[Help] Varifocal bins

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Yes they do. I’ve worn glasses for over 25 years and until 2 years ago I could still read close up with my glasses on but not anymore. My near vision is perfect but it’s now impossible with my glasses on. I also wear contact lenses for golf/cricket/skiing and not being able to read with them in is a real problem. I’m now getting reading glasses to reverse the contact lenses!

You are saying that distance glasses impair your near vision? Mine (I still hav some) don't impair mine. They have no effect. So you are saying you can read fine with no glasses, but when you put your distance glasses on you can't any more but could in the past? Weird. Why not simply take your glasses off when you need to read? If your problem were commonplace everyone with a vision issue would need varifocals.

Let's fac it.....its you, mate.

 

[mwrpoole]

You are saying that distance glasses impair your near vision? Mine (I still hav some) don't impair mine. They have no effect. So you are saying you can read fine with no glasses, but when you put your distance glasses on you can't any more but could in the past? Weird. Why not simply take your glasses off when you need to read? If your problem were commonplace everyone with a vision issue would need varifocals.

Let's fac it.....its you, mate.

That’s exactly what I’m saying and I do have to take them off to read. As I said was never like this for 20+ years and only started a couple of years ago. My opticians tell me it’s not unusual but I’m yet to meet anyone else with the same problem.

 

[banjo]

I only wear rose tinted glasses. we’re gonna win league we’re gonna win the league.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

That’s exactly what I’m saying and I do have to take them off to read. As I said was never like this for 20+ years and only started a couple of years ago. My opticians tell me it’s not unusual but I’m yet to meet anyone else with the same problem.

Freak!

 

[Doonhamer7]

Had to admit I didn’t want varifocals but got them two years ago, just ordered my new pair this week, close part is getting worse. I had only problem with them - the first game from the West Upper - had to move my whole head as looking down was through the close viewing part so a bit blurred. Specsavers advised not to walk out the shop wearing them but try at home first. I do describe them as my old man glasses. Also you have to pay for varifocal lenses where normal lenses are free - so at Specsavers instead of two pairs for £125 I’m paying £285ish.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

You are saying that distance glasses impair your near vision? Mine (I still hav some) don't impair mine. They have no effect. So you are saying you can read fine with no glasses, but when you put your distance glasses on you can't any more but could in the past? Weird. Why not simply take your glasses off when you need to read? If your problem were commonplace everyone with a vision issue would need varifocals.

Let's fac it.....its you, mate.

This is the essence of my main question. I can

1) Spend double the money on varifocal and see long and short with my glasses.
2) Take the cheap single focal option and lift/take off the glasses/squint when I’m reading etc. I guess this is the reverse of popping on reading glasses.


What I need to know is how much off a pain is 2). To bring figures into this 1) is around 600 euros and the second is 270. That’s a big difference and I want to know is it worth it or can I get by with cheap ones. And remember I’m not going to wear these ball the time.

 

[Saunders]

You are saying that distance glasses impair your near vision? Mine (I still hav some) don't impair mine. They have no effect. So you are saying you can read fine with no glasses, but when you put your distance glasses on you can't any more but could in the past? Weird. Why not simply take your glasses off when you need to read? If your problem were commonplace everyone with a vision issue would need varifocals.

Let's fac it.....its you, mate.

He is not on his own my eyesight was fine to read and distance for most of my life but in the last 2 years not. Now my eyes are so bad that I have to take them off as you say and put my face really close or use a second pair of reading glasses. Varifocals would be great for me but I am one that could never get on with them, I felt like Mr Magoo.

 

[Saunders]

This is the essence of my main question. I can

1) Spend double the money on varifocal and see long and short with my glasses.
2) Take the cheap single focal option and lift/take off the glasses/squint when I’m reading etc.

I guess you are in Germany but places like ASDA do the varifocal at the same price. You pay the same price no matter what lens you have and they dont charge for thinning or coating either. You also have an option which works for me of moving my glasses to the end of my nose and can then read that way.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Had to admit I didn’t want varifocals but got them two years ago, just ordered my new pair this week, close part is getting worse. I had only problem with them - the first game from the West Upper - had to move my whole head as looking down was through the close viewing part so a bit blurred. Specsavers advised not to walk out the shop wearing them but try at home first. I do describe them as my old man glasses. Also you have to pay for varifocal lenses where normal lenses are free - so at Specsavers instead of two pairs for £125 I’m paying £285ish.

You raise an excellent point here. I will be wearing these at the football, as an aside this is wear I first noticed the issue, and I’ll mainly be looking down at things a long way away.....so varifocals will not work if the lower part of the lens is not correcting for anything.

 

[Hornblower]

Had varis for five years or so, took to them straight away, don’t see what the problem is.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I guess you are in Germany but places like ASDA do the varifocal at the same price. You pay the same price no matter what lens you have and they dont charge for thinning or coating either. You also have an option which works for me of moving my glasses to the end of my nose and can then read that way.

I do but I’m in the U.K. a fair bit. I’ll bear this in mind. Thank you.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Had to admit I didn’t want varifocals but got them two years ago, just ordered my new pair this week, close part is getting worse. I had only problem with them - the first game from the West Upper - had to move my whole head as looking down was through the close viewing part so a bit blurred. Specsavers advised not to walk out the shop wearing them but try at home first. I do describe them as my old man glasses. Also you have to pay for varifocal lenses where normal lenses are free - so at Specsavers instead of two pairs for £125 I’m paying £285ish.

