Most of us have to deal with print that is too small to read with the unaided eye. A frequent question we get is “How strong a magnifying glass do I need” for books, prescription bottles, or assembly instructions? A common misconception is that a 10X magnifier is the minimum magnification for these otherwise routine tasks. For most people, a simple, inexpensive handheld magnifying glass may be all you need.
What Can’t I Read?
If you can make out words in the first paragraph of the eye chart, the weak hand magnifier, 2.5X, should be enough.
If you struggle to read the bottom paragraph of the chart below, you’ll need a stronger magnifier, 3.25X should be enough.
See our magnifier page for products that will help.
This is a typical eye chart your optometrist will show you for reading needs. If you can read the top paragraph you need little if any help. If you can only read the bottom one, read the recommendations in the next paragraph.
So What Magnification Do I Need?
The macula is the part of your retina with the highest density of cone cells. It sees what is directly in front of you and offers the greatest detail that you need for reading. Your peripheral vision is outside the macula, uses rod cells, and detects motion, like a baseball that’s about to hit you.
Think of magnification in terms of how much area your macula is using to see something. A 2X magnifier expands a word so that it uses twice the area, i.e. twice as many cone cells. This might not seem like much but it should make most or all of the paragraphs above comfortably readable.
100mm & 50mm Metal Frame Handheld Magnifier Combo
The largest (4″/100mm) magnifier in the picture above magnifies the least but it means you can scan a larger area like a map & see more adjacent streets or words without moving the magnifier. The smallest hand magnifier (2″ 50mm) should be enough for most fine print.
Still Can’t See?
We offer 4 different plastic body, glass lens folding pocket magnifiers. They start at 5X & go up to 15X & can useful for very small print.
5X, 10X, 15X Plastic Loupes with 30mm Lenses; 10X with 50mm Lenses. All brandable with 1-3 color screen print or full color decals, 1 or 2 sides.
Comparison of Plastic Body Folding Loupes
| Model | Magnification | Lens Diameter | Best For | Eye Chart Clarity* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5X Keychain Loupe | 5X | 30mm | Everyday carry, quick label checks | Down to ~1.5mm text |
| Dual 5X Lens Loupe | 10X | 30mm | Hobby details, coin inspection | Down to ~0.75mm text |
| Triple 5X Lens Loupe | 15X | 30mm | Fine fossil details, stamp flaws | Down to ~0.5mm text |
| Fixed Dual Lens Loupe | 10X | 50mm | Large field of view, promotional use | Down to ~0.75mm text |
*Based on test chart; some smaller text sizes may not be listed on the left column but can still be resolved with higher magnification loupes.
If you have some form of eye disease like macular degeneration, we have a 2-magnifier combo for this.
Or, if you want to see really small stuff, a geology loupe & cell phone together can give you 25X or more magnification.
