Eyesight numbers · 20/100 explained
What does 20/100 vision mean?
20/100 means that at 20 feet you make out what a typical eye makes out from 100 feet — a fifth of the usual range. Only the top rows of the chart stay readable, which sounds severe, and yet the matching glasses number is an approximate −1.75 to −2.25, still inside the mild band.
Your chart result
20/100
20/100 sits in the upper part of the mild band (−0.25 to −3.00), at an approximate −1.75 to −2.25. Moderate does not start until −3.25 — so despite only the top chart rows being readable, 20/100 is still a mild result, not a moderate or high one.
What 20/100 actually means
Past a few metres the world goes generic at 20/100. Across a street you recognise someone by walk, build and coat well before their face arrives; a house number needs you almost at the gate; a bus destination board is a colour and a shape until the bus is nearly at the stop. The near world is untouched — a phone, a book, a keyboard, a plate of food are all exactly as sharp as they are for anyone with 20/20.
20/100 is well below the roughly 20/40 line US states use for an unrestricted licence, so distance lenses are not optional here. That line refers to corrected vision: a pair of glasses takes a bare-eyed 20/100 to a full 20/20 for almost everyone, which normally means a corrective-lens condition on the licence rather than anything more.
The word “blind” comes up at this row and does not belong to it. Legal blindness means 20/200 or worse in the better eye with the strongest suitable lenses on — a ceiling that lenses cannot lift. 20/100 measured bare-eyed is the opposite situation: the ceiling is fine, the glasses simply are not on. Read the −1.75 to −2.25 pairing as approximate; the chart and the glasses number are different measurements.
See where any number lands
20/100is one point on the scale. The free interactive explainer takes any 20/xx chart result or glasses number and shows the clear distance, the mild-to-high band, and what “legally blind” does and doesn't mean — with the diagrams above and a side-by-side chart-to-glasses table.
Open the eyesight-numbers explainer →
Not sure which line is yours? The free online eye test draws a real letter chart sized for your screen and your distance and reads a 20/xx line per eye. Test your own line →
Have the paper from the optician? The free eye prescription calculator explains every number on it.
Common questions
What does 20/100 vision mean?
At 20 feet you make out what a typical eye makes out from 100 feet — a fifth of the usual range, leaving only the top rows of the chart readable. Past a few metres people read as shapes; close-up vision is unaffected. It matches an approximate −1.75 to −2.25 glasses number.
Is 20/100 vision bad?
It looks dramatic bare-eyed and is still mild on the scale — an approximate −1.75 to −2.25, with moderate starting at −3.25. Distance needs lenses, close work does not, and glasses take it to a full 20/20 for almost everyone.
Is 20/100 vision legally blind?
No. Legal blindness means 20/200 or worse in the better eye with the strongest suitable lenses on. 20/100 is a row above that number and is measured here with no lenses at all, so the label does not apply.
Can you drive with 20/100 vision?
Not bare-eyed — 20/100 is far below the roughly 20/40 line US states use. The standard counts corrected vision, so someone whose glasses bring them to 20/20 drives normally, usually with a corrective-lens condition on the licence.
What to do with your number
The full method is a structured 90-day program — proper lenses, measured progress, the things only experience can tune.
EndMyopia members work on lowering their glasses numbers step by step. The whole thing — your numbers explained, lens recommendations, daily habits, weekly check-ins — lives inside BackTo20/20. Full Program $1,788 $149/mo × 12 · lifetime access · money-back guarantee.
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Or keep exploring with the free Eyeball Analyzer (20 minutes, your numbers, what they mean).
Limitations & disclaimer
EndMyopia treats myopia as a refractive state, not a medical condition. This is a free educational tool — not medical advice, diagnosis, or a substitute for a licensed optometrist. Measurements depend on camera quality and how carefully you mark the card edges; expect ±5–10 % on laptops, ±10–15 % on phones. For lens orders, eye health concerns, or any task requiring full 20/20 vision, see a licensed professional.
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