For spectacled sparkies

[louisIV]

I've just been to Specsavers for an eye test, who advised me that I should now be thinking about bifocals or varifocals.

They explained to me that a lot of people don't like the line between the lens areas on bifocals, but on the other hand, the left-to-right field of sharp vision you get with varifocals is reduced; you find yourself having to move your head from side-to-side a lot more than with bifocals.

I'm unsure which way I should go, so I'm wondering what are people's experiences with these types of lenses with regard to the job?

When I've settled with whatever glasses I decide to go for, I'll be 'looking into' (see what I did there?:0) contact lenses, also. But I don't want to wear contacts every day, and I'd have to get contacts for distance and a cheap pair of reading glasses for close-up. For my non-contacts days, I need something that'll work well for distance and close-up.

LIV

 

[Manator]

Very interesting subject, would be good to have some input on what people prefer for working.

 

[NozSpark]

Luckily I'm only short sighted so don't have this problem... I can also see well close up with my glasses

 

[louisIV]

Nozspark - That was me until a short while back. Then I found that I was having to perch my specs on the end of my nose for close-up work.

 

[Evans Electric]

Don't use vari- lenses, everything about 1 mtr in front of me is out of focus so I have to wear reading glasses for work and peer over the top for distance .

Don't wear glasses to drive but the instruments are out of focus.

 

[Riggy]

I've had my first pair of varifocals for about a month.

Now I've got used to them (took a couple of days) they're fine, you soon learn how to drive them.

Coming down ladders needs a bit of care to start with!

 

[Tooold]

I'v got glasses on a string around my neck for close up at work, with spare pairs everywhere!! Optician said not to get varifocals as my eyes were too strong. Everyone I talk to dosent like them either so I'v kept away. I do know two people with two sets of glasses rather than varifocals. Only a matter of time before I have to decide tho'

 

[Sidewinder]

I have varifocals in glasses safety glasses & sunglasses.

having had 2 cateract operations, my eyes no longer accomodate, that is focus, they are "at" a fixed distance thus to see anything either side of this point in focus, I need to have a lense in front of my eye, hence the varifocals give me a full range of vision.

I have never tried anything else long term bar I have a pair of script sunglasses with a distance only script which I leave in the wifes car and I do have a pair of dedicated readers legacy from when I was doing a lot of studying!

HTH

Paul

 

[exbdc]

I went straight from no glasses to Varifocals 10 yrs. ago. It did take some adjustment but I coped OK with it. 2 yrs. ago I went to contacts & it's the best thing I ever did. No more losing or breaking glasses, getting steamed up glasses in bathroom or having to take them off when you want to put on a T shirt or sweater.

I have a reading lens in one eye & a distance one in the other. Sound odd but your brain sorts it all out quite quickly. They are also monthlies so I can sleep in them & only take them out to change them at the start of every month.

 

[louisIV]

Hmmm. Evans - that worries me about things being out of focus a metre away with vari-focals. Is there not a part of the lens which corrects for this?

I'm wondering whether I might go for the bi-focals to start with, to see if they're OK, and if I can't get on with them, to try the vari-focals. (Bi-focals are a lot cheaper of course!)

 

[exbdc]

Hmmm. Evans - that worries me about things being out of focus a metre away with vari-focals. Is there not a part of the lens which corrects for this?I'm wondering whether I might go for the bi-focals to start with, to see if they're OK, and if I can't get on with them, to try the vari-focals. (Bi-focals are a lot cheaper of course!)

According to my optician bi-focals are old technology & will eventually be phased out. No disrespect to anyone but the main users of them are OAPs who are resistant to change. Once their generation has gone there will be no demand for them.

 

[NozSpark]

What Deke said is that he's long sighted and that everything <1m away is a blur (unless he wears reading glasses) - he doesn't need glasses for distance.

From what I know Varifocals are Bi focals, but with a graduated change in the correction (top to bottom)

 

[louisIV]

What Deke said is that he's long sighted and that everything <1m away is a blur (unless he wears reading glasses) - he doesn't need glasses for distance.From what I know Varifocals are Bi focals, but with a graduated change in the correction (top to bottom)

Ah - I thought he was saying I shouldn't wear them.

Yes - varifocals are graduated bifocals. From what the optician was saying, the field of vision for close-up is noticably narrower, but long distance is fine.

Bifocals certainly are old technology, and they do make you look like an old biddy. I suppose the question is, will I put up with a narrowing of vision to look slightly less uncool?

 

[Riggy]

As a fat, grey, balding 45 year old with a hearing aid, I've given up on cool, but trust me varifocals work!

 

[plumberjohn]

yep, varifocals work very well.

The first few days feel very strange, but stick with them and eventually you get used to moving your head to focus. i`ve had them for several years and have no problem at work, and I certainly havn`t noticed any out of focus at 1 metre!

 

[steptoe]

Imj not sure about varifocals/bifocals,

but if you do industrial work and dont want to go blind then avoid contacts like the plague,

and if Im honest I wont even wear them for house bashing,

dust and especially insulation gets inside them and scores your eyes.

but the biggest thing is in welding flashes,

as reported a few years ago some guy got a welding flash and thought no more about it until he went to take his contacts out that night,

lens partially melted onto his eye, lifted the top coating and left him blind in one eye.

put the fear of *(insert diety here)* in me.

 

[Sidewinder]

That is 100000% true Steps.

When I had my 1st careract op I was very young, it was a trauma incident.

LONG story. I was working in Fab/Weld, Optician was really NOT keen on my wearing a single contact to partially correct my vision.

However, IF you realise what has happened then the hospital eye specialists can remove the lense, but it takes some doing apparently to realise the lense has welded to you eye with the welding flash!

exbdc, tried that could not get on with it!!!

I also have astigmatism due to the trauma injury so varifocal contacts are not yet available for me!

I also could NEVER manage to sleep in them, no matter what, just not possible for me!

Paul

 

[davetheglitz]

The only problem I've had with varifocals is when working at head height and above, as you are then looking through the distance part of the lens. I got a cheap pair of glasses made up to the short sighted prescription - ideal for board changes - but find it a bit scary if you need to go up and down a ladder.

 

[louisIV]

Davetheglitz - you're the second person to say that about the ladder. Something I'll have to watch, for sure. It seems a lot of people are pretty OK with varifocals. I hadn't thought about contacts in dusty conditions, but it reminds me of many years ago when I was wearing contacts and did a big filler sanding job. Went home feeling like I had cataracts - the contacts were all clouded up. Ruined the lenses - made my eyes red too!

LIV