Would you buy new glasses for this change in prescription?

[HolidaySpirit]

Would really appreciate thoughts from anyone who understands prescriptions as I feel that my (chain) optician are increasingly focused on upselling.

I'm late 40s and I currently use readers for reading books and screen work, which I've had for a few years as my near add has barely changed.

In 2023 I was advised to buy varifocals on the basis of the following prescription:

Right
Sph +0.5, cyl -0.75, near add +1.25
Left
Sph -0.5, cyl -0.5, near add. +1.25
I've now been told I need new varifocals - and should be wearing them all the time - on the basis of my new prescription:

Left
Sph +0.5, cyl -0.75, near add +1.5 inter add +1.00
Left
Sph -0.5, cyl -o.5, near add +1.5, inter add +1.00

This just doesn't seem a significant enough change or that I should wear them all the time for what seems to be a fairly low need. They also said I need new glasses as they didn't build in inter add last time for computer work although I told them I use a monitor 5 days a week. Any thoughts massively appreciated before I replace three pairs of varis. Thank you!

Any thoughts massively appreciated before I replace three pairs of varis.

I would buy one pair and see how I got on.

Why do you need 3 pairs?

and yes to wearing them all the time

it isn’t the biggest change but it is significant enough for them to want to stop the change

I wouldn't unless I was experiencing difficulties with the ones I had. You don't have to decide now, take the prescription away and if you feel you need an upgrade later, you can use it.

I certainly wouldn't wear glasses all the time for a 0.5 distance prescription and a small astigmatism correction.

I would buy one new pair and see if they make a noticeable difference.

I’ve worn glasses for decades and often don’t notice my sight deteriorating until I get a new pair and everything is all crisp again!

Why 3 pairs?

Ex VI team manager here, not an optician.
My prescription for distance is quite a bit stronger than yours, near add about the same. They tried to sell me varifocals too.
You probably should be wearing for distance all the time and I see you've already got readers.
I have glasses single vision for distance only. For reading, I'm just starting to see a difference this year. I probably am getting to the stage where readers would sharpen, but I can still read N5 at a comfy distance.
I would take the prescription and shop around for frames for your distance script. You'll be able to get the same ones as high street for quite a bit less.

Thanks all. Got three pairs as they did two for one then offered me 50% off a further pair which I used for sunglasses (having realised belatedly I wished I'd got sunglasses for my free pair).

I never buy new glasses every time. I usually just get the lens changed to the new prescription and buy new frames every 5 years or so. Much more cost effective and they simply order the lens in and swap them in the day in 5 minutes or so.

Ask the optician? Last time I had my eyes checked they told me the prescription change was so minimal there was no need to buy new glasses.

Honestly just avoid all the over priced angst and go with the online Chinese brands like firmoo. I swapped to them 3 years ago and I’ve got a delivery coming this week with two new pairs of varifocals, a pair of distance and a C pair of readers for less than £100 ( due to my grand baby scratching my last pairs flinging them across the room). I prefer a dedicated distance set and reading set for long tv or driving sessions and for extended reading of novels etc as I find looking down to read for more than 30 minutes can strain my eyes.

I’ve never had a single issue with firmoo and their premium varifocal lenses , although their cheaper light reactive coating lenses are not very good, I prefer to stay with reactions which they do offer. But at this point I’ve got 7 pairs of glasses that I swap between in different colours and tints etc. and they cost me less than £200 which has saved me a fortune.

If only it were that simple. My experience has been that even when your script doesn't change they're under pressure to sell you glasses because they make no profit from the eye tests. It's definitely got worse, i wasn't asked if I wanted to look for new frames, just walked back into the shop area and handed over to a woman with a tray, who was also given my script. 'Lets look for your new frames' she said, standing in front of the most expensive ones. I had to ask twice for my script too. They wanted to 'keep it safe for when you come back to choose your new frames' the last time I was in!
It's far from the high street chemist I worked in on a Saturday in my teens!

Thanks so much all. The problem is I'm losing trust in the chain optician as they seem heavily focused on trying to make me buy something with all the bells and whistles. I will likely go independant next time and potentially buy the glasses online if I'm confident in the supplier.