Things to remember when purchasing a magnifier:

POWER

• It is always important to have an evaluation by your eye doctor to determine what your eye condition is as well as knowing your near and distance visual acuity. Knowing your visual acuity can help you to determine which power magnifier may be most helpful and help you to make a more appropriate choice in magnification power.
• The following is a very general idea of what power you may need for certain near visual acuities (you can get this information from your eye doctor). When choosing a magnifier choose one based on its "diopter power" ( D= diopter power) not "X power" because different companies use different formulas for their "X powers" and therefore you are not always comparing like powers.
  
  

  If your visual acuity is:	Try this power magnifier:
  20/60- 20/150	8D-10D
  20/200 -20/300	10D- 16D
  20/400-20/600	20D-28D

  
  
• Stronger is not always better. The stronger the power of the magnifier the smaller the field of view. Therefore you want to choose a magnifier that is the lowest power that still helps you to read.

LIGHTING

• Lighting is very important to those with Macular Degeneration and Diabetic Retinopathy therefore an illuminated magnifier may be a good choice. They provide the light needed to see when it is difficult to control the lighting in a particular environment. The three most common types of lights available in magnifiers are:
  
  
  1. LED (Light Emitting Diode), which is a bright white light that is easy on the eyes. This is a very long lasting bulb and never needs to be replaced. It also draws the least amount of energy from the batteries and therefore the batteries last longer.
  2. A Halogen light is a very bright white light that may cause the eyes to tire more quickly. One should use caution when using a halogen bulb in a lamp as they get very hot very quickly.
  3. Incandescent light which is what most of us are familiar with, is the type of light you get from a standard light bulb. It gives off a more yellow, soft light.
     
• There is no right or wrong light to choose. It is really personal preference, however the newer LED light seems to be the most popular.

HAND HELD MAGNFIERS

• A hand held magnifier is good for spot-checking or short-term reading. For example reading the mail or looking at bills. It is also helpful for looking at the thermostat or carrying with your to a restaurant or grocery store. An illuminated hand held magnifier offers you good light in dim areas.
• When using a hand-held magnifier, make sure you look through it using your distance prescription not your bifocals.
• Keep in mind when using a hand held magnifier that the distance from the printed page must be kept constant. To find the correct distance start with the magnifier on the page and slowly pull it away from the print until the image comes in clearly. If the magnifier is brought closer to the eye to increase the visual field remember that the distance between the page and the magnifier needs to remain constant therefore the paper needs to move as well.

STAND MAGNIFIERS

• A stand magnifier is good for longer-term reading. It is to be used while sitting at a table or desk. It can also be used on your lap with a lapboard. The focal length of the stand magnifier is preset and therefore you do not need to hold it away from the page which is more comfortable for longer reading.
• A lighted stand magnifier has its own light source.
• A non-illuminated stand magnifier needs an external light source such as a gooseneck lamp.
• When using a stand magnifier near correction or bifocals need to be used.
• The magnifier needs to be placed directly over the reading material and the distance from the magnifier to the eye needs to remain constant. Do not pull the magnifier off the page or the focus will be lost.
• On to magnifiers!