Reading glasses strength chart
Typical strength for each age, how distance changes it, and where the numbers come from.
Strength by age
| Age | Typical strength | Try first |
|---|---|---|
| 40 to 44 | +1.00 – +1.25 | +1.00 |
| 45 to 49 | +1.25 – +1.75 | +1.25 |
| 50 to 54 | +1.50 – +2.00 | +1.50 |
| 55 to 59 | +1.75 – +2.50 | +1.75 |
| 60 to 64 | +2.00 – +2.75 | +2.00 |
| 65 and over | +2.25 – +3.50 | +2.25 |
Each range spans the age charts published by Foster Grant and Readers.com, two large US readers brands, as read on 12 November 2026. Other published charts differ by half a diopter or more in both directions. Age is only a starting point: people of the same age can need quite different strengths.
For a figure based on your own eyes, take the test.
Strength by task and distance
Farther away needs less. This table shows what a person who reads comfortably with +2.00 needs at other distances.
| Task | Distance | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Phone, pill bottle, fine print | 12 in (30 cm) | +2.50 |
| Book, tablet, menu | 14 in (35 cm) | +2.00 |
| Laptop | 20 in (51 cm) | +1.25 |
| Desktop monitor | 24 in (61 cm) | +0.75 |
| Sheet music, shop shelves | 32 in (81 cm) | +0.50 |
Reading glasses test chart
Hold the chart 14 in (35 cm) from your eyes, without reading glasses. Find the smallest line you can read clearly. The strength beside it is your starting point.
- The morning train leaves from platform nine. +3.50
- She keeps a spare key under the blue flower pot. +3.25
- Fresh bread and coffee were waiting on the table. +3.00
- The museum is closed on the first Monday of the month. +2.75
- He wrote the phone number on the back of an envelope. +2.50
- Take two tablets with a full glass of water after meals. +2.25
- The ferry crosses the bay every forty minutes in summer. +2.00
- Please check the expiry date printed under the barcode. +1.75
- Our garden has tomatoes, basil, mint and three apple trees. +1.50
- Turn left at the old stone bridge and follow the river path. +1.25
- The small print says the offer ends at midnight on Friday. +1.00
How to read the chart
Find your age and start with the lower number in the range. Try that strength on a book or your phone held at 14 in (35 cm). If the words are sharp and comfortable, stop there. If they are still soft, go up one step of +0.25.
The lower strength is the better choice when two feel similar. Stronger lenses pull your focus closer, so with too much strength you end up holding the page uncomfortably near.
Why strength rises with age
The lens inside the eye changes shape to focus up close. It stiffens steadily from childhood, and somewhere between 40 and 45 it can no longer bend enough for normal reading distance. That is presbyopia, and it happens to everyone. The lens keeps stiffening until about 65, which is why most people step up by a quarter diopter every few years and then stop.
What the numbers mean
The strength is measured in diopters. A +1.00 lens focuses at one meter, a +2.00 lens at half a meter, and so on. The plus sign means the lens adds focusing power, which is what an eye with presbyopia is missing.
When the chart does not apply
- You are nearsighted or farsighted and not wearing your distance correction. The chart assumes clear distance vision.
- You have had cataract surgery. The strength then depends on the lens implant, not your age.
- Your eyes differ from each other, or you have astigmatism. You need prescription lenses.
- You are under 40. Trouble with small print before then should be checked by an eye doctor.
Strength chart questions
What strength reading glasses do I need at 50?
Most people aged 50 to 54 use +1.50 to +2.00. Start with +1.50 and move up only if print is still soft.
What strength reading glasses do I need at 60?
Most people aged 60 to 64 use +2.00 to +2.75. Start with +2.00 or +2.25.
What is the most common reading glasses strength?
The strengths from +1.25 to +2.50 cover most buyers, because they match the ages when most people buy readers, from the mid forties to the mid sixties.
What is the highest strength of reading glasses?
Stores usually stop at +4.00 or +3.50. Stronger readers, up to +6.00, are sold online, but if you need more than +3.50 you should have an eye exam, because something other than age may be involved.
Do reading glasses strengths go up in quarters?
Yes. Strengths rise in steps of +0.25 diopters. Many stores stock only every second step above +1.00, such as +1.50, +2.00 and +2.50.
Is the strength chart the same for men and women?
Yes. Presbyopia follows age, not sex. What does change the number is how far away you read: shorter arms and a closer reading distance need slightly more strength.