Written by Mike Price, OT
If trying to tell time with your wristwatch is starting to frustrate you because you can’t read the dial, it may be visual disorders telling you it’s time to get a low vision watch. Standard wristwatches with their smaller faces and numbers can be troublesome for elders experiencing diminished vision as a natural part of aging, along with people of any age living with the loss of vision resulting from retinitis pigmentosa, age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and other low vision conditions.
Defined as vision loss and impairments that are not correctable by surgery, glasses, contact lenses, or pharmaceuticals, low vision can be experienced by children and young adults, but it’s most common in adults and senior citizens. It’s estimated that about 1 in 28 Americans age 40 and over are affected by low vision, with the numbers of people affected increasing over the next decade as 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 each day.
Non-optical visual aids like low vision watches can help people of all ages who live with vision impairment. Like other low-vision aids, they help to restore a degree of independence to anyone experiencing vision loss due to aging or eye-related diseases and conditions. As one of the easiest and most affordable ways to make changes to activities of daily living (ADLs) to enhance independence, using a low vision wristwatch in place of a standard watch helps those living with low vision to know the time of day without having to ask for assistance.
Available in a variety of styles to suit personal needs and preferences, low vision watches offer multiple options to make telling time a simpler task for people with visual impairment. One of the best things about low vision watches is that most of them look just like regular watches, so there’s no stigma or embarrassment attached to wearing them for people who are sensitive about their loss of vision.
Oversized Face/Dial - Low vision watches sometimes have oversized faces or dials compared to standard watches, with a larger viewing area that’s easier to see.
Large Numbers - Almost all low vision watches use larger-sized and/or thicker numbers, either in Arabic or Roman, which makes it simpler for low-vision users to read. Arabic numerals are generally preferred by older adults or those living with intellectual impairments because they’re the most immediately recognizable.
High Contrast - Most low vision watches provide high contrast between the watch face and the watch numbers, using black on white, white on black, or black on yellow to make the time easier to view.
Backlighting and Illumination - Some low vision watches provide an illumination feature, backlighting the dial face in order to make it easier for users to view in dim light or at night.
Talking Audio - A number of low vision watches for men and for women provide an audible, talking feature to help visually impaired users to hear the time, day, and date instead of having to view it, and to be able to set the watch for alarms.
Band type - The bands for low vision watches usually comprise leather, chrome, or steel, coming in an assortment of stylish, modern, utilitarian, or classically elegant formats to suit every outfit and occasion. Look for expandable bands to ensure customized adjustability and the perfect fit.
Water Resistance - Some low vision watches offer resistance against moisture, helping to repel water for people using them in wet environments, or who may forget to remove the watch before washing dishes, going swimming, and other water-related activities.
Quartz Movement - Using a quartz crystal along with a battery to keep time, quartz movement is exceptionally precise. It vibrates at an almost perfectly constant frequency when an electrical current runs through it, making this movement one of the most desirable in watches.
Analog or Digital - Analog watches have a traditional clock face display with either Arabic or Roman numerals and two or three hands that point to the hour, minute, and second, while digital watches show the time in Arabic digits, usually in a type of LED display. Older adults and those living with intellectual disabilities may understand and prefer an analog watch, as that might be what they’re most used to.
In our review of the best low vision watches available today, we researched their features, ease of use, functionality, performance, and durability, along with real-life feedback from the watch users themselves in order to give you all the information you require to make the best choice for yourself. All of the low vision watches in our review are analog with quartz movement to ensure the most accurate, precise timepiece that’s also easiest for most seniors and those with low vision to view and read. They include unisex watches and watch styles for every gender from our vendors, LSS and MaxiAids, with all five falling into the affordable $40 to $70 price range.
 | 5) Mens Timex Indiglo Watches View Product |
 | 4) Low Vision Two-Tone Expansion Band Watch for Women View Product |
 | 3) Reizen Watch - Illuminated White Dial with Black Numbers View Product |
Coming in at number five on our list with its exceptional ease of use is the Gold One Button Talking Watch for Women by LSS (Learning, Light, and Sound). Highlighting a talking feature that simply tells the time, the uncomplicated functionality of this watch makes it a great choice for seniors and anyone living with intellectual disabilities, dementia/Alzheimer’s, and other mental impairments. It only requires the push of one button to speak the current time and doesn’t offer any potentially confusing hourly chimes or alarm functions or multiple buttons.
Its attractive gold case holds a white watch face with enlarged, easy-to-read black numbers in a sleek and simple design. Its comfortable leather band can be selected in black or brown to suit personal preference and is conveniently adjustable to fit most wrists. Durable construction ensures long-lasting and dependable use.
The Mens Timex Indiglo Watches make our list at number four with their feature-rich design that provides a wide range of benefits for low-vision wearers. Its convenient backlit illumination makes telling time in the dark or at night a much easier proposition, making this a great choice for users who need a watch for nighttime activities. Its expandable band configuration ensures a great fit for most users, facilitating personalized comfort for long periods of wear.
