varifocals

[Mussels]

My wife tried them last year and said they made her feel sick, she'd rather walk around with two pairs of glasses on her head.

[exportman]

I have worn varifocals for a few years. Could not wear them at first on the bike Blind spot check have you looking through the wrong part of the lens.
Found it much better ( apart from on the bank balance) to buy the most expensive lenses, they have the widest area of focus left to right.
They need to be correctly centred on your eyes I bought two pare a few months ago and as I switch between the two It takes a second or two to adjust the centres must be a mill or so out it surprising how much difference it makes.

I had to move to varifocal really with distance lenses I found it difficult to read the instruments.

[Silly Car]

A previous boss had mis-matched contact lenses instead of varifocals. One for close up and one for distance. Apparently you have one dominant eye anyway so it does work.

Maybe he was winding me up but he seemed serious

I used to wear a contact lens in one eye and nowt in the other to correct my issue with distance vision leaving my left for closer work. Optician said at the time she couldn’t correct the tiny distance error in my left eye as they didn’t make a contact lens weak enough...

Apparently my distance vision needs to deteriorate further in both eyes before it’ll be corrected by contact lens

I’ve tried varifocals in the past, ended with banging headaches so currently squint at text on the TV and struggle with really close up work, I’ve got glasses for reading but never bother with them...

[Scootabout]

Varifocals are the way to go. Doesn't matter if you can't see properly, who wants a giveaway line across their glasses saying "This person is middle-aged"?

More seriously, I agree with Horse and others who've pointed out the pros and cons, including that the pricier lenses do have a wider field of vision.

[Cousin Jack]

Had them for 20+ years.

Listen to the optician, don't buy 'extreme' lenses (espec not very shallow ones), and perhaps pay a bit extra for a 'good' make. I was warned to try them for an hour for the first day, and slowly get used to them. I put them on and didn't bother taking them off, within 5 minutes they were fine.

[Wreckless Rat]

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.

This is something I have considered, as I have early onset cataracts anyway....

Tell me more about the process... was as hellish as it sounds?

[Yambo]

This is something I have considered, as I have early onset cataracts anyway....

Tell me more about the process... was as hellish as it sounds?

I had mine done here in Turkey at a specialist eye hospital. The surgeon(?) advised me against laser surgery (they do it in the hospital) as it would not be the best option - too much work needed apparently. I also had a small cataract forming in my left eye and he said if I wanted to wait 5 years they'd do the op on that eye for free.

They offered 3 lenses, the cheapest one (4000 TL iirc) would just give me good long distance sight, the middle priced (6000 TL) long and fairly close sight and the most expensive (9000 TL) long, medium and close sight. I opted for the middle specification mainly because of price (£800 at the time) and as my left eye was dominant they did the right eye first. I didn't need or wear glasses again after that first op.

At every visit I was given a full eye test including retina checks - everything it seemed. All of those notes were compared at each visit. I had 4 different types of eye drops to use every day for a week before the op. The op itself was a doddle. I got an X marked over my right eye (just in case) laid back in a comfortable chair, bit like a dentists chair. The eye was I think clamped open (I couldn't see!) and told to look at the light. Lots of irrigation, a bit of look left, lots of chatting between surgeon and nurse, no pain, no discomfort and 20 minutes later all done. I was kept in overnight (my friend was released immediately when he'd had his done but he'd only been correcting long sightedness). There was a bit of discomfort that evening and regular eye drops and no rubbing the eye! I woke up in the morning with clear vision, no discomfort and no need for glasses. Eye drops for a week or 10 days, I've forgotten.

Same procedure for the left eye 3 months later (my choice to wait that long), same spec lens. Again, no bother at all. Six weeks or so later in Nepal, our Sherpa guide/porter pointed out climbers on near a peak a few kilometers away. I said I could see 2 groups, one higher than the other and that they were both descending. My friends, both 20/20 couldn't see them. I took a photo for them as they thought we were winding them up.

My eyes are great, swimming is way better as is snorkeling, No misting up on entering warm rooms from the cold. I can read quite happily at around 18" but have a pair of cheap reading glasses for close model work or some other situations. I only got them because I found it really difficult to thread a needle (I was making sails for an RC yacht). It's all good and as I said, there was no discomfort whatsever apart from the money but now I wish I'd paid the extra 3k TL (another £400). Quality of life is so much better.





I guess they got down safely!

