I’ve hit that age and need my first varifocals

[EatenTooMuchChocolateAgain]

Just got back from Boots opticians and I’m feeling rather old as they’ve said I need varifocals! The salesman bamboozled me with all the different types of lenses and was heavily pushing me to go for the most expensive Varilux Physio lenses that have the widest range of vision at £299 😳!! There were others that were cheaper that seemed to have more blur at the sides and he kept telling me they weren’t very good.

I didn’t have time to look at frames today so I need to go back another day to order them.

Id be interested to hear others experiences with these lenses? Is the expensive one really worth the money? Are the cheaper ones ok?

I could afford the expensive ones, but begrudge paying for them if the cheaper ones will do the job.

Another thing I was contemplating was taking my prescription elsewhere, maybe an online company?

How old are you and what is your prescription? I'm 55 and on my second pair and I really like them. However, opticians will try and push them on you when you don't even need them. My dad was an optician so once he retired I always showed him my presscription and he'd say thats rubbish, ready readers are fine. So yeah, verifocals (I'm old school and still call them verilux) are great but just make sure you do need them and they're not just making money out of you.

Do you need them for both reading and distance? And there's nothing to stop you going to another optician or may be take a photo of the prescription and put it into chat gpt to see what it says about needing verifocals.

I use vision express and do their eye care plan so I pay for my glasses monthly.

I'm ND, long story but your post has just helped me. So thank you. To explain

I'd gone to opticians knowing my reading sight had worsened and after speaking to friends of a similar age, knew they would prescribe varifocals. So in my head I'm being prescribed varifocals and as a few of you have said they work well.

Optician perscribes occupational lenses which sound simailar to varifocals in that they have two prescriptions. Go out to where frames are and assistant starts telling me more about them, they are £165 just for the lenses! I ask about varifocals and am told they are rubbish and I should stick with these occupational lenses. I said they are a bit pricey and why are varifocals no good, didn't really give a proper answer, I then try and pry answers out of her as to what other options there are, like a pair of readers and a intermediate pair. Still not very forthcoming, she then brings me to look at frames, still with no idea what lenses I should buy. At this point I get overwhelmed and upset and say I need to leave.

It felt like a hard sell on these occupational lenses but I thought I could have misread the situation. I then got upset about getting upset and how doing something as simple as buying glasses is so difficult for a intelligent 40 year old women.

Maybe it's not a me problem and they are pushing these expensive lenses and are reluctant to discuss anything else.

I've decided I'll have to psych myself up and go back as ordering varifocals on line might not go well. It's best to have measurements done by them and also most high street branches off adjustments if the prescription isn't quite right

Another vote for Asda!

For single vision glasses I used to buy Chanel frames on eBay then have the prescription lenses fitted by eg Lensology for £30. But I found that online suppliers can’t do varificals as it’s critical to know the exact point at which your pupils meet the different bits of the lenses.

I was really pleased to find Asda! They do have designer glasses but maybe just not this season’s latest designs. The top level are luxury designer glasses eg Moschino and Armani Exchange (£140 for varifocals, ) £40 off if you buy two pairs)
The next level are Premium
Designer (Nike, Timberland Orla Kiely) at £100 each, £40
off if you buy two.

The prices go right down to £45 - for varifocals!

The lenses are the same quality as Specsaver type lenses, and the designer ones include for free things like anti reflective and scratch resistant coatings.

I’ve just looked up what you were recommended “widest range of vision” indeed. Yes those are very elite, in fact custom machined to your facial anatomy yah yah.

That’s another good thing about Asda opticians - no sales people upselling the coatings, no whiff of working on commission.

I get two pairs every couple of years.

Good point @RandomMess make sure you get the experienced staff

I went from not needing glasses at all to needing varifocals. I went for the best lenses from specsavers and was told it would take some time for me to adjust and to not wear them for driving until I was used to them. I put them on in the shop and never took them off! I couldn’t believe how much better I could see, both near and far. The range of view is very good with the best lenses. They are expensive but one of the few things I warrant spending good money on.

I’ve had varofocals for a few years now. I get mine from Asda opticians and they’re really reasonable with a good choice of frames.
i was a bit worried but had absolutely no difficulty at all getting used to them.

Can I ask you if this has effectively turned you into a full time glasses wearer? Im just about to collect two pairs of- one for reading and one for distance - because I thought if I dont swap I’ll become lazy and keep them on all the time (woth varifocals I mean) and I really dont think I need that yet

I’ve had varifocals twice and loathed them both times. The distance bit never seemed strong enough and the reading bit made me feel sick. I’ve now got distance glasses for driving, a pair of reading glasses which I use for work and some weird office glasses Asda talked me in to but I never wear as they feel too strong.

i love mine but yes pricey -£300 i thibk mine were at boots.
i still wear lenses for work but tbh im ready to ditch them as my reading vision is so so bad in them and my reading glasses aren’t very flattering
contemplating getting a second pair of varifocals with the money i’d save from my monthly lenses

I’ve twice had varifocals made and ended up going back to supermarket reading glasses. I find none of the three fields of vision is perfect, I feel I have to compromise on them all to get the best overall result.

