Varifocal glasses

[daffodilandtulip]

Where is the best place for varifocals? I had some from specsavers, and whilst it achieved what I wanted them to - being able to read a text while watching tv, see the satnav while driving etc, they just aren't right. I have to either move the glasses or move my head to read, and the blurry sides drive me mad.

Is there a better option?

I've heard lots of people with complaints about verification, but for me they were like magic. Easy to wear and corrected short, long and middle distance vision from the first moment I put them on.

I wonder if it's to do with the focal point (or whatever) being measured correctly.

My expensive ones from the opticians, the higher priced of the three options, are slightly better than the cheap sunglasses I got from vision direct, but they still do the job, just a bit off when I look down.

I'm not sure that there will be a perfect option.

I wear bifocals because I really wasn't sure that I would ever be able to get used to varifocals from what I could see about them. So I chickened out of getting them.

You could argue that I should have given varifocals a chance, but I was more confident about bifocals and I am happy with my choice.

Mine are from specsavers, I opted for the most expensive lenses with the least "lost" area if that makes sense. I also have quite bad astigmatism. No problems with them at all.

I wear contact lenses day to day and use monovision, which is a different prescription in each eye, one for close up/reading and one for distance which sounds awful and in fact is awful for a very short time until you get used to it. The optician felt it would work better for me than varifocal contacts and made me try it despite my reservations. Your brain adapts very quickly and I find I much prefer it to wearing classes, especially for close up. Maybe that's an option for you.

I have recently had some eye health issues and have been in and out of specsavers regularly, cannot fault them whatsoever.

You will need to move your head to some extent with varifocals, a handy tip is to point your nose towards what you are looking at. How much blurring you get towards the periphery of the lens depends on the quality of the varifocals. Usually you will be offered a choice of options , the more expensive lenses have much less peripheral distortion, it is always worthwhile with varifocals buying the best quality you can afford

Try Asda optician - much cheaper and no extra for lens thinning etc. I find varifocals work better when the lens is larger and rectangular

Asda offered me free swap if I didn't get on well moving to varifocals.

mine are also the more expensive option from Specsavers and I hardly have to move my head. The only time I really notice it is if I'm reclining watching TV and I kept my old distance glasses for that.

I use an independent opticians - I had a terrible experience with Specsavers.
My optician explained there are three types of varifocals, with the most expensive having the smoothest transition between the short and the long sighted part of the lens. The smoother the transition, the easier they are to get used to. I got the most expensive type for my first pair and had no issues at all. I went for the middle type for my next pair, having got used to wearing varifocals already. I suggest you look at the different types.

My best were the first ones from "whatever optician Tesco had".
They've never been as good as that first pair.
They are revolutionary though.

Reading labels in shops! WOW it was amazing to be able to do that without swapping glasses.

With varifocals you often get what you pay for - the expensive ones are much better than the basic ones.
However, having said that a significant minority of people are happy with the basic ones.

The only thing you should never do is try and get them from an online seller, you need to adjust the frame to fit a person's face before taking the measurements and you just cannot do that online.

My Specsavers varifocals are life changing.

There are tonnes of different varifocals on the market, it’s why it’s well worth going to your opticians and speaking to the Dispensing Optician - they are qualified and registered in ophthalmic dispensing.

It’s not just the lens itself we think of, it’s the frame and fit too, these can have a big impact on the suitability of some lenses.

I had the opposite experience. Independents totally messed up, Specsavers rarely wrong and if they are will immediately remake. I’ve been using varifocals for about 20-25 years.
You do have to move your head a bit but as PP say, much less with better quality lenses. After a bit you don’t notice you are doing it.

Frames - yes. The bigger the frame, and therefore lens, the easier they are to wear/use.

I couldn’t get on with mine at all. £600 from Boots. I think the focal point was measured incorrectly.
May have to try again in the next couple of years though as my closeup vision is deteriorating ☹️.

Take them back. They can measure and recalibrate. They should do this free of charge - Specsavers do.

No - that isn’t completely true

yes the frame does have to be a minimum size to accommodate the varifocal, but that’s maybe a depth of roughly 20mm from top to bottom of lens.

I very recently had a patient who had issue with new varifocals due to the frame being too massive.

bigger isn’t better, well fitting is best

I can’t handle the unless I have a large lens. I’ve tried. Might not always be true but it is for me.

I’ve tried them twice from Specsavers, the most expensive option. Each time tried for a month and it felt like I was in a goldfish bowl and continually having to hold my head awkwardly to see anything. I don’t know if it’s just the transition was too big for it to be comfortable - I’m +6 for reading and +3 for distance. I’ve given up and am paying for lens replacement surgery instead.

Lots of different opinions thank you! I definitely want to stick with them, as they are life changing for day to day, they just weren't quite right. Specsavers did say I would need to buy new frames to change the lenses though, as the frames would break 🤔. I wonder if asda might be worth a try.

I have a useless and very expensive pair sat here.
Gave up the struggle and bought two pairs of ordinary glasses instead.
Horrible things.

They are horroble if they aren’t right. I gave up with my first pair. Turned out they weren’t centred properly. If they are they are great.
Why didn’t you go back and explain rather than just buying more?

mine are from specsavers and I also went for best quality lens. I’ve had one pair from an independent but went back to spec savers as they were better (plus I like to get sunglasses as well 2 for one !).
only time they annoy me is reading something on a wall as have to stick my nose up to read through the reading bit of the glasses.
if they aren’t right - go back and get them to re- measure the focal point.

What makes you think I didn’t?

Sorry to hijack thread. evil can you do monovision when driving? I've been doing it for work, home and gym for about five years but never risked driving and go back to specs for that. I was going to see if my optician would give me a test when I'm "doing" monovision. It feels like it really works for me.

Both my pairs of varifocals make me feel nauseous.