Vinmax Lazy Readers Horizontal Glasses review
Lazy Reader Glasses work, but they’re not for everyone
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Reviewed / Vinmax
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Vinmax Horizontal Mirror Lazy Readers
At one point or another, most people have experienced the frustration of wanting to lie flat while reading or looking at their phone. Sitting hunched over for prolonged periods of time can easily cause neck and back pain, and holding items above you is tiring. (Plus, there’s the whole “dropping your phone on your face by accident” thing that we all pretend hasn’t happened to us at least once.)
For some, the ability to lie flat and/or avoid hunched positions is a need rather than a mild annoyance. I personally have a fair number of back issues, so there are days when my posture has to be a top priority even if I’m dying to get a good book in. Finding a way to comfortably read without injuring my back can be a challenge.
One solution to this problem is using a pair of prism glasses, like the Vinmax Lazy Readers (available at Amazon) . These glasses use angled mirrors to change the direction from which you can see and read items. I decided to give the Vinmax Lazy Readers a go to see how well they really work.
The Vinmax Horizontal Mirror Lazy Readers allow you turn your view down 90 degrees without straining your neck or eyes to read, watch TV, or see.
$13 at AmazonHow the Vinmax Lazy Readers Horizontal Glasses work
Put these glasses on like regular eyewear and stare straight ahead in order to use them.
Putting on the glasses is initially a disorienting experience, especially for new users. They are not recommended for wearing while walking (which I strongly agree with), but mastering them may also have a slight learning curve even while sitting at first.
Reading a book or using a smart phone is fairly easy, but using something that involves more dexterity, such as an iPad or craft supplies, may prove difficult. Because of the narrowed scope of vision and the angles of the mirrors, objects that require depth perception are much more difficult to use than they would otherwise be.
To use the glasses, you merely put them on by themselves or over a regular pair of eyewear. From there, choose a position that’s 90 degrees from whatever type of media you’re hoping to consume. (For those who aren’t great with angles, think of 90 degrees as something being in your lap while you sit up straight and stare straight ahead.)
It can take some trial and error to find the perfect view and sitting position, but, once you get used to the experience, it becomes second nature.
What I like about the Vinmax Lazy Readers Horizontal Glasses
Clear image quality without neck or back pain
The Vinmax glasses have a crisp, clear image of the surface you’re reading. They also leave plenty of space for most regular glasses to fit beneath them.
I was pleasantly surprised by how crisp the images through the glasses were. Everything I tried to look at was easy to see, which let me enjoy my activities without the less-than-ideal pain that often comes with it. The fact that they might reduce eye strain was just an added bonus.
To put them to the test, I used these glasses to read for about one hour while lying flat on a sofa. While reading the initial few pages felt strange as I tried to decide where the book was easiest to see, once I settled into the experience, it wasn’t much different from a normal afternoon of reading.
My posture was able to be significantly improved by lying flat (with my head slightly elevated on a pillow). It also encouraged sitting up straight for activities like TV watching or using a laptop, which was a nice change of pace for someone who spends a lot of the day sitting in ways they probably shouldn’t.
It’s worth noting that the angle of the glasses is always 90 degrees, meaning that if something like a television or computer is elevated already, it can actually require worse posture to see it. However, for those who find themselves spending a lot of time lying down, have specific posture needs, or use tools like neck or back braces, the Vinmax Lazy Readers could be a game changer.
The Vinmax Horizontal Mirror Lazy Readers allow you turn your view down 90 degrees without straining your neck or eyes to read, watch TV, or see.
$13 at AmazonWork with or without prescription glasses
These readers are supposed to fit over glasses, and, in that regard, they don’t disappoint. I had multiple glasses-wearing friends try the Vinmax Lazy Readers on, and all found that the glasses fit comfortably over their existing eyewear. Its possible those with exceptionally bulky frames may have fit issues, but most should be able to squeeze their frames inside.
