Progressive lenses are a type of lens that look like regular ones, with a visible line across the center. They are used to describe a progression path through a website or knowledge, such as ‘Apprentice’, ‘Newbie’, ‘Padawan’, ‘Jedi’, ‘Master’, and ‘Professional’. Infancy is the period from birth until an individual reaches eighteen years old, and prebirth is the potential for future generations. Lifestyle behaviors, such as diet, physical activity, weight management, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use, have been studied in the CKD population. Life stages are the phases from birth to death through which we develop and grow, covering an age range during which most people are.
The ESC guidelines emphasize lifestyle modifications as the foundation for CVD prevention, including a healthy diet and regular physical activity. There are many different types of progressive lenses, including standard, premium, and computer progressive lenses. Some lifestyles include fitness/body-centered, materialist, hedonist, service/spiritual, technocrat, and academic/intellectual.
There are five main types of life insurance: term life insurance, whole life, universal life, variable life, and final expense life insurance. ZEISS Progressive SmartLife lenses have a hybrid design, ensuring a smooth transition into the lens. Ground-View Progressive Lenses are ideal for those who enjoy the outdoors, while the youngest group is Outsider Left. Progressive lenses should match your requirements, lifestyle, and budget, providing natural, comfortable vision.
📹 Progressive Lens vs Bifocal – Which is Better for You?
Show Notes If you are looking for new eyeglasses and require magnification to help you see up close, then oftentimes your …
What are the 4 domains of wellbeing?
Self-care can be viewed in four dimensions: mind (mental/psychological), body (physical), heart (emotional), and spirit (spiritual/essence). Physical self-care involves maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including eating well, exercising, and decluttering. Emotional self-care involves loving, caring, and being in relationships with oneself and others. This includes setting clear boundaries on time and energy, engaging in positive relationships, surrounding oneself with positive people, and addressing issues.
Spending time with people who care about you and who care about you can help you maintain a healthy balance and promote overall well-being. Reflecting on your current self-care practices can help you identify areas for improvement and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
What are the 4 most common types of insurance?
The majority of experts in the field of insurance recommend that individuals obtain a comprehensive range of coverage, including life, health, long-term disability, and auto insurance. In the event that employer coverage is unavailable, it is recommended that quotes from multiple providers be compared, as many offer discounts for purchasing multiple types of coverage.
How many different types of policies are there?
Public policy can be categorized into four types: substantive, regulation, distribution, and redistribution. Substantive policies are the backbone of public policy initiatives, focusing on addressing societal challenges. Examples of substantive policies include education reforms, which aim to improve student performance and eliminate the achievement gap in the United States. Examples of these initiatives include:
- Creating a comprehensive curriculum for students to improve their understanding of the world.
- Implementing policies to ensure equal access to education and resources.
- Creating a supportive environment for learning and innovation.
What are the 6 types of life insurance?
The most common types of life insurance include term life insurance, whole life insurance, unit-linked insurance plans (ULIP), endowment plans, money-back plans, retirement plans, child insurance plans, and group insurance plans.
Are there different levels of transition lenses?
Transition™ lenses are versatile and can be customized to fit individual needs. They come in various configurations, such as single vision, bifocal, progressive, and high-index lenses. These lenses can be integrated into almost any frame, allowing for personal style while enjoying adaptive eyewear benefits. The Transitions Signature GEN 8 lenses are the pinnacle of Transition™ technology, offering exceptional responsiveness to changing light conditions. When exposed to UV light, they transition from clear to dark quickly, providing optimal protection against harmful rays. The GEN 8’s speed of transition sets it apart.
What are the different levels of progressive lenses?
Progressive lenses come in three types: Standard, Premium, and Elite. They offer various features based on lifestyle and visual requirements. When reading with progressives, keep your chin up and lower your eyes. When walking up stairs or steps, move your head down to ensure clear vision. Progressive lenses may have a slightly reduced reading area due to combining distance and reading prescriptions. Wear progressives daily from morning to evening to get used to their function.
Adjust monitor height slightly lower than eye level when working at a computer. Move your head when looking around, not your eyes, as clearest vision will be through the center of the lens. This process may take time, so be patient. Consult your optician or optometrist for guidance on proper wearing of progressive lenses.
