That depends on your vision needs, your vision insurance, your budget – and even your fashion sense.
So many glasses...
Most people get prescription eyeglasses to correct their vision, but other specialty eyewear includes computer glasses to reduce digital eye strain, polarized sunglasses to reduce glare and block harmful ultraviolet rays, readers to help you see up close, and ski goggles and sports glasses for when you’re on the slopes or riding your motorcycle.
So, how many glasses do you need?
“There are a lot more options available than there were before,” says Clifford W. Brooks, OD, FAAO, of the Indiana University School of Optometry. “But people don’t consider specialty eyeglasses because they don’t recognize that they would be helped by them.”
Meet some people who have more than one pair of spectacles — and in one case nearly as many glasses as some people have shoes.
Sunglasses
Sunglasses are more than just a fashion accessory. Sunglasses are your first line of defense to protect your eyes against the damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun.
“No matter the season or the location, people should protect their eyes with good quality sunglasses that block out UV light,” says American Optometric Association President Samuel D. Pierce, OD. “Even prescription glasses can be made with tints and full UV protection.”
But fashion appeal is important, too — because it's often what drives a sunglasses purchase.
Bob Matsuoka of New York City is a sunglasses devotee. “They are like shoes for me!” He stores a couple of dozen non-prescription pairs in a repurposed cigar humidor, ready to pop on over his contact lenses for everyday wear.
“If I see a nice pair of sunglasses, I tend to get them. They’re an expression of personality and fashion — nothing practical about them,” he says.
Matsuoka’s spectacles collection also extends to several more functional pairs of shades for his outdoor activities. Two pair are side-shielded to block the wind when he’s riding his electric skateboard, and he has three sets of snowboarding goggles.
Reading Glasses
After age 40, virtually everyone starts noticing small print gets harder to read. This normal vision change is called presbyopia, and it’s a sign that it’s time for an eye exam — and possibly a prescription for progressive lenses or custom reading glasses.
When Leigh Ann Newman of Cavendish, Idaho, first had trouble reading, she consulted her eye doctor. Though a prescription was not yet necessary, the doctor suggested over-the-counter reading glasses.
Available virtually everywhere, these reading glasses are typically inexpensive and come in a wide range of magnifications, colors and styles.
“I have found them at airport specialty shops, hospital gift stores, the local grocery and even the dollar store,” Newman says, adding that she now owns eight different pairs, none of which cost over $20.
“Deciding to accessorize with my glasses has made the transition fun rather than depressing.”
Vivian Young, of Los Angeles, confesses to a “mild obsession” with readers that developed after she lost her first (and only) pair of prescription reading glasses in less than a week.
“My eyeglass wardrobe is extensive and makes quite a sartorial statement,” Young says. “My readers include cat eye, rimless, aviator, rectangular tortoise shell, plastic, round, half-eye — and all different colors!”
Computer Glasses
Our increasing dependence on digital devices — including computers, tablets and smartphones — has created a new category of vision problems known as digital eye strain. Symptoms include dry and irritated eyes, blurred vision, light sensitivity and headache.
It is possible to use single vision lenses for computer glasses that are specially prescribed for the one viewing distance you typically use, Indiana University's Brooks says. A much better solution, he adds, is occupational progressive lenses that are especially designed for digital devices and your computer screen.
Occupational, or "office," progressive lenses will allow the wearer to see clearly at the intermediate and new viewing distances needed to relieve the discomfort of digital eye strain (also called computer vision syndrome).
Sports Glasses
Approximately 30,000 individuals end up in emergency departments in the U.S. each year with sports-related eye injuries, according to a study published by JAMA Ophthalmology . Some of the injuries result from people wearing everyday eyewear that does not meet the safety and performance standards required for sports and athletic use.
Many of these potentially sight-threatening injuries could be prevented with eyeglasses that enhance sports performance.
Fashion
Finally, eyeglasses as a fashion statement is a definite fad, one that even The Wall Street Journal weighed in on recently.
In Atlanta, Danica Kombol has assembled a collection of on-trend glasses for different occasions that reflects her inner fashionista.
“My daily specs are large, geeky glasses. I work in social media, so it matches my brand,” she says. “For evening, I have a pretty pair of blue-tinted Prada glasses that are much softer and signal a more glam look.
“I even have glasses for gardening — an old pair that I don’t mind getting splattered by dirt,” Kombol adds.