Reading glasses are simply lenses that magnify small objects. The need to begin wearing reading glasses regularly when reaching age 35 - 40 is due to presbyopia (pres-be-O-pe-uh), the medical term for a condition that mimics farsightedness. It's virtually a universal condition, and unfortunately, no refractive surgical procedures can currently correct presbyopia. In simple language, presbyopia is an inevitable adjunct to aging, and is due to the natural stiffening of the lens in the eye, with the consequence that your eyes are prevented from focusing on close objects. While you still can see distant objects clearly, you cannot refocus on near objects. Adding an extra lens in the form of reading glasses will serve to focus close objects properly on your retina.

Reading glasses are available without a prescription, and are intended as an aid if you have blurred vision at close distances. However, they are not intended to replace prescribed corrective eye wear, nor to replace professional eye examinations and care. Typically, reading glasses can be safely, self-prescribed by you, the user, with the help of a simple eye chart.

The level of magnification in the lenses of reading glasses is called "diopter strength". A very weak magnification would be found in reading glasses with a diopter strength of +1.00. Reading glasses are often offered for sale in diopter strengths that start with +1.50, and stronger lenses are offered in diopter strengths that increase by a factor of .25 (e.g.,+.75, +1.25; +1.50; +1.75; +2.0; +2.25; +2.50; etc.). Presbyopia is progressive, and therefore, the strength of magnification in your reading glasses will probably have to be increased every year or two. Moreover, it is not uncommon to need a second pair of reading glasses with greater magnification for stressful times, as stress can intensify the near vision blurring caused by presbyopia.
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Why can't I get by with cheap drug store reading glasses?

 You can - but only if you are the rare type of person who has no interest in nice things, and if you do not take pride in your appearance. People who are satisfied with wearing cheap drug store glasses believe the utilitarian, economical type of product is always superior to one that has style and makes a positive statement about them to the world. If you fit into that category, your local drug store probably has a pair of cheap glasses for under ten dollars that will remedy your vision problem caused by presbyopia. But if you would not buy a cheap suit at a bargain basement, or one in perfectly good condition at a thrift shop; and if you did not set your heart on getting a stripped down, used car because all you wanted was basic transportation, you surely will want to do better for yourself than to wear cheap, drugstore glasses every day. Let's face it - cheap glasses rarely look good. Rather they just look cheap.

There is also the question of taking proper care of your eyes. Unlike the off-the-shelf reading glasses sold on other internet sites or at drug stores, only FOCUSERS® offers the precision optics of custom-made reading spectacles. Every lens in a pair of FOCUSERS® is hand edged and assembled individually for each of our customers. This important distinction means, for example, if you fall into the large group of people who need a stronger lens strength correction in one eye, and a more mild correction in your other eye, we can easily accommodate you. None of the hawkers of mass produced reading glasses who advertise elsewhere on the web can provide you with this valuable option and service.
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If I do not want to wear cheap drug store reading glasses, what about the prescription glasses sold in retail eye wear stores for hundreds of dollars?

Any eye wear store will be glad to sell you frames with simple magnifier lenses in them. You will not even need a prescription if you know what diopter strength helps you. Moreover, the frames sold in the better eye wear stores will definitely improve your image, and will coordinate with your fine tailored clothing and smart accessories. However, these stores charge hundreds of dollars for the glasses they sell, and it is debatable if their merchandise is really worth such exorbitant prices. After all, you are buying glasses for reading, not precious jewelry.
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Are there other reasons I might want to avoid buying my reading glasses at a retail eye wear store?

When people reach the age when reading glasses are needed, they must confront the fact that glasses will not only become part of their daily routines, but that wearing glasses will impact on their appearance and the image they project to the world. This is not necessarily a negative. Wearing new glasses gives you the opportunity to update your image so that it matches the station in life you have achieved. Selecting the appropriate new pair of glasses should be an exciting, adventuresome experience. Movie directors have used glasses as a prop to persuade audiences to accept actors in a given role, and you can use your glasses to accomplish the same purpose. Imagine the typical eye wear store. There are modestly compensated, young sales clerks hovering over you. There also are numerous other shoppers, all competing for a sales clerk's attention. Everyone seems to be watching you as you ask the clerk to let you try on a pair of frames, and there is no time for you to quietly contemplate your selection. You feel rushed in making your decision, and the other people in the store are like intruders into your thought process. This is simply not the atmosphere you desire in making such a serious decision about how your new appearance will be viewed by your clients, colleagues and family. [Click here to return to the questions]
 
 

How do FOCUSERS ® overcome the stigma of cheap drug store glasses at prices that are more reasonable and fair than those charged by the retail eye wear stores?

