The Informant: This Giant Magnifying Glass Makes Reading In Bed Better

It’s really easy for bedrooms to get boring. The problem is twofold. Fold one: Some bedrooms are all function: bed, dresser, maybe lamp, and that’s it. No zest. No joie de vivre. Fold two: Some bedrooms are all atmosphere:  throw pillows, blustery curtains, and that’s just the start. Both types of bedrooms are ultimately boring because they are less than the sum of their parts. Design and function don’t interact.

That’s why I bought  my opposable dentist magnifying glass. As one does.

I’m a bit of a maximalist, but not everything can be a period piece. I don’t want to fall asleep in a novel and wake up with typhoid. Also, I like to read. This adjustable magnifying glass looks cool and also helps me bring letters into focus.

I wear glasses—plural in this case because I wear about 13 different pairs that are scattered all around the apartment. When it’s time for bed, my magnifying light gets pulled down and I can read my book before bed without the trouble of having to get up and find the nearest pair of glasses. It also makes for a nice little bedside light when I’m getting up to get a glass of water or something that I can find my way back to the bedroom without tripping over anything. 

This magnifying glass from HITTI is for sale on Amazon for just over $40, and works on a number of levels. My wonky eyesight made it perfect to repurpose as a reading tool mounted on my bedframe, but it can also be detached from the clamp on my bedpost and reattached to the base to use for crafting or close-up work. Others may find it useful for close-up things like painting, sewing, or fixing things (like eyeglasses that get sat on, in my case). The 10x view through the glass is perfect for all that, and a 4.2” lens is really all you need when you can look across the page on your own or reset the glass.

Then, when I’m done reading, I can just push it up out of the way and it settles in place. During the day, it adds a little more dimension to the room, or can be stowed by adjusting it so it sits against the wall.