ThinOptics Keychain Readers

Ultralight folding reading glasses in a keychain fob case. Great for on trail or in camp.

After years of trying different cases to carry my reading glasses on trail and always feeling the size and weight was an issue I decided to try out these silly looking things. I admit the first time I saw them I laughed, but after carrying them on this year's Boundary Loop I am a fan.

The Glasses:

These are stripped down to the bare minimum and come in at 3g on my scale. They are available in +1, +1.5, +2 and +2.5 strength levels and are reversible so never backwards when you put them on. The bridge is flexible so they easily expand or contract to fit your face. 

The Case:

The case is thin, light plastic, but solidly constructed. The lenses fold over themselves as the case mechanism pulls them in. This keeps them safe, clean and reduces the footprint nicely.

In Action:

Quick video to demonstrate the simplicity of case function.

Testing:

These came with me on this year's Boundary Loop attempt. They saw 50 days on trail for that adventure and have come along with me on Cohos Trail work trips and been used around home some as well.

Conclusions:

I really liked getting rid of the big case I was carrying my regular reading glasses in on trail. I am sure the weight difference matters as the old case and glasses weigh 80g, but it was the size I really appreciated. To be accessible on trail when you need them I want my glasses in my chest pouch, but the big metal case to protect them took up a lot of valuable space that could be filled with cheese or mini Snickers. Not having them taking up that space may have saved my life on the East Baldpate slabs when I was hugging a cliff in the rain hard enough to burst open a Snickers in my chest pouch.

The mechanism to store the glasses in the case is very simple and doesn't always work properly. If the bridge doesn't engage with the slider just right the slider leaves empty so sometimes a second effort is required. I have found that if you get impatient and just cram the lenses into the case everything still works later when you have time to do it properly.

The other negative issue I found and this one is more serious, is that these babies will fly off your face in strong wind. They have nothing other than the nose pieces to hold them on and if a good breeze catches them by the side it will move them around. In really strong winds I found it best to hold them on with one hand which might be an issue if you are trying to look at a paper  map in the wind.

The other side of that coin is that because they don't require you to stick anything over your ears they are great to use when wearing a hood or beanie. The ease of use was really nice because often when I need to see what I can't see I am in a hurry and fighting to get my glasses on angers up the blood.

As for their primary function, reading, I find them good enough. The lenses are a little small so noticeable in my peripheral vision when looking at things farther back like a computer screen. When looking at a book or phone in my hands I don't notice that. When wearing them for longer periods reading in my hammock they totally disappeared and I forgot I was wearing them.

Thinoptics has a line of different lightweight reading glasses and cases. Some folks might prefer more rigid glasses or normal glasses with arms to hang over your ears. They have lots of options all with an "eye" for thin and light carry.

Background

I've been carrying reading glasses on trail for more than a few years now. These were new this spring and have been with me on trail all summer.