I hate the feeling of glasses on my face so the idea of wearing them all the time is something I’m not ready for yet. Contacts are out unfortunately, tried them too.

I've been wearing them for about 15 years and get mine from Specsavers. I have always gone for the best one for my prescription. I found the switch from single vision fairly easy. The biggest issue I have had is finding frames that work with my prescription because I am very long-sighted in one eye. I have stuck with the same style for about 8 years because of the faff I have had previously. I think they cost about £600 in total but they last two years.

@Sparrowsandbudgies tbf you have quite dramatic eye sight challenges and I’m surprised you need varifocals, DH is -10 with stigmatism in both ends and just has single lense for everything. The expensive independent managed to mess up the order (he overhead them on the phone to the lab) and told him do weeks he just needed to get used to them!

He started going elsewhere but am going to drag him to ASDA next time as he still pays several hundred despite his £17 NHS voucher (or however much it is these days).

Will Asda do a refund like specsavers do if you don’t get on with them? I am dreading the day they tell me I need them. Prescription is -10. And I have astigmatism. Haven’t been told I need them yet but I guess it’ll happen.

not sure if varifocal contacts might work better.

Just seen your post. I wonder what the difference is in the more expensive lenses. Why it’s so much better?

Long time GPL (contact lens) wearer (60 years). I had 3 fields of vision with blue tint. I have had to give up wearing them as my eyes are too dry (age). I think my glasses are having to be varifocals plus I also have multiple eye problems. What do I need to know before new test coming up for glasses? I always had a spare single vision glasses.

That's really good to hear... I went to boots recently and different lenses weren't even discussed it was just tapped into the computer after I choose my frame, one eye I am blind in so only needed vision lense in one side and I think they were multi focal for £370.00 I hate them and need to go back. I can barely read the words on my laptop.

I wish I could be braver and just ask for my prescription.

I’ve had them for 8 years so on my 4th set, the wider vision and thus more expensive are easier to adjust to and better peripheral vision too but ultimately they all do work and meet the requirements for driving. I still find it’s easier to use single vision for the computer at work but maybe I’m just quirky like that (have a £29 pair I keep at work). I have the top priced ones from specsavers currently but only because they had 2:1 on them plus £99 frames at the time and I had a voucher on top for a free eye test.

I have progressive lenses or ‘ baby varifocals’. I wish I’d never had them as they are so expensive and now I can’t go back to single vision! I am not sure they were entirely necessary in the first place.

@bababamama I have separate VDU glasses too, I use two large monitors so want to be able to glance around. Also the VDU prescription is different to your reading one as the monitors are further away.

I absolutely bloody love my varifocals.

I resisted them for about a year because the idea of them made me feel ancient and decrepit, but once I gave in I quickly discovered how marvelous they are.

I get ones with the widest vision and they don't feel very different from my old kind of glasses - except I can actually see at a whole range of distances.

The only downside is that they are hideously expensive. But I really can't manage at all without my glasses so see them as a necessity.

I resisted varifocals for ages, and had four different pairs of glasses for different needs. Aged 49 I gave in and went to varifocals with transitions lenses - so essentially 4 pairs of glasses in one. I was worried about having to keep moving my head around to see properly, but honestly, it took probably a week or so to get used to and now I would not go back. I love that I have distance, computer screen, reading glasses and sunglasses in one. And you do t move your head at all - as long as the glasses sit properly on your face it really is just an eye movement. I did buy the most expensive lense I could afford at the time.

Reading with interest. I currently use bifocals and they do meet most of my daily needs without having to constantly change glasses. I always have transitions lenses so they double as prescription sunglasses too.

I do also have a pair of specific computer glasses for when I want to just use my laptop for a while but as I am now retired my need to do that is much less than it used to be. They are not transitions lenses and I don't wear them when I go out.

I'm currently trying (and failing) to decide whether or not to try varifocals the next time I need new glasses, which will probably be next year. They are very expensive and the often mixed reviews do put me off just a little. Always have.

Yes, you have 2 weeks to go back and tell them you’re unhappy.

I hate mine and very much wish I hadn’t been persuaded into them.
Despite much effort I have never become used to moving my head rather than just my eyes and so can’t see out of the blimmin things half the time.
Huge waste of £500!

I have now given up and have two separate pairs instead and much prefer this.

I went to an independent optician and paid a lot of money for Japanese super thin lenses, as I have an high astigmatism. I felt slightly seasick for about 2 days and then it settled. They are fabulous, the transition between bits of the lens is seamless and I’m so glad I paid extra for them. They just feel like normal glasses now but I can see properly!

I stopped going to high st chain opticians because they mangled my frames when trying to fit them and would get sales assistants to run some of the tests. It felt like a false economy especially as I’m so reliant on my glasses.

I’ve tried cheap (Specsavers) varifocals and couldn’t get on with them at all. I now have a pair from an independent optician, much more expensive, but absolutely brilliant. I would definitely say go for the best you can afford.