What are the 4 types of people habits?
In accordance with this behavioral pattern, individuals are categorized into four distinct groups: The four categories of individuals are defined as Obligers, Upholders, Questioners, and Rebels.
What are the three main types of life insurance?
Life insurance can be classified into three principal categories: term, whole life, and universal life. In term life insurance policies, a premium is paid for a specified period of time. In the event of the policyholder’s death, the beneficiary is entitled to receive the death benefit amount as stipulated in the policy.
What are the four types of whole life policies?
The various forms of whole life insurance include, but are not limited to, indexed, variable, limited payment, modified, reduced paid-up, single-premium, joint life insurance, and whole life insurance for children.
What are the levels of prescription lenses?
Nearsightedness, or myopia, is a common refractive disorder where the eye is elongated and has too much distance between the cornea and retina. A prescription for eyeglasses needs 1 diopter of streng
th to correct nearsightedness, while a prescription for farsightedness requires 2. 5 diopters of strength. The higher the prescription, the more correction your vision needs. Nearsightedness can also occur if the cornea is too curved.
What are the 7 main types of insurance?
Health insurance is essential, but it can be tempting to overlook it due to its complexity. However, it is crucial to have a comprehensive coverage for various situations, such as disasters or personal liability. Some insurance policies may not be worth the premium payments, especially if they overlap with existing plans or cover specific circumstances. To ensure comprehensive coverage without excessive costs, consider the seven types of insurance you need and don’t need:
Life insurance: This includes life, disability, long-term care, homeowners, umbrella liability, and automobile insurance.
Disability insurance: This includes disability, long-term care, homeowners, umbrella liability, and automobile insurance.
Long-term care insurance: This includes long-term care, long-term care, homeowners, umbrella liability, and automobile insurance.
In summary, insurance is essential for financial protection and avoiding significant financial hardships.
📹 Which Progressive Lens Is The Best?
Which progressive lens is the best? First, we need to understand what makes a good progressive lens before we can determine …
I was prescribed my first pair of bifocals when I was in first grade. That was seventy years ago. Back then the lenses were made of glass. Because my vision needed so much correction the lenses were quite thick which made the eyeglasses very heavy; the bridge of my nose was constantly red and sore. Today I have trifocals with the lines. Despite my lenses being very complicated with prisms in both, the new lens materials have now resulted in my eyeglasses being light as a feather and comfortable to wear from morning to night !
I had progressive lenses for several years and never really warmed to them, I found myself always ‘hunting’ with minute head movements for an elusive clearer field of vision. Last year, I needed to renew my glasses and chose bifocals, and I have found that clear delineation between far away and close up much easier to manage. So when driving for example, it feels like the most natural thing in the world to hold my head where I can eyeball down for the speedo and eyeball up for the road ahead. Different strokes for different folks.
As an airline pilot, for me, progressives just didn’t work. My instrument panel was more than an arms length away. Farther than standard reading distance. When I tried flying with them, there was only a very small spot on the panel that was in focus. I had to move my head around, a lot, to read the panel and get the information I needed to fly the aircraft. This can cause vertigo. The preferred method for scanning is to leave your head in one place and move your eyes. This is not possible with progressives. I had bifocals made that had the lower part focus at about 40 inches rather than the std reading distance, and had the bifocal line moved up 2 mm. That put the line right at the top of the instrument panel. Also, had the lower portion widened more than normal so I can leave my head in one place and let my eyes do the wandering to read the panel. My doctor resisted all these changes but in the end, she agreed and has become the “go to” doc for many airline pilots in our city.
Just a comment on your presentation: Remarkable and commendable. Not a word wasted, not a single repetition. You honor me as your viewer when you create this polished, fact-filled content. Thank you. I am about to get glasses again and will consider lined. I had fallen into the “newer, so it must be better” trap. I also thank the commenters for contributing to this very discussion.
The mistake I made with progressive lenses was going for a frame design that had not much height. It meant the different zones were very narrow, causing neck pain because I had to hold my head so still to keep the right part of the lens in front, whatever I was doing. I went back to a fixed distance pair after that, and just took them off for reading (albeit blurrily). I’ll probably try again, but with a much taller design of frame.
