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Having sunglasses to protect your eyes from the harmful UV rays from the sun is very important. But for those individuals who need glasses to be able to see up close, wearing sunglasses can be a problem if you are looking down and are trying to read something.
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Bifocal Reading Sunglasses
Thankfully, this is where bifocal reading sunglasses can be quite beneficial. Bifocal reading sunglasses provide you with a pair of sunglasses that have no prescription on the top but have a reading magnification of your choice on the bottom. This can be quite helpful during those times when you are wearing your sunglasses and need to look down at your phone or need to read something up close. But where can you find bifocal reading sunglasses?
Readers.com
One of my favorite places to purchase non-prescription over-the-counter reading glasses is Readers.com. Founded in 2006, 
Readers.com has a huge selection of over-the-counter reading glasses, multi-focal reading glasses, reading sunglasses, as well as bifocal reading sunglasses. With over 600 unique styles of reading glasses that cover 14 different power ranges, readers.com offers a large selection of reading glasses in which nearly anyone can find a style they love and in power ranges that you wouldn’t find at your local retailer. If you are someone that requires a different reading power in each eye, Readers.com can also provide you with customized readers in which you can select the power for each eye.
Reading Sunglasses
The bifocal reading sunglasses that you would find at Readers.com comes in the power ranges between +1.00 and +4.00 depending on the frame. Note that not every single frame will come in all the power ranges, for example, you may have a frame that has a range that starts between +1.25 and +3.50.
There are actually a couple of types of reading sunglasses, and I will cover all of them so you can decide which type would fit your needs and lifestyle the best. Let’s take a look at your options.
- Fully Magnified Reading Sunglasses – These sunglasses have the reading power throughout the entire lens and is basically a sunglass version of your typical reading glasses you would find in the store. This is great for those who enjoy sitting poolside or at the beach and read but do not plan n walking with them or looking at anything in the distance. If you need to see far away you will have to take these off.
- Bifocal Reading Sunglasses – For those who don’t want to have to take their glasses off to be able to see far away, bifocal reading sunglasses are a good option. These glasses typically have no prescription on the top and a distinct visible area where your reading power would be. Perfect for anyone who doesn’t want to have to take their sunglasses off to be able to see far, but would still be able to use the bifocal area to read if they need to.
Polarized Reading Sunglasses
For anyone who wants additional glare protection can get polarized reading sunglasses which not only filters out UV rays but also gives you protection from light that is reflecting off of horizontal/flat surfaces such as the ground, large bodies of water, even snow.
If you are someone who enjoys fishing, polarized reading sunglasses could benefit you hereby reducing the glare you would see on the surface of the water and allowing you to be able to see through the surface of the water. They also work great for driving, reducing glare from the ground or the hood of your car.
Polarized reading sunglasses are not for everyone though, anyone who works with LCD screens may have problems with polarized sunglasses. Pilots are also not recommended to wear polarized sunglasses as they rely on the glare coming off of other aircraft for safety purposes. Aircraft also have LCD displays in their instrument panels that pilots need to monitor the aircraft’s systems.
What Reading Power Should You Get?
If you don’t already know what your reading power is there are a couple of ways for you to determine which one would suit you best. Keep in mind that the reading power you need will also be based on how far the thing you are trying to read is away from you. If you need to see things that are a bit further away, you would go with less power, but if you need to see something closer you would get more power.
For example, some people that are looking to get bifocal reading sunglasses are looking to use them while they are driving. Your instrument panel on your car may or may not be at your “reading” power range, but maybe at more of an intermediate-range. In this case, if you get your bifocals and you are having trouble seeing your instrument panel but you can read things up close just fine, you should exchange for a lower reading power which should help you be able to get the instrument panel in your car to come into focus.
To determine your reading power there are a few ways you can go about it.
