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?

I have varifocals but also have a cheap £30 pair of readers for when I'm reading a book or my kindle. The varifocals are not a comfy read but are fine while out shopping when I need to read labels and so on. I do wear the varifocals for driving even though it's not actually needed yet but I do find that they sharpen the edges of things.

I love my varifocals! Game changer in terms of not constantly swapping reading/driving specs etc. Took about 2 days to get used to them and now would never go back.

First time in my 20year career hearing(/reading) that one 🤣

Had to move the phone further away in order to read your post!

I got my first pair of varifocals earlier this year, I can read without my glasses but am now unable to read with my glasses on. Nine times out of ten I still take my glasses off to read. I had them remade once as well.

Thanks everyone, all your comments are really helpful!
There seems to be an overwhelming majority recommending Asda so I’m going to go and have a look there and see what styles they’ve got.

Also on my second pair and still take them off to read instructions in tiny print on food packets

Varifocals for me were superb. I have a scar on my cornea from chickenpox in my left. I used Gas Permeable Hard lenses, 3 fields of vision tinted blue. Wore this type for 60 years (maybe not GP early on). Little bit of faff with cleaning/storing but each pair lasted between 7 and 2 years, eye sight dependent. Have had to stop now as am old and have trouble getting one out at night (eyelid skin condition). Had better vision than with glasses. Never used dailies/weeklies.

I really don’t know I just know I can see better, the vision and field of vision is clearer. With the Specsavers and Asda lenses it felt like I was looking through a plastic film rather than a clear lens. I suppose if you’ve never had really “good” lenses maybe you wouldn’t notice the difference but I think I’ve spoilt myself by Nikon and other expensive lens brands and now I’m really fussy. A tiny difference makes a big difference when you have very high myopia as well as needing a varifocal. (I need a plus 2 varifocal alongside my -10 myopia lenses).

I have battled with both varifocals and multifocal contact lenses for years.
Never got on with either.
Finally though fuck it and in July got mutifocal lense implants. Best money i ever spent. I am glasses and contact lense free. my only regret is not doing it sooner.

How much please? Was it painful?

It's very expensive in UK (8 to 10 K) I did some research and Czeck Republic get a great reputation for opthalmology so went there. It was £2800.

Not sore getting it done. Slightly weird feeling but no pain. The dentist is worse!
No pain post op either. Just good eyesight at near, middle and far. Glasses a thing of the past!

I have super expensive varifocals (expensive option, thinned down lenses). I thought I’d really struggle with them but also knew I would loose multiple pairs. Turns out they have been great and there was no adjustment to them, except maybe a bit more care walking down stairs to begin with.