# Varifocals



## Smokin Joe (5 Aug 2022)

I got a new pair of varifocals today. My prescription has changed and these are a bit stronger than previous pairs I've owned. I'm having a bit of trouble adjusting to them as they seem to require a bit more eye movement to go from distance close up. The optician reckons it can take up to a week, has anyone found the same when they've changed and how long before you got used to them and it became automatic?


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## Sharky (5 Aug 2022)

I tried one pair and never got on with them. Particularly when driving. Have a tendency to lift my head up to see into the distance, but then was looking through the wrong section of the lens. 

My brother, though thinks they are marvelous.


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## SGG on a bike (5 Aug 2022)

It usually takes me a few days to get used to new varifocals. These days, I'm careful to get frames with the same lens heights my previous ones though and I find that helps a lot. Going back several pairs of glasses, I had two pairs differing in height and it was virtually impossible to swap between them without a period of "adjustment". I have identical frames now for sunglasses and normal and can swap at leisure without any problem. Are your new glasses a deeper height than your old ones? That can make a noticeable difference in my experience.


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## Smokin Joe (5 Aug 2022)

SGG on a bike said:


> It usually takes me a few days to get used to new varifocals. These days, I'm careful to get frames with the same lens heights my previous ones though and I find that helps a lot. Going back several pairs of glasses, I had two pairs differing in height and it was virtually impossible to swap between them without a period of "adjustment". I have identical frames now for sunglasses and normal and can swap at leisure without any problem. Are your new glasses a deeper height than your old ones? That can make a noticeable difference in my experience.



They are about the same, if anything a little smaller.


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## SGG on a bike (5 Aug 2022)

It might just be a case of sticking with it a little longer then. My prescription has barely changed in the last ten years, so maybe it's just a bigger jump in the prescription that's making it a bit more difficult to adjust.


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## newfhouse (5 Aug 2022)

Smokin Joe said:


> I got a new pair of varifocals today. My prescription has changed and these are a bit stronger than previous pairs I've owned. I'm having a bit of trouble adjusting to them as they seem to require a bit more eye movement to go from distance close up. The optician reckons it can take up to a week, has anyone found the same when they've changed and how long before you got used to them and it became automatic?



I’ve just had exactly the same experience. It took a few days to retrain my brain to using a slightly different head angle to get the right focus.

My advice is to stick with them for a week and if no better to go back to the optician.


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## OldShep (5 Aug 2022)

On my third varifocal prescription. I’ve taken to every new pair like a duck to water. Usually within minutes I’m happy.


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## quilkin (5 Aug 2022)

IIRC they offer three different 'grades' at different prices. I'm on my second set now. The first ones I had, I went for the 'medium' quality and found they were difficult to use for some things, particularly computer sceens. They were great for what I bought them for mostly, though, which was being able to look at a map on my handlebars while cycling along.

For my more recent pair I went for the better quality ones and they do make a difference - I can easily use a PC screen with them for quite a while (although if using a screen for hours I will switch back to some older standard lenses).


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## november4 (5 Aug 2022)

I found with the same frame that I couldn't tolerate them when my prescription increased, so (specsavers) got changed for regular distance, and have separate pair for LCD

Actually thinking about getting Bifocal safety glasses for work


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## presta (6 Aug 2022)

I've been wearing spex now for about 20 years and I never have got used to them, at least not in the way intended. Imagine browsing the supermarket aisle, for example. If I look to the shelf for something, before I've finished nodding my head to and fro to find the sweet spot on the lens I've already spotted what I want through the blur, at which point I grab it and move on. Then the same happens again, and again, so that getting used to the spex just ended up meaning that I got used to living life in a perpetually de-focused blur.

Even if I find the best spot on the lens I can't see a damn thing, there's no way I'd be able to do my job if I were still working.


