Has anyone any experience?
Rather than using specs just for reading I've resorted to varifocal specs with the addition of prescription lenses in my sunglasses, I've used contact lenses before with no problems but I'm wondering how good varifocal contacts might be as an alternative, anyone tried /currently using?
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
I tried them and found them nowhere near as good as varifocal glasses. They were adequate at everything but not as sharp as my glasses at all distances. Took a months trial but went back to glasses. If you can get a no obligation trial then it would certainly be worth giving them a trial as they may well work for you. My trial was with Vision Express.
Best Regards - Peter
I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.
I’ve tried many brands/strength combos. I found you get the worst of both worlds, not as good distance or reading vision in them.
I just wear distance lenses and a pair of Larry Graysons. ymmv though!
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Eletos experience pretty much sums it up perfectly for my time using them .
This, in a nutshell. Astigmatism on top didn't help but still it's a compromise, and a bad one. I wear my glasses and when on the phone it is more comfortable to lift them on top of my head than faf around to get reading glasses, and if your CC are good for near vision they will be good for intermediate (monitor screen) but useless for driving.Originally Posted by Griswold
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Interesting to read of the experiences - I wondered if they were for me.
I’ve just started a trial via Vision Express. My long and short sightedness aren’t “severe”, as far as I am aware. To be honest, I’m a bit disappointed as the reading correction isn’t quite adequate but that was apparently a necessary compromise to get the best distance sight outcome.
I need to have another read of this:
https://www.visionexpress.com/contac...ct-lenses-work
My wife has used them for years so presumably she finds them OK. Prior to that she wore distance lenses but could read close up perfectly well whilst wearing them; but as she got older she couldn't read without glasses and that's when she got the varifocals.
I've been wearing the Acuvue Oasys ones for four months. Not everyday. They're OK. Not as sharp as glasses, but it's a good compromise between long and short.. mostly use them for sports or days/nights out.. not in office etc. very clever tech really. I'm with Specsavers and the trial starts with the mid-tier ones (£25 ish ones not the £19 ish ones) but I found them uncomfortable so upgraded to the softer £30 ish ones.
I tried the Acuvue Moist Multifocal ones a few years ago. Didn't rate them vs my varifocal glasses so most of the trial batch are still in my bedside drawer LOL.
I've gone the same route as you. One pair of normal varifocals, and another pair made up as sunglasses. I had actual glass lenses in each rather than the crap plastic ones that they like to sell you these days, as the glass ones last much longer. Not much more expensive either, and while they are certainly heavier, it is not noticeable in actual usage. Couldn't believe how bad the plastic ones were at getting scratched to shit and basically in need of replacement after only two years.
I agree with this, though I still find them useful for cycling.
They basically work, but because of the way they work, you get a slightly incoherent view. However for a long bike ride where there's a chance of rain, they're more comfortable than glasses and much better than glasses with rainwater on them.
Where did you gets glass lenses from? I never seem to find a place offering them.
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I'm following this thread with interest. I have an appointment to try varifocal contacts next Friday.
From Boots Opticians. I had to ask for them to quote me for glass lenses. They were able to offer some very nice lenses from Zeiss. The dispensing optician was so impressed when he saw mine that he ordered some for himself !
My prescription is fairly stable so makes perfect sense for me to have something more durable. I like to have the thinnest hi-index lenses available (I'm quite short-sighted) with the most expensive varifocal option, so they aren't cheap, which is another reason I like them to last ! My record for one pair of lenses was 23 years of daily wear LOL
The £ per wear must have worked out pretty well!
I found the latest generation of multifocal one day soft ones a revelation compared to older types, they’ve really improved. An updated prescription was probably part of that feeling, but I think the lenses are significantly better than they used to be too, and you can wear them all day long now. Annoyingly I don’t have them to hand so can’t say which brand they are but David Clulow sorted them out. I’ll edit the post once I’ve checked what they are, I think they may be the Clariti Multifocal 1-day.
