Varifocals question - ultrawide PC monitors

[anonymous-user]

I feel like I'm getting slightly conflicting advice from my optician.

I need correction to my near and far sight, and came out from seeing the optometrist with a prescription/recommendation for near and far sight glasses.

The front office people immediately started talking about varifocals, which I have doubts about because I spend my working life using a 32" ultrawide monitor. They said they would be fine as long as I was using a single screen and not looking between two screens, but in all honesty I don't see the difference between flicking between two screens and having a single very wide one.

Does anyone have any experience of actually using varifocals with a very wide monitor?

[worsy]

Yes. I have an ultrawide monitor and then a secondary smaller monitor (for screen shares) in my setup. I use a computer set of Varifocals which have the distance dialled out and a wider near and intermediate prescription.

I don't see why you would think there would be an issue? Are you suggesting you only move your eyes to view all corners of an ultrawide screen?

[anonymous-user]

Thanks, good to know.

I was concerned because when they said it would be a problem if I was swapping between two screens and I didn't see the difference between having two smaller screens and one very wide one. I was looking for feedback from someone who's actually used them, nothing more than that.

[worsy]

charltjr said:

Thanks, good to know.

I was concerned because when they said it would be a problem if I was swapping between two screens and I didn't see the difference between having two smaller screens and one very wide one. I was looking for feedback from someone who's actually used them, nothing more than that.

Ah I see. As I said, i have Ultrawide and two screens and don't have an issue.

[RizzoTheRat]

I have a pair of widescreen monitors rather than an ultrawide, but surely the effect is the same. No issue with varifocals, the varifocal bit is top to bottom not side to side.

[Derek Smith]

I have varifocals for day to day use. I have another pair of varifocals purely for computer work, for short distance and the screens. I have two 27" side by side. I have them angled slightly.

[David_M]

I have varifocals that I use for driving, walking around, general use but I find them unusable for computer work.

I have a single-vision prescription pair of glasses for computer use (slightly lower prescription as the screen is further away than a book) and find this a much, much better solution. This is because varifocals only have a "point" in focus at close range so you have to move your head to see things on the screen, whereas single vision the whole lens is at the right focus and you only have to move your eyes.

Also single vision glasses are cheap as chips compared to varifocals, so it wouldn't hurt to try this out?

[anonymous-user]

This is what I’m finding - there are varifocals and varifocals, if you get my meaning.

Occupational/computer varifocals only have the near and intermediate vision, standard ones have the distance vision too. Given how I work, I think I would need occupational varifocals if any.

I discussed my exact situation with the optometrist and his recommendation was two pairs of single vision glasses, one for distance and one for work.

My near vision is pretty good really and only needs minor correction (+1.00 for both eyes), my distance vision is a bit more complex and my intermediate vision is absolutely fine.

Having read a lot more about the subject over the last couple of days, I feel like the front office/sales people were pushing me towards varifocals because they had “an offer on them”. I’m perfectly happy with two pairs of single vision lenses.

Thanks for all the feedback, I know a lot more about glasses now than I did a few days ago!