Experience with progressive lenses?

I had my eyes tested today, and got the totally unsurprising news that my distance vision ain't what it used to be and my close up vision is worse than it was.

My choices are two pairs of glasses or one pair of these progressive lens things. I already spend a good 2 hours a day looking for my reading glasses (don't tell ME they don't teleport), so the prospect of a second set of timewasters is not attractive.

However, I understand that with progressive lenses you have to learn to read moving your head more than your eyes, because the appropriate focus area in the lenses is quite small.

Books and reading are an enormous part of my life; I love to read and I love printed books. I'm accustomed to reading fast, which means that I generally use only 2 or 3 eye movements for a line of text and read phrases, rather than words. I'm a bit desperate at the thought of messing with that ability.

Anyone got any relevant experiences? Suggestions?

Thanks,

Ghoti

I have dual lenses and reading is a matter of positioning the book lower so you read through the bottom part. You learn to not move your head, just your eyes.
Because I have problems focusing at almost any distance, as each eye is opposite, I need glasses for seeing distance, reading and for the computer, so have 2 sets of dual focals, one for distance /reading, and for computer /reading. This way I can leave the computer glasses at the computer, and only need to take one pair with me.

ghotib said:

My choices are two pairs of glasses or one pair of these progressive lens things.

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Ghoti - Id get progressive.
THere's an option to get laser on your own lenses - dont ask me at what age you normally get this - others might know - apparetly its really startling how good your sight becomes.
But I'll relate a story - don't do what my brother did!! He had one eye done by laser - couldn't believe how clear things were - could see a leaf on a tree at a kilometre etc etc (so he said) - then he had the other one done - but had a few beers, and decided he'd just sort out the itch in the stiches on his eyeball - and poked the lens out of alignment - Now he's so crosseyed he stands in front of one urinal, looks in the one to his left - and pees in the one on his right - but dont tell him I told you lol.

Ghoti

I got multifocal lenses (progressive lenses) for the first time 2 years ago and I think they are great.

Maybe I was lucky, but I took to them like a duck to water. I look through the bottom half of the lense for reading and the upper half for normal distant everyday viewing.

When reading I have no unsual head movement. All I have to do is slightly lower my eyes or raise my head a little depending on the position of what I am reading. I got used to reading with my new lenses within a day or so.

The only thing I don't like is the way the transition (optional extra) from indoor to outdoor works on the lenses. I got the transition multifocals because I was sick of changing from clear to prescription sunglasses for outdoors.

But even on overcast days the transitions still darken and so outdoors can appear to be much more gloomy than it really is even when the sun is not out. Also, when driving, you are effectively indoors and so the transitions do not darken at all, even when the sun is shining.

When I wear these lenses out lol, I will stick with multifocals but go back to getting an additional pair of prescription sunglasses for outdoors on sunny days.

Ghoti, I have had progressive lenses for a number of years now and found they are great and much easier than taking the reading glasses on and off all the time as my distance vision is fine.

It did take a few days to get used to in the beginning, but it's amazing how quickly the brain adapts to any changes in head turning that you don't even think about it. I am also an avid reader, plus I have four monitors in my office!

That said, I have also found out that there is more than one type of these types of lenses. Once they suggested I try a new type of lense which I did but I couldn't adjust to them. I lost too much peripheral vision and kept getting headaches. Also found it really hard to focus on my screens especially option chains with small fonts. So they changed them over for me (under warranty) and put me back into the same type I had previously - and no further problems.

The only other problem I had once was where they hadn't positioned the graduations correctly, but again, they corrected the problem and all was well.

If you do decide to give them a go, make sure there is a warranty period where you can change the lenses if necessary. All the best with it!

Thanks very much guys. I've got myself into a bit of a state about this, although I know perfectly well that tens of thousands of people are very happy with them. It's good to know that some of the happy people are on ASF.

I've had a look around the Web tonight, and confirmed that there are several ways to have the gradations done. The optician told me about 2, one of which he claims is new and therefore costs about twice as much as the other. I'd was freaking at the idea of mucking about with how I read so I haven't committed to anything yet and I think I'll shop around a bit first.

They said that there's a 3-month warranty plus money-back return if you can't adjust to them. I'm sure I will when I stop freaking, which I intend to do by morning.

Thanks again.

Ghoti