Varifocals - is this normal?
Discussion
First time user and first day but already hate them. Admittedly Specsavers have made them wrong - pupil height is 4mm out so they have ordered replacement lenses but allowed me to keep them in the meantime for reading/computer. The bit I don’t like is the way they distort shapes for example - a book looks wider at the bottom than at the top. An A4 piece of paper looks like it tapers wider towards the bottom. Surely that can’t be right otherwise it rules out many uses like artitects 
My personal experience of Specsavers varifocals is that they are terrible.
I’ve had varifocals from independents before and they are brilliant and I couldn’t be without them now.
First time I put my Specsavers varifocals on in the store I had an involuntary blurt of ‘f
k me these are terrible’ I returned them and got a full refund after 2 days.
They might cost you a bit more, but I’d definitely recommend trying one of your local independent opticians.
I’ve had varifocals from independents before and they are brilliant and I couldn’t be without them now.
First time I put my Specsavers varifocals on in the store I had an involuntary blurt of ‘f
k me these are terrible’ I returned them and got a full refund after 2 days. They might cost you a bit more, but I’d definitely recommend trying one of your local independent opticians.
Which of the millions of different types did you get? Did you get the ones with the widest field at the “close” end (at the bottom)?
I’ve had mine for a few months and if I’m honest I got used to them pretty much straight away. My distance/midrange isn’t too bad, it was close that was dodgy, so I don’t know if that makes a difference. I have very rarely consciously moved my head to view things at different distances - I don’t know if I’m doing it automatically, I actually suspect my vision isn’t sufficiently poor to need to do it much. I only really notice the distortion if I look at a fixed object that’s quite close and pan my head from side to side…
If you didn’t go for the cheapest (narrow field) I’d say let them make the correct ones and give them a week.
My rage with Specsavers is the highly confusing price structure. My “free” second pair ended up costing well over £100
I’ve had mine for a few months and if I’m honest I got used to them pretty much straight away. My distance/midrange isn’t too bad, it was close that was dodgy, so I don’t know if that makes a difference. I have very rarely consciously moved my head to view things at different distances - I don’t know if I’m doing it automatically, I actually suspect my vision isn’t sufficiently poor to need to do it much. I only really notice the distortion if I look at a fixed object that’s quite close and pan my head from side to side…
If you didn’t go for the cheapest (narrow field) I’d say let them make the correct ones and give them a week.
My rage with Specsavers is the highly confusing price structure. My “free” second pair ended up costing well over £100
They can certainly be a bit of a nightmare doing DIY!
I don't get the A4 page size thing though, even keeping my head still. Have you got very narrow (height) lenses? Mine are ~30mm.
My very first pair were from Specsavers and were brilliant - I took to them straight away and they just worked perfectly. I've had a few pairs from different places since then but have never had that same experience again.
I don't get the A4 page size thing though, even keeping my head still. Have you got very narrow (height) lenses? Mine are ~30mm.
My very first pair were from Specsavers and were brilliant - I took to them straight away and they just worked perfectly. I've had a few pairs from different places since then but have never had that same experience again.
Edited by Sheepshanks on Monday 27th January 20:15
I have varifocals. They have been a lifechanger since I am otherwise both long & short sighted.
All the people I personally know that say they didn't get on with them didn't give them much chance - it does take some getting used to, but it's worth the effort IMVHO. I now no longer really notice that they are varifocals, I just "see" and crack on as normal.
All the people I personally know that say they didn't get on with them didn't give them much chance - it does take some getting used to, but it's worth the effort IMVHO. I now no longer really notice that they are varifocals, I just "see" and crack on as normal.
Thanks for replies. I’m not sure what I got but they had a few upgrades like ‘digital vision’, anti scratch and slimmer lenses. I took them up on the 2 for 1 offer but the £150 frames ended up costing £450 all in.
Just tried them again and close up (reading length) an A4 book looks 2cm wider at the bottom corners. It can’t be right.
Just tried them again and close up (reading length) an A4 book looks 2cm wider at the bottom corners. It can’t be right.
airsafari87 said:
My personal experience of Specsavers varifocals is that they are terrible.
I’ve had varifocals from independents before and they are brilliant and I couldn’t be without them now.
First time I put my Specsavers varifocals on in the store I had an involuntary blurt of ‘fk me these are terrible’ I returned them and got a full refund after 2 days.
They might cost you a bit more, but I’d definitely recommend trying one of your local independent opticians.
This has been my experience as well. My experience is that only an independent makes them accurately enough but you pay for the privilege.I’ve had varifocals from independents before and they are brilliant and I couldn’t be without them now.
