Sight Station Jardin Reading Glasses

Sight Station Jardin Reading Glasses

One of the worst aspects of getting older is needing to wear glasses for reading. In my case it isn't because I dislike the look of glasses, it is the inconvenience of having to use them at all, as until I discovered Sight Station glasses I only had one pair and of course I could never find them. When I was growing up one of my most vivid memories, as my parents entered their fourth decade, was the way my mum would suddenly shout “where's my readers?” and this would promote a full house search for them! Now we have more choice, and reading glasses can be purchased in many fashionable styles and colours so no longer are we always restricted to one pair.

I have to say though that something that does concern me is that the availability of reading glasses from high street shops may, in its own way, have promoted the avoidance of the optician eye test. For many the first sign of eye problems is that they can no longer read easily, rather than they are not seeing into the distance as clearly. I would never recommend the purchase of reading glasses without a full eye test, as problems with sight creep up on you, and the sight test checks not only for your prescription, but can identify health conditions at an early stage where they are more treatable. It is really important if you drive to get them checked as your distance may have got worse. Presbyopia is the term used to describe the age related changes that not only affect near but far vision as well, and the latter is more difficult to notice yourself. If you want to double check your reading abilities you can follow the instructions on the online guide on the Sight Station website and charts are also available in stores.

I have the sort of eyes that would not be able to use off the shelf reading glasses without contact lenses in for distance, as I have one eye which has a much more severe prescription that the other. So I am instructed by my optician to wear contact lenses, and then to add the reading glasses over the top in the strength 1.5. This is brilliant as I can then choose fashionable glasses for this purpose. I also have some prescription reading glasses which are important for the day when I choose not to or am unable to wear lenses.

Jardin Reading Glasses

Sight Station glasses are brilliant because they come in so many different styles, and over the years I have collected 8 pairs in different colours and designs. My latest purchase are the Jardin frames, which are available from Amazon for £9.78 which is a saving of almost £7 on the list price. They are so pretty and have a green and yellow frame. They have a subtle design depicting a spring garden, and are supplied in a soft matching yellow fabric case. One of the attributes many of the styles have is that they are supplied with a matching case, which means you can transport them so easily in your handbag. The case design matches the frame design so beautifully, and the Jardin frames have a beautiful springlike pattern of leaves and flowers. This design is also available in the shade “Rose” on the Sight Station website where it retails for £16, but on Amazon the rose shade will cost only £9.78. The arms of the glasses fold in neatly so that they slide into the case with ease.

I think the quality of these glasses is outstanding. In all the pairs I have owned over the years their longevity is amazing, and I still have the complete set as my reading prescription is unchanged from 6 or 8 years ago. Only last week when I had my sight test it was confirmed that I was still 1.5, but had I been told to purchase a higher strength I could easily have sold my collection on Ebay where there is a buoyant second-hand market for these glasses.

You can purchase glasses from Sight Station themselves at www.sightstation.com. They often have sales on where you can buy multiple pairs at a discount price. I have also seen stands in various stores including BHS. Personally I buy all mine from Amazon, and often there will be some available for under £10, but if you want the very latest up to the minute styles then the Sight Station website is the place to go as they have the widest selection.

What I tend to do is to place the glasses in all the important areas around the house and in the car. As I live in a six bedroomed house on three floors it is really important to me as I can locate a pair in every room I go in with frequency. Before I had several pairs I was starting to turn into my mother and when I started asking “where's my readers?”- I knew that I had to act fast!

The beauty of these glasses is that you can choose them according to your outfit. This means if you are going out for the evening and you wish to co-ordinate glasses with clothing and a handbag you can do so. It makes reading the menu really easy, and it turns a necessity into a fashion accessory. They are lovely for weddings and holidays and because they are so inexpensive it isn't a great loss if you mislay them.Caring for them is so easy too. I just use lens wipes and they clean easily. As the glasses are made from plastic they do not break, and so are really resistant to scratches and are pretty robust.

Sight Station also sell a good choice of glasses for men as well as readers to use in the sun, and also they do a sunglasses range.They all come in a choice of strengths from those that cater for the occasional user who maybe hardly needs to use reading glasses, right up to the challenging magnification options.

FInal Thoughts

I love these glasses, they are fashionable, fun to wear and they are a fresh and youthful style. I think the Jardin design is my favourite, but I have so many really lovely alternatives to suggest. Flora green has a beautiful floral pattern of brown and green, Chantilly has a dainty lilac butterfly print, and Arizona are a brilliant pair for reading in the sun and come in two colours.

I think these glasses represent excellent value for money and are an excellent way to always have a pair handy for whatever the occasion. Just one caveat I would add is that I feel having a sight test is vital before you purchase these, especially if you haven't been for some time. This is because although they help with reading, you may be missing something that could take away your sight further down the line that only a qualified optician can spot. My husband is borderline for glaucoma and is being watched annually as his pressures are on the high side. He has no symptoms at all, and he only needs glasses for reading. Had he not been really keen on making sure his vision was in a good condition for driving, he would not have known this, and as he may go on to develop the condition he could have lost a large portion of his vision before having any symptoms.

This review will also be published on Dooyoo under my user name Machair1.