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## postman (6 Aug 2022)

I hate getting used to new specs,funnily enough i have an eye test this afternoon,i am getting too much blurred vision in my one and only good eye.I was told years ago i have a small cataract forming.See what happens this afternoon.


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## Bonefish Blues (6 Aug 2022)

The only thing that still gets me is how far down the ground on the other side of a stile is when I climb over. Every time


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## PeteXXX (6 Aug 2022)

When I first got varifocal, after the initial adjustments, walking down stairs was almost a blood sport!! That was what took me the longest to sort. 
I made the mistake, after a couple of new prescriptions, of buying a slightly cheaper pair. The field of view was so narrow that I looked like a tennis umpire when I was reading a book 
I took them back and payed the extra. 

Are yours the mid range model or Premium, may I ask? There's a huge difference in angles of vision between the ranges.


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## PeteXXX (6 Aug 2022)

Bonefish Blues said:


> The only thing that still gets me is how far down the ground on the other side of a stile is when I climb over. Every time



Metoo


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## SpokeyDokey (6 Aug 2022)

Don't like the loss of peripheral vision with Varifocals - much prefer Bifocals.


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## Smokin Joe (6 Aug 2022)

PeteXXX said:


> Are yours the mid range model or Premium, may I ask? There's a huge difference in angles of vision between the ranges.



Mid range, though I'm back to the optician on the 23rd so if there is no improvement I'll see about an upgrade.


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## PeteXXX (6 Aug 2022)

Smokin Joe said:


> Mid range, though I'm back to the optician on the 23rd so if there is no improvement I'll see about an upgrade.



The difference between the three ranges is quite marked!


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## nickb (6 Aug 2022)

I sent my first pair of varifocals back as I thought they were terrible. A few years later (around the year 2000) I tried again and the experience was the same but I gave them a week and got use to them. I spent a small fortune on them over the next 16 years I was using them as my vision deteriorated.

Finally I was diagnosed with cataracts and had trifocal intraocular lenses fitted. It was like being given back the vision I had as a kid: 20/15 Snellen and J1+ Jaeger. Very few, if any, NHS trusts will fit multifocal IOLs so you have to go private but even then it's cheaper than using expensive varifocals over decades.

Sounds mad but, for those that can handle the idea of eye surgery, getting cataracts is a blessing for people with presbyopia.


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## fossyant (6 Aug 2022)

I know I could do with some, he says peering over the top of his glasses to read his phone.


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## pawl (6 Aug 2022)

Smokin Joe said:


> I got a new pair of varifocals today. My prescription has changed and these are a bit stronger than previous pairs I've owned. I'm having a bit of trouble adjusting to them as they seem to require a bit more eye movement to go from distance close up. The optician reckons it can take up to a week, has anyone found the same when they've changed and how long before you got used to them and it became automatic?





I have a pair of Vaifocal sun glasses I have to wait a few minutes for my eyes to adjust when I first put them on .Otherwise no problem,


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## Mike_P (6 Aug 2022)

Just picked up three new pairs, normal, sun and vdu and they always seem a bit strange, two fold, one getting use to them and the other eyes adjusting to the new prescription which normally means them straining less. Need to get some new cycling glasses as I have always just used distance ones but trying to read the smaller text on a Wahoo or Garmin is impossible.


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## mistyoptic (6 Aug 2022)

Having sat on the other side of the desk, until I retired:

1. To an extent you get what you pay for. No different to your car/bike/hifi/camera
2. Some lens designs will work better for certain tasks. It's your Optician's job to advise you on that. Lenses can be grouped as "hard" or "soft designs. This refers to how fast the image quality falls off to the side of the reading area. The power build up can be quick or slow (corridor length).
3. Some folk are much more, or less, tolerant to the "swim" effect. A good quality lens nowadays will give little of this peripheral distortion. Some of the early types were awful.

I was in the fortunate position of being able to try many different designs. The manufacturers are keen for one to recomment their product and used to provide complimentary pairs for evaluation. I hated some and loved others. That gave me reasons to recommend certain lenses for certain tasks.