Overall, most of those testing found these glasses to be comfortable with or without their glasses on, as did I. The eyewear did slide down on one tester’s nose, but particularly for lying down, they mostly stay in place well.
What I don’t like about the Vinmax Lazy Readers Horizontal Glasses
Uncomfortable aftereffects
Ironically, these glasses are probably not worth the purchase for those “lazy people” who just don’t feel like sitting up. Those who are elderly, disabled, or recovering from medical procedures will likely have the most reasons to consider them.
The box that these glasses come in warns of their “disorienting” effects. It also cautions the user not to wear the glasses for extended periods of time. My testing confirms that both of these warnings should be taken seriously.
Because of the way the glasses focus your eyesight, many of the people using them experienced nausea or headaches after removing them even when only worn for a short period of time. Vision also felt “trippy” or strange for a few minutes after removal, as the testers’ eyes adjusted back to their normal vision.
In many ways, wearing these glasses feels a bit like when you try on glasses that are a different prescription from your own. Because your eyes have worked to focus and operate in the new environment, returning to normal can require a minute of patience as your view normalizes.
This was especially true for myself and another tester. Both of us have one exceptionally strong eye paired with an eye that’s legally blind (we can see, but it’s very blurry). Because of the way these glasses force the eyes to work separately, the nausea and disorienting effects hit us extremely hard after removing them (as our eyes went back to working together like normal). These effects were stronger the longer I wore the glasses and less intense when they were used for short periods.
If you’re a person who easily gets nauseous or suffers from frequent headaches, you should approach these glasses with caution until you fully understand how they might affect you.
Name and marketing of the product
Normally the name and marketing of a product isn’t really my top concern when writing a review, but, in this case, it’s worth calling out. While these glasses are a fantastic invention for those who truly need them, they are marketed toward “lazy people” who may not.
This phrasing was possibly an attempt on Vinmax’s behalf to push for a wider adoption pool, but it could end up alienating the people who might benefit from the product the most. From the box with its huge, repeated, “Lazy Readers” name to the Amazon advertisement with its large overlay suggesting the glasses are “designed specifically for lazy people,” the marketing of the Vinmax Lazy Readers Glasses is fairly off-putting. The fact that promotional photos don’t feature any people with disabilities is just the icing on the cake.
This unfortunate naming convention hasn’t gone unnoticed by buyers, who frequently comment on the insulting nature of the language used in customer reviews.
Using able-bodied people in silly situations isn’t a new marketing tactic when it comes to advertising products that could be ideal for the physically disabled, but it’s a trend that should be reconsidered in 2023. Those who found this product immensely helpful often cited medical recovery and existing disabilities or physical limitations as the primary reason for their purchase. It’s well past time to be respectful to the consumers actually buying the product.
Should you buy the Vinmax Lazy Readers Horizontal Glasses?
Though the Vinmax Prism Spectacles aren’t the most fashionable eyewear, the tradeoff of being able to sit in a comfortable position is well worth it for those who need it.
If you’re looking for a way to lazily binge watch your favorite TV show, these glasses may not be the right solution for you. Because they aren’t suited for long-term use even in the least nausea-prone wearers, doing any longform activity may prove to be a headache (literally). For those who are truly just aiming for a “lazy day,” the short-use requirement is likely not worth the hassle.
On the other hand, for those with physical limitations, these glasses could be a great purchase. When used as directed they significantly cut down on the potential for neck and back pain, and their relatively cheap price tag makes them accessible to most buyers.
For those who are recovering from surgeries or have other physical accessibility needs, the Vinmax Lazy Reader Glasses may be the perfect pair of reading glasses for you. Just be careful to follow the directions on the box, and keep tabs on how you’re feeling the first few times you use them.
The Vinmax Horizontal Mirror Lazy Readers allow you turn your view down 90 degrees without straining your neck or eyes to read, watch TV, or see.
$13 at Amazon
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