Reading seems sharp and natural once you tune into them, rather than manageable like older ones, without obviously compromising distance. It’s just the strange feeling of having very good eyesight again, it feels totally natural and you anlmost instantly forget about them. I often wear them for badminton, tennis, table tennis and motorcycling, without any problems. Progressive glasses would still win,in a side by side test, but for most tasks you’d barely notice the difference. I guess I’d still reach for glasses to spend hours at the computer or reading, but they work fine. They’re a bit harder to put in than older ones due to being larger, thinner and floppier, but it’s worth getting used to. I’d really recommend giving them a go, they’re an amazing invention.
How much per month do those cost? You have piqued my interest, as now I only wear my fixed contacts for my motorbike. My other concern with varifocals on glasses is that you end up tilting your head back to see the screen. How do you find that aspect (if you use a computer on a desk)?
It’s a bit hard to say how much they are as I wear them anything between one to four times a week, not every day. I can’t remember how many I’ve ordered to be delivered or how often either, I only pay attention if I’m running out, or start accumulating boxes. So no idea of the unit price. If I’m working I’ll always wear fixed distance glasses with UV coating specially made for the screen distance, as perfect focus is critical for my work. I wouldn’t wear contacts if I was expecting to do serious work for hours, glasses are better for that. With a 32” screen you simply can’t wear progressive glasses either, as you say only the bottom third of the screen would be in focus so they’re hopeless for that. But the multifocal contacts are fine for messing around on the iPad and normal life.
I really struggled with my varifocal glasses, so had my optician make me a pair of glasses with the fixed focal distance to my screen, a bit like longer distance reading glasses. For me they have been brilliant, as I can sit at my large screen and move my eyes vs my head and eyes to stay in the sweet spot of vision & no longer tilt backwards.
Laptop and iPad still use varifocal glasses. Will have to try contacts again given how far off my glasses prescription seemed to be new vs old.
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I have been wearing the top-of-the-range Specsavers daily disposable varifocals for a number of years and find them fantastic.
It took a little bit of time experimenting with different prescriptions (and, of course, it takes some time for your brain to adapt), but I'm very happy with both my short and long distance vision.
I wear my lenses every single day, from getting up until going to bed, with no discomfort and no problems - I have my eyes checked at least once or twice a year. Cost is £42 per month (on the Lensmail scheme, delivered to my door) and worth every penny.
I have astigmatism across both eyes, previously (few years ago) I could not get dailies to fix varifocal and the astigmatism, so was a varifocal lens, and then a single vision to correct astigmatism in a single eye.
This was what I struggled with. Will have to see what has moved on, and getting used to the current options.
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I've been wearing multifocal toric lenses for a few years now.
Until recently, only CooperVision made these, and I've tried both their lines, ProClear and Biofinity.
Unlike with varifocal glasses, the reading correction is just 'there' when you turn your attention to something close - no tilting of the head, etc. needed.
In my experience, distance vision with these is perfectly acceptable. Near vision is usually fine too, the exception being occasionally when in poor lighting or towards the end of a long day, when the eyes might be tired and the lenses perhaps a bit 'sticky'.
As with all toric lenses, you sometimes need a blink or two to rotate them back to the proper alignment. I've had no issues with comfort or wear time with them, and typically wear them all day every day.
Of the two, I think I narrowly prefer the ProClear lenses in terms of vision, but the Biofinity lenses run them very close. They're made from slightly different materials and for me the ProClear have the edge in terms of comfort and stability.
Bausch & Lomb have recently entered the market, but their Ultra multifocal toric isn't available in the same range of prescriptions as the CooperVision lenses, which can be specified pretty much exactly to your spectacle prescription (within limits).
These lenses are made to order and so delivery times are longer than for most other types.
Although they can't give the same results as glasses, I find the lenses a good overall compromise 90% of the time, and I'm happy to have freedom from reading / varifocal specs and freedom of choice when it comes to sunglasses.
Appreciate everyone's comments, without doing the stats it looks like the newer types of varifocal lenses may be a huge improvement on lenses from five years ago, I'm going to test drive a couple of different brands and in the spirit of the forum let you know how I get along, on a similar note my BIL who had corrective eye surgery 15 years ago is now back wearing specs something I'd been considering, so for me at least I'll be sticking with contacts and specs.