The analogy I used, to my patients, is that varifocals are like shoes. If I give you half a dozen pairs of different shoes, in your size, they probably won't all be comfortable. They WILL be your size though. Part of the professional time you pay for is to advise what is best for your needs and your lifestyle.

Not really any different from buying a bike. You need good advice to get the best result

EDIT - The fit matters A LOT too. The curve of the frame, the angle towards your cheeks and how close they sit to your eyes can make an enormous difference to the lens performance


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## Smokin Joe (6 Aug 2022)

I'm entitled t a second pair at half price, so when I go back I think I will upgrade to premium lens. Part of the trouble with these is that I think the frames are too wide for me, my fault there as I picked them myself.

Having said that, I do seem to be settling down with them after the first full day though it's going to take a bit more before I'm happy, and the reading part of the lens is an improvement on what I had.


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## neil_merseyside (7 Aug 2022)

I can't bear to have my astigmatism corrected as I feel the ground is either falling away from me, or is rising (I forget) so whilst I now have slightly less correction than possible I do much prefer any flat ground to actually look flat!
However I am quite happy with varifocals (and even £69 Asda cheapies - who knew they did varifocal at same price as single vision?) This was as a while back, and surely the £ numbers have changed, but varifocals sold at singe vision prices (and the free option to revert to SV) is a no-brainer. I don't know why I can cope with using varifocals in the blink of an eye (well putting on the specs) but can't cope with having my distorted balls fixed.


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## kayakerles (7 Aug 2022)

I am 66 now and have had four pairs of variable focus over the years. Trifocals every time. Supposedly one range will work for my computer monitor, and it never has with any of them, so I am done with them. I got single vision specs for my monitor use and don’t like them either! My bike riding protective specs are single vision, long distance only. Love them. 

I am just sad that with my very first pair of single vision for use with my computer monitor, measured specifically for that exact purpose, they just feel too strong. Put them on the shelf after a week.


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## kayakerles (7 Aug 2022)

Mike_P said:


> Just picked up three new pairs, normal, sun and vdu and they always seem a bit strange, two fold, one getting use to them and the other eyes adjusting to the new prescription which normally means them straining less. Need to get some new cycling glasses as I have always just used distance ones but trying to read the smaller text on a Wahoo or Garmin is impossible.



I know what you mean on the riding specs. I love mine as they are nice size safety glasses and also keep bugs and dust out of my eyes besides helping me see when I’m riding. But I can’t read my phone or watch either. I just lift them up a little bit. If you get varifocal riding glasses, make sure there’s only a little bit of the close-up on the bottom so they don’t interfere with the main purpose you have them. Hope yours turn out great. 🤓


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## Mike_P (7 Aug 2022)

kayakerles said:


> I know what you mean on the riding specs. I love mine as they are nice size safety glasses and also keep bugs and dust out of my eyes besides helping me see when I’m riding. But I can’t read my phone or watch either. I just lift them up a little bit. If you get varifocal riding glasses, make sure there’s only a little bit of the close-up on the bottom so they don’t interfere with the main purpose you have them. Hope yours turn out great. 🤓



Would bifocals be better then?


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## MontyVeda (7 Aug 2022)

I got on with mine pretty much straightaway, until i sat in front of my PC. They really don't work for that and I use cheap readers from Wilko instead. The varis are great at work, great round town, great for watching TV. I don't wear glasses for cycling and hope i never need to.


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## Smokin Joe (7 Aug 2022)

MontyVeda said:


> I don't wear glasses for cycling and hope i never need to.


I can only wear single vision on a bike. You move your eyes much more than when driving and there is too much distortion with varifocals.


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## Mike_P (7 Aug 2022)

Smokin Joe said:


> I can only wear single vision on a bike. You move your eyes much more than when driving and there is too much distortion with varifocals.


