Head Magnifier (good or too good to be true)

[TomCrewe]

In the past I have used non- prescription reading glasses from the chemists for close up work, later prescription reading glasses with and in conjunction with non-prescription ones.

Now I have had a cataract removal operation in one eye and find the combination of glasses I used to use don't work so well, I have also seen the magnifiers in the picture being advertised (£18).

 

Has anyone tried this type?

Are they 'Good' or 'Too Good to be True'??

[mike morley]

Try before you buy.

 

A friend of mine has a pair exactly the same as those and thinks they are wonderful, but when I borrowed them I didn't get on with them at all.  I needed to try several different types before I found a type that I was happy with.

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Personally, after a while the spectacle type get a bit heavy on the nose/bridge support, so I changed to a headband type which I find much more comfortable.

 

Mike.

[t-b-g]

I tried something like this and although I could see well enough, I didn't like having the weight on the front of my head for very long. I ended up asking my opticians to make me some prescription glasses for close up work. These were much better. I also have some lightweight clip on magnifiers from a firm called Opticaid, which allow me to do really fine work better than I ever could with just my eyes.

[ELTEL]

I have had for well over 20+ years the Optivisor which was/is expensive but has lasted all these years.

 

Terry 

[Right Away]

With regards to using a magnifier, I am unable to offer advice, but the following information might be useful in the interim as your eye adjusts after the surgery.

 

I well remember the initial difficulty after surgery when a new intra- ocular lens was implanted for “normal” distance. My existing glasses were varifocal. (astigmatism correction was not available on NHS prescription intra-ocular lenses at that time.) I even resorted to removing the spectacle lens but it did get some odd looks! After the requisite six seeks, an eye test resulted in a new set of spectacle lenses, one for the “new” eye and one for that which had not been operated on. After that things were fine. Four months later the other eye had its cataract removed and so I underwent the same palaver. I still wear varifocal glasses for closer viewing as both eyes are effectively now “long sighted” and also for astigmatism correction.

 

PS When my wife required cataract surgery 2 years ago, both eyes were operated on, on the same day so she never had the initial issue of mismatched spectacle lenses.

 

 

 

Edited February 10 by Right Away
spelling

[cypherman]

I  use the headband type. It has 4 sets of lenses and 2 mounting points for the lenses. That way you swap them around to  get a better focus. They were not expensive and are made by Toolzone.

I got them at Warley about 15 years ago. Think they cost me £22.00 at the time. They have been a great help as my eyes are not as good as they were for close up work.

https://toolzonetools.co.uk/product/all-product/toolzone-head-magnifier-2-leds.ashx

[Siberian Snooper]

4 hours ago, t-b-g said:

I tried something like this and although I could see well enough, I didn't like having the weight on the front of my head for very long. I ended up asking my opticians to make me some prescription glasses for close up work. These were much better. I also have some lightweight clip on magnifiers from a firm called Opticaid, which allow me to do really fine work better than I ever could with just my eyes.

 

I'm with t-b-g, I have times 3 prescription glasses for modelling, I found that using an optivisor for any length of time was uncomfortable. I use it occasionally with my x3 glasses when I'm working with small bits.

 

 

[Jeff Smith]

I was shortsighted in both eyes and about 15 years had lasic surgery in my dominant (left) eye for long sight.  This is called monovision, some people have this with contacts, and allows you to both read and see far without glasses.  This is fine for everyday use but no good for close work - I had to buy two pairs of over-the-counter reading glasses (+1 and +3) and swap lenses.....  This worked for some years but now my short eye has moved out to match my long eye - so I'm back to wearing o-t-c +3.5 glasses......

 

For additional magnification I have a desk lamp with large magnifier glass.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

25 minutes ago, Jeff Smith said:

For additional magnification I have a desk lamp with large magnifier glass.

I find this solution very comfortable - you need plenty of light so hanging a magnifier off the front edge of a shade on an 'anglepoise' mechanism works well. With two 24" daylight fluorescents the illumination is terrific

 

Sadly 'Thousand and One Lamps' (of anglepoise fame) in Bromley have ceased trading, that's where mine came from, in a purchase of 100 I made to supply a visual inspection process, which three years later was successfully automated. A few were retained, most sold to employees; plenty that wanted them, ideal for garage inspection lights among other purposes.

[ngtrains.com]

Over the years I bought several of the twenty quid headband magnifiers in a quest for seeing what I am doing but never really got on with them.

