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Varifocal and bifocal glasses

I find varifocals very convenient and feel they are the best solution for me. My wife couldn’t get on with them though and I know lots of others have problems with them. If you go for them be prepared for a short period of acclimatisation during which time things may not seem quite right.
 
as a special needs glasses user ie
I am short sighted, a hifi user there fore a perfectionist, with a need to pilot a plane, read a computer screen, read a tv camera script etc etc (Ie all of the readers of this forum)
so go to an independant optician, one that specialises in fitting out the individual with the glasses they need. That will spend more than 20 minutes examing and measuring the eyesight and will spend time fitting the glasses to ensure that optical axies and centre are in the correct place in front of the eyes and that the lenses supplied by the lens supplier have the optical axis correctly positioned.

The opthalmist will have trained to do the job, and like all skilled people (ie the members of this forum) expect and demand fair compensation for the work they do.
Buy cheap, get headaches, eye strain etc
 
One strange (or maybe not so strange) problem I now get when using varifocals - I really struggle to park straight in parking bays, something I never had a difficulty with before.
 
I need glasses for reading or close work only
Occasionally I need to enlarge.
2nd pair of glasses in front of the 1st pair may look weird, works a treat.

99p on Ebay allows me to spread them around the place as I don't wear them most of the time and one pair was always somewhere else
 
I have been using spectacles for 50 years. I have astigmatism, and that does not get better over time, though it has been stable for many years now. I also have had three attacks of Central Serous Retinopathy, so I regard the cost of glasses as one of those things. For the last fifteen years or so I have patronised SpecSavers, and found their service comprehensive and very helpful. They do all sorts of tests as well as the normal eye test, and keep a watching brief on my CSR condition, so I have a test each year.

Over ten years ago I tried some top of the range Varifocals, and could not get on with them. Walking on the pavement was really odd. I felt giddy with them. Not everyone can get on with Varfocals. I have used separate distance and reading glasses since failing with them, at least up until a month ago, where I had to get a combination set, using Bi-focals for use at work. I was able to ask for the reading sections of the lenses to be just where I need them to give the majority to distance. This works very well with easy use from the first day. I chose the best glass they offered, and the results are very light-weight and thin, compared to normal glass which I have in one set of readers!

I still use distance and readers for everything other than work though. I have about eight pairs of glasses dotted about, in case I mislay my best pairs. I have a colour coded idea for the cases. Blue for distance, green for readers, and black for Bi-focals.

My experience leads me to give high praise for SpecSavers, and that if advised that Varifocals may suit, certainly give them a try, but also consider that the best glass in Bi-focals can work very well, and may be easier to get used to.

Best wishes from George
 
I’d repeat what others have said about the time to adjust to varifocals. It takes days, but worth it once you get there.
 
’d repeat what others have said about the time to adjust to varifocals. It takes days, but worth it once you get there.

even after months VF didnt work for me - prolonged spells of dizziness. Tried different opticians and double checked the prescription.

Nowadays I wear contact lenses for short sight (-8.5 + astigmatism) and piz-nez for reading. Piz-nez are great as you can put them in different positions on your nose to get some fine adjustment

Piz Nez I have been using for about 2 years and they have been brilliant: https://www.nooz-optics.com/en/
 
even after months VF didnt work for me - prolonged spells of dizziness. Tried different opticians and double checked the prescription.

Nowadays I wear contact lenses for short sight (-8.5 + astigmatism) and piz-nez for reading. Piz-nez are great as you can put them in different positions on your nose to get some fine adjustment

Piz Nez I have been using for about 2 years and they have been brilliant: https://www.nooz-optics.com/en/

I guess I’m lucky enough to be around +1.5 for distance, up to +4 for reading. I can imagine that greater strengths, and perhaps moreover greater differentials, will make it harder to cope with varis.
 
This is obviously not a straightforward decision. Thanks for your input, I see the optician on Thursday, so we’ll see what he says.
 
I've been wearing specs since I was five. I'm pretty dependent so I tend to keep one pair and a spare and swap requently so I'm used to the fit of both.. I am very long sighted. (Sadly, I'm not very far sighted... ;) )

Two pairs the same that is. Not 'One pair for seeing and the other pair for looking'.. as my neighbour used to say..

I've used varifocals for at least 20 years and have no issues. I went to 'Specsavers' for a while but after having to return one pair I tried Boots. (Specsavers didn't seem to grasp that there was too much jump between my old and new prescriptions and I just couldn't hack it. I'd told them at the outset that I wanted to make the change in 'stages', but they didn't listen)

Boots not exactly cheap, but I've now got two pairs of new varifocals with 'everything on' ('transitions' for Sunlight/dark, extra thin lenses, coatings.. you name it.) I'm happy.

I just can't understand why so many people wander about unable to see properly either because they have 'forgotten their specs' ...'have the wrong ones with them' or just can't be arsed getting any..

Even those cheapy things from petrol stations are far better than nothing for anything other than complex prescriptions.
 
One strange (or maybe not so strange) problem I now get when using varifocals - I really struggle to park straight in parking bays, something I never had a difficulty with before.

Tell me about it !!! I just put my lack of parking accuracy down to ageing, as I've had high index (expensive) varifocals for donkey's years. As I was virtually born with glasses, 85+ years have been viewed through glass. On one occasion I had plastic for lightness, but they scratched too quickly.

For years now, I've still found it more comfortable reading for any period with my glasses off, as VFs are a bit of a compromise, although most times they're fine. Had two identical pairs; one reading and one distance, a couple of decades ago, but that proved unsatisfactory, as I always seemed to have the wrong pair to hand. My sight dropped just below the -10 (NHS voucher mark) for the first time about 10 years ago, so Zeiss Tital or similar high index lenses are mandatory but heavy and expensive.

Have been with Specsavers for 18 years; exc. service and after-service, regardless of how long afterwards. Exc. tests, too.
 
Varifocal, extra thin lenses here. Again took about a week to get fully used to them, especially the looking down thing.
Worn specs since a nipper and VF is a god send.
Protective layers and transitional.
Unfortunately got them a little while before getting back on bikes and the frames are awkward under the helmet.
 
The best thing was not having to wear glasses for reading and long distance (ie greater than 6 feet) after I had my cataract ridden internal lenses swapped out and replaced by bi focal inserts.
 


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