Didn't have a problem with my last prescription when I cycled with my normal glasses on. Yet to try the new normal glasses cycling.


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## kayakerles (7 Aug 2022)

Mike_P said:


> Would bifocals be better then?



No better. All the pairs of variable focus with just two ranges I have been happy with. Trifocals were another story. My mid range was useless. I don’t mind my riding glasses being long distance single focus. For the most part it just feels like they are protective glasses, and I have perfectly great vision. If only.

I picked these for my riding glasses, they slightly squeeze my head to stay very comfortably right in place, give me clear vision, and don’t let the bugs or dust get in my eyes. I like them so much I got a pair of long distance prescription sunglasses also. I suggest trying frames on to find one that has just the right fit for you. Best of success.


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## Mike_P (7 Aug 2022)

Decided to try a set of stick on lenses to see if they will improve reading of the Garmin/ Wahoo whilst otherwise using the existing distance lenses.


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## Mike_P (7 Aug 2022)

kayakerles said:


> I picked these for my riding glasses, they slightly squeeze my head to stay very comfortably


Those I take it are from Selectspecs - sizing does seem small on the arms; 132 arms 17 bridge 57 lens whereas my normal glasses are 140 arms, 16 bridge, 54 lens.


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## iluvmybike (8 Aug 2022)

Smokin Joe said:


> I got a new pair of varifocals today. My prescription has changed and these are a bit stronger than previous pairs I've owned. I'm having a bit of trouble adjusting to them as they seem to require a bit more eye movement to go from distance close up. The optician reckons it can take up to a week, has anyone found the same when they've changed and how long before you got used to them and it became automatic?



Yes - I experienced this so I just wore them for a few hours each day then a bit longer - took a couple of weeks to adjust


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## Mike_P (27 Aug 2022)

Could not get the stick on lenses to work, even when one was cut down to two small ones; the cost of them was compensated by Optilabs having £20 off an order. I asked them which glasses would be appropriate for my prescription and they sent out trial frames for me to see what the fit as like with sufficient postage stamps included for the return. Went with the Rapide with grey photochromic lenses which arrived on Thursday pre postal strike


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## SpokeyDokey (6 Sep 2022)

Amazing service from Specsavers.

Mrs SD purchased bifocals a couple of months back from them - she loves the lenses and they took very little adjusting to.

Couldn't get on with the frame though - pressure behind her ears making her feel like her head was about to explode. Too tight across the nose bridge as well.

Four return visits to adjust and still no joy - she was hating the things.

However, a friend pointed out the no-quibble 100 day guarantee that Specsavers offer and off she went to see what transpired.

It was absolutely brilliant, they offered another adjustment session which she declined and then immediately offered either a full refund or exchange for different frames. No hassle whatsoever - amazing!

Chose the latter and the frames selected have a free photochromatic upgrade (which she likes on another pair of glasses that she has) to boot.

Bit of a result and they should arrive in branch this week.


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## mustang1 (6 Sep 2022)

I got my first pair a few weeks ago and yes, it takes a few days to get accustomed to them. But they are good once you get passed the initial period. 

It also got me thinking about lazer eye surgery because i don't want to keep giving the opticians a bunch of money. 

Side note: have you noticed how many opticians there are? Huge profit margins. I once checked up on that and came across a well articulated post from an optician who talked about the training requirements, the retail space, tax and insurance and staff costs etc. But i still wasn't convinced although for now, i still need glasses. I keep thinking of trying the online companies but never get round to it.


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## Bonefish Blues (6 Sep 2022)

Do. Massive, really massive savings. The glasses I'm wearing I bought the unglazed frame from eBay for way less than 1/3 retail, and had them glazed online, also way cheaper. A pair of 4-500 quid glasses with high spec varifocal lenses for less than 200.

The proliferation of Luxottica has pushed prices way higher also (so I buy one of the remaining independent manufacturers, Silhouette)


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