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For anyone that’s strained over their laptop all day, hunched awkwardly on the couch trying to watch TV or tired their out neck from staring down at their phone for too long, TikTok has helped to surface what many are considering to be a “life-changing product” for back and neck pain.
Prism glasses essentially allow the wearer to lie down completely or sit perfectly upright while also looking at whatever is below or in front of them, without having to tilt and strain the neck in an awkward way. This means you can lay flat in bed with your head fully supported by a pillow and watch TV or read a book in that same position.
Now before you let the appearance of these goofy-looking $11 glasses fool you, just know that they come with a boat-load of positive testimonies from fellow former skeptics who say they can’t believe how effective the glasses have been for preventing things like tech neck — a cosmetic condition that leads to the appliance of crepey skin or exaggerated lines on the neck — managing neck and spine pain or assisting those with mobility limitations and migraine sufferers.
According to Dr. Viola Kanevsky, a New York City-based optometrist who specializes in custom contact lenses, the lenses in optical prism glasses work by bending the light, thereby moving the image of what the viewer is looking at in a desired direction before in the retina of each eye.
“When properly prescribed by a doctor of optometry, they can alleviate double vision and eye strain caused by numerous binocular vision disorders as well as for neurological vision problems stemming from injuries and conditions such as concussion and Parkinson’s,” Kanevsky said.
But what if you’re already a glasses or contact lens wearer? Though helpful, Kanevsky said over-the-counter prism glasses may not always be compatible with prescriptions. However, many reviewers do say that these glasses work well when worn over their existing prescription glasses. Some reviewers even use these in place of their regular glasses and claim to see better with them.
If you’re wondering how clear the view is, one reviewer explained that things may look smaller or slightly farther away when observed through the lens, however there’s no loss of focus so images remain crisp and easy to see.
If you’re curious about what others had to say about these “lazy readers,” read on to the promising reviewers ahead. Unless of course you’ve already decided that you need to have them, grab yourself a pair of these prism glasses from Amazon.
Promising Amazon reviews:
I absolutely love these 90 ° Degree Lazy Reading Glasses! For medical reasons, I lay down multiple times through the day and these 90 ° degree glasses save my arms and neck from strain while using my iPhone and iPad. They fit perfectly over my glasses and make them convenient and easy to use. These 90 ° degree glasses can be a bit heavy but with a bit of adjustment I am able to mitigate any uncomfortable pressure. These 90 ° degree glasses are also GREAT for watching TV or just looking out the window ( of a SHIP ! ) while laying in bed without additional pillows or neck strain.” — SLH
“I ordered these almost as a joke for handheld gaming, but man was I wrong. If you have neck issues, or arthritis/carpal tunnel in your hands these are actually a life saver especially for handheld/portable gaming. They allow your neck to remain straight and your arms and hands to rest on your legs which is great for blood flow. I was also really impressed with the quality for the price point these are at. I wear glasses full time and although they aren’t amazingly comfortable, they are totally passable to wear right over my glasses without extreme discomfort. You do get a little dizzy if you move your head around a lot with them on, so I wouldn’t recommend them for anything where you move much more than just your eyes. I would definitely recommend these to people with disc issues in their neck and/or arthritis in the hands.” — Jesse
“These are perfect for anyone who wants to lie flat on their back to read or watch TV! I wear them WITH my readers. Very sturdy. I have a terrible back and these were recommended by my physical therapist for lying flat. Perfect!” — Jan E.
“Probably like many others, I found my way to these glasses after seeing a picture of them and thinking it was a bit of a joke. But I have chronic neck and shoulder issues, so reading a book (my favorite thing to do) became an exercise in how often I could shift positions before I finally had to give it up.
These are a game changer. I can lay in bed and read a book and never worry about my arm getting tired (because it’s not holding anything up) or worry about a crick in my neck from propping my head up on a pillow, or any of the other things that come from holding an object in front of your face for hours on end. Because I’m laying down when I use these, I haven’t had any issues with the comfort of these… when they’re just resting against my nose and forehead, there’s no discomfort and I don’t really feel the weight of the glasses. In fact, I’ve fallen asleep multiple times while wearing these, and didn’t really remember I had them on until I tried to sit up. They do leave a mark on my forehead though…
My husband also thought they were silly, but he just tried them out and had to tell me how amazing and fantastic they are. He says he can actually see better through these glasses than without them. He normally wears glasses, but doesn’t need to double up when he’s wearing these – he can see just fine. My guess is because the reflection that he’s viewing is just inches from his eyes, instead of a few feet away.
About the only thing I could wish for these glasses is that they came with a case. If you pick them up wrong, you’ll get fingerprint smudges on the prisms, which can be irritating.” — SpecialK
