Picked up my new glasses at the weekend and have gone for varifocals for the first time.

They are taking a lot of getting used to and are freaking me out a bit if I’m honest.

Does it get better?

It didn’t for me.

I have varifocal contacts and they took a bit of getting used to. Then the optician realised I needed a different prescription… easy to change with contacts.

Nothing unusual there just persevere, I found supermarkets the worst place. The optician did warn me they would be strange at first. I wouldn’t go back to ordinary specs now.

It took me a week to get used to varifocals, particularly the way things move when you turn your head, but I don’t notice that now.

The only thing I do notice, and it took me a while to attribute this to the varifocals, is a slight loss of fluidity walking down stairs – I think it’s because my eyes are looking through the close-up section and the distance to the steps appears very slightly different to what the length of my legs expects.

They are taking a lot of getting used to and are freaking me out a bit if I’m honest.

Welcome me to the world of Grandad 🧐

Took me about 2weeks. I went from single focus to Vari’s so kept the single prescription on the top and stronger below for reading, without the split lens just a seemless lens.

I found, as long as you don’t look down whilst walking it was fine. But even then though I’d get caught out looking sideways and up.. All very weird unless looking focused on what I was trying view/read.. didn’t really like the feeling so ended up going back a couple of times to get the prescription lowered until I felt happier all round.

Once you do get used to them they’re great, but I now only wear them for PC/TV work/view and take them off for everything else… my prescription isn’t needed for driving, thankfully.

Give then a couple of weeks, if not happy go get them altered.. don’t suffer, there’s no need.

IMO

I think it’s because my eyes are looking through the close-up section

easy to solve

My Wife swapped to some a while ago from Specsavers & despite persevering for a month or so, she had to give up on them as they made her feel ill. I think there was some kind of caveat in trying them, that you could swap to normal lenses if you didn’t get on with them within a certain amount of time.

But, she was finding two pairs of glasses a real pain in her new job, so went back to specsavers & mentioned her issues with varifocals previously. They recommended (of course they did) the more expensive versions of the lenses that have a wider working field (I think) and she found them much better. She now wears them all the time with no ill effect.

Love my varifocals, but found walking up and down stairs needs more care, looking over the shoulder reversing the car is a pain trying to look out of the edge of the glasses. You’ll be like a nodding dog trying to find the focus point to start with but it becomes natural after a short while.

I went with a deeper frame than i normally wear, so that i could get the bigger area in the lenses.
Stick with them , they take a couple of weeks to get used to them. Ive had mine 6 months now and dont even think about them, where as when i first had them i was forever tipping my heasld up and down to get the sharp focus

I found them a little weird at first, but quickly got used to them.
Like someone above, I went for a deeper frame than I normally would, to give more area to work with.
Mine were one nodel down from the most expensive ones in the shop (vision express) and they work well and after 12 months they don’t have a single scratch on them, they are also so light as to be almost beyond belief.
My mate bought varis at the same time as me, his were top of the range, but he couldn’t get on with them and switched back to single vision lenses, i will point out that his frames were a lot shallower than mine.

I got my first varifocals last week, and I’m having some issues. The right lens especially doesn’t seem, er, right, and I feel like I’m looking out of my left eye all the time. Plus I can’t quite get on with sitting up in bed and reading, I feel like I’ve got to hold the book too far away.

The opticians gave me a 30day satisfaction guarantee though, and they’re really good, so I’ll nip back in and see what can be done. I think it might be that they’re not quite sitting correctly on my face, so that eye is looking out of the wrong bit of the lens, but we’ll see.

They recommended (of course they did) the more expensive versions of the lenses that have a wider working field (I think) and she found them much better. She now wears them all the time with no ill effect

Mine explained there were four levels of lens with bigger working fields as you go up the scale from the basic cheapest to the best, most expensive, and they went up in £50 increments. They actually recommended the second cheapest, I wonder now if I should have gone for one of the higher-spec ones, especially as using multiple monitors at work I spend quite a lot of time looking out of the sides of the lenses.

I wouldn’t go back to ordinary specs now.

This. Although it took me a few days to adjust and I did have to go back to get the lenses remade as the first set weren’t right (I was having to look down slightly to see distant objects). Mine were meant to be for office use only but I barely ever use my old single vision glasses now.

I took about 20 seconds to get used to mine, but then my optician took a good 30 minutes just measuring my eyes to get the zones right. If you buy cheap you’ll get a poor setup and it will take longer for the brain to adapt.

If your looking at multiple monitors they don’t tend to work, they are fine for everyday use.

For computer work you really need a set of occupational lenses.

It depends on the quality of the varifocal lens.

I opted for “elite”, one below tailor-made. I got used to them in minutes.

The standard varifocals can be a bit kaleidoscopic!

I went for the super expensive custom option in the deepest frame I could get……. still weirding me out.

My pair had to be remade – the first pair had the natural eye position too high so to read things in middle distance like a computer monitor I had to put my head back to look through the right bit of the lens. Better now. I still take them off all the time though – mainly through habit. My far distance sight is still nearly perfect but I was struggling with meetings where I needed reading glasses on to read the notes but everyone was a blur. Varifocals has made it easier.

The top tip I was given when I first got them was to point your nose where you wanted to look – you have to move your head around more than previously rather than flickering your eyes around and keeping your head still.

PP – Are you wearing them with Midazolam?
:O)

Maybe I should take my contact lenses out. They’re probably not helping 😉

I have a pair of occupational lenses – like varifocals but aimed at book – across a room distance.
I forked out for the screen reflective coating too.
Most expensive lenses, cheapest frame.

I love them to read / work at desk / meetings / leading training indoors.

I can’t walk in them, as they feel ‘odd’ to me.

