Glasses

[Usernameless101]

Hi does anyone know what the minimum requirement for varifocals is? I got some yesterday but the optician didn’t give me the prescription and I can’t read a screen with these or drive with them because there’s no peripheral vision. I have my old glasses for driving but I desperately need some for reading ASAP as the headaches are ridiculous.

The only thing know is I just reached the benchmark for varifocals on the reading side so if I can buy some cheap glasses for working on the screen ASAP that should solve my immediate problem.

I asked for the prescription but was told I’d have to wait because an optician needs to sign it so would take ages. I’ve since called and asked for it to be emailed and this will take 3 days.

It sounds as f there is something wrong with your new lenses and you need to go back to the optician. I have worn varifocals for years and can see everything with them. That’s the point.

yes, go back to the optician. The first pair I had worked brilliantly and I had no problem going from distance to reading. The second pair were terrible and I couldnt read with them without getting a headache.
I ended up changing them 3 times and getting 2 eye tests before they got the prescription right!

I will go back with them because I don’t believe the sides should be blurry. I just need to get a pair for reading/working for the moment, the opticians take ages so I’m hoping to pick some up off from Amazon until they’re sorted. Don’t think I’ll go with varifocals again. Wish I’d just got two separates 😬

I've been advised to get varifocals but have heard about some people struggling with them so am not very keen at the moment.
I think I would prefer staying with distance for general and reading glasses separately.
I am severely myopic though so feel like I might get a second opinion on my prescription. Good luck@Usernameless101 with getting yours sorted,

Where did you get them from?

I had varifocals from Boots Opticians and they were absolutely awful. I couldn't wear them at all. I've redone eye tests and got 2 extra varifocal pairs as replacements and still they couldn't get it right.

I waited a few months and went to Vision Express and bam! Got my varifocals perfect from first attempt.

Maybe try a different optician.

You can get cheap reading glasses from supermarkets, chemists, discount stores etc. The weakest usually is +1 and as the figures ascend so does the strength. Try on some +1s and see what you think. But I agree with the other posters regarding checking your prescription ones with your optician.

Boots also. Regretting getting them now, although they’ve sent me the prescription so I’ve been able to get some for now.

Interesting that I got my prescription that said +2.00 so I bought some of those from Tesco’s but I can’t see a thing! Something is definitely wrong with the glasses. I’m going to find a shop where I can try them first.

If you need glasses generally then the reading ADD is on top of your normal prescription so, no, off the shelf readers won't help you.

That makes sense, thanks.

There is less peripheral vision with varifocals, it can be a shock at first but you do get used to it. At first I had a few single vision pairs alongside for driving and computer. Better varifocals have wider vision but you are talking £400-500.

I would go back to Boots and ask them to check your vision and the fit of the glasses, they may have botched the prescription.

@Usernameless101 ah , yes, the ADD is on top of your prescription for varifocals. Have you still retained any old single vision glasses with minus lenses that are 2 diopters weaker than your current ones? Could use them for reading with. 🙂

Tbh that's what I do for readers, just use my old weaker prescription glasses. 😉

I’ve never had reading glasses before. I’ve still got my distance ones for driving. I’ll get some lower strength reading glasses today. I know they may won’t be perfect but they’ll be better than nothing at all. The difference between my eyes is only 0.25, and that’ll be there with or without readers, just less so overall if I have something.

The quality and the size of the lens plays a huge part of how much peripheral vision you have. When the fashion for frames were short and narrow I struggled to get fitted and always had to buy the most expensive lenses available . Now frames are bigger I dont need to spend so much

There is always some blurring to the sides, more with cheaper lenses and its less noticeable the bigger the frames

Do not be tempted to buy varifocals online, they have to be fitted

Go back to the optician and explain. Let them advise. Often it is just a case of adjusting the fit , sometimes a new test is required - thats happened just once in 30 years for me

There seem to be different categories of lenses, and unfortunately the thing that is most affected is peripheral vision. I decided to pay for the higher cost lenses because I couldn’t get on with the blurry side vision. In the end I gave up on Specsavers and Boots and now go to Cubitts (but they have fewer shops).

Also second what others have said, it’s worth going back to have them checked / replaced.

@Usernameless101 the ADD +2.00 means that the reading portion of lens or your reading glasses need to be 2 diopters weaker (in terms of minus) than your distance lenses, as I understand it. So if your distance prescription is -6.00 your reading prescription would be -4.00. If your distance prescription was -1.00 your reading prescription would be +1.00.

Yes that’s mine, 0.75 and .1 for distance so I will get some +1 for working with.

I will go back to Boots but doubt they’ll be able to solve the blurry sides as I had to go with the cheaper lenses because there’s no way I could afford £200 for the lens on the better ones. Especially as I get a second pair as back up. Now I’ve ended up with two pairs that are no use to me at all.

When they showed me the difference between cheaper and more expensive options they did point out that the tiny bit in the middle is for reading but I assumed that meant the edges would be the distance lenses. Doesn’t make sense that it’s just blurry, especially as they’re for driving. Seems dangerous.

Varis are the top for distance, the middle for life and the bottom for reading

You have to move your eyes, up for distance - ie driving, and down for the dashboard - not your head

The side vision means you do actually have to turn your head when at a junction, I often need to stop at a give way to ensure I see clearly by turning, no quick glances when wearing vari's

I know its not what you want to hear but even £200 is cheap for lenses when it comes to varifocals :( I just got a new script and Im holding off till payday, Im looking at £500 :( But my eyesight is so bad - both long and short ( astigmatism and macular degeneration ) that I cant see a thing without them so its a price I have to pay

I'm now wearing contacts for general life and off the shelf readers, when I don't wear the contacts I don't need the readers but my glasses always feel a bit 'off'.

My last two pairs of varifocals have both cost me well over £500 with the frames accounting for about half the amount. I’ve worn glasses for a long time and prior to getting these I had no end of trouble with either ill fitting frames or lenses that weren’t right.
I was reluctant to go into the smaller opticians initially, but I’ve found the difference between them and the big chains to be amazing in terms of help in choosing and finding frames that I would never have thought to try on and them making sure they fit correctly.
My prescription is at the lower end but as I wear my glasses all day from the moment I get out of bed I have taken their advice and paid top wack for the lenses they have recommended and rationalise the cost on a cost per wear basis. Perhaps they see me as a soft touch, I don’t know, but what I can’t argue with is that from the moment I’ve put both pairs on I have never doubted that I made the right choice and have never had a reason to go back because something didn’t feel right.

From what you say you don’t really understand varifocals. The vision is top, middle and bottom, not side to side. Some opticians do say that if you don’t get on with them you can swap them within a short period back to separate pairs. Take them back for the prescription checking and if correct insist they fit them properly and then check your vision whilst wearing them. If you can’t see properly then insist on a refund or a change to 2 separate pairs.

Some people really get on with composite contact lenses. That might be worth considering.

There are around 5 levels and costs of varifocals in most opticians. The cheaper ones have awful peripheral vision and they pretty much admit that. You need to go to level 3 and above, I'd say. Also, it IS possible that the line for the vision change gets put in the wrong place. That does happen, according to my opticians. You should be able to walk in and collect your prescription if they've stored it properly.