varifocals

[Wreckless Rat]

yup... I've apparently reached that stage of life... so....

Who wears them?
How hard is it to adjust?
Do they really work for watching TV, PC AND reading etc?
Are the "top end" ones really better, or is it just a scam?

anything else you can think of, that i should know?

[Skub]

Will I need them when I'm old?

[Wreckless Rat]

Will I need them when I'm old?

[v8-powered]

I tried them a few years back and ended up going back to normal lenses, just couldn't get on with them especially when driving. Found i was like a bloody nodding dog moving my head to get the sweet spot in the lense to look at road, mirrors, nav etc.

[slowsider]

I tried them a few years back and ended up going back to normal lenses, just couldn't get on with them especially when driving. Found i was like a bloody nodding dog moving my head to get the sweet spot in the lense to look at road, mirrors, nav etc.

That. Settled on bifocals.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

My wife has them and hates them, so I got two pairs of glasses instead

[Nidge]

Time to choose a cardigan old man. You may have beige, taupe, oatmeal, or camel

[Horse]

Who wears them?
How hard is it to adjust?
Do they really work for watching TV, PC AND reading etc?
Are the "top end" ones really better, or is it just a scam?

anything else you can think of, that i should know?

Yes, unfortunately an 'early adopter' at about 40

Can be.
- when you first get them, looking down while walking is unwise
- when reading, both eyes are focussed at the same place, so you nedd a book 'square'
- get used to pointing your head rather than just your eyes
- if crawling around and looking up at something close (like plumbing under a sink) you will be looking through the 'distance' section.

Yes, but you may need to adjust your monitor height. See next:

Yes, sadly. They give a much wider field of view. Whatever shape of frame, the usable bit is T. Three zones (they can adjust sizes), with reading narrow, closish a bit wider, distance widest. More you pay, wider that is. Fitting is important.

Beige is optional.

[Bike Breaker]

Will I need them

Only for seeing.

when I'm old?

Bwahahahaha............

[Docca]

I was offered them when I was 40. Tried off and on for a year. Couldn’t get them to work- felt motion sick most of the time.

Went back to two pairs of glasses

[Bike Breaker]

I've been a speccy-four-eyes since I was two years old so wearing any kind of spectacles is normal for me. have used varifocals for a few years for general life and took to them immediately. I got them because I was having increased difficulty reading instructions and maps when on my bike, particularly in diminished light. Changing to reading specs and back p was timewasting and inconvenient. I also have a pair of reading specs for seeing close work for an extended time and looking upwards as described by Horse.

[Yambo]

I wore varifocals for a few years and the only problem I had was for about 5 minutes after putting them on in Boot's. The stairs down to the ground floor were a bit weird and my first few steps up the road. By the time I'd got to the car I was fine and drove home with no problem. I never had any issues after that.

I used to buy more towards the top end of the lenses so there might have been issues with cheaper ones, the different focus areas are different shapes which could possibly cause problems I guess but for me they were OK. I was getting ready to buy new varifocals when I decided to have two new lenses instead. Life is better without the specs.

[Horse]

Credit to you Yambo, the thought of having the lenses done really appeals but scares the crap out of me.

[2xtwins]

Yep, I've been wearing varifocals for about ten years. No issues regarding use etc, although I have been wearing specs or contact lenses for more than 40 years - am now 60.

Over the past few years, however, I have not needed glasses for reading so tend to take them off... dunno why my close sight has improved and my optometrist couldn't explain it either.

Hence the wearing of said glasses has been getting on my nerves lately,(I don't think lenses are the way forward though), compounded by the fact that my prescription appears to be wrong now - brought on, imo, by one or other of the 7 meds I am on.

In the past I have thought seriously about having laser surgery but it's not something that I can consider atm.

I have not felt the need to buy a cardigan yet, of any hue, though.

Kev

[Taipan]

Dropped my new prescription into Glasses Direct and got me some new varifocals. Lasted about 2 days or trying to wear them. Sent them back and went for bifiocals which I can wear.

[JackyJoll]

I’ve never had any problems with the varifocal specs.

[Horse]

Dropped my new prescription into Glasses Direct and got me some new varifocals. Lasted about 2 days or trying to wear them. Sent them back and went for bifiocals which I can wear.

IMHO

. Fitting is important.

When you 'dropped in', did they measure the lenses in the frames? Every time I've ordered some, they mark the centre of your eye onto the plain plastic, to get relative position of the zones correct.

[Taff]

I know nothing about varifocals / bifocals because opticians have told me that I'm too young for them, I never understood the logic so my bag has got 3 pairs of specs in there (2 different prescription + sunglasses) plus the pair that's on my face

Glasses direct is the reason I clicked on this thread, you can save a fortune if your eyes are as bad as mine. I recommend using the home trial to make sure the frame suit & fit your face

. Fitting is important.


When you 'dropped in', did they measure the lenses in the frames? Every time I've ordered some, they mark the centre of your eye onto the plain plastic, to get relative position of the zones correct.

this measurement is a normal part of your prescription which they should give you after a test. My optician tried to charge me for the measurement but as his assistant had commented that my measurement was easy at 30mm either side

[Saga Lout]

I used them for a few years. My distance vision was OK at that time so when driving I often used to push them onto the top of my head when when I came to a tricky junction. I only needed them to focus on the instruments and you hardly need to do that when moving slowly.

Have you considered contact lenses? I now use multi-focal contact lenses, which I find much better than varifocal glasses.

[Druid]

I've had two pairs of varifocals. I didn't really get on with the first pair but they were bought cheaply via mail order and I wasn't measured properly (because i did it myself). They were also quite shallow so the transition from distance to close was quite abrupt. I tended to use them for close work only, my distance sight is not too bad. The second pair were bought from a High St opticians, were measured for me and were bigger. They're fine and mostly I don't notice I'm wearing them, until I try to put a crash helmet on.