Thinking of having varifocals?

I'm perfectly happy with two pairs of glasses. Varifocals for indoors and distance photochromic sunglasses for outside. Just perfect.

By the way, don't forget to have a tint for stopping screen glare if you want your varifocals for computer work.

I’ve worn them for years, the very patient optician in the village, sadly gone, took me outside and tutored me going up and down three steps to explain head movement. I was also told I’d need a certain frame size, I now buy from Asda opticians, two pairs, thinned and photochromic lenses were £212 for both last year

I tried them a few years ago and didn’t get on with them too well. Since then my distant vision has improved slightly but my close vision has worsened so I would like to give them another go. Im getting fed up of constantly swapping distant and reading glasses around. I’m always losing my glasses too so it might help if I have less pairs! I can see how a larger lens would be better, I think the ones I had were a little too small, the bigger frames are more fashionable now.

My current lenses are from Specsavers Elite range. They aren’t as expensive as those I have had from a different opticians, but I decided to try them for economy’s sake. I can’t tell the difference and I have 2 pairs for the same price as one. Gangan’s point about a style with a large ish area of vision is a good one.

It is certainly worth paying for the best quality lenses. My very first pair were not good enough so I was upgraded and have always been very satisfied. I have worn them for over 30 years. Varifocals are so useful in most circumstances, especially as a singer as I can easily read the music and watch the conductor. I now also have a pair of reading glasses for concentrated small print reading.

I have worn them for many years and love them . It took a couple of days to get use to them but then all was fine and would hate to have to go back to 2 pairs . The only points I would make is make sure you choose a style that the lens is deep enough to give you a large ish area of vision and also be aware that if you tilt your head sideways it can appear a bit wonky ! They aren't cheap I know so I understand your 'pondering ' . Good luck if you go for some .

Dinahmo I've always had lenses made by Nikon, Zeiss or Rodenstock and have never had a problem. Friends who have bough cheaper ones from Specsavers or similar have had problems. These lenses are expensive. The last pair I had cost me about £400 - just the lenses - and that was about 5 years ago. I wholeheartedly recommend them but you do need to be prepared to pay. Then you shouldn't have any problems.

My Nikon Home & Office lenses from 2014 were brilliant and I'm still using them! I went to a different optician 18 months ago hoping to get the same lenses but they were no good! I had a refund of £300 for the lenses and £100 for the frames. I'm convinced they hurried the eye test but I can't prove it. You need to take your time because I find some of those lenses are very difficult to say which are more blurry. 😵

Well I'm off to Boots on Monday for some varifocals so wish me luck this time. 🤞

I don't understand why anyone would wear their varifocals for escalators or stairs. No wonder they fall over! The bottom part is meant for close up work or reading. I only use my varifocals at home for cooking, cleaning, computer, reading, all the everyday things. I would never wear them when out and about.

Dinahmo I have Zeiss lenses.
I agree with the online demonstration of the fields of vision. It was described to me as the nearest thing to "normal" eyesight.
As I've worn glasses since the age of 3 I'm prepared to pay what it takes 😕

I got my first pair of varifocals when I was 39 (I'm now 76). When I collected them it was suggested that I didn't wear them home because I needed to get used to them I did wear them home and it was absolutely fine.

Some years later some friends asked me why I was spending so much on them. To me it was like buying a Ford or a Mercedes. Anyway I asked the dispenser and he showed me on his computer screen the different fields of vision for the different makes. I've always had lenses made by Nikon, Zeiss or Rodenstock and have never had a problem. Friends who have bough cheaper ones from Specsavers or similar have had problems. These lenses are expensive. The last pair I had cost me about £400 - just the lenses - and that was about 5 years ago. Before covid I used to go back to my old optician in England but now I don't want to travel to Suffolk and, in any event I expect he's been retired for a while.

I wholeheartedlu recommend them but you do need to be prepared to pay. Then you shouldn't have any problems.

Ive had varifocals for a few years now. Didnt take anytime to get used to them. One bit of advice I had was to get top the of the range lenses. I would prefer the reading strength to be stronger though.

