If you're anything like me, you probably assumed buying reading glasses online would be simple. You search for the least expensive pair, click "buy," and wait for them to arrive. Then the glasses show up, and they're terrible.
I deeply regret the time and money I lost trying to save a few bucks. Over two years, I wasted around $150 on poor purchases. I also lost countless hours dealing with headaches and attempting to return flimsy, ineffective plastic frames. It was a hard lesson: cheap online reading glasses aren't a bargain—they're an expense.
Everything changed when I finally discovered the right pair of Blue Light Blocking Progressive Multifocal Reading Glasses. But first, let me share the mistakes I made so you can avoid repeating them.
Here’s what I lost before finding the right product:
My biggest mistake was sorting search results by "Lowest Price First." I thought spending $19.99 on a pair of progressive glasses was a smart move. It wasn't. None of those glasses lasted more than two months.
The materials were consistently poor. The frames felt thin and fragile, often breaking at the hinges where tiny screws held them together. Sometimes the nose pads would fall off when I cleaned the lenses. This meant I had to buy a new pair immediately, ultimately spending more money faster than if I had invested in one quality pair from the start.
I recall one pair where the lenses scratched the moment I set them down on a table. The coating wore off almost instantly. If you can't see clearly, the glasses are pointless. I learned that frames need to be sturdy to withstand daily use. If the material isn't specified, assume it's subpar.
Every cheap advertisement promised "Perfect Blue Light Blocking" and "Seamless Progressive Lenses." I believed them, but the reality was always a letdown.
The blue light blocking feature on inexpensive glasses is often just a faint yellow tint that doesn't actually filter harsh screen light. I still experienced eye fatigue after an hour of computer use. I bought these glasses for proper protection and was misled by poor marketing.
The progressive multifocal claim was even worse. True progressive lenses allow you to look up for distance, straight ahead for the computer, and down for reading, with a smooth transition between zones. Cheap online reading glasses offer only a tiny sweet spot. You have to tilt your head awkwardly to find focus, and outside that small area, everything is blurry and distorted.
It feels like looking through a keyhole. This causes motion sickness and headaches as your brain struggles to focus. It's a common flaw in mass-produced, low-cost lenses.
I wasted money because I focused too much on lens strength (like 1.0, 2.50, etc.) and ignored the actual frame size. Fit is crucial, especially for progressive lenses where your eye must align perfectly with the correct spot.