Progressive Lens (1 Viewer)

[Mongoose]

So, as I’ve gotten older, so have my eyes. I’ve always had bifocals and I decided to get
Progressive lenses.

Like the idiot I am (all-in or nothing) I decided to get progressives (2 pair Costco had a deal). I’m not digging these atm. I’m starting to wonder if I made a mistake?

 

[AlbinoDragon]

I remember when my dad got his first pair of progressives many, many years ago. He had problems with them right out of the gate but was able to figure out two things. I remember him saying they behave a bit different than bifocals so that itself took some time to get used to but he also discovered after talking with the optician that there are different manufacturers of the progressive lenses. It took a different lens manufacturer for my dad to finally "make them work". Hopefully a little more time with the ones you have and you'll get used to the different way of using them vs. bifocals, or maybe you're like my dad and need a specific lens maker to get them to work for you.

I'm not quite at that point, but expect to be so in a few years. I'm a blind mofo, and after my most recent prescription, my close vision is getting more and more difficult to stretch my stumpy little T-Rex arms enough to read things!

 

[Mongoose]

Thanks for the insight. YeH, they’re definitely different. I’m hoping I adjust t then.

 

[warma]

I’ve been wearing them for a few years. By and large, I “like” them in that they’re better than two glasses and I don’t feel like wearing traditional bifocals. But there are some weird distances and angles and some tricks you’ll learn… My eyes sometimes hurt (spending a lot of time on screens these days) and I take them off a lot. So, not ideal, but… I’ll live.

I’ve also come to learn that not all progressives are the same. I need the really wide near distance element- I can’t handle the narrow element and the glasses are unwearable.

I have a separate pair of reading glasses when I read or work on a device/laptop for a while.

 

[harrysallout]

Sucks getting old and the eyes start going to shit. I've had my costco progressives over a year and still find myself taking them off to read my phone.

 

[Mongoose]

Just got them today. Hoping that I can adjust otherwise I’m going back to bifocals!

 

[moose]

Personally I don't get it. Never had bifocals. Went straight to progressives and loved them from day one. Not sure what the issue is that you are having.

I don't even understand the comment about the wide element and weird angles and tricks. I can read everything on my desk right now from the far left across to the far right. For me they are just as natural as wearing a regular pair of glasses except now I can read everything near and far. I can read my hand playing poker and look across the table and see the board and everything else in perfect focus.

I like that there are no lines in my glasses like you have with bifocals.

 

[Mongoose]

I hope that I soon adapt the same attitude and experience that you’ve had with progressives. For me, there was a “zero” transition or issue with bifocals. This hasn’t been true with progressives.

I’ve been told by many that wearing progressives takes getting “use to” and can be a bit disorienting and some people can’t handle it (sea sickness effect). I really don’t understand why “lines” in your glasses would be an issue?

 

[Taghkanic]

I’ve also come to learn that not all progressives are the same. I need the really wide near distance element- I can’t handle the narrow element and the glasses are unwearable.

This.

There are definitely different progressive lens types and qualities, with plenty of variation in how wide your field of vision can be.

I’ve had some that let me see clearly at far, middle and near distances across a wide range of peripheral vision.

Had another set made which only let me focus on a narrow cone straight ahead. Felt like I was in a swimming pool. Returned those.

I just got a new prescription, and I am seeing better in the distance and close up. But for some reason my big screen TV, about 10 feet away, is suddenly a problem.

One thing I’ve found is that you really need to get all the additional measurements exact (e.g. pupillary distance side-to-side, and how your eyes sit heightwise with your specific grams) if you want to see well. I think the low-level tech who did those non-optometrist measurements in store was a little off.

 

[warma]

There are different styles. The issue I had was with the width of size of the near distance element. My first set were magically awesome, but when I switched eyeglass shops to a chain (insurance), they gave me a different (narrow intermediate, narrow near) set up- I couldn’t wear them, they were really bad. Had no idea until then.

https://www.eyeweargenius.com/buyers-guides/progressive-lenses/

 

[Mongoose]

Thanks @warma and @Taghkanic. Great info for a noob like me.

 

[ekricket]

There are different styles. The issue I had was with the width of size of the near distance element. My first set were magically awesome, but when I switched eyeglass shops to a chain (insurance), they gave me a different (narrow intermediate, narrow near) set up- I couldn’t wear them, they were really bad. Had no idea until then.

View attachment 1147208
View attachment 1147209
View attachment 1147210
https://www.eyeweargenius.com/buyers-guides/progressive-lenses/

Yes I have the same issue. I like wayfarer type glasses, and they sit at a different angle in the face than a regular pair. If they mark them normally the “near” part becomes so low in the glasses that you have to read with your head straight up and looking down the edge of you nose. I make sure they mark the “near” higher and wider when getting wayfarers.

 

[moose]

I really don’t understand why “lines” in your glasses would be an issue?

I don't like looking like an old fart.

 

[pltrgyst]

Yeah, good luck, guys. As an old fart tennis player with over 10 diopters of correction spending tons of time staring at computer screens, I gave up long ago on both bifocals and progressives. I just carry three pairs of glasses everywhere I go (four right now in Europe).

Oddly enough, the computer glasses are the best for tennis -- better than the distance glasses. Go figure...

 

[moose]

Yeah, good luck, guys. As an old fart tennis player with over 10 diopters of correction spending tons of time staring at computer screens, I gave up long ago on both bifocals and progressives. I just carry three pairs of glasses everywhere I go (four right now in Europe).

Oddly enough, the computer glasses are the best for tennis -- better than the distance glasses. Go figure...

See I was going to say that maybe because of my heavy prescription -8 and -9 that my brain was already used to the distortion but I guess that is not it.

 

[Indyscammer]

So, as I’ve gotten older, so have my eyes. I’ve always had bifocals and I decided to get
Progressive lenses.

Like the idiot I am (all-in or nothing) I decided to get progressives (2 pair Costco had a deal). I’m not digging these atm. I’m starting to wonder if I made a mistake?

It took me about 2 months to adjust. The worst was PC monitors. But eventually your muscle memory kicks in and it just becomes second nature. Unfortunately now I can't see without them.

 

[Mongoose]

2 months…damn. I don’t think that I have that kind of patience. I’m already thinking of having them replaced!

On the other hand, I know some people who absolutely love them.

 

[Indyscammer]

2 months…damn. I don’t think that I have that kind of patience. I’m already thinking of having them replaced!

On the other hand, I know some people who absolutely love them.

I never had bifocals. Went straight to progressives. The 2 months was really for the PC screen. Macro and reading was pretty ok because you aren't tracking and moving your head so much. I think it is worth the adjustment. When I first got my progressives, I used my old readers as PC glasses. I finally got tired of changing glasses to get up from the PC and do other things.

 

[harrysallout]

I was able to adjust after a week. Distance and intermediate are just fine. My near distance magnification is probably too low so that's why I'm always taking off my glasses.

 

[Tonysquander]

When done correctly, they are great IMO, but if the optician does not measure everything correctly then it is a big problem. Last visit I had I got the same frames and lens (prescription changed just a bit) as before but they were out of whack because the optician did something wrong. They were “ok” but I could tell something was off. Returned them the next day and they compared older versus new order and saw right away they screwed up and then got me new ones with correct measurements and they were fine again. If you don’t become accustomed to yours within a day or so I would go back and get a second opinion and measurement.