Anyone know anything about varifocal glasses?

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Anyone know anything about varifocal glasses?

14 posts & 11 voices | Started 1 year ago by uplink | Latest reply from CountZero

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uplink - Member

Struggling with my eyesight this last couple of years & have been advised by the optician that varifocals are what I need

I currently have 3 pairs of glasses that I use ........

My reading pair are good for only 40-60cm
I have another pair that I need for the TV & yet another pair for driving & I still find myself unable to focus at some distances.

e.g. I now find map &/or GPS use almost impossible when out on my bike, without resorting to digging reading glasses out

Now I'd normally accept the optician's [being an 'expert'] analysis of what's required but I just feel like I'm getting the hard sell rather than the best option
As I can't try out the glasses before buying, I was wondering how others get on with them using them all the time?

I may well be stating the obvious here & just have to put up with some blurry focal distances, so apologies, but after 50 years without needing eye correction, it's getting a bit confusing.

Posted 1 year ago #
frenchie - Member

You have got to the stage I was at a couple of years ago, go for the Varifocals is my advice, why take two pairs of glasses into the shower ( to read either shampoo or conditioner) when one does it all. I was told that I might have trouble adapting to the new lenses. but it was a doddle, after a very short period and by moving your head to focus either near or far, they become very familiar. From seeing whats up ahead to a stop to read a map, on the bike they are the bee knees.

The optician is not doing the hard sell they are genuinely good, and try to get the best spec(!) for your money.

Posted 1 year ago #
the hustler - Member

Unfortunately its an age related thing where youe eyes can no longwer accomodate the full transition from far distance to reading, what a varifocal does is have a 'corridor' down the lens which gives you correction for all distances of vision.

Most of the varifocal manufacurers run a scheme whereby if you cant get on with them within an approx 4 week period they will exchange the lenses for single vision ones.

you will need to 'teach' yourself how to use the varifocal as there are area's of distortion within the lens but the dispensing optician at the practice should go through this process with you.

if you want anymore info pm me at kdotboulton1atskydotcom as i own an opticians

Posted 1 year ago #
Mr Woppit - Member

Got neck-ache from wobbling my head around whilst trying to find the focus point for close-up vision.

In the end, resorted to old fashioned bi-focals. Much less bother.

Posted 1 year ago #
uplink - Member

Thanks guys

Looks like I'll at least try them then & see how I get on

Posted 1 year ago #
antigee - Member

As I can't try out the glasses before buying

when i switched to varifocals the popular national chain which advertises lots and lots and begins and end in s which happens to be handy for me had a special offer that said you could try them for a month or return so i don't know if still do it - to be honest take a bit of get used to and i nearly took them back - beware out of focus cars on roundabouts and a dangerous inability to judge speed of fuzzy objexts - now if i can't find and use ordinary glasses i soon get fed up so worthwhile but i think a personal thing

Posted 1 year ago #
treefeller - Member

Another vote for varifocals, had them a month, took one day to get used to them. ( grounds a bit blury by front wheel mind! ) Try specsavers - very good.

Posted 1 year ago #
BigJohn - Member

I tried Specsavers and couldn't get on with theirs. So much trouble they refunded my money and let me keep my 2nd free pair (rather nice Red or Dead prescription reading glasses).

I do a lot of close work and I couldn't get sufficient close range vision.

I then went to The Hustler, above and they sorted me out. I got a really good lens, which is above the grade Specsavers provide as standard and some impartial advice on what frame would suit me (which everybody else agrees with).

I'm still getting used to them, although perfectly happy. For reading I will say my readers are better, but that's not surprising. I can wear the varifocals all day and have clear vision but there is still a bit of head movement involved.

the top half is all distance, the bottom quarter is reading in the centre, but blurry at the sides and the middle quarter is intermediate for a narrowish section in the middle and blurry at the sides.

I can drive fine, and actually read the satnav and speedo and I can read the wine labels on the top shelf at tesco without having to lean my head back and i can watch tv and use the controller at the same time.

Writing this a bit funny because babysitting grandson and he's just woken up bit grumpy so im holding him.

agree on the hard sell - most tell you what they think you want to hear then add in loads for all sorts of coatings etc. as hustler says, the good essilor lens has the coatings as standard so with him was just 1 price for frame, 1 price for lens and cheaper than specsavers or boots. top bloke.

Posted 1 year ago #
Pete - Member

Varifocals, best thing since sliced bread

They take a bit of getting used too. Bit of a nodding dog to start with till you find the focus point, I found PC screens the worse to start with. All ok now...

I bought another pair for biking from Optilabs they made the close up focal point a little lower as I mostly use long distance when cycling.

Posted 1 year ago #
Bunnyhop - Member

Everyone told me that varifocals would be hard to get used to. Out of desperation (swapping between 2 sets of glasses for work) I gave in.
I got them in July and it took only a couple of days to get on with them and I love them now. The only weird time was driving while great big snow flakes came rushing toward the windscreen, they appeared to be huge and out of focus.

I wouldn't wear them for riding the bike though, so am considering trying out some contact lenses.

the hustler - where are you located?

Posted 1 year ago #
uplink - Member

I'm going to give them a go

I'm sat here with 8 monitors in front of me, all at different distances & it's doing my head in [literally]

Posted 1 year ago #
Philby - Member

Found varifocals easy to get used to after many years of wearing contacts, though still use contacts for riding.

Tries varifocal contacts once, but couldn't get on with them.

Posted 1 year ago #
the hustler - Member

Bunnyhop we are in wellington telford, Philby varifocal cl's are a bit of an art as they have outer and inner rings of power for the near and distance needs, if you want to have contacts that do both another option is called monolensing where you where one distance and 1 nearvision lens, takes a bit of adjusting to, but one of the optoms that works for us does it and swears by it.

Posted 1 year ago #
CountZero - Member

I finally tried varifocals last September. I really struggled with glasses in the car as I couldn't see the heater or aircon controls with my glasses on, and satnav was a total no-no, and I really needed it for a long cross-country drive for my holiday. My old glasses were Oakley's and I couldn't afford their prices any more so I went for Specsavers. Brilliant. I got two pairs for £170, one a tobacco tint, and they make such a difference. I always used to take my glasses off at work because I couldn't read settings on my machines properly, but now I wear them all the time. Took a day or two to get used to the different focal points, but I don't even have issues riding the bike; the area just below the front tyre is a little out of focus, but it's not an issue. I do wear contacts, or rather one contact. My right eye is short sighted, but my left is slightly long, so I can manage most things, but I do need cheap reading glasses for close up. Gives me the option of wearing some of my many sunnies, but I need the readers as well, which makes it awkward for map reading and using the satnav. I really do recommend varifocals, can't imagine how I managed without them now.

Posted 1 year ago #

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