Hands free magnifying glasses come in several variations. They may be used by people with regular vision for precision tasks, or by people with low vision to compensate for their vision loss.
These are used for many purposes including for hobbyists to read books or newspapers, sewing, knitting, quilting, jewelry design, woodworking, painting, drawing, puzzles, electronics, repairs and more. They may be used by professional trades people such estheticians / beauticians or jewelers.
These are my picks for the best hands free magnifying glasses for various purposes.
Compare the different types of hands free magnifiers
Product | Magnification range | Other features | More details |
---|---|---|---|
Brightech LightView Pro Flex Magnifying Lamp | Up to 1.75x | Flexible gooseneck stand. Interchangeable stand or clamp. | Read more below or buy on Amazon. |
Brightech LightView Pro LED Magnifying Glass Floor Lamp | Up to 1.75x | Floor lamp | Read more below or buy on Amazon. |
YOCTOSUN Head Mount Magnifier With 2 Led Professional Jeweler's Loupe | 1.0X, 1.5X, 2.0X, 2.5X, 3.5X lenses | Head mounted on eyeglass frame OR flexible headband. Interchangeable lenses of varying strengths. | Read more below or buy on Amazon. |
Humanware Explore 7 | 2.3x - 19x adjustable For mild to moderate vision loss | Very large 7" screen Built in stand so you don't have to hold it. Distance viewing mode Rechargeable battery | Read more below or buy on Amazon. |
Humanware SmartView 360 Video Magnifier | 2.6x to 57x adjustable For moderate to severe vision loss | 19" LCD screen sits on your table Can point camera down to read, or at self for grooming, or in the distance. Built in handle for portability (weighs 8kg) | Read more below or buy on Amazon. |
GoVision 24" LCD portable electronic magnifier | 1.7x to 83x adjustable For mild to severe vision loss | Largest 24" LCD screen Largest range of magnification Enhanced color and contrast modes Distance viewing and self view modes OCR mode - speech feature reads text aloud so you can listen and rest your eyes | Read more below or buy on Amazon. |
Best hands free magnifying glass with light
Brightech LightView Pro Flex Magnifying Lamp
This versatile magnifying lamp has an impressive 5 star rating on Amazon after more than 1000 customer reviews. (Amazon also sells it with free shipping and with Amazon Prime.)
It can be used as a desk lamp or use the supplied clamp to attach it the side of a table, chair or desk. It has a fully adjustable goose neck that bends in any direction so you can get the right angle and distance to look through the lens.
It has bright energy saving LED lights surrounding the lens. The LED technology is is very bright and you don’t have to replace bulbs, as they are made to last for more than 20 years of use!
It magnifies up to 1.75x, which is fairly moderate magnification but suitable for people with relatively good vision who want to make their task a bit more comfortable.
This is a great option for people with good vision or mild vision loss to make it easier to do craft, reading, crosswords or hobbies. It’s available in black or white.
Top pick as a hands free magnifying glass with light for crafts.
Brightech LightView Pro LED Magnifying Glass Floor Lamp
This floor lamp is perfect for someone who has a favorite chair they like to sit in to read. It’s also large enough to extend over a bed for nighttime reading, or for use at a desk or kitchen bench.
The top of the stand is a flexible gooseneck which allows you to position the magnifying lens where you want it.
It magnifies up to 175% (ie 1.75x magnification). This is fairly moderate magnification but suitable for people with relatively good vision who want to make their task a bit more comfortable or those with mild vision loss.
It has a built in LED light with a dimmer.
Available in black or white stands.
Top pick as a hands free magnifying glass with light for reading.
YOCTOSUN Head Mount Magnifier With 2 Led Professional Jeweler’s Loupe
This head mount magnifier is a #1 best seller on Amazon for hobby tool magnifiers.
Wear your magnifier on your head with the Yoctosun head mount magnifier. There are 2 ways of wearing this:
- use the comfortable eyeglass frame with rubber nose-pad or
- wear the flexible headband for a more-secure fit.
It comes with 5 interchangeable lenses with 1.0x, 1.5X, 2.0X, 2.5X, 3.5X magnification lenses made of scratch-resistant acrylic. See your work pieces or text magnified up to 350% original size with high clarity.
A headlight is built into the magnifier, with 2 super-bright LED – powered by 3 AAA batteries (included).
Great for jewelry work, watch repair, arts & crafts. This is a versatile reading magnifier that doesn’t require you to stay in the one spot, which makes it great for use in the kitchen, when traveling, or when reading away from a desk.
A great pick if you want to wear your magnifier on your head to keep your hands free.
HumanWare Explore 7 Handheld Electronic Magnifier
Click here to read my detailed review of the Humanware Explore 7.
This electronic magnifier is a top pick for someone with moderate vision impairment who wants a hands free magnifier for reading.
You don’t need hands to hold the Explore 7 magnifier, as it stands up on the table or other solid surface you rest it on. You will need to push it side to side as you read. The very large 7″ screen means you fit more words on the screen when reading, but it is still a portable size.
It has a 7″ LCD screen and adjustable magnification from 2.3X-19X. You can also plug the Explore 7 into a TV or computer screen via a cable to see the video image taken from the Explore on the TV. This allows you to magnify what you’re reading even more as you can look at it on a much bigger screen.
It runs on a rechargeable battery and comes with charger included. It also comes with a cleaning cloth and a sturdy case to protect it when you’re on the go.
Able to buy online and have delivered to you.
Best portable electronic magnifier
Top pick for desk size portable electronic magnifier
HumanWare SmartView 360 Video Magnifier
For people who want to read a lot for pleasure, or for those with more severe vision loss, the greatest solution is to get an electronic magnifier that sits on your table or desk. The SmartView 360 has a 19″ LCD screen, which means you can fit a lot on the screen at once. Compare this to using a strong magnifying glass where you only see about one word at a time through the lens.
The controls are easy to use with practice, and are attached to the screen by a wire so they don’t get lost.
The large screen is also great for looking at photos or pictures, which you can’t really do properly with a powerful magnifying glass.
The SmartView camera can point any direction. Point down to read, write or do handiwork; point across the room for meetings or classes; and point at self for personal grooming. This is very versatile and allows you to keep your hands free for crafts, writing, or other tasks and see what you’re doing magnified greatly on the screen in front of you.
Magnification levels for desktop – 2.6x to 57x; distance – 0.6x to 27x; self view – 1x to 4x
Buy online from Amazon to have delivered to you.
Best large electronic magnifier with speech
GoVision – 24″ LCD Auto Focus Portable Electronic Magnifier
This is the ultimate option for someone who wants a strong magnifying glass for reading.
The GoVision digital magnifier has the largest screen available at the time of writing – 24″, which is the size of a large computer screen.
It also has an exceptionally large range in its magnification abilities – it can magnify from 1.7x up to 83x. This means it can be helpful for people with mild vision loss right through to those with severe vision loss.
One particular benefit of this equipment is that it can read printed text aloud in speech. This is wonderful for people with severe vision loss, for those who tire quickly, and for people who prefer to listen rather than strain their eyes.
Read more or order now to have delivered to you