Having spent years on motorcycles and racing on the track, I became very dependent upon my peripheral vision. When I grew older I tried progressives and felt unsafe as I could not discern what was coming at me from the sides as well as I could before. Also when I would scan the night skies for meteors, could not take in as much of the sky as before. I junked the progressives in favor of trifocals and now feel safer driving and I feel that I’m seeing much more of the natural world without having to readjust my line of sight. I’m an old man now so why should I care if I look old? Actually if anyone would judge me on the basis of my eye glasses; well I probably wouldn’t want anything to do with that person after all.
I just saw this article (9/2023) and someone may have already made this comment. I have worn tri-focals for 40 years. I tried progressive lenses about 20 years ago and they weren’t for me. I was recently talked into trying them again and I couldn’t remember why I didn’t like them. I remembered right away when I got them again. The reading and middle distance portions were exceptionally small. I had to keep moving my head from left to right to read anything. I went back to tri-focals. I had the middle distance portion moved up and widened. That is perfect for reading and computer work (and reading the dashboard). And at 73 years old, I couldn’t care less about people thinking I look older.
I am old, and I do not care who notices it! What REALLY makes you look old is struggling to deal with the many different distortions on a complicated lens, constantly dizzy from rolling your eyes. I carry two different glasses, and use the one most appropriate, or just wear reading glasses on a neck chain to raise when I need them! Shocking news: Perhaps old news to most people, but I discovered that I could use my out-dated reading glasses for excellent middle-distance TV perusal! My reading glasses are 2.5 now, but my old 2.25 glasses are wonderful for very clear TV eight feet away! Life is much nicer if you don’t obsess over how old you look……………………….elsullo
I use bifocals and have the intermediate distance in the lower section for things like reading car displays, menus, tablets, etc. This works really well for me. I just take my glasses off when I want to read or fix something up close. I also have a dedicated pair of glasses for computer screens when I’m using them over several hours. No need for trifocals.
One of my lenses got scratched when I fell. The replacement cost for one progressive, thin, coated lens cost me $476. I had chosen progressive lenses because I was a CPA and needed to be able to see far for driving, close for reading, and mid-range for the computer. I already had to change glasses for sunglasses, I did not want any more pairs of glasses. Progressives are not perfect, but seemed to be the best choice. Other people like having dedicated computer glasses. I want the eyes I had before puberty.
Since I used the two types for quite a while I settled for two separate pair of glasses, one for distance and one for reading. This way I eliminated the dizziness I got from progressives and the limited reading area I got from bifocals. I got used to the inconvenience of replacing them for reading or distance.
I tried wearing progressive lenses for a week, which gave me constant headaches. I took them back and the optometrist told me about 2% of people cannot adapt to them. I use trifocals now and I do a lot of reading, and they allow you to read a whole line without having to move your head. I had to constantly move my head to maintain the sweet spot with progressives.
I have a stigmatism and I recently went to have my eyes checked as I do every year. I’ve been wearing my new glasses for about a week now I can see everything clear from afar, but if I’m reading a book or trying to read something on my phone, I can’t see because it looks very blurry. I went back to the eye doctor, and they said that the doctor should have recommended bifocals and they were shocked that she didn’t mention them. I asked him why all of a sudden after all these years do I need to use bifocals and they say because my prescription has increased dramatically from previous years so it’s only going to get harder for me to read as the years go by. i’m so frustrated that this wasn’t mentioned to me at the original appointment and I’m also frustrated that I now need to wear bifocals. oh well, thank you for sharing such an informative article. Now I will have to decide if I should go with the progressives or do the bifocals.
I have worn glasses since I was 11, 65 years ago. By the time I was in my 50’s, my prescription was around -7 in each eye. When my ophthalmologist suggested bifocals, I went straight to progressive lenses. It only took me about 20 minutes to get used to them. I actually welcomed the onset of cataracts! Now I need almost no correction for distance. My ideal glasses now are progressive and transition lenses, combining 4 pairs of glasses into one.
