Bifocals

Don't laugh. Good stuff and very cheap. Just takes a few weeks to get mailed from Hong Kong.

"GeoffH @hotmail.com>" Hello Kent,

I have used these since I have needed bifocals. They require a time investment to get used to them, but it is worth it for most people. You have to learn to point your nose directly at what you are looking at, and nothing will look square for a while. Eventually, the brain learns how to put everything back in its place and all is well and everything is always in focus. I wouldn't be without them.

Vaughn

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Man this is definitely a YMMV statement. I'd tried them, for two months. I HATED them. If you want to do close work you have to quit moving your eyes and move your head to whatever you look at. Kind of like peering through a tunnel.

This is one of those things you've got to shop around for. Me, I found the optician at Sears would listen to my situation and then give me JUST what I needed. With an AARP card, you get a good deal on glasses at Sears.

The only problem I'm having with this pair of specs. is pits from grinder sparks. I know, I know, you're supposed to put on another pair of specs to do this. But what a PITA to just sharpen a drill bit or knock the bur off something.

Karl

For quite a few years I went through the trouble of bifocals. Then on my last visit to a different eye doctor, he asked me if there was any particular reason I had bifocals. I replied yes, my previous eye docs said I was at that age and my eyes needed bifocals........well he just laughed, and now I have been bifocal free for over 4 years and don;t miss the dam things one bit. I have no problems seeing close up. Its when things are a good distance away is when I need corrected vision. I rarely ever wear glasses anymore.

IMHO the worst thing you can do is allow a eye doctor to read the perscription of your old glasses. Why does he need it anyhow. Your paying him to tell you what perscription you need if any at all. Get his perscription and compare, you may be surprised your eyesight did not change after all. I trust eye doctors about as much as I trust a used car salesman or Lawyer. Visit my website:

expressed are those of my wifes, I had no input whatsoever. Remove "nospam" from email addy.

Hello Karl,

How long ago did you try them? The first pair I tried where the 1st generation and they where useless, as the field of vision was only about 20 degrees. Lasted about a month with me. Yikes - everything was distorted so much I felt physically sick. The 4th generation are much much better. As Vaughn says you do have to adjust to them and learn to point you nose at everything. But this slight inconvenience is OK. Absolutely ideal for computer work as it's so easy to read instruction book and then flick to the screen (yes I know manuals are only meant for door stops, but heck I do have to read them when stumped) Regards GeoffH Norfolk - UK

I had 'em and hated 'em. Reading a book was like watching a pingpong match.

If you have prism correction and it's working, it's important not to change it. Twice I've had to take back an otherwise good set of glasses because the Doc thought he could improve my prism correction.

On Mon, 1 Mar 2004 10:39:35 +0000 (UTC), GeoffH brought forth from the murky depths:

I was nauseated for 2 weeks trying to get acclimated to some of the Varilux lenses and SWORE AT THEM.

The opto office didn't tell me that the center of the lens is the only place on the lens which has the proper correction. I have astigmatism in both eyes so whenever I looked anywhere but in the fully focused area, I got ended up with headaches and nausea. they were so out of focus for seeing anything from the rear view mirrors that I couldn't drive while wearing them without turning my head to bring the mirror into focus. That's downright dangerous. My peripheral vision was nil with those lenses and the distortion at the sides was horrible. Arrrrrrrrrrrrgh! I have never been as mad at a medical person as I was with that salescritter at the optometric office.

Anyone who is active and alert/aware will have trouble wearing these lenses unless their prescription is very, very mild. People who have astigmatism will have trouble. Sedate single-taskers may love them.

While your mileage obviously varied, I don't think I'll be trying them again soon. Not in THIS lifetime.

.-. Better Living Through Denial ---

Wondrous Website Design

snipped...

I tried them and hated them as well. If you use your peripheral vision and/or need most of your field of vision sharp, don't waste your time with them. If you do decide to try them, they have to be *very* carefully fitted to your eye position.

My wife loves hers, but it took 3 trys for her opto to get them right.

"Jim Stewart" wrote: (clip) My wife loves hers, but it took 3 trys for her opto to get them right. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ How would anyone know whether the difficulties are due to not having it right yet, or just being unable to use them? I have had experience with an optometrist who was reluctant to replace the lenses, and tried very hard to con me into keeping the original glasses (normal bifocals, not varifocals.) It turned out that the problem I was experiencing was covered in a Consumers Reports article, and was well known, but this doc "seemed" to know nothing about it. Needless to say, I haven't been back there.

I have a pair of Varilux Safety glasses, bought for me by my previous employer's (Weatherford) buy-you-one-pair-of-prescription-safety-glasses-every-two-years plan. I find that they are wonderful wear-in-the-store glasses, or go to meeting glasses, but when you are working on mechanical things... straight lines are curved, you have to wiggle your head around all the time to focus, you have to point your head at the moon to focus on something really closely.

No good for the mechanical type. Back to the dollar store glasses. Cheap, throw them away when they're damaged. I'll keep the Varilux for family reunions, looking for the Cereal boxes etc.

I tried them and took them back for regular bifocals after two weeks. I fly for a living, and the loss of peripheral vision was just too dangerous.

Dan

I honestly don't know. I know I hated them and when I told my opto why, he didn't push it. My wife, on the other hand, *wanted* the lenses and made it work.

I have had experience with an

I had the same experience a few years ago. I thought the lenses were just ground wrong, and told the doctor that. Ended up trading for regular bifocals and reading glasses. Still using the reading ones.....Paul

I sure like mine, for the most part. I am at the computer a lot, and they are no problem there. I drive a fair amount. Being able to read the instruments and see ahead is a great bonus. I don't legally need glasses to drive yet, but I fi nd them good for seing details like reading street signs before I've passed them. I had NO trouble getting used to them for normal everyday use - BUT my "optical micrometer" has gone out of calibration to the point I can no longer trust my eyes to say "that's 1/4"" or "that's 5/16"". I can also not trust my eyes to say something is perfectly straight - but that's what I have micrometers and digital verniers and straight edges for. With my "invisible bifocals" I can read them, and still see where I left them when I put them down on the bench.

Wouldn't have anything else (but I DO keep a set of regular "reading glasses" around for when everything I am working on is close-up.

What I HAVE noticed is, with the antiglare coating, at night I do not see as well with my glasses on as with them off when driving. They seem to "absorb" some light - making it brighter with them off??? Optometrist says non coated would be even worse and is surprised I can notice the difference.

When I grew old enuf to need bifocals I got mine in the "Executive" style. That is the strong part of the lens was on the bottom 25-30% of each lens, straight across. Great-I don't have to move my head much.

I let an "authority" talk me into getting a pair of standard bifocals (len is a circle). Money pooooorly spent. So the "Executive" lens is a tad heavier, my nose caan stand it..

Paul in AJ AZ