LED magnifying headset, any recommendations?

[completeHook]

Hi all

I'm in the market for an LED magnifying headset, I've clicked around a bit and haven't been able to find any articles and I am interested to know if;

a) Anyone has positive or negative experiences with brands/styles and can recommend a particular product.

b) Anyone has come across any good articles that can help me make up my own mind.

There are loads of these things on eBay and they are dirt cheap for the most part, but they do look like you are getting what you pay for and the last thing I need in my flat is more useless plastic clutter.

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

[Lurker]

Hi Hook,

I don't know of any articles, but from my own personal experience I can recommend them. I am an older painter/modeler and my eyes are definitely not as good as they used to be. So for me, once I found these, they were a godsend. I used/use two different styles and each has their merits, but mainly the second pic is the one I use most and it is just fantastic.

15137

this one (or one like it- I grabbed these images off the net) was my first one. it has three lenses - one static, one flip up (on the inside) and the small swing out lens. it's good for quick adjustment and can be got at pretty much any hobby store for relatively cheap. the problems I had with this one is relatively minor. The sweatband is plastic and after awhile under the hot lamp you get a good sweat going on under that band which can chafe and it leaves a stupid red mark on our forehead. If you get one like this, I would suggest finding a cloth liner for the sweat band, (like you might find on some hard hats). I like to think of it as a good intro style.

15138

This is the style I currently use. I like this one best so far. It has five different lenses that allow you a wide range of magnification and has an integrated LED light in the perfect spot. the light has a limited adjustable range (from flat to a very sharp angle) to let you put the light right where you want it. the the lenses change easy and quick, you have to unsnap them from the frame clip and snap the new one in its place. It's lightweight and comfortable to wear (might freak out small children or make them giggle insanely either way :)). the drawbacks are noticed and but easily overcome. first off the light system- mind the batteries! This one is powered by three watch batteries and will die quickly if you forgot to turn it off overnight. I had to replace mine for a cost of 20+ dollars. I have since found a swap meet that has 2 dollar multi-packs of the same battery, they might not last as long but they are cheaper. The other two problems are the same really, just in two different areas. the clip that holds the lens and the light in place will weaken a bit and let the moveable parts - move... too much. they just kind of end up flopping around and not staying in place. However, I have found that if you insert a small bit of paper in the clips, (like the old fix for a loose slotta base model that didn't quite fit the slot in the base), that they will keep their place quite nicely. This may be due to the quality of the pair I bought though, I bought mine at a County Fair so they might not be the highest quality around.

All in all, I would have to say I prefer the glasses style over the other. But you may want to also look at magnifying lamps too.

[completeHook]

Hi Lurker

Thanks for writing such a detailed comparison between the two systems, lots of very useful stuff here. The glasses type does seem to be the winner.

Looking after my eyes is a big motivation for getting some of these, the amusing/freaking out small children aspect of the glasses is just an added bonus and look forward to seeing what my niece makes of them.

Again thanks for taking the time to share your experiences.

[Hybrid3rdGen]

I own both - and I wholeheartedly agree that the second one is superior for many hobby tasks.

I also own a pair of Clic (http://www.clicmagneticglasses.com/)
This helps for a quick magnifying boost.

I also own a LED lit 5 Diopter magnifyling lens/light with table mounted arm. Bought one for work too so I can work on stuff at lunch (when time allows).
as an example -- not the exact type I own: http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-LED-Light-5-Diopter-Beauty-Desk-Magnifying-Lamp-Stand-Glass-Lens-Swing-Arm-/121707014419?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c564da913

I really like seeing detail and getting in close for it... these help a lot.

Good Stuff!
Be Well ~James

[completeHook]

Hi James

Thanks for the links, those magnetic glasses are pretty nifty, Stephen Fry rocks them on QI.

Good to get a +1 for the glasses vs the visor

Cheers man