Do I really need varifocals?

[pinksunsets]

Went for an eye test recently. Optician said I now need different prescriptions for distance and reading, suggested varifocals or two pairs of glasses. I'm short sighted, mainly wear my glasses at home and am fine reading my phone, laptop screen and books with them on. I do take them off if I'm lying down and my phone/book is close to my face but that's more for comfort. The only time I've noticed a difference is when I put my contacts in and suddenly I can see more of the dust that has accumulated on my sink!

I've also been getting headaches on and off for the past year, usually when I'm working either at home with my glasses on or in the office with my contacts in. Had thought it was stress related but I guess it could be eye related too.

Varifocals seem like such a faff! Do I really need them if I'm getting on OK with my current glasses (my prescription has changed though) and can see everything fine?

If I did get two pairs of glasses which one do you end up using more, distance or reading?

Do the big frames make a difference vision wise or is it just about style? I can't have big ones cos they'd be so thick

You do need a reasonably big frame for varifocals - you need a decent sized bit below your eyes for the reading prescription, as well as the distance prescription straight ahead.

About 3 percent of people don't get away with them. Mainly if they have vertigo or neck/back problems.

Specsavers offers 3 months no quibble no fuss. If you can't get away with them, get a refund.

Definitely go for one of the better lenses instead of the basic ones. It'll make the difference

I got some recently from glasses direct. I was resistant and got separate pairs for distance and reading but after a few weeks of swapping glasses constantly depending on what I was doing and saying "where are my readers" like my nanna I bit the bullet. I wouldn't go back.
I still use the single vision pairs for reading in bed or watching telly/cinema/driving long distances but mostly wear my varifocals.
They took a few days to get used to. Going downstairs is odd and I found big spaces like supermarkets can make me dizzy for some reason but overall I'd recommend!

You need a bigger lens to get the full benefit of varifocals as you only have 1/3 of the area for distance, middle, reading.

I have them but don’t think I get the full use of them

I did get my eye test at Specsavers and have 50% off new glasses but I've fallen in love with some frames from Ace and Tate. I wonder if I could buy the frames and take them to Specsavers for the lenses...

I am planning on going for expensive lenses. Want to give myself the best chance of varifocals working for me.

I had monovision contacts for about 14 years with no issue but gradually in the last couple of years found the difference in correction needed became too great for my eyes to manage.

The big frames thing is tricky, I have always had to have very small ones because even with extra thinning they are really thick at the edges in larger frames.

I have worn varifocals for longer than I can remember and would not be without them. My DD is faffing about with two pairs of glasses and can never find the right ones when she needs them .... "Where the ... did I put my glasses!?" No such problems with varifocals. They are brilliant.

I do not know of any opticians who do not give a money back on them if you find they do not suit. Sometimes you need to go back and get them altered - e.g. a bigger middle vision area, or distance, or close-up/ Partly depends on the frame style.

Only thing to be careful is going downstairs when you first have them and are not fully used to them.

I got varifocals and hated them. I just couldn't get used to them and really tried but they made me feel weird. I've gone back to a normal pair and readers. Much better.

@EspeciallyDivided we have very similar prescriptions! I couldn’t have large frames. I always go for the smallest. An optician suggested I try using an old pair of glasses as my reading pair. It works brilliantly. Worth a try?

@Wolfiefan so a bit like the monovision contact lenses idea, undercorrected distance vision. That's a thought. So long as I remember to take them to work. I only wear glasses for a full day once every couple of months, otherwise I'm in contacts which I'm managing ok in single vision at the moment. Think I need to have a good chat with the dispensing optician next time I get my eyes tested, which is in a couple of months. That is one great thing about contacts, I can tweak my prescription as often as I need to. It's reassuring to hear that varifocals can be returned or changed if they don't work out.