Years ago I found myself with four pairs of glasses at a time: distance, reading, sunglasses for distance, sunglasses for reading... So I changed to varifocals and now only need one pair of plain and one pair of tinted lenses.

It sounds to me like some of the problems people are describing are because the lenses haven't been measured and fitted correctly.
I agree with the comments that having a smaller frame will make it harder to accommodate the three zones of vision in varifocal lenses. I've had some like this over the years.
With one pair I could only read out of the very bottom left hand corner of one of the lenses. Hopeless.
I went back and had them remeasured, lenses remade and refitted.
It's a very precise art as they have to be perfectly sure they mark the spot on the lenses for the centre of your pupils exactly where it'll be when you're wearing them.

I'd say to anyone that's not happy with your varifocals, go back and get them checked that they have been measured correctly. I've had to have a couple of pairs of lenses remade over the years because they weren't correct.
I had a new pair earlier this year and the assistant measured very carefully, then got a colleague to check she'd got it right. That was in Boots.

I had a pair 3/4 years ago, but didn’t like the ‘no man’s land’ between distance at top, and close up at bottom. The blurry bit in the middle made me feel a bit funny. Went back to bifocals, they are much better , and keep the old pairs all around the house incase I mislay them!! Good luck. 🤓😎

Had mine years. Love them. No prob getting used to them either - literally an hour so so. They are liberating!

Yes Chestnut we seem to have the same multi purpose glasses but mine are Zeis. They suit me well. 👍

I had no trouble at all adjusting to my varifocals. I wouldn't have anything else now. I suggest though, that you get larger lenses in a larger frame. I had a bit of trouble reading with a previous pair, when the fashion was for narrow frames.

Primrose Did you go back to having 2 pairs?

Sparklefizz

Shelflife

Your thoughts please . I am now finding that I am constantly switching from one pair of specs to another. For eg. Watching TV then wanting to read the TV guide , driving and wanting to glance at the sat nav on my phone. So many people seem to have difficulty adjusting to varifocals so really not sure what to do ?

I am just a couple of weeks ahead of you Shelflife and collected my first pair of varifocals earlier this week. I decided to try them for the same reason as you - having to carry 2 pairs of glasses around with me and having to keep swapping.

Now I'm not at all happy with the varifocals as however I manoeuvre them on my face, I can't see properly. I am going back to the optician on Monday morning but I don't want to keep having to send them off to be tweaked, only to find they are still not right. My vision is fine with my distance glasses, and fine with my close-up glasses. I was only planning to change for the convenience of having one pair.

Several friends who wear varifocals also have another pair eg. NanKate's "Occupational Prescription Glasses .... but if I'm going to have 2 different pairs, I may as well stick with the ones I have at the moment.

I will see what the optician says when I take them back on Monday. They weren't cheap I was already worried about the periphery vision with varifocals re driving, and with going downstairs. I know people who have fallen.

I'm very disappointed.

Just how I felt. I got a full refund at Boots. £500ish.

I have worn varifocals for a few years and have had no problems with them. I have varifocal sunglasses too.

I have extra thin lenses because of my prescription. I also wear contact lenses occasionally but need to wear reading glasses with them.

I hope you persevere and find that you can wear them without problems.

I have had varifocals for a few years now and it's life changing not fumbling about to change glasses all the time.
It did take me a few months to get used to them though and was just about to return them when something just clicked. I'm so glad it did. I agree they are expensive.

I’ve worn varifocals for years with no problems - I first needed them when I was working on computers. I also have photochromic lenses, so not cheap, but since I wear them all the time I get my money’s worth!

I have had them for years but was advised to also have a pair of reading glasses for reading in bed. I know immediately if I have the varifocals on instead of my reading glasses.

Didn’t like them felt dizzy with them and didn’t take to them.

My Veriofocals are Nikon ones, more expensive but you hardly notice going from distance to close up. Never had any issues with computers either.
I have had them for about 12 years now. Never had a problem even first time I wore them.

I have tried varifocal glasses and contacts three times in the last 10 years but cannot get on with them, I don't know why as the majority of people that wear them get on fine.

For me, I cannot see distance or close up clearly. It would be so much easier if I could wear them.

Most places give a free trial.