An examination of a pair of FOCUSERS® certainly would lead an observer to conclude that they are expensive, high-class reading glasses purchased from one of the elite eye wear boutiques in Europe or on Fifth Avenue in New York. In actuality, FOCUSERS® are self prescribed reading glasses, obtainable solely by mail order. The price at which FOCUSERS® are being offered is surprisingly reasonable when you put a pair of FOCUSERS® next to the glasses sold by the better shops.
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What do a pair of FOCUSERS® cost? 

If you ever shopped for glasses in these fancy stores, you know that they characteristically cost hundreds of dollars. We concluded that these prices were excessive, oppressive and unjustified. To remedy this, we first identified two dozen styles and shapes of frames that we saw being worn by well attired professionals and executives. Then we found out who manufactured these frames, and after some hard bargaining with them, we are proud that the FOCUSERS® frames in our current portfolio of styles can be made available to you at prices as low as $95 , with no extra charge for reading glasses lenses--and very low prices for prescription lenses. You can see all of our bargain prices for on-line customers at our ORDER PAGE
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What is meant by the "integrity pricing" of FOCUSERS ®

This policy of "integrity pricing" means that, notwithstanding our fair price, you can be assured that every pair of FOCUSERS® consists of subtly updated, classical style, frames made of polished stainless steel, nurtured resins and like finishes. You can be assured as well that every pair of FOCUSERS ® has been fitted and inspected by a skilled, certified optician with optical quality reading glasses lenses that are appropriate for magnification and better focusing -- or the precise prescription lenses your eye doctor prescribed for you.
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What criteria was used to assemble the two dozen styles in the current portfolio of FOCUSERS ® as depicted in this catalog?

Let us use an analogy. If you went into a department store's necktie section, you would see hundreds of different style prints, and you probably would be willing to bet that because many of them were so garish or ugly, they never would be sold. In fact, buying a tie in a department store is often frustrating because there are only a few ties that meet a discriminating shopper's taste, but they seem hidden in a jungle of inappropriate merchandise. We felt the same way about the frames we found being offered for sale when we conducted our survey of the most popular, retail eye wear stores. It was apparent to us that the popular chain stores catered to the lowest common denominator of glasses customer. Whatever was in style at the moment was what they displayed. There were few classical styles, and in fact, most of what we found was geared to either the twenty something crowd on one end of the spectrum or to geriatrics, on the other. We saw little that would appeal to upscale Boomers. However, when we narrowed our search to just the better eye wear boutiques that we found off of Wall Street, on Fifth Avenue and in San Francisco, we were presented with a much smaller selection, yet almost every frame we were shown was a winner. We then used our findings to create the current portfolio of FOCUSERS® styles for this catalog.
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Is there any tell-tale difference between a pair of FOCUSERS® and a pair of glasses I might buy at a fine eye wear shop?

On balance, the main distinction between FOCUSERS® and the glasses sold in the better eye wear shops is the pair of FOCUSERS® that best enhances the personal image you want to convey, may be selected in the quiet, contemplative atmosphere of your own home or private office, without the demeaning intrusions and annoyances associated with buying glasses in a retail store open to the general public.
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Is there a way to legally self prescribe my glasses?

How do I know what strength the lens should be?

It is your right to self prescribe your own glasses, and if you do so, you will not be violating any law or regulation. In fact millions of people just like you have determined for themselves what strength glasses they needed, and then bought them without ever consulting a doctor or other licensed professional. The easiest way to find out the diopter strength you need is to visit a drug store, department store or other retail outlet that sells cheap reading glasses, and try on a few different strengths. If you have no idea where to start, consider using this average age formula: If you are under 40 years old, you probably need a +1.50 strength. Between ages 40 and 45, you probably need +1.75. At ages 45 to 50, you probably need +2.00. After age 50, you probably need +2.25.

While this is based on averages, and you should try to find the precise lens that helps you, the nice thing about buying FOCUSERS if you make a mistake, you can rectify it under our RETURN POLICY

In addition to the methods mentioned, you can always visit an optometrist or ophthalmologist to have your eyes refracted.

How may I order bifocals with progressive lenses?

Important Note Regarding Progressive Bifocal Lenses Progressive Bifocals (aka "no line" bifocals)     ($165.00 additional charge.) Due to the need for precise measurements when filling progressive bifocal prescriptions we ask all who wish to order progressive lenses to call (1-800-332-3534) between the hours of 9:00am and 3:00pm EST to place the order. Please have your prescription information handy.

What is the RETURN POLICY and the EXPRESS WARRANTY offered FOCUSERS®? Our RETURN POLICIES are stated in great detail on a separate web page.

All products sold by Focusers Inc. are expressly warranted to be free of defects when delivered. If you receive damaged products, despite our extensive product control measures, please notify us immediately, and upon verification of the damage, we will replace them at our cost.

This Express Warranty is in lieu of, and in full substitute for all other express and implied warranties.
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