Varifocals?

[Mr Squarekins]

I've been shortsighted for many year and worn normal glasses, -2.0 iirc.

Close vision is still great, but now getting tired of taking glasses off to read or see up close.

Any experience of varifocals? Worthwhile?

I ride a motorbike too, so don't want anything that makes vision 'wobbly' etc.

[Cupid-stunt]

i had to move from normal short sight glasses to varifocals 3yrs ago.
the first pair were from SpecSavers - and they were 'difficult' to transition to .

I went to Asda and tried theirs - much better!

Not saying it is the same nationwide, but don't give up if the first pair are not right after a short while.

[ExBoringVolvoDriver]

Mr Squarekins said:

I've been shortsighted for many year and worn normal glasses, -2.0 iirc.

Close vision is still great, but now getting tired of taking glasses off to read or see up close.

Any experience of varifocals? Worthwhile?

I ride a motorbike too, so don't want anything that makes vision 'wobbly' etc.

I have worn glasses since age 13 and had to get varifocals in my mid 40s - I got on fine with them albeit my distance is about -8!

Never had a problem adjusting although my wife who is only slightly short sighted took a bit longer.

I would go for the top of the range varifocals that have the best settings to ensure a seemless transition.

I have the best that Essilor do and use an independent optician who have always been very good

[Quantum State]

I tired them waste of money for me but my own fault ...

Went to Boots and explained I wanted bi-focal's so I could use the ipad and watch the TV. I explained all this to them saying I need to be able to look at a screen in my lap while also looking at tv. I dont mean at the same time I understand I had to move my head.

They persuaded me to have varifocals saying much better.

When I got home I couldn't focus on the screen without lifting my head up and looking down with my eyes. I was very busy at the time so never went back.

[HTP99]

Cupid-stunt said:

i had to move from normal short sight glasses to varifocals 3yrs ago.
the first pair were from SpecSavers - and they were 'difficult' to transition to .

I went to Asda and tried theirs - much better!

Not saying it is the same nationwide, but don't give up if the first pair are not right after a short while.

Yeahh I had this, first pair of varifocals I really struggled with, the part that helps with reading was set too low, meaning I had to tilt my head up slightly at an unnatural angle to enable me to see through them to read, the pair I have now, that part is slightly higher meaning I can now read with my head at a natural angle, if that all makes sense.

I almost ditched them but decided to give them another go, I still take them off at times to read, mainly when I'm in bed.

[FlyVintage]

Mr Squarekins said:

I ride a motorbike too, so don't want anything that makes vision 'wobbly' etc.

I have been using varifocals for about 5 years and yes they do distort some areas of vision; but after a few days your brain compensates and you see the world as it should be. I ride a motorbike and pilot aircraft with them - absolutely no issues at all. Indeed, I’d be completely stuffed without them. As noted in previous posts though; get the best you can or the transition areas will be poor. Also make sure the transition is set correctly in a vertical sense or you’ll be doing weird stuff with your head.

[thetapeworm]

Cupid-stunt said:

i had to move from normal short sight glasses to varifocals 3yrs ago.
the first pair were from SpecSavers - and they were 'difficult' to transition to .

I went to Asda and tried theirs - much better!

Not saying it is the same nationwide, but don't give up if the first pair are not right after a short while.

I'd echo this, my first pair were from a local independent, I bought their "middle of the range" lenses and found them to be pretty much instantly awesome.

Then last summer I bought some "budget" varifocal sunglasses for my holiday from Specsavers. "midrange" lenses again and they were fine for the odd times I wore them.

I got back and ordered the same but without the sunglasses tint as a spare set, horrendous to the point I felt sick, the world jiggled, verticals were no longer vertical and the transition from far and near was a jump like old bifocals.

I went back and they showed me a visible representation of the different lenses and suggested the "dead zones" on the ones I got were too wide. So I bought their top end ones and got them last week, they're still awful.

I ended up spending more at Specsavers than my local place in the end but they're unusable no matter how much I try to get used to them, with the first pair I ever got I was in them and happy almost instantly, joyfully reading tiny writing again without needing my phone camera to zoom.

So yes, they aren't all created equally but also spending more doesnt always seem to get you better ones, I'm hoping I can return these and then go back to my original place.

Setup seems to be key with these things.

Edited by thetapeworm on Saturday 10th January 14:45

[ExBoringVolvoDriver]

I think that the set up and the ability of the person doing the measurements etc is actually the key.

I have the best Essilor and the set up with a fancy mirror that I stood in front of took a while as opposed to some prescription sunglasses that I got from Cyprus where the optician just looked at your eyes with the glasses on and took some measurements with a ruler type thing.

My wife also has some Essilor ones although not such good ones and the set up was nothing like as complicated as mine.

No prizes for guessing which were the best!

[-Cappo-]

I went through three pairs of varifocals before I "got" them but I wouldn't be without them now. I had a lot of extremely helpful advice from an optician PHer, and one of the key things he told me was to buy the best (= most expensive!) you can get. Apparently the width of the field of view in each "level" of the lenses is wider the more you pay (well that's my layman's summary) which is where the value is.

