1stchoicespecs UK

Folding Prescription Glasses

Folding glasses are essential for any glasses wearer. They fit comfortably work with any prescription and can be folded up into a tiny case, back pocket or little handbag after use. This gives you the freedom to do all sorts of activities without wearing glasses all the time. The innovative folding frames also allow you to carry your glasses around without the need to find a particular bag for them or balance them on your head.

What are folding glasses?

Folding glasses are made of incredibly thin and lightweight frames, which allow them to be packaged up into discrete little cases. This means that wearers can wave goodbye to frames sliding off their heads or shirt collars, or getting crushed at the bottom of their bags. Instead, their folding glasses can be neatly tucked away and remain protected. Good quality foldable glasses are made with tough hinges, bridges and arms for this exact purpose. Most also come with padded cases, so if you sit down with them in your back pocket, panic not. The folding glasses will survive.

Who are folding glasses good for?

This is a very important question, and to be frank, the answer is pretty much everyone. Nevertheless, we have picked four top uses for folding glasses. We are sure you can relate to one of them.

For those who need reading glasses:

It is increasingly common for people to reach the age of 40 and develop symptoms of presbyopia. Don't let the technical name put you off. All it means is that with age, the eye becomes less flexible. It can therefore see objects in the distance clearly but struggles to focus on text up close. As a result, many people start to wear reading glasses.

The problem with reading glasses is that although you will be able to see things that are near to you, the landmarks on the horizon will start to appear slightly hazy. This is where foldable frames come into play. With the best folding reading glasses, you can read a menu, a map, a signpost, or whatever it is. Next, simply slide the frames off your nose, fold them up, place them in your pocket, and admire the view.

The glasses will remain safely tucked in your pocket or bag until you next need them when you can quickly slide them out again and pop them back on your nose whenever you need to. Folding glasses are therefore a wonderful solution for giving reading glasses wearers more flexibility.

For those who don't like wearing glasses:

many people may only need glasses to see particular things. Such as texting up close, or seeing far away. Many of these people dislike wearing glasses and will go to great lengths to avoid them. In this case, it is possible to buy varifocal contact lenses that allow you the flexibility of bringing different distances into focus. This means that people can see clearly, without having to adapt to wearing glasses frames that they may not feel comfortable with. However, contact lenses can be a right faff. The better solution is folding glasses.

With folding glasses, those who don't feel confident in their glasses face, or don't like the feel of wearing them, can quickly remove the glasses when they don't need them. For example, you go out on a dinner date and feel more confident without glasses, but you need to read the menu. Simply take your amazing folding glasses out of your pocket of the clutch, elegantly slide them on your face, pick what you want to eat, and then hide them again as if nothing ever happened! Then you can enjoy the rest of the evening without feeling self-conscious about your glasses, and without having misread the menu.

For the fashionistas out there:

eyewear can indeed be a fashion statement in itself. There are hundreds of designer brands on offer, so you can look bang on trend, even in specs. However, sometimes we like to show off our fashion sense without drawing attention to our eyewear. In this case, folding glasses frames are perfect. You can find designer frames, but once you take them off, the real perk is that the folding glasses fit neatly into your designer suit or clutch. Once they are hidden conveniently away, you can make a real fashion statement with your perfectly coordinated outfit, and still keep your eyewear to hand, just in case.

For sportspeople who wear glasses:

Folding glasses are most commonly used by those who need them for reading. But the need for reading glasses can strike at any moment and often catch you unawares. In this situation, many have been known to use a friend's pair of glasses, or ask someone to read things out to them. You need no longer resort to this when you have a pair of folding glasses frames. Even when you head out for a run or cycle, you can pop the glasses in your pocket. They are so lightweight you won't have to worry about them slowing you down! If you stop mid-workout to check directions, you can whip out your compact folding reading glasses with the case, and read the map or signposts.

It is also possible to find folding sunglasses with polarized lenses. These have been used in the sports world by rock climbers, who alternate between glasses as they cross in and out of shady patches on the cliffs. Once they have used the glasses, they can safely place the compact folding glasses with the case back in their pocket and not worry about them getting scratched on the rock face.

For more information on the benefits of folding reading glasses, see our guide here.

How do folding glasses work?

The secret to folding glasses lies in their miniature frame hinges. There are some in the arms and some by the nose bridge. To reduce scratching on the lenses, these glasses fold outwards, unlike any other frames. The arms then sit comfortably in the centre of the fold, to avoid any wear and tear to pressure points, which could potentially lead to a looser fit or weaker hinges.

Best Folding Reading Glasses

The brand we highly recommend is Persol, which happens to be the most renowned label for folding glasses. The best model of Persol folding glasses to go for is the PO9714, which comes in either brown Havana or black frames. The folding glasses frames are made of durable plastic that offers a sleek and modern look. The frame design is incredibly iconic of the brand and was recently redeveloped to be even thinner, smaller and lighter, to truly optimize the folding system. You can insert any prescription lenses from our wide selection into the frames, to ensure both clarity of vision and top-notch practicality. You can also find a range of optional tints and coatings on our website, such as blue light blocking and scratch resistance.

Folding Glasses with 1stchoicespecs UK

So what are you waiting for? Browse our selection now to find the best folding prescription glasses for you. At 1stchoicespecs UK we are proud to share our Virtual Try-On tool so that you can picture yourself in the frames before you commit to purchase. However, we still give you 100 days to return the glasses if you change your mind. You can also take advantage of our 30-day warranty and price match guarantee.