I started wearing glasses this year (45yrs old). I only need reading and computer, but work in a job where I use these all day. I opted for progressive so that I wouldn’t have to put glasses on and off all day and just have no magnification for distance. I was worried about getting used to progressives, especially after hearing stories from friends. I was an adjustment period, but within a little over a month I was pretty much used to them. I am glad that I stayed away from discount places (Walmart, Costco), because (and I have no proof of this), but I feel I got a better quality progressive. I did end up paying over $700 for the glasses (progressives with transitions), but do also use them as sunglasses for driving.
I have had both types. I had standard bifocals first and enjoyed them for several years. I was encouraged to move to progressives. I wore them for about 5 years and decided I wanted to go back to standard bifocals one year ago. My OD said, “no, you need to stay with the progressives. You must.” So, I did. The new lenses cost about $700 without frames. I used the frames I had for the replacement. When I finally received the progressives, I had the distortion problem the minute I was driving out of the parking lot from the OD’s office. Oncoming traffic was distorted and I thought my entry lane was clear. I was almost struck by a vehicle that was in the entry lane but appeared to be in another lane. I turned around, went back to the OD office, and asked for standard bifocals to be ordered. Also, I believe it is a myth that you have a “progressive” focus change with progressive lenses. There is the distance vision area of the lens at the top, which is huge. Then there is this pencil-eraser-sized area at the bottom that is for near vision. Everything in-between is unusable because the focal points are so small. Heck, even the near vision area is difficult to find and takes a lot of practice. I really like my standard bifocals and am glad I made the decision to ignore my OD’s insistence to stay with progressives.
I started wearing bifocals when I was 40. I hated the visible lines because they were distracting. I didn’t like how my eyes felt, switching back and forth, and couldn’t get used to them. Switched to progressives and loved them from the first moment I put them on. I have an astigmatism, one eye is weaker than the other. I had no trouble adjusting to progressives and have been happily wearing them ever since.
Person A: +1,5, person B: -4 but with +1,5 progressive, does it means person B has -4 for distance and -2.5 for close object? ChatGPT said: ChatGPT Yes, that’s correct! For Person B, with a prescription of -4 for distance and a +1.5 addition for near vision, you can interpret it like this: Interpretation: Distance Correction: The -4 means that for distant objects, they need -4 diopters to see clearly. Near Vision Correction: To calculate the effective near vision correction: You take the distance correction (-4) and add the near vision addition (+1.5): Effective Near Vision Power = -4 + 1.5 = -2.5 This means that when Person B looks at close objects through the lower part of the progressive lens, it effectively provides a -2.5 diopter correction for near vision.
This is the best article explainer for the difference between bifocal and progressive lenses that I didn’t know I needed to see. No optician in all my decades of wearing glasses for nearsightedness has ever indicated to me that there’s a difference in the types of progressive lenses on offer, so thank you for making this article.
I started needing gasses for close up in my 40’s (now late 70’s) and had bifocals to suit. Later, I also needed vision correction for distance as well. By this time I had heard about progressive lenses and thought that would be the way to go, but my optometrist said that I had excellent peripheral vision and progressive lenses would make it worse so I have always stuck with the bifocals.
Thanks for a very informative article. I used to have a very high prescription for short sight and found that varifocals did not give me good close up vision. So, I went for bifocals which worked well for everyday vision. I also had a pair of dedicated bifocals for computer/reading. As you have said, having high end varifocals can be very expensive (in the UK). I’ve now had my cataracts removed and find that I am having to relearn how I look at things 🤣 and what my glasses needs are.
I am old or at least feel old. I could not adapt to the distortion. Hard to explain but the left and right side of anything I was looking at had to be exactly the same distance from me and that was sometimes difficult. I started out with the now defunct “Smart Seg” and the transition to trifocals was painless. I wanted to try blue blocker lens and they had to be progressive (or single vision) and the narrow left to right range that was in focus was far too difficult to continually adjust my head position to achieve.
Progressives for me were a non starter right from day one. I’m a computer programmer, I also work with digital images.. And just to make that worse I’m a car geek too. For me, dedicated computer glasses are the win. I can have large monitors entirely in focus as all angles. Critical especially for image work. But a big help for coding as I am not constantly resetting my head. For the rest of the time, I like traditional bifocals. I have two distinct focal ranges, I know where they are and the line never mattered after the first 24 hours. I have my add lenses about 2mm taller than most opticians suggest for most people because a lot of my more ‘tinker’ hobbies, such as automotive or computer building, etc happen inside of arms-length. But I like the larger field of view for these things as I work a lot at these distances. The only time I really need to see far away is walking, biking or driving. So sacrificing a couple millimeters at the bottom of my vision didn’t hurt any of these activities. I have no fashion related reasons for avoiding lines. I’m perfectly happy to be the mad scientist. Doesn’t bother me a bit to look a little older.
