How many pairs of glasses do you need?

How many pairs of eyeglasses do you need? That depends on your vision needs, your vision insurance, your budget – and even your fashion sense.

Most people get prescription eyeglasses to correct their vision, but other specialty eyewear includes computer glasses to reduce digital eye strain, polarized sunglasses to reduce glare and block harmful ultraviolet rays, readers to help you see up close, and ski goggles and sports glasses for when you’re on the slopes or riding your motorcycle.

So, how many glasses do you need?

“There are a lot more options available than there were before,” says Clifford W. Brooks, OD, FAAO, of the Indiana University School of Optometry. “But people don’t consider specialty eyeglasses because they don’t recognize that they would be helped by them.”

Meet some people who have more than one pair of spectacles — and in one case nearly as many glasses as some people have shoes.