Reading glasses

[hillbilly]

I'm 47 and realised recently that perhaps I need glasses for close up vision. Reading menus, threading needles etc. I tried on my sister's generic ones which made a great difference - my question is, should I go to the optician and have prescription ones made or will cheap ones do?

I have cheap ones - one in every room (including the bathroom), one in the car, a spare in my handbag etc. But then I tend to break or lose them on a regular basis so can't see the point of getting very expensive ones when the cheap ones do the job.

I started with the cheapo's but kept breaking them.

I've got two pairs of proper prescription glasses, one for upstairs and one down. I bought them on BOGOF.

They are so much better (to be expected, I suppose!)

I'm just getting brave enough to use them in public - accepting that I'm that age now

I'm 35 and have reached this stage already!

I went to the optician and got proper ones, on the rationale that if they looked good I would wear them in public more often instead of squining at things. I went to Specsavers, their cheapest glasses start at £29 and from £69 up you can BOGOF.

I got mine from the pound shop. The optician wanted £85. Seem to be fine.

I would go to the optician and have a proper check up first.

They will check your eye health as well as give you a prescription.

Then you will know if one eye is very different from the other and if there are other corrections (like astigmatism) that you need to think about.

If that is ok, then buy several of the cheap ones - seems the best way for most people.

You don't have to get your glasses from the Optician, you can just ask for your prescription then buy them from where ever you want to.

Saying that, I buy mine from the Optician. I like nice reading glasses.

Thanks everyone. I have been to the optician annually for the last few years and everything has been fine so far. I think I will probably go and have a check up anyway but in the meantime will get some from the pound shop

DH had his eyes tested and paid a fortune for fairly bog standard reading glasses. I was aghast at the price and told him he should have got cheap ones at the pound shop/supermarket. He sneered at the thought that cheap ones would be just as good, until one day he tried a pair on in the local library - he has been a convert to cheap reading glasses ever since.
It does of course depend on your prescription and whether both eyes are equal.

So I have bought 2 pairs from the pound shop and also have a voucher from Boots for a £10 eye test.