I tried progressives but had to exchange them for bi-focals which suited my need much better. Distortion was the problem as I needed them principally for driving which involves scanning the whole scene, left and right. I had the reading part of the lens match my mid range/computer prescription which was much better for seeing the car instruments/displays.
Thank you for this educational piece! I normally wear trifocals, and I found that the distortion experienced with progressive lenses to be especially problematic while driving, and most especially when peripheral vision is necessary such as changing lanes or going around corners. But these might not have been of the higher quality you mention. Perhaps I should give them one more try and bite the bullet on the cost.
Years ago, I had mild hyperopia (far sighted), mild astigmatism and presbyopia. Had been using reading glasses, but they were a nuisance and did nothing for the astigmatism. I tried progressive lenses. They were terrible, a total waste of money. Could not use them. I replaced them with trifocals. The trifocals worked great! Good for distance. Good for computer screens. Good for reading. None of the supposed disadvantages Dr. Allen describes ever bothered me. The only bothersome thing was, when I worked at a computer screen, using the middle distance segment, the middle distance segment was not quite tall enough. I had to tilt my head up and down more than I would have liked. My wife has myopia (nearsighted) and astigmatism. She has worn glasses since she was four. She has been using progressives for at least twenty years and has been very pleased with them.
For myself, I prefer the bifocals. I found that when reading I would have to move my whole head when using the progressives. With the bifocals I can just move my eyes. I could use the intermediate but when I tried the trifocal lens they didn’t leave enough room for the reading and I couldn’t get used to them.
As a tech who has made eye glasses at the retail level for 20+ years now I found your article informative and absolutely true. As to getting used to progressives for those new to them I have a few insights not covered in the article. Those that have myopia or nearsightedness have an easier time with progressives than with farsighted people because even with single vision lenses the higher the prescription the more the peripheral distortion there is so finding that sweet spot in the lens where everything is clear is something those with myopia are already used to doing. Of course the opposite is true with those with hyperopia or farsightedness but not all the time, most people are determined to avoid the line so will try harder to get used to progressives. Also, with people who want to switch to progressives from lined bifocals I have found that progressives with a short intermediate corridor work best for them because they are used to that quick eye jump from distance to near vision. But I must stress that these are generalities and everyone is different.
After using bi-focal lenses for many years and switching to progressive lenses at first I wanted to throw them away. However, I gave it two weeks and and I love them now, In particular shooting at the gun range. Yes, peripheral vision can be obscured a bit and you have get used to viewing objects clearly that are more directly in front of you however, the progressives work for me and my needs. Note. I did not purchase them for appearance, I purchased them for better vision period. Progressives work for me at this point in my life.
I have had both bifocals and progressives through the years. Progressives are the best, once you adapt. My advice is to buy the best progressives available. Yes they are expensive, but we’re talking about your vision. You might need to cut back on a few extra-fancy things, like $5.00 cups of coffee, to afford them, but they are worth it.
Been on progressives for years now. It all depends on the person and how they adjust to them. Granted the earlier versions would make you dizzy and there was a definite line going into short distance. If you didn’t let you eyes adjust at their own rate and try too hard, you get headaches. The new ones are more advanced and adjust much better, but they do cost more. It all depends on what you want and how it makes your life easier.
