The Best Reading Glasses for Men in 2023

Most of us will need reading glasses sooner or later—and maybe that fuzzy point for you has arrived. Even if you’ve gone four decades with perfect vision, the time comes when your phone screen, watch hands, and restaurant menu starts to look not so sharp. Don’t ignore it; just invest in one of the best reading glasses for men.

If you equate reading glasses with the Ben Franklin-esque readers elderly restaurant-goers unfold like switchblades over early bird specials or the cheap frames on display at your local pharmacy, fear not. Readers have gotten a lot cooler, thanks to stylish new frames coming from designer brands.

“Style still matters to us and most of us are still doing cool shit!” says Wil Thomas, a brand ambassador for Caddis Eye Appliances, whose founder, Tim Parr, started noticing “fuzzy phone texts, grabbing conditioner instead shampoo, and uncooperative restaurant menus” in his mid-40s. What Parr also saw was a hole in the market for readers that “any card-carrying Gen X member would consider hanging on their face.”

What Are Reading Glasses

Think of reading glasses like a magnifying glass. They’re designed to help you see images at close range more clearly. Some readers are designed as bifocals where the lens is split into two different prescriptions to correct your vision for distance and up close.

You don’t need a prescription to purchase reading glasses, but it’s wise to schedule an eye exam if you notice your vision is changing (as well as to check in on your eye health each year). Your optometrist will let you know what strength you need, but you can also print out a reading glass strength chart if you notice a rapid change in your vision.

“I’m still amazed how reluctant people are to improve their eyesight,” says Parr, “but I guess that’s also become our mission: Changing how Americans think about aging.”

Declining vision is more common than you think. A study conducted by the Community Eye Health Journal found 62 percent of people need reading glasses over age 40 because of presbyopia—an increasing difficulty for eyes to focus on close subjects.

Here are the best reading glasses for men that’ll change the way you think about readers. We’ve got retro frames that’ll bring your Zoom meeting into focus, sport-friendly glasses that’ll keep your Peloton instructor sharp, and sun readers that make tying flies on the water a breeze.