But I am not going back to ‘normal’ lenses.

As my close vision became worse, I found I needed a set for computer use. They still work for distance but the area is much smaller. I find I prefer them for most things and wear them all day except for driving, when I swap back to my original ones.

took me a good month or so. First half dozen bikes rides with them were also weird. I don’t think twice about them now after probably 4 years. Only times of weirdness are if I have a bike lid that interferes with the legs – not likey, or if I am in some venues – e.g a high seat at the Hydro to see a band – end up having to angle head down a silly amount.

I found supermarkets the worst place.

Whereas I’m currently on some Asda ones which are the best I’ve had in 25 years.

Can you get/use varifocal contacts if youv’e got astigmatism?

^^^^ yes, I have a significant astigmatism, and am quite short sighted (around +7.5) and varifocals work great – does require fairly high spec (and pricey) lenses mind you

I found supermarkets the worst place

Whereas I’m currently on some Asda ones

I assumed they meant places to be rather than a source for glasses. (You can get glasses in ASDA? Who knew.)

Yes, my first pair were fine and just took a few days. Second pair took a bit of getting used to. Now my new (most expensive pair) are not good. I could only see out of a slim bit in the centre and my old glasses felt like the new ones. The new ones feel like they have a prescription for someone much older.
The new glasses have gone back to the lab and are due back any day.

I assumed they meant places to be rather than a source for glasses.

& not a footie match or walking round a shopping centre?
I reckon he meant as a source.

It’s still early days.
Keep em on for as long as you can.
If it doesn’t get better, go back.
Not uncommon at all.

Sounds totally normal. I was weirded out for about 2 and a half weeks then gave up – I was getting used to them but for work where I have to look along edges, take measurements and make cuts they were just not going to work. Went back to single vision and totally happy. I quite liked the far distance and intermediate but not the reading.

Descending rocky steps was not a pretty sight. For me or the SO!

I gave up after about 3 weeks now back to single vision. I stack fruit and veg in a supermarket. I was finding quick head body movements lifting trays I was feeling almost seasick. Its a shame because I wanted it to work I get a bit fed up forgetting where I’ve put my readers 🙄

I never quite got on with them. The glasses were okay, but I just found it easier to have different glasses for different purposes. I did try varifocal contacts for a while as well, and while I quite liked them, the vision wasn’t perfect at any of the distances they covered. Consequently, when I ran out, I went back to single vision and just struggled when I needed to see up close.

So I guess from my point of view, varifocals are not bad – and you can get used to them – but other seeing solutions may work better depending on your preferences.

Those taking the pee out of Asda should take a look, they don’t do the naff different price levels for “better” quality vari focals, they just do the best end of, they also don’t charge for all the other “upgrades” that other opticians charge you for.

Cheap glasses, 2 pairs for £130 full varifocal anti scratch anti glare, they do me fine especially with the way my glasses get knocked about in my work.

Mine work but i get a mild headache by the evening. Im more comfortable wearing my contacts and asking my wife to read small text 😀

Seriously, the other option was to have “reading” glasses to wear over my contacts – i may try that.

Mrs Vader would like to add that you need to shout and swear a lot as part of the process. I have no idea what she is talking about, obvs.

had them for a while now stairs not good i take them off or lift them up or head back look underneath. round things like cups look oval in some positions. Trying to judge which area to look out of means head bobbing like a feeding chicken. still prefer single vision for some tasks you can keep your glasses thanks bloody old fogies

Do my head in. I keep trying with them but the annoyances outweigh the minor hassle of adjusting or removing regular specs for close up.

Distance vision is the best part as being varis the prescription is set for best distance whereas normal specs and my contacts the prescription is balanced more for majority of distances.

Middle and near is just irritating having a narrow zone in the middle, even though I splashed out on fancy lenses with a wider zone. It’s having to move the head side to side rather than glancing side to side that’s irritating and even getting used to that, a slight glance makes me feel there’s a smudge on the lens.

Useless for computer yet my regular ones are fine. Computer work I’d have to hold my head up high to peer down my nose and move the head loads. Really not comfortable.

A lot of close stuff that’s shoulder height or higher needs head high and nose peering also. This does my neck in and also I’m finding the eyes feel strained. Likewise when looking down to a book or phone.

I’ve given it time but I still get frustrated and take them off.

The only times they’re useful is outdoors. Shops and restaurants in particular but then I don’t do much of that. I wear contacts more outdoors also, and particularly riding bikes (little need for close vision too). Driving with varis could be useful for the sat nav but same issues as above with head moving rather than just a glance, and I feel it’s unsafe.

The thing to understand is that there are numerous ‘patterns’ of close, medium and distant focus and the way they are arranged in the lens. Different people seem comfortable with different patterns. Some are more expensive but I don’t know whether that’s because they’re harder to make or fit, or just that the company who sell the design are further up or down market. If you find them difficult, explain the problem to the ophthalmologist and see if you can get a different pattern.

I’m on my second pair, two years old now, thought I was doing fine until I tried driving in Iceland wearing them. Road signs there are like they are in France i.e tiny and not visible until you’re just about to pass them. Luckily I also had my older single vision glasses with me, swapped to those and all was good.

Need to go to opticians again to get some new varifocals sorted out.

Strangely, my multifocal contact lenses, supposedly same prescription as my varifocal glasses, seemed to be fine in Reykjavik

Useless for computer

Exactly. I had some from Vision Express and I found I was having to move my head from side-to-side and up-and-down to keep the bit I wanted to read in focus.

Since I spend lots of time reading something in one part of the screen, then moving to another, I could no longer just flick my eyes across.

I gave up after a few weeks and they gave me normal ones; I now have two sets (near+far) which works fine.