[Closed] Multifocal contact lens wearers

I tried and failed with them, ended up two different prescriptions. Left eye is reading Right eye is distance

works for me.

I use multi-focal and the trick for me is to look through the correct part of the lens for whatever task. So for reading this means holding the book, paper or whatever below my normal eyeline and looking down onto the page. If you are looking straight ahead at the close object you are looking through the part of the lens designed for distance viewing so it won't work.

It does take some getting used to though and as @bruneep says, having two different prescriptions and just letting the brain learn which eye to use for what works better for some. I couldn't get the hang of this - one eye was always blurred - but am finding multi-focals pretty decent.

I tried and failed with them, ended up two different prescriptions. Left eye is reading Right eye is distance

Same here - much cheaper than multifocal

I had them for a while, but like you I soon found they were not so good for really small text. And expensive. So I switched back to single vision (distance) lenses & bought a pair of cheap reading glasses.

I’ve since had cataract surgery on both eyes & now have perfect distance vision but I need reading glasses for any, er, reading. If I’m working on an Airfix-type model kit I’ll use stronger than normal readers, or even specialist magnifying lenses

The two prescription thing worked for me in most situations except at the overlap between the two eyes. Unfortunately this was at the exact distance my laptop screen would be when dat on the sofa with it. So both eyes were competing and it was very uncomfortable. I'd rather have slightly worse near vision.

Left eye is reading Right eye is distance

works for me.

Also works for me up to a point. I now put a distance lense in my left eye when out riding and it makes “the trails come alive”. In other words it gives me 3D vision when riding instead of 2D.

I'm also a bifocal contact lens wearer and love them. My work as a habitat surveyor involved looking closely at paper aerial images for fine-scale changes in colour and texture and hone looking to the distance. I described what I did on a daily basis and the optician recommended them. I have had an updated prescription recently where stye improved my new vision, but that came with a very slight loss of distance clarity. Couldn't get on with glasses working here in Wales, either they were fogging up under a hood or getting splattered with rain

At same stage.
I'm trying the one contact for distance none for close. It's fine but too much of either gives me a headache. Now at weekends when there's not so much close stuff it's two lenses or if I know it's a day of close stuff then no lenses and glasses for distance.

I wear two different contacts - one for close and one for distance - it changed my life! You have to make sure the computer screen is at the best distance, font size etc.

There was a plus and a minus for driving, I can read the dials now! But it is rubbish for driving at night the blur from approaching headlights was even worse, so I go back to glasses for night driving.

I tried and failed with them, ended up two different prescriptions. Left eye is reading Right eye is distance

works for me.

Never knew you could do that!

I wear glasses for driving, but have to peer under them to read the dials as with them on my reading distance is about 20m.

I have them, but they're not like this:

I use multi-focal and the trick for me is to look through the correct part of the lens for whatever task

The close focus part is in the middle of the lens and the outer part is for long distance.
Means they are optimised for looking at a screen 2-3 feet away and close up/long distance are slightly compromised. Reading needs good light for them to work well and distance (eg. a bird in the sky) is slightly blurred. They work for me, as they are better than the alternative (I could never get on with cycling in prescription glasses), had them for about 10 years now.

Cheers for all the replies

2nd day of wearing the multifocals and small text/numbers are becoming clearer

The real test will be Monday morning at 5am when i arrive at work and try to unlock the combination padlock to the bike shelter!

Fully read your post now 😛 Sounds like you have a similar prescription to me. I'd say, you'll get more used to them, but they'll never be as good as the naked eye for small text or badly contrasting text. I actually have to pop on a pair of reading glasses to read some small print. But as I say, its a compromise, but better than the alternative, especially if you cycle a lot.

It's apparently your brain that needs to adjust, your eyes send what they see and the brain sorts out which eye is focussed best.

I would get a £2 pair of reading glasses from the supermarket and carry them on Monday morning in case you need to sharpen up your close vision. The light may not be good at 5am.

I use multi-focal and the trick for me is to look through the correct part of the lens for whatever task. So for reading this means holding the book, paper or whatever below my normal eyeline and looking down onto the page. If you are looking straight ahead at the close object you are looking through the part of the lens designed for distance viewing so it won’t work.

That's how multifocal glasses work but not multifocal contacts. Multifocal contacts have a number of concentric rings for distance and reading so you just look at things as normal. Anyway looking at something below your normal eyeline will not work with contacts becuase they move with your eye.

I've used multifocal contacts for years and they've worked well for me.