First time I put my Specsavers varifocals on in the store I had an involuntary blurt of ‘f
k me these are terrible’ I returned them and got a full refund after 2 days. They might cost you a bit more, but I’d definitely recommend trying one of your local independent opticians.
As above, Specsavers are abysmal. After two attempts to get the height right and still having blurred vision, they basically said it was due to my age (I was 58 at the time) and it was the best they could do. Went elsewhere to be told I had cataracts, which had been completely missed by Specsavers. I ended up having the cataracts sorted and varifocal corrective lenses fitted.
Edited by Red9zero on Monday 27th January 21:11
I have varifocals and the first day I got them I thought they were a nightmare. I genuinely didn’t think I could get used to them. It took 24 hrs. I use a local independent and after an eye test last week he quoted me £280 for my lenses and two days without my own Tom Ford frames whilst they were sent away. I have the highest quality lens he sells plus anti glare and a “reactalite” type effect so they go from clear to black in strong sunlight.
I thought I would ask Specsavers. £315 (worse quality lens) £40 to fit the lenses in my own frame and 2 weeks without my glasses.
Our independent is flexible and will always try and come to a deal, free second pair etc. They are not always dearer and if we don’t use them we will lose them.
I thought I would ask Specsavers. £315 (worse quality lens) £40 to fit the lenses in my own frame and 2 weeks without my glasses.
Our independent is flexible and will always try and come to a deal, free second pair etc. They are not always dearer and if we don’t use them we will lose them.
@ Arnold - thank you for checking and confirming my suspicions
@ DKL - Yes 4mm is a bit much so will wait until new lenses are made
I will give them another go when the new lenses are fitted and if not happy I will use the 100 money back guarantee and go to a proper optician. My first experience of Specsavers, and they are crap.
@ DKL - Yes 4mm is a bit much so will wait until new lenses are made
I will give them another go when the new lenses are fitted and if not happy I will use the 100 money back guarantee and go to a proper optician. My first experience of Specsavers, and they are crap.
Phooey said:
@ Arnold - thank you for checking and confirming my suspicions
@ DKL - Yes 4mm is a bit much so will wait until new lenses are made
I will give them another go when the new lenses are fitted and if not happy I will use the 100 money back guarantee and go to a proper optician. My first experience of Specsavers, and they are crap.
Tbf, after Specsavers badly messed up my glasses, and missed the cataracts, they refunded every penny straight away.@ DKL - Yes 4mm is a bit much so will wait until new lenses are made
I will give them another go when the new lenses are fitted and if not happy I will use the 100 money back guarantee and go to a proper optician. My first experience of Specsavers, and they are crap.
I have Specsaver varifocals, got them a couple of years ago and am overdue a re-test, but they are just so bloody expensive!
I've always had to hold my head up at an odd and unnatural angle to then look down (I'm assume through the correct part of the lense) at a screen, book or magazine to make the text clear, it's just odd but I assumed at the time that was just how varifocals are as it was my first pair.
If looking at something close up or sometimes text, depending on how I feel, I take my glasses off and hold whatever it is I want to look at, close to my face, which I guess just defeats the object of actually having varifocals?
I've always had to hold my head up at an odd and unnatural angle to then look down (I'm assume through the correct part of the lense) at a screen, book or magazine to make the text clear, it's just odd but I assumed at the time that was just how varifocals are as it was my first pair.
If looking at something close up or sometimes text, depending on how I feel, I take my glasses off and hold whatever it is I want to look at, close to my face, which I guess just defeats the object of actually having varifocals?
Phooey said:
@ Arnold - thank you for checking and confirming my suspicions
@ DKL - Yes 4mm is a bit much so will wait until new lenses are made
I will give them another go when the new lenses are fitted and if not happy I will use the 100 money back guarantee and go to a proper optician. My first experience of Specsavers, and they are crap.
I had the tapered A4 thing you explain when I got mine which should absolutely not happen.@ DKL - Yes 4mm is a bit much so will wait until new lenses are made
I will give them another go when the new lenses are fitted and if not happy I will use the 100 money back guarantee and go to a proper optician. My first experience of Specsavers, and they are crap.
If you read a message on here using your phone, can you only clearly read 1 line of text at a time, and only after you have perfectly positioned the phone in order to read it?
That’s what I had too and again, it should absolutely not be that way.
I bought their top of the range varifocals too, so it wasn’t as if I cheaped out.
Only good thing I would say is that I got a full refund with no quibble from them.
My experience of Specsavers is their service, even from the same branch, varies enormously as staff come and go. I had very good service from my local branch over several years but then it plummeted and never recovered. They couldn't get a revised varifocal prescription right after two attempts so I changed to a local independent and have had no problems since.