[the_priest]

Worn then for three years. Got on with them straight off and find them great for reading, riding and life in general. Must have one of those brains I guess. Will see if I still get on with them after next weeks eye surgery...

[Saga Lout]

A previous boss had mis-matched contact lenses instead of varifocals. One for close up and one for distance. Apparently you have one dominant eye anyway so it does work.

Maybe he was winding me up but he seemed serious

That's the cheapest way and the way opticians will recommend you try first. It works for most people, their brains are smart enough to work it out/easily fooled*. I tried them and they worked, sort of, but I had a permanent sense of "something isn't right". So I switched to multi-focal lenses and they work perfectly.



* Delete as appropriate.

[Greenman]

Stop wanking so much FFS...

[Hoonercat]

My first pair were mid-range price, I had looked at getting higher priced lenses but the quote was 'around £750' so went with mid price as they had good reviews. Opticians buggered something up with one lense, got the replacement and it did take me about a week to adjust to them, lots of head turning rather than eye moving and a bit of a liability on the bike for the first couple of weeks. A few months ago I bought a new pair here in Bulgaria, German lenses (can't recall the make), excellent quality frames for less than I'd paid in the UK for mid range lenses, noticed a huge difference straight away with field of vision. So yeah, IMHO go for a quality brand.

[Wreckless Rat]

Stop wanking so much FFS...

Why on earth would I want to stop wanking... tiz one of lifes precious gems.....

It doesn't matter how much pussy you get, you still can't beat a good ol' wank.

[Bigyin]

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

Its Nearly Half Past 7 Dear !!!!!

[Horse]

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

Its Nearly Half Past 7 Dear !!!!!

Moving to Devon?

[Wossname]

I've been wearing specs since I was 9 or 10 - v short sighted. Single vision until about 10 years ago, when I went for varifocals, as reading was becoming a problem. One lesson I've learned is that the measurements they make to position the different prescriptions in the lenses is critical. I don't understand how they can achieve that successfully by mail order. I've occasionally had to have a new pair replaced because the change point between prescriptions was slightly out - finding that I had to tip my head back or forward slightly from a "normal" position when driving. The last 2 or 3 pairs I've had have 3 different zones - for close-up (reading), mid and distance vision and the best advice I can give re that is to avoid shallow lenses - there isn't enough "depth" to accommodate all 3 prescriptions. ICBA with 2 pairs of specs - plonk these on my nose and I'm ready for anything - distance, reading and e.g. instruments on the bike or car.. If I want real fine detail, I take them off and go in really close, sometimes with one eye shut. Yes - I look speshul, not in a good way, but it means I can work on really small stuff if need be. That's a problem apparently with laser surgery, and replacement lenses, where you can't see really fine detail (less than small letter size). I'm told.

I also wear contacts - one single vision (distance) and one varifocal lens. That works pretty well but not as good as specs. Great for swimming tho, otherwise I'm blind as. Very embarrassing when you emerge from the sea, run up to a group of friends/rellys and start chatting. Discover that they're random strangers.....

[Horse]

Great for swimming tho, otherwise I'm blind as.

I often wear specs when swimming

[Trogladyte]

I had two pairs of glasses for years because someone told me varifocals needed a lot of getting used to.

Got pissed off with that, and last year i got varifocals. I paid the money for the wide bands. I had no problem adjusting. They are great.

[Greenman]

Stop wanking so much FFS...

Why on earth would I want to stop wanking... tiz one of lifes precious gems.....

It doesn't matter how much pussy you get, you still can't beat a good ol' wank.

I'm single, there is no argument from me...

[G.P]

I've been wearing glasses since I was 3 yrs old. Varifocals for the last 15 years. They were a little off-putting at first but when driving or riding it was great to have the instruments so clear as well as the horizon. Only took a couple of weeks to adjust.
If you are getting some, go to a good optician and spend proper money getting good lenses made from a proper accurate prescription measured properly for the frames which are fitted properly. It makes all the difference.

[hawker]

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?

I started with them a few years ago and got used to them almost immediately. So much so, that to this day I can still walk in to the shower wearing my glasses.Horse is right that you need to, and do get into the habit of moving your head more towards what you need to see. I always have the glasses on atring either when using them or not.
They are easier to get used to than not being able to see properly! Price? Just get ones that fit and are comfy with the right lenses of course!
I find that I can read and watch TV with the same pair all the time. It has never been a problem. because for the reading 'm using the bottom portion of the lenses, the TV screen the upper portion. Simples!!
Good luck.