Date: 28-03-24  Time: 13:44 pm

Author Topic: Varifocal glasses.  (Read 3425 times)

Kenbob

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Varifocal glasses.
« on: 21 May 2018, 02:43:30 pm »
can someone please explain the benefit of varifocal glasses to me because I can’t see it ( see what I did there).
I was reluctant to try the bloody things again but thought i’d try Zeiss driving lenses as recommended by the optician for driving, which is what I do.
Anyhow my argument is this.
With bi focal lenses only one part of my vision will be blurred but with varifocal lenses my peripheral vision is also blurred so what’s the point in paying more money for seeing less.
I need my peripheral vision, I think it’s vital riding a motorbike, that’s just my opinion though.

slappy

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #1 on: 21 May 2018, 02:59:25 pm »
I tried them a few years for work, top half was for distance, bottom half was basically just clear glass so I could read drawings. Could not get on with them at all, I was told to not move my head when looking down at drawings but just to move my eyes. Did my head in trying to do it, eventually binned them. I figured at work if something is that far away that I need glasses to see it then I could just ignore it.
Never tried them on the bike or driving car, just wear my normal glasses that are for distance.

Dea-ville

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #2 on: 21 May 2018, 04:00:17 pm »
Iv'e worn varifocal glasses for the last four years & i also wear multifocal contact lenses for work & for me they both work a treat. Can wear either riding bike no problem. There is another alternative, a friend of mine has just had lens replacement surgery, £3000 per eye & he has the vision back he had in his twenty's.


.

red98

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #3 on: 21 May 2018, 06:43:24 pm »
Been wearing varifocals for a few years now , custom made for riding top half and sides for distance and peripheral ( life saver glance over the shoulder ) and inner lower quarter fof reading the clocks , they do take some getting used to but wouldnt be without them now......as said , move your eyes not your head.........
One, is never going to be enough.....

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #4 on: 21 May 2018, 06:50:10 pm »
 Had them since I started wearing glasses 8 years ago.
Brilliant.  Though you get what you pay for.  It’s worthwhile paying for the higher quality ones which will give you the decent peripheral vison that you seek.  My day to day glasses are top quality, but my safety glasses at work have cheap lenses, I get by with them but the difference is clear.
You do have to work them, and at first you might find em a pain, but if you stick with it it’ll become second nature.  I think they are brilliant.
I do have separate reading glasses for reading books etc – it’s just more pleasant.
Also keep my original reading glasses from 8 years ago for photo work on the computer – they now make ideal short to mid distance glasses – ie ideal for working at a screen.
And a pair of 3 quid, slightly more powerful than my reading glasses for hill walking – great for getting the detail of maps, and no need to worry aboot them getting squashed in ma pocket.
 

tommyardin

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #5 on: 21 May 2018, 07:08:48 pm »
Iv'e worn varifocal glasses for the last four years & i also wear multifocal contact lenses for work & for me they both work a treat. Can wear either riding bike no problem. There is another alternative, a friend of mine has just had lens replacement surgery, £3000 per eye & he has the vision back he had in his twenty's.


.
Trouble is he was blind when he was twenty

tommyardin

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #6 on: 21 May 2018, 07:26:09 pm »
Varifocals work a treat for me in general, I have had them for 24 years and would not go back to single vision glasses.


They do take a bit of getting used to especially walking down stairs, you end up looking down at the stairs through the long distance part and all is blurry, also looking up to do things like changing a light bulb you end up looking through the long distance part (top of lenses)


Motorcycle maintenance is almost impossible with them on, but in the rest of life they are great.


I have had a pair varifocal made up for computer and other close work the bottom/reading part are set for 2.5 feet so are great for motorcycle maintenance and computer stuff but they don't focus out quite far enough to be perfectly clear at the long distance for some reason, I have driven the car in them before by mistake but they are not quite right, although they are 100% better that not having my glasses on at all (Short sighted since childhood)


When I first thought that I needed glasses I visited Optivision the optician said 'are you positive you need them'  come outside he said and he pointed up into the sky and said 'what is that' I said its the sun, he responded how much further do you want to fucking see.  :lol

b1k3rdude

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #7 on: 21 May 2018, 07:45:34 pm »
To the people who have and like them, what was the average cost..?

YamFazFan

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #8 on: 21 May 2018, 07:58:02 pm »
When I first thought that I needed glasses I visited Optivision the optician said 'are you positive you need them'  come outside he said and he pointed up into the sky and said 'what is that' I said its the sun, he responded how much further do you want to fucking see.  :lol

 :lol


tommyardin

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #9 on: 21 May 2018, 09:04:06 pm »
To the people who have and like them, what was the average cost..?


With anti scratch coating and anti glare about 200 quid, or you can bluetac a pair of binoculars to your face for 45 quid., although its a bit dodgy knowing exactly when to apply your brakes.  :eek

darrsi

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #10 on: 22 May 2018, 12:05:23 am »
Could always be weird like me!
Had my eyes lasered in 2004 after wearing glasses since 1979.
Great for a few years, then had light sensitivity, then got assaulted by some twat 4 years ago which caused issues.
Right now, i have a left eye which is short sighted, and a long sighted right eye.
Weird thing is, for most part it works....the long sighted eye takes over for most of it, although close vision stuff like soldering at work is iffy.
Technology now though is way better....BUT..... the price accompanies it.
I paid £555 for both eyes, now it's 4 or 5 times more at least, but most certainly a life changer.....how long for though is down to each individual.
We all heal and grow old differently, so never any guarantees.
Food for thought.....


