5 Things You Want in Lightweight Reading Glasses

• Rimless design
• TR-90 frames and temple arms
• Optical quality polycarbonate lenses
• Smaller lens size
• Lightweight tube case

(That’s my quick cheat sheet, but read on if you want the why’s and whatnots.)

Who Would Want Feather Weight Reading Glasses?

If you’re shopping for reading glasses, there’s a pretty good chance you want them to be lightweight. 

Or… maybe you don’t.

Maybe you’re wondering why that would influence your decision. Fair enough. It may not be immediately obvious, but it’s a pretty important factor for a few reasons.

First, you probably want glasses that don’t slip down your nose or topple off your face easily (at least I don’t!). When your glasses are lightweight it’s easier for your facial structure to support them. This also leads to the second reason for picking a pair of lightweight specs.

Secondly, call me vain, but I hate taking off my glasses in public to reveal little red blotches on the bridge of my nose. Ok, so I don’t worry about it too much, and neither should you, but it’s definitely not flattering. If I can avoid nerdy eyeglass marks I do.

In the case of reading glasses, since I’m frequently removing them throughout the day (unlike regular glasses), it becomes more of an issue. (Don’t tell me appearance is not important to you!) 

And finally, it helps for a pair of readers to be as light as possible simply for comfort and practicality. After all, these glasses are going to be spending as much time in your pocket or purse as they do on your face, and nobody wants a heavy pair of spectacles weighing their shirt pocket down or falling to the bottom of your already difficult-to-navigate bag.

What to Look for, the Skinny on the Skinny

1 – Rimless Design

Visualites X Pillow – Our latest rimless readers with aluminum arms.

So, what are you going to want to look for? Rimless glasses tend to be especially lightweight, eliminating much of the bulk and resulting in a sharper, more professional look. Rimless glasses are often less than half the weight of other styles.

2 – TR-90 Temple Arms

Another thing to look for (especially if you’re going for rimmed glasses) is TR-90. This is one of the strongest lightweight materials used to make frames and temple arms. Glasses made from TR-90 will not only feel better but also tend to be significantly more durable than typical readers.

3 – Optical Quality Polycarbonate Lenses

As far as lenses go, your best bet is to search for polycarbonate instead of glass. Glass is heavier. And less durable to boot. There are multiple types of polycarbonate and you want to be conscious about this as well, as the quality of the lens could potentially have an impact on your vision and eye health. Always look for “optical quality” lenses when purchasing reading glasses.

These are free of defects and lens “blemishes” to provide consistent magnification throughout the lens. Spending less and going for non-optical quality can cause vision problems and drastically affect your reading experience.

If you are on a budget, it’s worthwhile to check out our clearance options.

4 – Smaller Lens Size

The size of your specs are naturally going to factor into this decision a little bit too, for obvious reasons. Minimalism is a good principle to hold by when shopping for readers. 

5 – A Good Case, Preferably a Tube Case

Sometimes I think people buy Visualites for our tube cases! (Well, they are pretty cool)

After you have picked out your reading glasses there’s one last thing to consider, and that’s the case. If you’re looking not only for a lightweight reading experience but also something that isn’t going to weigh down your purse or pocket, it’s important to keep in mind that many cases are quite heavy and won’t be conducive to this goal. A tube case is a pretty good solution for an all-around lightweight experience, and this is one thing our customers tend to appreciate about Visualites. We have custom-engineered, stylish glasses to meet all these criteria so that you don’t have to do all the legwork when shopping for lightweight reading glasses. 

I’m Jerry Willis and I own Visualites. Visualites came into being when I took all the attributes I was looking for in reading glasses and designed a pair around them. I hope you find this useful, and you’ll definitely find that Visualites is the leader in lightweight, rimless reading glasses for a reason.

Shop our selection today.