Varifocals and Driving

[Sheepshanks]

Wife & I just changed ours again - both gone for Essilor Physio 1.74 thinness.

Wife is very happy with her's, I'm less happy - feels a bit like I'm looking through a reflection. I've gone for quite big frames and it might be to do with the size of the lenses. I'm more comfortable (optically) in my previous pair.

[silverthorn2151]

I've used varietals for ages. No problems at all. Worked fine in a full face helmet too. Just got new prescription on some Ray Ban frames from Boots.

I have an astigmatism and need extra for reading. As a result the lenses are very complex. Went for best Zeiss lenses, thin as anything, transition, special glare coating and every other box ticked.

Makes the frames seem cheap. Had new lenses in my existing Clubmaster frames, which were half price in their offer, bit still cost me.£750!

[Mr Tidy]

Luckily I only really need glasses for distance so can use single focus ones for driving and the TV. To read I can see better if I take them off!

But I don't have prescription sunglasses so I have 10 pairs of Varifocal daily contact lenses every month and they work really well. Plus they don't steam up when I have to wear a mask!

[silentbrown]

Mr Tidy said:

Luckily I only really need glasses for distance so can use single focus ones for driving and the TV. To read I can see better if I take them off!

My distance vision was fine with single-focus lenses. It was the instruments that were the challenge, particularly at night.

I'm sure you can get varifocals with zero correction in the lower area.

[r159]

I wear varifocals safety glasses at work, it it’s been two years now and I still haven’t decided on buying my own pair yet.

[Pit Pony]

gdaybruce said:

I've used varifocals for many years but I've learned that I need to move my head, especially at T junctions and cross roads, to be sure that I've seen what might be coming clearly. Interestingly, my brother has a private pilot's licence and he told me some time ago that varifocals are prohibited in aviation. Bifocals are OK, but not varifocals. I guess that must tell us something.

I'm about to get my eyes checked. I've had this pair of varifocals for 3 years (yes too long) and I've never been entirely happy with them. I'm thinking of getting bifocals for driving. And maybe reading glasses for using the computer.

[silverthorn2151]

There are advances in verification design that give different areas within the lens

My new ones have an extended zone for reading which is a big improvement. All that stuff costs of course but I wear mine from getting up until I go to sleep so figure it's all monet well spent.

[Sheepshanks]

Sheepshanks said:

Wife & I just changed ours again - both gone for Essilor Physio 1.74 thinness.

Wife is very happy with her's, I'm less happy - feels a bit like I'm looking through a reflection. I've gone for quite big frames and it might be to do with the size of the lenses. I'm more comfortable (optically) in my previous pair.

Went back today as my new ones were driving me mad - particular issues were reflections, they addressed that by tilting the frame slightly, seemed to help, and slightly blurry right eye when reading. Most annoying was that in my old pair I could read the whole of my laptop screen inc menus and the top and taskbar stuff, without moving my head. Impossible in the new ones - the focus point seems tiny, not what I expected from Essilor lenses, when I'd had 'cheapy' Specsaver's own before.

So they're re-doing the lenses and I chose a less deep frame and they're fitting short-corridor lenses. No idea if I've had those before.