Home Eye Tests: Are They As Good As Seeing an Eye Doctor?

Home Vision Tests vs. Optometrist Visit

If you’re having vision problems, you may be tempted to try a home vision test. While a home eye test is convenient, it doesn’t replace an exam by an eye doctor. Your eye doctor can make sure you’re seeing as clearly as possible. And, unlike a home test, your eye doctor can detect eye conditions and health issues that could lead to vision loss.

How to Use This Eye Chart at Home

There are three areas of vision and eye health you can test at home: distance vision (how well you can see from far away), near vision (how clearly you can see close up) and if you have macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is an eye disease that causes blurry central vision and makes it difficult to read and see small details.

If you have glasses or contact lenses, wear them while doing any at-home or online vision test.

Testing Distance Vision

The Snellen Eye Chart is most often used to test distance vision. Here’s how to use it:

• Print a copy of a Snellen chart. To ensure the test is accurate, the largest letter at the top of your printed chart should be just under one inch or 23 millimeters tall.
• Put your chart on a wall 20 feet away from where you’re standing.
• Completely cover one eye.
• Read the lines on the chart from the top down, starting on the line you can comfortably see the letters.
• Stop you when you can’t see or identify half of the letters on a line.
• Repeat with the other eye.

Testing Near Vision

The Jäeger chart is used for near vision. It has 11 short paragraphs numbered from J1 (smallest font) to J11 (largest font).

To use the Jäeger chart:

• Print a copy of the chart.
• Hold the chart 14 inches from your face.
• Cover one eye and record the number of the smallest line you can comfortably see and read.
• Repeat with the other eye.

If you can read the J1 or J1+ line, that’s equal to having 20/20 vision.

Testing for Macular Degeneration

The Amsler Grid Test is used to test for macular degeneration.

• Print out a copy of the grid.
• Hold the grid 14 inches from your face.
• Cover one eye and focus on the dot in the center of the grid.
• Do the same with the other eye.
• The lines should look straight with each eye. If they don’t, that’s a sign you need to have an eye exam.

How to Give a Child an Eye Test at Home

Children can also take an eye test at home to measure their distance vision. If your child doesn’t recognize letters yet, you can use a “Tumbling E” eye chart instead of a Snellen eye chart.

The steps for using the Tumbling E eye chart are similar to those for the Snellen chart. It’s important to make sure the child understands the symbols before taking a vision test:

• Print the chart and put on a wall 20 feet away from the child.
• Point to an E on the chart that’s facing the right way and use your fingers to show which way the three parallel lines are pointing.
• Ask the child to use their fingers to point the same way as you are.
• When you point to the lines on the chart, the child can use their fingers to show which symbols they can see.

What Your Results Mean

For adults, normal vision is reading the 20/20 line on the eye chart. For kids, a 3- or 4-year-old child should be able to see the 20/40 line and a 5-year-old should be able to see the 20/30 line.

You should go to the eye doctor if you can’t see the 20/20 line. Your child should go if they can’t see the lines on the chart that they should be to see at their age or they can’t see the same line with both eyes when covering one eye and looking at the chart.

Do All Eye Charts Have the Same Lettering?

The Snellen chart is the most commonly used eye chart, but there are also others in use, including:

• LEA Symbols Chart: This chart was designed for young children who don’t recognize letters or who don’t speak the same language as the person giving the test. It can be used instead of a Snellen or a Tumbling E chart.
• Landolt C: This chart is similar to the Tumbling E chart but uses the letter C instead of E.

Testing for Lazy Eye and Other Childhood Vision Problems at Home

Lazy eye (amblyopia) is a common disorder that usually affects kids. It happens when vision is impaired in one or both eyes because the eyes and brain aren’t working together properly.

Some symptoms that could mean your child has lazy eye include:

• Squinting or closing their eyes often.
• Eyes moving in different directions when they’re trying to focus.
• Turning or tilting their head when they’re trying to focus.

The following are also signs that your child may have a vision problem:

• Has difficulty reading or doing other near work
• Holds objects close to eyes to see
• Rubs eyes a lot
• Closes or covers one eye to focus

Follow Up With Your Eye Care Professional

It’s important to remember that using an eye chart at home doesn’t give you the full picture of your vision or eye health. The best way to make sure your eyes are healthy and you’re seeing your best is to get a comprehensive eye exam by an eye care professional.

Is there a way to have an eye exam via telemedicine?

A telemedicine eye exam is a convenient way to talk with your eye doctor about simple things such as renewing your prescription for glasses or contacts. Your eye doctor also may be able to diagnose a minor eye problem if that’s the reason for your appointment.

However, they can’t detect serious eye problems such as glaucoma or early diabetic retinopathy (an eye disease caused by high blood sugar) during a telemedicine exam.

You can also take an online eye test without having to print a chart. An online test is an easy way for you to decide whether you need to see an eye doctor.