Home Reviews ,,,,, We live more and more in front of the computer, or with our eyes scrutinizing the mobile phone, or the tablet and the ereader on duty. Not to mention all the other gadgets that show up throughout the day in the life of the tech enthusiast. Until the eyes become tired and struggle to focus.
In part it is normal fatigue, in part it is also age: as the first hour gadget enthusiasts put on their first white hair, even if they start from a normal vision, the classic presbyopia that continues to worsen after the age of thirty-five. up to sixty years.
Presbyopia is the worsening of the ability to focus at a distance of 30–40 centimeters from the eyes because the crystalline – the variable power lens that allows us to see both far and close – becomes less elastic and can no longer flex in order to accommodate closer images. Presbyopia can be corrected with reading glasses, and over the years it continues to worsen, forcing you to change glasses closely every three or four years.
What to use? Certainly an eye exam is needed (opticians do it for free, obviously hoping that you will then buy glasses from them) and it is necessary to understand if there are different problems that may require other types of corrective interventions. But in reality, there has long been a large market for what are called “pharmacy glasses”: simple, small frames that contain two plastic lenses, both of which have the same corrective power. Usually +1 to +3. They have one flaw: they are neither beautiful nor particularly practical. So, also thanks to the age that led us to need it, we went to see which alternatives more suitable for a techno-enthusiast exist.
Nooz's answer
The first problem that arises in the use of reading glasses, especially for those who are not used to it, is their scarce practicality. Starting from the shape and size: they are rarely “easy” to take with us. We often forget them on the table or elsewhere, or we have to keep them hung around our neck with some uncomfortable cord. Nothing pleasant.
However, we found a French company, Nooz Optics, which produces a very interesting pair of glasses. They are innovative because they are contained in a very flat and resistant plastic shell, which can also be attached to the key ring. And that reasonably allows you to always have them with you, in your pocket or hanging on your pants along with the keys.
First problem solved. But there is more. The reflection of those of Nooz did not stop at portability but also at the type of glasses they were studying. Because you can also be innovative by making simple “pharmacy glasses”. That is, what kind of frame do you need? “Cheap” reading glasses usually have the same type of frame as a pair of normal eyeglasses, only more “spartan” if not careless precisely because it has to accommodate the usually plastic lenses in a very low cost package. While a pair of prescription glasses with custom-made lenses start at € 70-100, those from pharmacies stop at € 20. There must be something less, right?
Those from Nooz looked at what is on the market and found essentially two types of answers: ultra-thin glasses, with plastic lenses that almost look like slits, and are stored in the space of a fountain pen, or glasses with a hinge between the two lenses, to fold them back, essentially becoming as large as a single lens. Two bad solutions.
Instead, taking up the French tradition of “pince-nez”, literally “squeeze-nose”, they have invented a type of eyewear that is both technological and interesting for technology lovers. Also because reading glasses do not have to stay on all the time, on the contrary they are pulled out only when needed, and therefore the canonical form with the temples behind the ears is essentially useless. Smart idea.
How they are made
The first choice was to offer them in a series of colors that allow to satisfy different styles and different passions. Nooz has created plastic lenses in two different shapes: oval and recently also rectangular, both contained in an ultra-flat and rigid plastic package. The solidity and lightness of the object is striking, very well engineered to facilitate rapid extraction of the glasses: the bridge that goes on the nose in fact protrudes from the pair of plastic lenses and allows you to grab and extract (or put back in their place) the glasses easily.
The bridge is wrapped in a soft, jelly-like plastic material, which easily adapts to the shape of the nose while the bridge itself is highly flexible and widens or tightens depending on the shape of the wearer's nose. In short, the glasses do their best to fit most noses out there.
The anti-glare plastic lenses are made of plastic material integral with the bridge and without protection on the sides, real beveled plastic blades, which cover the eyes well and do not give particular problems of reflections even in more complex light conditions.
How do glasses go “on the road”
In our test, we noticed that not only are Nooz glasses comfortable enough for the writer (they fit snugly and do not tire too tight thanks to the bandage) but they fit nine out of ten friends. Only one, with a particularly “short” and “wide” nose, had problems wearing them and did not find them comfortable.
The original shape is accompanied by different colors (we tried the “navy blue” and the “ice white” model, but there are much more both in series and in limited productions) that allow you to customize the user experience and the look.
The real surprise is the portability and lightness: keeping them in the front pocket of the jeans they take up very little space and are always with us. Plus, the ultra-flat hard plastic case lets you be sure your lenses won't break or damage. The bridge with the silicone part is resistant and practical to use, and the extraction-insertion mode of the lenses in the case is such that they can also be used on the fly in the street to read a particularly small writing, perhaps the names of a doorbell. to play, a sheet with an announcement, the instructions for a device or medicine.
In particular, for the writer, the glasses have proved useful in the daily work with the computer. In the search for objects that are suitable for a life as a digital nomad, that is, always compact and wearable but at the same time functional and of good quality, Nooz glasses have proved to be excellent: they “cleverly slip into our everyday life to simplify it with style”, as the company website says.
The plastic lenses are of good quality, can be used from both directions (there is no direction in which to wear the glasses) and are suitable both for outdoor use with ambient light and for use with low light or with lighting from various sources, including that of the screen. We did not find any particular discomfort or reflexes that preclude the possibility of reading, always considering that they are reading lenses and as such to be used only in particular contexts, that is when one is reading or looking at something 20-30 centimeters away.
Conclusion
The idea is very good and Nooz's execution flawless. The glasses have something unique and pleasant in the look and colors that make them playful or sober. The cost is relatively low: you can buy them on the seller's website or directly on Amazon, where you can also take advantage of the accelerated delivery times if you are a Prime customer.
In our test we saw that not only for us but also for most of our friends – in an informal and unscientific test – the glasses are comfortable to wear. We did not find any doubts about the resistance of the flexible bridge or the silicone that sheaths the nose clamp, but it is also true that we treated them “well” and we did not abuse them or subjected them to excessive deformation.
As for the corrective power and comfort of the lens, the “pince-nez” setting is very comfortable and brings the lenses closer to the eyes while keeping them stable in the same position. The lenses are large enough to cover the entire field of vision but you can also find more advanced positions to affect and cover only the lower part of the field of vision.
Pro – Plastic lenses are quality and work from both sides – The design is smart and compact – The aesthetics are pleasant with various choices
Cons – They are in the high price range – With many available colors to choose becomes difficult
Nooz Store
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