How it works
How progressive readers work
Power that changes down the lens, with a clear corridor up the middle.
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The short answer
Progressive readers change power from the bottom of the lens to the top. Your full reading power sits at the bottom, where your eyes go to read. The power eases off as you look up, to no magnification at the top for the distance. A clear path, the corridor, runs up the center. Because a standard progressive reader reaches all the way to the horizon, its corridor is narrow. EV6™ and EV20™ ease the power off over a shorter range, so their corridors are wider.
Power down the lens
What each part of the lens is for
An example for someone who reads at +2.00. A +2.00 lens focuses at about 20 inches. Double the distance and you need roughly half the power.
| Where you look | Standard progressive reader | EV6 |
|---|---|---|
| Down, at your phone, about 20 inches | About +2.00, at the bottom of the lens | About +2.00, at the bottom of the lens |
| At a monitor about 3 feet away | About +1.00, in a narrow band just above the reading zone. You lift your chin to find it. | About +1.00, straight ahead across a wide corridor |
| Straight ahead and up | No magnification, for the distance | About +0.50, for the person across the desk at 6 feet |
The corridor
Range and width
Picture two directions in the lens. One runs from your eyes out into the room: that’s the range. The other runs side to side: that’s the width of the clear corridor. Stretch the range and the corridor narrows. Bring the range in and the corridor widens.
A standard progressive reaches from reading distance to the horizon in one small lens, so its corridor is narrow. People wearing them move their heads side to side and tilt their chin to find the sharp spot. A lens that stops at six feet can keep its corridor nearly edge to edge.
See the difference
The same desk through two lenses
On the left, a standard progressive that reaches the horizon. On the right, EV6, which stops at six feet.
The same desk through two lenses. EV6 stops at six feet, and the width it saves shows up as corridor.
Three ranges
Choose the reach you need
We make three ranges so the corridor can be as wide as your day allows. Pick your range goes deeper.
EV6
18 inches to 6 feet
It covers your phone, keyboard, monitor and the person across the desk. It stops at six feet, so it has the widest corridor we make.
About EV6EV20
20 inches to 20 feet
It reaches from a book in your lap to the far side of the room, for moving around the house or the office.
About EV20EVinfinity
Near vision and all the way out
It has reading power at the bottom and clear distance through the top, for driving and time outdoors. Its corridor is narrower than EV6’s, closer to a standard progressive.
About EVinfinityBrowse styles
Find your EV Reader
How it works
From your order to your desk
Pick a frame and a range
Each range comes in 35 frames from L&F, Ombraz, RAEN and STATE Optical.
Order your reading power
The power you’d use to read a book, from +1.00 to +2.75. Add your PD, which you can measure at home in about a minute.
We make them in about two weeks
We digitally surface, coat and edge the lenses in California. Shipping is free and takes about three days.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What are progressive readers?
Reading glasses whose power changes down the lens, from full reading power at the bottom to no magnification at the top. They focus at more than one distance without a line across the lens.
What is the corridor in a progressive lens?
The clear path up the middle of the lens, where the power changes smoothly from bottom to top. The farther a lens reaches, the narrower its corridor.
Are progressive readers the same as bifocals?
Both help up close and farther out. A bifocal has two powers with a visible line between them. A progressive changes power gradually with no line. See progressive readers vs bifocal readers.
How are EV Readers™ different from progressive readers?
A standard progressive reader eases your reading power off all the way to the horizon. EV6 and EV20 stop at 6 or 20 feet. That gives them a wider corridor at the desk and around the house. EVinfinity™ reaches all the way out like a standard progressive reader.
Which reading power should I order?
Order the power you’d use to read a book or your phone up close. That full power sits at the bottom of the lens. The lens eases it down for your screen and the room. If you already wear drugstore readers, their number is your starting point. Which power to order walks through it.
Readers with Range
Choose the reach you need.
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