First pair of varifocals and I'm finding them difficult to use. All this nodding dog stuff to see through the top or below is 'interesting'.

How long did it take you to get used to your first pair?

Cheers,

Took me a couple of weeks… then it suddenly worked in the blink of an eye (pardon the pun). Optician said it may take 10-14 days to adapt. It's all about re-training. Apparently only a tiny percentage of wearers don't get on with them.

2 weeks!

At least I know I still have a chance then.

Thanks for the assurance.

Only a few days to get used to them, You soon get used to finding the correct focus point, I love them now.

The only downside is trying to read things that are higher than your eye line, you have to tilt your head so far back to get it in focus.

I have monovision instead, left hand lens for reading, right for distance. Training took about 30 minutes – you only notice the sharp image, not the fuzzy one. It's also way cheaper as you use single vision lenses…

A few days for glasses. Also tried some varifocal contact lenses, but couldn't get on with them at all.

Just found out that I too require varifocals (or two sets of specs…….) – made me feel quite old all of a sudden – got over that now though.

take care if wear for driving – i mis-judged distance/speed approaching cars a couple of times at first notably at roundabouts where need to turn head a lot and if not careful end up lokking from wrong bit of lens – having said that they do make life easier most of the time

I binned them after 3 weeks – just couldn't get on with them

things you have to train in varifocals move eyes up/down to move from distance to n/v. However to read across a newspaper you will still nead to move your head side to side or you will be trying to look through a distorted area of lense (the amount of distortion can be reduced by choosing a different style of varifocal that is probably more expensive)

With regard to SFB above some people can use this system however their depth perception will not be as good as they are no longer using binocular vision

With regard to SFB above some people can use this system however their depth perception will not be as good as they are no longer using binocular vision

I've never noticed that, depth perception does not require the parallaxed images to be sharp

I've had varifocal for I don't know.. 5-6 years now.. the first pair took me a week or two to get used to.. when I change glasses now, I mean get a new pair, I'm thrown off for maybe half a day.

what's strange is when I go for a ride and put on my single vision Oakleys and then try to stop to read a map or send a text.

Do the people that didn't get on with them, carry on with 2 pairs of glasses then?

marsdenman – Member
Just found out that I too require varifocals (or two sets of specs…….) – made me feel quite old all of a sudden – got over that now though

With you on the feeling old thing, going to have to bite the bullit myself, heard these varilux lenses are the ones to have, but there pricey.

flippinheckler – any ideas of cost for these varilux lenses please?

basic phsics sfb depth perception works on triangulation from both eyes, if only one being used for d/v or n/v your brain cant triangulate, do a test stand 30' apart from someone and throw a ball to each other a decent amount of times, one will miss the catch more than the other…..

….to some its not noticable but it is there

vf's start around 100 quid +/-

varilux is a brand from essilor who's vf are anything from £150-300+ depending on prescription and the coatings index of lense wanted/needed

the type of frame you choose can also affect the cost as too smalll a frame and you enter the realm of "short corridor" v/f's which again normally cost a bit more and aren't really recommended for a first time user as they are a bit harder to learn to use.

with regard to the 'corridor' mentioned above, Its not the over all depth of frame that is critical, its the measurement from center of pupil to lower rim of frame.If you are looking at either a supra or rimless frame that shows a mil or 2 too short for the v/f an opticians with decent glazing equiptment can usually add that into the lense size.

with all things its a case of you gets what you pays for.

basic phsics sfb depth perception works on triangulation from both eyes, if only one being used for d/v or n/v your brain cant triangulate, do a test stand 30' apart from someone and throw a ball to each other a decent amount of times, one will miss the catch more than the other…..

I know all that, but through my reading lens I can still see stuff 100m away, just blurred, so my brain can line up the 2 images and estimate the distance.

Do the people that didn't get on with them, carry on with 2 pairs of glasses then?

Yes, but I can manage OK most of the time without glasses
I do however need reading/PC glasses & driving glasses so not much of a hassle for me

SFb exactly its blurred so your mind to a certain extent is guessing, with a clear image it ruduces the guess work, as said above you may not notice it, but it is there

SFb exactly its blurred so your mind to a certain extent is guessing

it's easy to correctly align the centre of a blurred thing with an unblurred one, particularly when you consider that most of your visual field is blurred and only a 1/2° cone is ever sharp. Also the eye is not an accurate measuring instrument, it works relatively, so you can say which thing is nearer without being able to say how far.

why ogh why do some people just need to argue SFB iI am not saying there is anything wrong with you vision correction,(we have patients and even an optom that works for us who use the same type of correction although more normally in contact lenses rather than glasses) All I was doing was pointing out that there is a very minor down side to this type of correction.

in the same way that a contact lense can actually give better vision than glasses if correctly fitted, however not everybody wants to use contact lenses, does this make them wrong….

All I was doing was pointing out that there is a very minor down side to this type of correction.

1) arguing comes 2nd to oxygen for me
2) so minor I've never noticed it

I originally very sceptically tried monovision with contacts and found it worked very well, and subsequently had a lot of trouble persuading the optician to make up glasses the same way.

WOW!

Thanks for all the comments – and the sfb argument 😀

Having spent day 2 with them, they are getting better when I'm doing the same thing for a length of time but with quick changes, still a problem.

For things such as watching TV, I find I want to have my chin on my chest and peer through the top part of the lens – the middle just doesn't show 'far' enough for me – guess it is a learning curve!

Interesting driving today. Agree about speed and distance in the peripheral and I'll have to get used to this. I'm now a bit worried about what will happen when I use my sunglasses – I purposely had them set to just the long prescription, so I hope my eyes can cope with them. If not, another lesson learned!

Cheers everyone and good luck to those going through the same (yes it does make you feel old but I'm getting used to it – on many fronts!).

If you are dropping chin to see tv, sounds like they are set too high,this can be sorted one of two ways

1 pop back to the supplying opticians to have them adjusted (the most likely solution)

2 they may have been mismeasured and need a reglaze setting a little lower
(fairly unusual if measured/ fitted by someone who knows what they are doing)

Thanks Hustler.

I guess the worst bit is dropping my chin (a little bit) to drive!

I guess the worst bit is dropping my chin (a little bit) to drive!

suddenly the monovision (no head movemet required) is sounding way better as well as cheaper :o)

I've just come back from having an eye test, where it was suggested I get varifocals. They have a scheme whereby if you don't get on with them within the first month, then they'll take the lense out and replace with 2 pairs of glasses. which seems to be a good idea.

If you are dropping chin to see tv, sounds like they are set too high,this can be sorted one of two ways

and as Hustler said go back to optician if not correctly fitted are even more of pain

me thinks should be looking pretty much normal straight ahead to watch tv

mine slide forward when running unless put a lease on and that drives me mad as have to drop chin to see cars coming etc

the replacement scheme mentioned by bunnyhop above is pretty much industry standard by the lens manufacurers for those that cant tollerate the vf's, normally it gives about 4 weeks grace although sometimes can be streched a bit if your opticians has a good relationship with lens manufacturers

It's been suggested I try monovision contacts. I was very sceptical that I would get used to it, but after reading this I may give it a try as I struggle with reading with my contacts in. VF glassed no real problem after a few days.