This handy kit lets you test your vision with your smartphone
Considering how essential our eyesight is, it’s surprising how often we neglect it. Anyone with a halfway decent dental plan gets their teeth checked and cleaned on a regular basis, but our eyes? The only time they get to see an optometrist is when we drag ourselves in for a new eyeglass prescription.
And why? Well, because it’s a hassle. So we assume that once every couple of years is enough.
For a lot of eye ailments, that’s not the case. Luckily, there’s a new kit out there called the EyeQue VisionCheck ® that enables everyday people to check their own eyesight right at home.
The central device is a refractometer, an MIT-patented gadget that resembles a high-tech spyglass. It attaches directly to the screen of your smartphone and, when paired with an app, it can be used to deliver a series of tests that measure your pupillary distance, level of astigmatism, the degree of near or farsightedness you have and other factors.
The resulting stats are your EyeGlass Numbers, and you can use them to establish a pattern. Do the test once a month and you can detect any changes in your vision.
While it’s not a full medical exam, it does arm you with advanced knowledge so you can take the steps you need to make sure those changes aren’t the result of a serious condition. You can even upload prescriptions from a prior doctor’s visit to flesh out your profile and create a more complete history.
And while the long term health benefits can be invaluable, there’s a short term payoff: You can use these EyeGlass Numbers to order new glasses online. No appointment, no complicated procedure. You can do it all from your home in minutes.
Your entire family can even use the VisionCheck. Just make sure they create their own profile and the device can keep track of multiple sets of eyes.
Recently, the system won an Innovation Award at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show, so there’s bound to be plenty of support behind the tech. If you want to give it a try for yourself, the EyeQue VisionCheck is currently 13% off retail price at $59.99.
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