Anyone wants questions answered though, feel free to ask.
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Kenbob

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #11 on: 22 May 2018, 01:54:53 pm »
That’s weird, the optician told me to move my head not my eyes, either way I paid for expensive lenses and still not happy.
Maybe varifocals are just not me.

robbo

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #12 on: 22 May 2018, 02:16:39 pm »
Took me a while to get used to mine, a month or two maybe. Been using them for 4/5 years now, just on second prescription, and for general use/riding/driving  have no problems at all. If I was on a long trip and on the bike all day, maybe I'd use my distance only. Not so good at night for fishing as reading glasses would be better for tackling up. My optician recommended moving your head rather than your eyes. Costwise with reactolite and the next to thinnest lenses about £300, including a distance pair with the same frames.
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Kenbob

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #13 on: 22 May 2018, 03:53:08 pm »
That’s a good price, I paid £475 for just one pair and they were non reactolight.
I feel I’ve been mugged.

robbo

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #14 on: 22 May 2018, 04:14:24 pm »
Specsavers. Wasn't happy with the sharpness of the distance section, most noticeable at speed. Had a second eyetest and replacements made for both pairs. Happy with them now. The distance only pair are non reactive and I find better at night.
« Last Edit: 22 May 2018, 04:16:52 pm by robbo »
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red98

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #15 on: 22 May 2018, 06:37:20 pm »
£250 ish for mine , specsavers again , different advice on moving head / eyes , when on the bike I can quickly glance down without moving my head to read the clocks , works well for me....had a trial for contact lenses a few years back and they were fantastic especially on the bike no kerfuffle removing glasses , put helmet on and then glasses , the only resson I did'nt go for them was the hassle getting them in and out....they were good though, parhaps I need to give them another go........
One, is never going to be enough.....

tommyardin

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #16 on: 22 May 2018, 10:44:24 pm »
Reading some of the prices guys seem to have paid for their Varifocals I dug out my receipt from Specsavers.
WHAT THE FUCK  :eek
£328 total, they were £208 (That's what I remembered) plus the rest for anti glare antic scratch and reactalight.
Bastards

Grahamm

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #17 on: 22 May 2018, 11:11:23 pm »
I don't want to hijack this thread too much, but has anyone else on here tried bifocal contact lenses?

darrsi

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #18 on: 23 May 2018, 06:52:45 am »
I don't want to hijack this thread too much, but has anyone else on here tried bifocal contact lenses?


Never even knew they existed, although i simply cannot touch my eyes so it would be a no no for me.
After a bit of reading it sounds like the Varifocal lenses would be the way to go rather than Bifocal lenses, l though i still don't quite understand hoe Bifocal contact lenses would work when they're stuck to your eyes?


My eyes at the moment are classed as Monovision, as in one short sighted and one long sighted.
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Kenbob

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #19 on: 23 May 2018, 02:21:15 pm »
The problem for me isn’t the looking down, which is nice and clear, the problem with varifocals for me is the blurred peripheral vision.
I can’t see why people pay more for less vision.
I’m going get my money back and go bifocal, this way I get my side vision back and keep my near vision, it’s a win win.
As for bi focal contact lenses, how do they work if the lens is stuck on your eye, surely the lens would move when your eyes move.confused of Croydon.

Grahamm

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #20 on: 24 May 2018, 01:57:33 am »
I don't want to hijack this thread too much, but has anyone else on here tried bifocal contact lenses?

After a bit of reading it sounds like the Varifocal lenses would be the way to go rather than Bifocal lenses, l though i still don't quite understand hoe Bifocal contact lenses would work when they're stuck to your eyes?

It's too complicated to go into here, but they do work.

Unfortunately having worn them for the first time in the dark tonight, I got a lot of flare and glare from headlights, signs, streetlamps etc, so unless the optician can do something about it, that's a total deal-breaker :(

Kenbob

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #21 on: 24 May 2018, 01:17:31 pm »
There will be someone who makes ant glare varifocal contact lenses pretty soon i’m guessing.

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #22 on: 25 May 2018, 07:10:16 pm »
I had a free trial of bifocal contact lenses through Specsavers....I found that the close up vision was good but I felt it compromised distance vision so went back to standard contact lenses.
Ask for a trial....they may be ok for you.

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Re: Varifocal glasses.
« Reply #23 on: 30 May 2018, 11:02:47 pm »
The optician has tweaked the prescription and altered the fit which has improved matters somewhat, I did 160 miles around Devon on the weekend and another 180 back home with them in (all daytime riding) and they were ok.
The night vision is still a bit iffy, but not as bad as it was. Fingers crossed he can sort it out with a few more adjustments and it will save me having to faff around with reading glasses :thumbup