- Print Test Card – Over at Readers.com you can print out a test card that you can use at home. You would print out the diopter chart provided on their website and hold the printed sheet about 14″ away. Without any glasses on at all, you would read down until you find a line that you could read clearly. The power shown to the right is the reading power that would benefit you the most. If you can’t read any of the lines on the use at home test card, you should schedule an appointment with your eye doctor to see what your actual reading power is.
- Try Them In-Store – Going to the store to try on reading glasses is another great way to figure out which reading power you need. You can try them on and take a look at your phone or read something small and see which power feels the most comfortable. You can find reading glasses and pretty much everywhere from big retailers to even your local 99Cents store. If you find two powers that look about the same, you should go with the lower one.
After you figure out which power you are going to need for your reading, now you can decide on which frames you want.
Bifocal Reading Sunglasses for Women
There are literally dozens of different styles of bifocal reading sunglasses at Readers.com but here are some of my favorite styles from their selection.
The Drama
This is a round frame that also carries a timeless look using the touches of metal accents. It is available in a couple of different tortoise variations for the frame and a choice of amber or smoke for the lens tint. The bifocal is available in the powers between +1.25 to +4.00.
The Mimosa
I really just love the shape of this frame, you will definitely be bringing the sass with these cat-eye reading sunglasses. It is available in black and a couple of tortoise variations with one variation offering amber lenses. The bifocal is available in the powers between +1.25 to +3.00.
The Cecily
Looking for a pair of sunglasses where fashion meets function? This pair comes in fair different color patterns featuring a tortoise fade with a touch of metal detailing on the temples. The bifocal is available in the powers between +1.25 to + 4.00.
The Evelyn
If you are someone that likes big sunglasses then this is the pair for you. Featuring a large oversized frame with a touch of metal detailing on each temple. This frame is only available in the tortoise frame color with the amber lenses. The bifocal is available in the powers between +1.00 to +3.50.
The Cassia
This is definitely what happens when function meets glam. This is another pair for those who are looking for big oversized sunglasses. This frame is available in three different color options including a solid color just in case the animal print was a bit too much for you. Amber and smoke lenses are available depending on which frame color you select. The bifocal power ranges from +1.00 to +4.00.
Bifocal Reading Sunglasses for Men
And here are some of my favorite men’s styles.
The Bond
I mean who doesn’t like a classic aviator frame, this is a great frame for anyone who is looking to rock that timeless aviator but still be able to look down and read something if they need to. This frame is available in three different frame colors and depending on which frame color you get you will have amber or smoke lenses. The bifocal power ranges from +1.00 to +3.00.
The Oaklie
For those of you who like sunglass frames that provide a more of a wrap-around fit these sunglasses are perfect for you. The Oaklie is a sports pair of bifocal sunglasses and is available in two different color combinations including brown with amber and blue with smoke lenses. The bifocal power ranges from +1.00 to +3.00.
The Dodger
If you are looking for a retro and timeless look the sunglasses for you. Featuring a square plastic frame with metal temple arms this frame is available in 5 different frame colors and comes with amber or smoke lenses depending on the frame color. The bifocal power ranges from +1.00 to +4.00.
The Joliet
This is going to be as close as you will get to a classic wayfarer. This retro shape has been quite popular in recent years and features a square-shaped frame with metal accents. This frame is available in black with smoke lenses or tortoise with amber lenses. The power ranges from +1.25 to +4.00.
The Henry
The last one that I thought would be a nice pair of sunglasses is this simple retro square frame. This frame comes in just a classic shape that would look great on nearly everyone and is large enough to provide good sun protection This pair comes in three different frame colors which all come with smoke lenses. The power ranges from +1.00 to +3.50.
Final Thoughts
Bifocal reading sunglasses are a great alternative if you have a simple reading prescription and have no prescription for your distance. Readers.com has dozens of frame styles that are available with bifocal reading powers. If you don’t like any of the frames that I like it’s okay! Everyone has different style preferences when it comes to glasses. You can check out the rest of the bifocal reading sunglasses available at Readers.com here.
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