Thanks. I’m nearsighted and 54 years old. When I was younger I could just take off my glasses for reading and computer use. Now I can’t get away with that. My eye doctor offered bifocals and progressives as an option. I declined and now have 2 pairs of glasses. One for computer use and one for everything else. I can still read with no glasses at all because I hold books closer than my computer screen. I think I’ll stick with my current solution based partly on your article. To me, the inconvenience of having two pairs of glasses is better than making the compromises you described. I can see how this would be very subjective though. Getting older has it’s downsides but it beats the alternative. 😀
Got my first progressive lenses just a few weeks ago, cannot use them for everyday life, mostly for my hobby with changing focus frequently between close and distance. For everyday life I use my old distance glasses which are also still good for general reading as they make everything sharper. I don’t know how that works, but it does. But I do notice I need to focus harder on reading labels in close sometimes. Those progressive lenses: they are restricting me in reading also, as you mentioned the narrow field for close distance, but to the distant world the glasses seem to have the suitable focus on the entire length of the lenses. Why they cannot make the same with the focus part? I used to go with my eyeballs from left to right as I was reading, now I need to move my head more each line. That is annoying.
I have Astigmatism and have been wearing glasses my entire life. I guess that’s how it should be stated. When I first started wearing Progressive lenses, I really was not offered a choice, I did not care for them, still don’t. As you stated, peripheral vision is shot. Getting accustomed to wearing them was not a problem just don’t try to look to the side. I will definitely ask my optometrist about other options. Thank you for the enlightenment.
For 30 Years I have had progressive lenses ( about £150 ) and they are great, when talking about the lenses i requested that they were made with the intermediate field dominant and the distant and close to be smallest, the main thing i found with wearing progressive was to learn to look up or down and to turn my head and not look through the sides. peripheral vision is ok as you never see it sharp until you actually look at something.
I have progressive lenses. What I hate most is that my lenses seem to have such a narrow focal area. What I mean is that narrow parabolic (narrow portion of that hourglass shape you had drawn on that one lens) area makes things blur with just the slightest head turn while still looking straight ahead. Do they make progressive lenses that do not have such a narrow area in the parabola?
Recent new glasses and was asked and happy the Optometrist willing to take the time to discuss and help make a decision. I chose progressive for the mid range issue. Not so much though for computer as not what I do now retired. I still take them off frequently for close up work especially in poor light and when tired, also typically in the poor light of a waning day. 😁 I’m glad to hear you say what it has seemed to me, or my experience the progressive lens is a compromise (combination tool). I have tried separate readers when necessary and distance only, not a good option for me at all – apparently spend a lot of time in the in-between. 😏 Also at the time was at the computer somegood of the day and could not see anything – distance for the computer screen and could not see the keyboard, see the keyboard and couldn’t see to read the computer screen. Really needed that in between! 😝 I have a suggestion for the frame designers or lens perhaps. 😁 Some little teeny tiny chip or something with an app to beep it LOUD to find the GD things when set them down and for the life of me cannot find again. 😖 😆
I’ve actually never considered bifocals. I think I’m gonna buy a pair just to see what they’re like. I’m pretty used to the progressives and after many years I’m pretty good at finding the sweet spot for each distance but they’re definitely not perfect. They’re always like you said just a little bit off. Anyway you’ve given me an idea and I’m gonna try something new and see what they’re like. Like I said never considered it before but I am now. Thanks for the information
I got progressive lenses once (previously, I did fine with bifocals) and they were terrible for me. The ‘distortion zones’ on the side actually comprised most of the lens. The area on the lens that was clear at any given distance was squished into a narrow slit in the center of the lens. I chalked this up to my horrible eyes and the difference between my close up prescription and my distance one, but I always wondered if it was the lens and whether another one would be better. I hated the fact that 90% of the lens was useless at any distance. After that, I switched back to bifocals, but discovered that by then, the middle ground (I am a computer programmer) was no longer covered by my bifocals. I now have a second set of glasses I use just for the computer. Although I am thankful I can still see, this whole degradation process is very disheartening. I am at the point now where I can’t see anything without my glasses on.
I’m a retired Optician. I have tried almost every progressive lens available, because I could not suggest one if I did not know the options of the lens myself. I started in comfort short with my 1st pair…it was a great beginner lens if you wore a short lens. So if it was someone younger, it was the 1st option, depending on the frame they chose. However, as I am now 55…, I am in a new RX again with the added joy of having prism in my left lens. It took a couple of days to adjust to the prism ( thanks concussion ) but now, it’s pretty easy on my eyes 👀 and it has stopped the migraines that returned with a vengeance when I busted my head. Gotta love getting old with so many health problems.