I've had Essilor before but the past two pairs have been Zeiss lenses at something like £550-£600 a pair, plus frames, depending on what additional option you want.

Mind you I can't get on with them for computer/laptop work, I have to revert to a pair of fixed lenses, but otherwise all good. I think the OP mentioned motorbiking? The varis excel at that - clear view of the road and can still read the dash/satnav etc. Gamechangers.

[r159]

I had similar problem and had a pair of varifocal safety glasses for work (basically a free trial) used that prescription to by some on line (get the best ones they do as the cheapest lenses are not good) …5 years later wouldn’t be without them.

I do occasionally wear contact lenses, well only one, so the other eye does the reading…

[littleredrooster]

I moved to Varifocals about twenty years ago and have had mixed results from opticians.

Best were Asda (Leamington Spa before we relocated, Harrogate afterwards). Brilliant service, glasses that work for me with the slightly higher area for reading (as mentioned above). Also very good are Glasses4U - great service again, and sometimes MoneySavingExpert has a special deal going - I got two pairs for £29 not so long back.

Poor glasses have come from several other 'High Street' shops which did not match the quality of Asda and cost three times the price.

The only thing which still catches me out with them is when descending stairs. The step is never where you think it is!

[motco]

Mr Squarekins said:

I've been shortsighted for many year and worn normal glasses, -2.0 iirc.

Close vision is still great, but now getting tired of taking glasses off to read or see up close.

Any experience of varifocals? Worthwhile?

I ride a motorbike too, so don't want anything that makes vision 'wobbly' etc.

My varifocals made my vision 'wobbly' in a crash helmet on trackdays, but prescription is+ three dioptres and then onwards which magnifies movement. A negative prescription shouldn't be a problem I presume.

[ATG]

I started using varifocals a few years back as age increased my long sightedness. I've recently got one pair of dedicated reading/computer glasses and another general-purpose pair, plus long sighted only sunglasses for sport. The first two pairs are both varifocal. The general purpose paid are a bit of a disappointment. The transition to near view is quicker on the left lens than on the right. That's a measurement error from the optician. If I lift the lens a few mm higher on the RHS, they work much better, but then the frames aren't anywhere near level and there isn't enough adjustment to keep them in that orientation. They're also photosensitive and go brown in UV light. If you don't mind seeing the world through unnatural colour all the time, that'd be OK, but I've decided I actually like to have the option of seeing the world unfiltered.

Ramble, ramble, ramble. Cut to the chase.

Varifocals can work really well, if they're set up correctly for you and your prescription isn't too severe. If they're set up badly they're much worse than normal lenses.

[Sheets Tabuer]

I've tried with them, 4 pairs in fact. Spent a fortune on them and I just can't get on with them, I sit at computers all day with 3 screens and I normally move my eyes not my head so they are no good for that.

I've since found bifocals much better, when driving I can see straight ahead fine and look down to see the dials without issue.

I'd love them to work for me because I'm one of those lifting readers up and down all day which does my head in.

[Mr Squarekins]

Thanks all, very useful. Time to shop around and speak to a few places then

[Mr_J]

I'm on my fourth pair of varifocals and this was my first experience of an independent optician and an Essilor lens. Those people that say my pair from Asda, Specsavers, Vision Express etc don't know how good a lens can be.

My first glasses were fitted with Vision Express's top lens. 6 months of living with Essilor XR and I still think there's something magical about them.

[NDA]

This may or may not be of interest...

I had a similar issue and also around -2 for distance correction but perfect close distance sight. I wore a single -2 contact lens. I was told that this works for around 70% of people - it worked for me. I put the contact lens in my dominant eye and and nothing in the other. I could read fine and distance was sharp.

[Mr Squarekins]

NDA said:

This may or may not be of interest...

I had a similar issue and also around -2 for distance correction but perfect close distance sight. I wore a single -2 contact lens. I was told that this works for around 70% of people - it worked for me. I put the contact lens in my dominant eye and and nothing in the other. I could read fine and distance was sharp.

Oooh, interesting. I have daily disposables so will experiment in the morning. Thanks!

[NDA]

Mr Squarekins said:

Oooh, interesting. I have daily disposables so will experiment in the morning. Thanks!

Perfect!

Yes, give it a go. Correct your dominant eye. It takes a small while for the brain to adapt, but it worked very well for me. Don't expect immediate results, it could be a few hours. You could, I guess experiment with your less dominant eye if it doesn't work that way around for you.

My distance eyesight has actually improved as I've got older - in fact it's now perfect, which is a bit odd... the result of the eye's lens hardening I am told. But I need +2 readers.

Do report back, I'd be interested to hear if it works for you.

[Phooey]

Definitely avoid Specsavers - they made a proper mess of my prescription, took ages to sort and still not right. The kid who did my first eye test got it so wrong it's almost comical.