Does anybody wear distance glasses AND reading glasses?

[greypetex]

How on earth do you manage

I have worn readers for years, I just push them down my nose a bit if I want to use my phone when I'm watching tv and just look over the top of them. Now I have distance glasses too and they do make the tv clearer, but I'm sat here chopping and changing trying to work out the best combination

What do you do?

I have 2 pairs of glasses. One for reading and doing close detailed work, and the other pair for watching TV. Any further distance such as driving I'm absolutely fine without them.

I was offered varifocals about 10 years ago but loathed them, and have never bothered with them since.

Separate glasses all the way for me!

@OhTheRoses I feel your pain. I also have a complex prescription requiring thinning of my lenses, and the cost really is eye watering isn't it? I made the stupid mistake of only getting my distance prescription in my sunglasses as I mainly wear them for driving and wanted to keep costs down but now I can't read a book on holiday and have to peer over or under my glasses to look at the satnav etc. I got varifocal lenses in my cycling glasses having learned from that mistake and will probably replace my sunglasses this year even if no change to my prescription. I really can't cope without my varifocals now.
My experience is similar - there are varifocals and varifocals. I got a much cheaper set of lenses first time and felt slightly nauseated all the time, but once I cashed out for good lenses, no problem at all. I've kept the (relatively) cheap ones as an emergency spare pair but wouldn't willingly wear them.

I do.
Two widely different eyes, one long sighted, one short sighted.
I can't wear either pair “in between”.
It’s a pain in the arse.

I have seen people wear both pairs of glasses around their neck.

I am exactly the same: 3 pairs of prescription glasses (distance, readers and sunglasses). Basically it means I always have a largeish handbag to carry them in!

I actually don't mind - cant deal with varifocals either so this is really my only option.

I've remembered I switched to varifocals when I needd readers. I wore contact lenses then and was forever leaving tbe readers at home so bit the bullet. Just wear glasses all the time now much easier.

My mother had her first cataract op at about 67. For the first time in her life she had almost 20/20 vision needing only readers.

I have two pairs: distance (for the theater and driving) and close (for reading and computer). I tried varifocals but didn't like them. I then got a pair of executive bifocals and like the concept, but the glasses I chose were too heavy and I never wear them. I am working myself up to spending the money on another bifocal frame that I prefer.

I had 2 pairs for years and it drove me mad . I tried various varifocals and couldn’t get on with them . I changed optician a year and my new optician suggested contact lenses for distance and “off the peg” cheaper readers.

Absolutely brilliant.

Varifocals were a game changer for me. DH had several tries at varifocals, and fortunately, after several alterations by the optician he now gets on with them.

Getting the measurements right with varifocals is so important that I would never, ever buy them online. I know that some people just don't get on with them, but I agree with OhTheRoses that you need a really good optician. I also have a very expensive prescription - extreme short sight, astigmatism, PVD and presbyopia. The silver lining is that I can read small print without my glasses

I have two pairs as am short and long sighted with heavy astigmatism and extremely light sensitive. I have my every day pair, which are reactolite lenses and I use these with a pair of clip on sunglasses in the car, as the windscreen prevents the lens colour change from happening. Winter sun is particularly difficult. At night I have yellow tinted clip ons to reduce the painful glare of xenon bulbs in car headlights.
For close work I have separate reading glasses which aren't reactolite. I didn't want to live entirely in darkness... However I do add my clip on sunnies to read in the garden in summer sometimes. Asda opticians sell varifocals for 45 quid if anyone is struggling with the cost.

Wearing two pairs is new to me, I'm historically short sighted. It's only in the last few years as middle age approaches and I can't thread a needle or read my watch in my usual specs. I pay eye watering sums and can't do varifocals (crappy balance). I find with two pairs that my lenses are scratched more often as I don't put them on and leave them on all day like I used to. Good luck OP, it's a pain, and expensive.

I had contacts (one eye for distances and one for close up) but they made my eyes ache, made me feel dizzy and I used to end up randomly winking at strangers because it felt like I couldn't focus on anything! My optician thought I was mad and said everyone gets on with them really well. Anyway frally I have gone back to just contacts with a distance prescription and reading glasses for close up.

I am shortsighted. I don't need reading glasses as I can read without glasses but I am at the stage that if I wear my newest glasses I push them up in my hair to read. A lot of the time I just wear an older prescription which is a good happy medium so I don't have to push them off my face but I can see distance well enough. I don't need to drive, though. If I did I'd have to wear my newest prescription all the time and check the instruments were clear enough too.

DH just has readers. He does a lot of reading for work. The world's most organised man loses a pair of specs at least fortnightly.

