Optivisor DA-7 2.75x Head Band Handsfree Magnifier Visor

Bought this for jewellery making/silversmithing after watching the Andrew Berry ‘At The Bench’ video recommending the Optivisor. I’m glad I followed his recommendation of buying the #4 (x 2) magnification, as a higher strength would have forced me to be positioned far too close to my work. Luckily, previous reviewers also pointed out the difference between the glass and plastic lenses which was really helpful. I bought the glass version and the visual quality is excellent.I’m extremely impressed with the design of the Optivisor. The head band is very comfortable - I’ve been wearing it all day with no rubbing, tightness or slipping. I tend to get headaches even just by wearing hats or headbands, so I’m amazed that I’ve experienced no discomfort with this. The dial used to adjust the band circumference is easy to use and secure, and the slight padding at the front of the band is a well thought out feature. The magnifier is easy to push up out of the way when not in use, and stays in place until needed again. Also, no problem at all wearing the Optivisor with my prescription glasses, which is a big bonus for me. Overall, I’m very glad I bought this, hopefully it’ll help reduce strain on my middle-aged eyes!

I have tried a lot of the low cost magnifying headsets on Amazon for painting models and miniatures over the years. All of them i have found to be bulky and uncomfortable, or low quality and they break.I finally decided to spend the extra on the Optivisor 2.5x magnifying headband (DA-5) and i am really impressed.With all of the other headsets i have worn, I found after a while they became very uncomfortable to wear which would often cut short my hobby time. However after several hours of use this evening with the Optivisor, I really didn’t notice them at all.The magnification is excellent. I was concerned that 2.5x would not be strong enough as i have been using a much cheaper version advertised at 3.5x magnification. I went with 2.5x as the focal length was a much more comfortable distance to work with than that of the 3.5x. It is really important to take note of this focal length when choosing the best Optivisor for you.As it happened, I found found that the 2.5x were actually no different to the 3.5x on my cheaper version, which suggests the claims of some of the cheaper versions may not be all that accurate.The clarity from the glass lenses of the optivisor is also a huge positive when compared to the plastic lenses of alternatives. There is no distortion and they are super clear and easy to clean.I also purchased the optivisor clip on bulb as i find the added light hugely helpful when trying to see what i am doing. i do feel the add on light is over priced for what it is and it is very narrow beam that focussed on one spot rather than a wide beam, so you need to angle it right. However it does work and i couldn’t be without it.Overall i am really pleased with my purchase and will not use any other type of magnifier in the future. However I do feel it is quite a high price, especially if you want the light which is often included with the cheaper models. Therefore i have awarded 4 stars. I do recommend this if you are going to use it a lot though, as the investment is worth it.

I can't think why I haven't bought one of these before - it's been on my shopping list literally for decades - but I have to say that it was well worth the wait and I wish I had bought it years ago!I finally had to admit that age has wrought the usual havoc with my vision and I found I was struggling to see certain tasks that previously presented no problems. The Optivisor is a revelation - pun intended! Brilliant, crystal clear magnification in a comfortable, lightweight headgear.Everything good that you have read about this product is true and it really does live up to its well-deserved reputation. Like the Fender Stratocaster & the Zippo lighter, this a product that has been doing its intended job to perfection for many many years now, pretty much unchanged because the designers just got it right at the outset.Do pay heed to the advice of other reviewers and go for the optical glass version and do be careful not to over-estimate the amount of magnification you actually need. I find the DA-4 2x is perfect for general purpose use (brilliant for getting splinters out of digits, reading part numbers & threading needles and so on) I also bought an Optiloupe for it, which fitted very easily and which gives a scary boost to magnification when needed but stays nicely out of the way when not required.A classic design that does its job perfectly and is a pleasure to use. If you need effective, comfortable, all-day magnification then you will be able to look closer but don't need to look any further!

The lenses are great, really clear.I purchased the No. 5, which magnifies to 2.5x with a focal distance of 8 inches.I can comfortably wear my normal spectacles while using the optivisor, and the actual device is light and comfortable around the head.There are a couple of annoying things about the design of the cheap plastic casing. It would be ok, but it seems they have deliberately designed it so that you can't mount your own LED headtorch to the top.Not serious, I will drill a couple of holes in it and attach a mounting plate that I can use to hold my own headlamp.Also, the lenses are bolted onto the casing, so if I want to purchase additional lenses for different focal lengths, there is no quick way to swap them.Again, not a big problem and I will find some quick-release screws, or make some kind of little holding pins to replace the nuts and bolts if I decide to purchase additional lenses, but they really could do better on this aspect of the design.