You can vary the proportion (square cm) of the lens that is close and far. Specsavers quality is half the quality of the indepndent optician I use. I have one expensive pair of varis, and two cheap specsavers versions for emergency. For quality that is fit for purpose you have to pay. Who knew?

Incidentally I lost my old distance spex on the way to the playoff semi, 3 years ago. Had to watch wearing my prescription driving sun glasss. In the dark. Looked a prat.

 

[Fungus]

You raise an excellent point here. I will be wearing these at the football, as an aside this is wear I first noticed the issue, and I’ll mainly be looking down at things a long way away.....so varifocals will not work if the lower part of the lens is not correcting for anything.

They will be fine for that

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

They will be fine for that

Just to be sure, it’s varifocals which will be fine?

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Okay. I need to get glasses as I’m slightly short-sighted. I only notice this ailment on occasion and it doesn’t seemingly hinder me. That said, when I had my minces checked, I could see previously slightly fuzzy very distant things sharply when I tested some glasses.

I don’t anticipate wearing goggles all the time, and the main question I have is should I get varifocal lenses or not. There’s a huge, double the price, difference so I wonder if it’s worth it given the limited use I expect from them.

What do people think? Will I be wearing glasses more than I expect? Is vari a sensible investment? Anything else I should consider? Am I missing anything?

I only have a couple of friends/family who wear glasses and this is just for reading; hence I’m reaching out to NSC.

Thanks in advance.

Evening mate - you obviously haven't noticed my bins!

Have had varifocals for about 6 years now. Have worn glasses for many years for distance but found myself reading books or phones 'under' the glasses and eventually had to switch to varifocals.

They are expensive - especially for a decent lens. They are not for everyone as some people struggle to adjust to them.

You say that you only want them for reading so, if you have a fairly standard reading prescription, then just buy some of the cheap reading pairs from supermarkets etc. Have a couple of mates who do this and have several pairs of glasses that all cost less than a tenner each. However, if your optician is saying your distance vision is also fading, then you really should try distance lenses - you'll be amazed how much you are not seeing clearly when you start using them.

Can recommend Apollo Optik on Bundesstrasse as they fixed my glasses for free when I broke them visiting you in November!

 

[METALMICKY]

Like most things in like you do get what you pay for. Quite a few friends bought the cheap to mid range ones and all of them had issues adjusting to them and gave up. I've worn them for 4 years and from the off I always bought the top of the range Zeiss lenses and adapted to them very easily with no problems. Sure they don't come cheap but the quality my vision is not something I want to skimp on. With the more expensive ones you will not have the much reported distortions which cheap ones suffer from.

Don't get me started on multi or various focal contact lenses as that's a lot more tricky with it very difficult to achieve both perfect near and far vision.

 

[Petunia]

I have a friend in the same situation [MENTION=409]Herr Tubthumper[/MENTION] She wears a contact lens in one eye for distance. Her other eye is ‘naked’.

Apparently the eyes automatically know which eye to use for distance or close-up although it takes a little while to got used to it.

Personally I wear contacts for distance and then ‘off the shelf’ readers. I have some varifocal contact lenses but only use these for nights out when I need to read a menu for example as I don’t find them quite so good on distance.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Evening mate - you obviously haven't noticed my bins!

Have had varifocals for about 6 years now. Have worn glasses for many years for distance but found myself reading books or phones 'under' the glasses and eventually had to switch to varifocals.

They are expensive - especially for a decent lens. They are not for everyone as some people struggle to adjust to them.

You say that you only want them for reading so, if you have a fairly standard reading prescription, then just buy some of the cheap reading pairs from supermarkets etc. Have a couple of mates who do this and have several pairs of glasses that all cost less than a tenner each. However, if your optician is saying your distance vision is also fading, then you really should try distance lenses - you'll be amazed how much you are not seeing clearly when you start using them.

Can recommend Apollo Optik on Bundesstrasse as they fixed my glasses for free when I broke them visiting you in November!

Ah yeah, I forgot you have bins. And it seems you have the same issue as me ie reading is fine but long distance is fuzzy. I take it you wear your varifocals at the AMEX; are they okay? Or do you find that you’re looking down through them, and using the lower reading bit of the lens, to view the players who are a long way away? Ie you’re not using the right part of the lease for distant objects.

 

[METALMICKY]

Ah yeah, I forgot you have bins. And it seems you have the same issue as me ie reading is fine but long distance is fuzzy. I take it you wear your varifocals at the AMEX; are they okay? Or do you find that you’re looking down through them, and using the lower reading bit of the lens, to view the players who are a long way away? Ie you’re not using the right part of the lease for distant objects.

Now I'm confused. If your near vision is fine but your distance is fuzzy you should NOT be wearing varifocals. Varifocals address having trouble with near and far.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Ah yeah, I forgot you have bins. And it seems you have the same issue as me ie reading is fine but long distance is fuzzy. I take it you wear your varifocals at the AMEX; are they okay? Or do you find that you’re looking down through them, and using the lower reading bit of the lens, to view the players who are a long way away? Ie you’re not using the right part of the lease for distant objects.

The first pair I had, I went with a standard varifocal and found that I had to twist around to see the action on the screens clearly. Since then, I have paid for more expensive Zeiss lenses which have better transition and now I just watch the game 'normally'.

You need to consider if you need bi-focals or varifocals. Bi-focals are properly split between top and bottom having distance and reading views - varifocals should have a smooth transition across distance, intermediate and reading. If you are wearing them all the time then varifocals are worth the extra cost. If not, then bi-focals or even two cheap pairs - one reading, one distance - are a better bet.