I have contact lenses for distance with glasses for reading over the top. I have reading prescription sunglasses too. My reading glasses are clear at the top so I don't have to keep taking them off.

I also have varifocals for when I'm not wearing lenses.

I had both because I preferred having dedicated reading glasses. A combination of pockets, pushing a pair on top of my head and (at home only) the dreaded glasses chain made two pairs just about manageable.

I can't get on with varifocals either, have tried several times now. Instead I have distance glasses, reading glasses and middle distance glasses!

Its frustrating, but I get by mostly with my distance glasses on 80% of the time with my reading glasses perched on top of my head so I don't lose them. I have got some very odd looks when I have gone out forgetting I have two pairs of glasses attached to my head :D

Wow - I didn't realise so many people can't wear or don't get on with varifocals! I was fine with mine from the minute I walked out of the optician's.

I've had them from Specsavers - useless. I went to an independent opticians and paid 4 times the amount - useless too! I think it depends on what you use them for, i.e. your daily routine.

I do a lot of computer work and written/reading work - probably 7/8 hours per day. Varifocals are useless for me because of the small "reading" area in the lens which meant I was constantly having to move my head to read a line of text rather than moving my eyes. Both opticians accepted that varifocals aren't good for people who do a lot of reading! Shame they didn't tell me that before they wasted my time - at least I got full refunds!

I have varifocals but l don't think I use the reading bit. Mentioned this to my optician and she suggested reading glasses as well. I have each of them on a string thing round my neck (at the same time) so can easily swap. I like to think it makes me look intelligent...

My life is a nightmare because of this. One pair of distance glasses (have always been short sighted), varifocals for close work/screen distance and an old pair of weaker prescription distance glasses which I keep in my violin case for reading music at music stand distances (the conductor is a bit blurry, but meh).

Been short sighted all my life. Now need reading glasses too. Like you I can’t do varifocals due to balance and nausea.

I have two pairs and tend to put the other pair on top of my head. (tip: if you’re going to do this, make sure you buy glasses with plastic frames and built in nose rests. If you have the more comfy nose rests with the detachable pads, you will spend a lot of time disentangling them from your hair!)

I have two pairs. Well, three of you include the prescription sunglasses. One pair for standard / distance and one for close up. I just got used to changing them a lot I guess.

Got varifocals to overcome you problem OP on the optician's advice. Huge mistake. Couldn't read anything on computer screen without contorting my head (couldn't adjust screen without falling foul of the display screen equipment regs). Useless for reading in bed. Had to buy additional pair of glasses for work. Have now gone back to single vision and just swap as necessary. A lot of sliding glasses down my nose for reading things if readers aren't immediately at hand. (Top tip from another optician)

Varifocals need expert fitting,repeat visits to get them 'finely tuned' to your head,if necessary, and high quality lenses eg Zeiss. You may need to persevere but your brain rapidly adjusts. If you've got wobble round the edges then they're not properly fitted.

I had separate specs for a while and it was a pain. Varifocals did the trick but with the above provisos as I gave up first time. I now have rimless and am not even aware of them. I would never go back to separate specs.

It really depends how you "use" your vision, if you are generally fine dottering about in soft focus but like to see properly for specific tasks such as tv, driving or for closework/computers you can just put on the glasses you need at the time so two pairs are a perfectly adequate solution

However once you start wandering with your specs on you are doomed as it'll always be the wrong pair you have on and at that point you have to thing about some sort of bifocal or multifocal lens
Or if you like to do close and near together...it's the only solution.

There are LOADS of different types of multifocals too so do not write them off if you have had poor results with a single pair.
Some have a shorter corridor between distance and reading so can be better if you do not do much at intermediate range, others have a longer or wider corridors so can be better for reading and middle distance
There are also Occupational lenses that just do intermediate and close so that can be a much more successful option if you are in a desk based situation for screens and close work.
Plus they really do need to be measured accurately for you and your choice of frame and make sure the frame is fitted well.

Try and have a chat with the Dispensing Optician/Manager, they are more likey to be up to speed on the available options and any problems you are going to have.

Also places that offer a free second pair are often more than happy for you to organise your first pair and hold the second pair so you can be certain that your first choice is going to work well for you...we used to do this all the time where people who wanted varifocals would find them fine for everyday, but liked a separate driving pair, or pair for embroidery or computer...options are really endless! :o

Just to be clear. It's not varifocals that make me feel wobbly. I have an existing balance problem and have been advised not to wear them; by more then one optician and my consultant.

I'm happy with 2 pairs, I was just having a laugh at myself constantly changing them over in the evening.

Thanks to everyone for the advice