This innovative Timex watch also offers larger black numbers on a white face that is easy to read in daylight hours. It conveniently provides day and date functionality that’s easy to adjust with the Quick Date/Quick Day feature, displaying the numeric digits of the date and the first three letters of the day. Stylishly designed with a durable stainless steel band and a chrome case in a silver aesthetic, this visual impairment watch is also water-resistant for added protection during wet weather or while washing dishes.
Grabbing the third spot in our review, the Low Vision Two-Tone Expansion Band Watch for Women provides high contrast to ensure easy viewing for low vision users. This ladies watch can be selected with either a white face and high contrast black numbers or a black face with high contrast white numbers to meet different user preferences for low-vision time readability.
Elegant and attractive with its chrome and gold-tone expansion band and case accents, this beautiful watch can blend with a number of different outfits and jewelry for both casual and formal wear. Its band expands to provide a comfortable fit for most users. Along with its high-contrast design, the numbers are also large and easy to read, with the thicker hour and minute hands to more easily read the time.
The Reizen Illuminated Watch takes the second spot on our list with its high-contrast, large numbers, backlit illumination, and larger dial. Coming with a 1-year warranty to back up its outstanding performance, this innovative large face watch has an extra-wide dial to ensure quick and easy viewing for low vision users. Extra-large and thick minute and hour hands optimize clear visibility, along with large, high-contrast black numbers on the white face background.
This watch from the popular Reizen company makes telling time even easier by adding a beneficial illumination feature, enabling wearers to press a button to backlight the watch face for clear viewing at night. Its expansion band enables a good fit for most men’s wrist sizes, while its attractive gold finish and sleek design blends well with a variety of casual, business, and formal attire.
Because it combines many of the beneficial features of the other watches in our review, the Reizen Watch - Illuminated White Dial with Black Numbers easily earns our number one spot. Its extra-wide dial is exceptionally easy to view for low-vision users, in a gender-neutral, unisex design that can comfortably be worn by anyone.
Its larger black numbers on the white dial face create great, high contrast for clearer visibility, while the thicker, bolder black minute and hour hands further enhance the ability for low-vision wearers to tell time. Backlit illumination of the dial ensures easy visibility in the dark or at night.
Stylishly designed with a gold tone-accented case and black leather band, this watch can be worn for any occasion and will match a wide variety of attire. The band is adjustable to fit most wrist sizes. Durably configured to ensure long-lasting functionality and performance, this popular watch from Reizen comes with a 1-year warranty to ensure its dependability.
As a vision condition that makes it harder to perform everyday activities, people with low vision may not see well enough to drive, read, watch TV, or view a computer screen clearly, and may have difficulties with color and face recognition. The most common types of low vision include central vision loss, peripheral vision loss, night blindness, and blurry or hazy vision.
Loss of sight that’s not correctable with eyeglasses, contact lenses, medication, or surgery is considered low vision. Because there is still some sight retained and it can often be improved with the use of visual aids, this type of vision loss does not include complete blindness. The American Optometric Association defines low vision into two categories that include partially sighted and legally blind. When people have visual acuity between 20/70 and 20/200 with conventional prescription lenses, they are considered partially sighted. When people have visual acuity no better than 20/200 with conventional prescription correction and/or a restricted field of vision less than 20 degrees wide, this is considered legally blind.
Low vision watches provide people living with low vision an independent way to tell time. Whether vision loss has occurred gradually or all at once, low vision watches offer several different design features to support users in their daily life to retain or regain the ability to know what time it is without having to ask for assistance.
All of the large-number watches for visually impaired users in our review could potentially be the best option for an individual living with low vision depending on their particular needs and preferences.
The Gold One Button Talking Watch for Women is ideal for older users, or those who tend to get flustered by too many buttons or high technology, such as people living with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other intellectual disabilities. Its simplistic operation requires just one button to provide audible time, while it also offers large numbers for easier viewing of the time. The Mens Timex Indiglo Watches offer backlit illumination for clearer visibility at night and are water-resistant for protected use in inclement weather and other water-based activities.
The Low Vision Two-Tone Expansion Band Watch for Women provides low-vision support with its high contrast in a choice of a black face with white numbers or a white face with black numbers in elegant chrome and gold design. The Reizen Illuminated Watch highlights an extra-wide dial with large, high contrast black numbers and a white face to help low vision users tell time.
But we consider the best overall low vision watch option to be the Reizen Watch - Illuminated White Dial with Black Numbers. Delivering many of the same beneficial functions and design highlights as its counterparts in this review, this low vision watch has it all! Wearable by every gender, this watch comes with an oversized dial and extra-large black minute/hour hands and numbers on a white dial face for high contrast. Its illumination is easy to use by pushing a button to ensure easy time-telling in dark places, while its leather band is adjustable to fit most wrists.
Learn more about low vision watches in our catalog, and read more about how low vision aids can help you, along with how to make a safer low vision-accessible kitchen. Find more caregiving tips at Caregiver University and tools for the job of living at Rehabmart.
Co-Founder of Rehabmart and an Occupational Therapist since 1993. Mike has spent his professional career working in multiple areas of Occupational Therapy, including pediatrics, geriatrics, hand therapy, ergonomics and inpatient / outpatient rehabilitation. Mike enjoys writing articles that help people solve complex therapeutic problems and make better product choices.
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