 

Then my shortsighted eyesight got to the point of two pairs of glasses, one for near and one for far. This properly did my head in with all the constant swapping. This renewed my quest for something better and it turned out you get what you pay for (Quelle Suprise)

 

Proper Genuine Optivisor - well made, lightweight but strong and comes with glass not plastic lenses.

 

Eyesight has moved on to varifocals but still with my Optivisor when doing fiddly stuff.

[GWR57xx]

They are the same as the ones I bought recently.

See 

 

[MJI]

I went for reading distance after cataract surgery .

 

Spent 300 quid on glasses today.

 

Pick them next weekend.

 

I can fo some modelling no glasses,  but not as well as two years ago.

 

Bit pre op left was almost unusable.

 

For now got a lamp with lights and thing holder.

 

Will follow thid with interest

[RexAshton]

On 10/02/2024 at 07:05, TomCrewe said:

In the past I have used non- prescription reading glasses from the chemists for close up work, later prescription reading glasses with and in conjunction with non-prescription ones.

Now I have had a cataract removal operation in one eye and find the combination of glasses I used to use don't work so well, I have also seen the magnifiers in the picture being advertised (£18).

 

Has anyone tried this type?

Are they 'Good' or 'Too Good to be True'??

I use the headband version of this. It's A1.

[TomCrewe]

Thanks all for advice. I went for a headband magnifier, I have not used it in anger yet but have tried it out and its quite comfortable and even more so as I get used to it. It has a selection of lenses and a light. 

[JohnH]

What is the make and model number of this headband magnifier?

[AndrueC]

I'm sceptical about the nose pieces. They look like those on one of my headsets. They aren't particularly comfortable to start with and now the rubber 'socks' have fallen apart and dropped off they are even more uncomfortable. My preferred pair are these:

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B083LY7WCG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

They don't have a nose piece and are a lot more comfortable. Being able to just push the lens up and away is a benefit especially since they also allow me to use them whilst wearing my glasses.

 

Plus you can't fault the advice given by the manufacturer:

 

1. Avoid falling from a high place to causing severe impact.

2. For your safety, please do not wear a magnifying glass to observe the sun.

3. To prevent fire, do not xpose the magnifier to sunlight for a long time.

 

Safety Instructions: Please take off the head mount magnifier when you’re walking to avoid falling off and collision.

 

Wise words indeed 😁

Edited February 21 by AndrueC

[Enterprisingwestern]

2 hours ago, AndrueC said:

 

Plus you can't fault the advice given by the manufacturer:

 

1. Avoid falling from a high place to causing severe impact.

2. For your safety, please do not wear a magnifying glass to observe the sun.

3. To prevent fire, do not xpose the magnifier to sunlight for a long time.

 

Safety Instructions: Please take off the head mount magnifier when you’re walking to avoid falling off and collision.

 

Wise words indeed 😁

 

I wish I'd have known that, it explains why

1. Ive got numerous broken bones.

2. I'm blind in one eye with a hole in the back of my head.

3. I can smell burning every time I sit at the modelling bench.

 

Mike.

[57xx]

On 20/02/2024 at 06:48, TomCrewe said:

Thanks all for advice. I went for a headband magnifier, I have not used it in anger yet but have tried it out and its quite comfortable and even more so as I get used to it. It has a selection of lenses and a light. 

 

Good choice. I had a set as per your first post and the arms broke in under a year. I now have a headband type of the same as AndrueC posted a link to. Way way better and I can wear it with my regular specs, much easier to use.

[TomCrewe]

On 21/02/2024 at 12:27, JohnH said:

What is the make and model number of this headband magnifier?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lysignal-Magnifier-Magnifying-Headset-Jewelry/dp/B07476SNNX/ref=sr_1_50_sspa?crid=OAJ83E0LRT7U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BCYQkgSivvXYx-y_QBem1CGAPD8eDoN_3fFweOxJjKZSKPjXRa7P-ISaX2D8RCjpa6a39vaUEL8bWhA4hZHw_IiQnr3qkIF2HGcmvBRt5p4.YYPUmsfQWT_Fbcd8hEShsXhLbJl7LAEzzx9cfjUrG8I&dib_tag=se&keywords=headband+magnifier&qid=1708759062&sprefix=headband+magnifier%2Caps%2C594&sr=8-50-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGZfbmV4dA&psc=1

[JohnH]

Thanks for the link TomCrewe :)