I've been wearing varifocals for getting on the 50 years so don't notice I'm wearing them after all that time but I do remember they took several weeks to get used to when I first started with them.
I've been wearing varifocals for getting on the 50 years so don't notice I'm wearing them after all that time but I do remember they took several weeks to get used to when I first started with them.
My opinion of Specasavers is if your eyes and vision happen to suit what they throw at you, then you'll be fine, otherwise they haven't got a clue. I see them as the fast food of eyewear, selling generic products that may not suit the individual.
Last year I bought Superdigital varifocals from them @£300. I stressed that I wanted to ensure their fitment was correct, they assured me they would do this. When they were ready the lenses weren't quite right at computer distance so they swapped them out for better ones. However I noticed the glasses would always be slipping off my face.
Fast forward to the other week I went to an independent optometrist to trial contact lenses, and they immediately asked me why I was wearing glasses too small for my face, saying they looked like size 56 frames and that I would probably need size 58. They grabbed a random pair of 58's from the display and I put them on, wow they felt so much better. They explained that the distance for the bridge of the nose is also crucial, handing me another pair to try for this fit, again night and day difference. So Specsavers simply let me choose the frames, bunged in the lenses and let me walk out with glasses that didn't fit.
Last year I bought Superdigital varifocals from them @£300. I stressed that I wanted to ensure their fitment was correct, they assured me they would do this. When they were ready the lenses weren't quite right at computer distance so they swapped them out for better ones. However I noticed the glasses would always be slipping off my face.
Fast forward to the other week I went to an independent optometrist to trial contact lenses, and they immediately asked me why I was wearing glasses too small for my face, saying they looked like size 56 frames and that I would probably need size 58. They grabbed a random pair of 58's from the display and I put them on, wow they felt so much better. They explained that the distance for the bridge of the nose is also crucial, handing me another pair to try for this fit, again night and day difference. So Specsavers simply let me choose the frames, bunged in the lenses and let me walk out with glasses that didn't fit.
The Gauge said:
My opinion of Specasavers is if your eyes and vision happen to suit what they throw at you, then you'll be fine, otherwise they haven't got a clue. I see them as the fast food of eyewear, selling generic products that may not suit the individual.
Last year I bought Superdigital varifocals from them @£300. I stressed that I wanted to ensure their fitment was correct, they assured me they would do this. When they were ready the lenses weren't quite right at computer distance so they swapped them out for better ones. However I noticed the glasses would always be slipping off my face.
Fast forward to the other week I went to an independent optometrist to trial contact lenses, and they immediately asked me why I was wearing glasses too small for my face, saying they looked like size 56 frames and that I would probably need size 58. They grabbed a random pair of 58's from the display and I put them on, wow they felt so much better. They explained that the distance for the bridge of the nose is also crucial, handing me another pair to try for this fit, again night and day difference. So Specsavers simply let me choose the frames, bunged in the lenses and let me walk out with glasses that didn't fit.
In fairness, at my last visit to specsavers, the lad explained all this to me and helped me choose the frames. So there certainly are some good people there. My next pair will probably be a disaster, now!Last year I bought Superdigital varifocals from them @£300. I stressed that I wanted to ensure their fitment was correct, they assured me they would do this. When they were ready the lenses weren't quite right at computer distance so they swapped them out for better ones. However I noticed the glasses would always be slipping off my face.
Fast forward to the other week I went to an independent optometrist to trial contact lenses, and they immediately asked me why I was wearing glasses too small for my face, saying they looked like size 56 frames and that I would probably need size 58. They grabbed a random pair of 58's from the display and I put them on, wow they felt so much better. They explained that the distance for the bridge of the nose is also crucial, handing me another pair to try for this fit, again night and day difference. So Specsavers simply let me choose the frames, bunged in the lenses and let me walk out with glasses that didn't fit.
One of the problems with my local (very busy) little store is most of the staff are kids. I mean no disrespect to them but when you're spending £450 on first-time glasses I'd like someone with a bit more experience. The young teenage girl that marked the glasses up with dots and stuff obviously marked them 4mm too high - hence the main issue and why they have ordered replacement lenses. I'm wondering now if I should just get my money back and go to a proper optician. The main reason I chose Specsavers was for their 2-for-1 offer. Out of interest how many pairs of glasses do you guys have? I'm wondering if just the one pair would be ok if I am going for varifocals? Obviously the other option is 1 pair of long range and another pair for short range? I'm obviously new to all this so was surprised when Specsavers told me I should wear glasses all the time! I think they said it is to correct a astigmatism?
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