that strange post from handsmacksforehead. They seem to have been having a bad day.

Good luck with your glasses!