Reduced vision among seniors can be attributed to conditions from simple eye strains and headaches to more serious eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration. Chronic eye infections, dry eyes and more can also affect how well seniors see things up close. With low vision, seniors might face difficulties in completing everyday tasks, such as using a phone or grocery shopping. Their ability to read becomes limited, hindering them from understanding small print on prescription bottles or even seeing the time on a clock. 

Fortunately, magnifiers offer a solution to seniors who require help beyond ordinary spectacles, empowering them to live their lives without having to rely on the people around them. That being said, there are a few factors to consider before purchasing them:

Magnification 

A magnifier with a higher power is not always better. The higher the magnification, the smaller the area that can be seen at a time. With this, experts recommend that users get a magnifier with the least power that they can get away with, in exchange for the largest area they are able to see.

For reading tags or menus, we recommend the Eschenbach Mobilent Handy Reading Magnifier which is available in 3 different magnification strengths. It is compact and can be attached easily to users’ bags or pants. It also provides distortion-free images with edge-to-edge sharpness.

For reading books or newspapers, we recommend the HappyHome Sheet Magnifier as it provides an expanded field of view, allowing users to scan ahead in order to see and process information quickly.

Lighting

Without proper lighting, there would be no magnifier good enough to guide users and improve their vision. In darker places, the Eschenbach EasyPocket Reading Magnifier would come in handy, as it comes with built-in LED lighting.

Posture

Seniors should be positioned properly when using magnifiers. They should neither be too close or too far, nor hunch over the reading materials. Doing so might block the light or even make seniors dizzy and give them a headache.