Last edited by number2; 29th April 2024 at 14:44.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
Are they daily disposable or monthlies?
When I was last trying varifocal contacts, the daily ones didn’t exist, so I had a vari lens in one eye and a toric distance lens in the other. I always found it a compromise across any distance tbh.
Sorry should have said - monthly.
To my knowledge, no-one makes a daily multifocal toric, and I understand that's pretty unlikely to change.
I tried varifocal contact lenses 15 years ago and couldn't get on with them, vision always seemed blurred, reminded me of having concussion.
If the latest ones are markedly better I might try again, contact lenses would be better for running than glasses. Fixed vision contacts are no good, can`t see the ground well enough to avoid falling when running in woods etc.
Word is that there's a game-changer in the offing, namely spiral dioptre lenses, which promise much less of a compromise, and significantly better results for all distances and lighting conditions.
However, I've read that it'll probably be some time before the challenges of fabricating a toric version can be overcome.
Last edited by DMC102; 29th April 2024 at 15:57.
I’ve not had monthly since I was at uni, for some reason the care regime & the fact they often roll up in my eye in places I don’t have any sanitary way of dealing with them puts me off longer wear ones.
That said, I guess they will replace any ones I mess up, to a degree! These are nightly clean & into a pot, and a weekly denature type thing? Or is it just a standard clean and solution required these days? I may be getting confused with more longer term lenses as it has been so long.
Strange as I find the variable part of the my glasses the bits that make my footing blurry unless I put my head down. I have single vision for outdoor things where I don’t need to read. Driving particularly I want distance only, but I can get away with it currently as my reading addition is very low. Hate driving the smart in varifocals as the wingmirror is low vs driving position so all blurry unless I move my head, Porsche is better as I’m sat low and mirrors are higher relative, but still don’t like the way focus changes on eye movement vs head movement. I find it a nasty feeling.
I had heard about those, but yet again us weird rugby eye shaped folk don’t get the benefits.
It's just a quick clean and overnight soak in an all-in-one solution, and in the bin after 30 wears.
I was really struggling with new varifocal glasses, turns out they were made incorrectly with a much too narrow ‘long distance’ area at the top so I await a new pair.
In regard to contacts, I had an eye injury nearly 20 years ago (I was a contact lens wearer at the time although that had nothing to do with the eye injury - I wasn’t even wearing them when I was injured) - I remember the consultant at Moorfields commenting ‘look around you at the doctors here - we all wear glasses, no-one had had laser surgery or wears contacts - that should tell you something’. I’ve never worn lenses since - although admittedly I don’t have to wear glasses all the time and no longer ride a motorbike - avoiding reflections while wearing a visor being one of the main reasons I wore contacts at that time.
Thank you.
I’ve had a pair like that as my first pair. Lived with it as was cheap and online. Second pair were the reverse, head tilted right back trying to read lol. Got them made again and they are very good but still prefer the days of single vision clarity as prefer to move my eyes vs my head.
I was offered varifocal contacts (I mostly wear varifocal glasses but play golf and odd bits and bobs in my contacts) but the optician gave me ordinary dailies with one set of lenses with a slightly less strength for my non dominant eye. They work pretty good for what i need them for. Seriously thinking of laser surgery though
This has got me thinking again of trying ortho-k lenses - has anyone given them a shot?
They the weird alternative use for a hard lens that reshape the front of the eye to correct the vision & are used overnight?
If so, I researched it, but the halo effect driving at night with lights finally put me off, alongside the odd issue if they weren’t correctly positioned.
Had all the eye scans & imaging etc but decided against it in the end.
Same here.
So went back to my "normal" lenses and supplement with specs as and when. And whilst I'd love to have 20/20 vision again I'm too chicken s*** to have any kind of corrective surgery.......hey ho.
Yes that's them - essentially just rigid gas-permeable lenses that you sleep in, temporarily changing the shape of your cornea to correct the vision so you don't need glasses or lenses the next day.
Sounds as if materials and manufacturing technology have advanced significantly over the years since I first started using GP lenses, which makes me more comfortable with the idea of ortho-k.
I'm seriously considering a trial.
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