I got my first set of progressive glasses yesterday, and already I was willing to call it quits. My eyes are constantly working to adjust and I can feel the strain. I’m trying to work with them, but I’m thinking I may need to get bifocals. I’m still getting use to not using my peripheral vision. I’m grateful for being able to read normal text in books again, but the distortion zones are doing weird things to me. Sometimes I feel shorter.
I have always used progressive lenses. Now I do a good deal of precision work and what I’ve noticed is that straight items do not look straight depending upon the angle between the object and my line of sight. This is incredibly annoying and the only way out of it has been to use a single strength lens. Whether it’s my computer (dedicated glasses for use with my monitor) or another distance in the machine shop or cabinet shop, I find non-progressives to be less misleading. My next pair will be a bi-focal style lens. I’ll write again when I’ve a chance to evaluate their performance
I wear 7×28 trifocals (2 lines, 3 ranges). Love them for the great periferal vision and the nice wide reading zone. I sell glasses for a living (over 20 years), and usually give the customers the choice of either lens, with the pros & cons of each. if they are not new to multi- focals and happy with what they have, thats usually what i sell them.
I really need to be able to see distance clearly as well as a computer screen at about arms length. I currently have to take my glasses off to look at my phone and taken them off asked get really close to my computer screen to see that. I just ordered a pair of progressives so I hope I like them. For the lenses and frames plus Transitions and anti-glare they were about $700, luckily my insurance covered all but $170.
I’ve been thinking about progressives but I’m really worried about it. I have severe chronic fatigue syndrome and I’m concerned that all the extra work to refocus my eyes each time I move might create a big problem for me. Sounds ridiculous, but when I’m having a bad day I don’t focus except when I must because it takes energy. I have astigmatism and my prescription is much stronger in one eye so the distortion might be a big problem too. I’d love to hear the experience of anyone with fatigue issues who has tried either progressives or bifocals. I must change something next time (I’ll be buying more in December/January) as I bought reading glasses last time and now wear them pretty much constantly which is not the plan. Maybe I could try transitions lenses again for my driving glasses. They’re bound to be better now than when I tried them when they first came out. So then I’d have only one pair for the car and could get an intermediate pair for around the house/garden etc and the computer and perusal tv and then another pair just for reading. I’ll go look to see if there’s a article on transitions lenses. Btw, it was incredibly helpful the way you filmed through the lens! So simple, but brilliant! Thank you.
I got thin/light progressives (compressed curvature) 10 years ago and they gave me eye strain headaches within 1 day. I went back to the Optometrist and explained the problem I was having. After continuing to use them for about 4 days with the same problem, she recommended replacing the lightweight lenses with the standard thickness lenses in the same prescription (also progressive). PROBLEM SOLVED! 🙂 I have been a “Happy Camper” ever since. If you got the thin lenses and had eye strain headaches afterwards, try the standard thickness lenses, they may work for you too.
I wore/tried to wear progressives for 2 months. I originally told the optician that I use my peripheral vision a lot. He said “You don’t use it as much as you think.” Guess who was right!” Yes I do use my peripheral vision a lot. He had said they would switch the lens for bifocals (which I originally asked for) if I could not adapt to the progressives. I went back and said “I have been sick every day, I can’t read street signs and I HATE these.” I finally got bifocals and never had any trouble adapting to them. Each patient is different and the optician should actually listen to them.
I have to get cataract surgery at 36 years old and this article has helped me make an informed choice for post-op eyewear. As I will be opting for far distance vision in my surgery, I’ll probably buy progressives for daily life and checking texts on the go, but have a set of computer glasses and reading glasses handy at home or office for long computer sessions. My biggest concern is how in the world I will do watercoloring outdoors where I have to jump from far to near while sketching. I wonder if progressives will be too distorted when I look down at my page.
I’ve done much better with progressives but after perusal this article I realize I’ve been dealing with distortions. I always feel like my lens are foggy despite them being really clean. I’m a preacher so I do a lot of panning with my eyes. (Looking at people) This leaves my eyes tired and itchy from the perceived foggy/ blur/ distortion. Great article thanks.
Great article, as usual! One question I’ve wondered about is how the shape of the lens affects my vision. For example, does a rounder, Ben Franklin style lens have less distortion than a curved, oval design. There are literally hundreds of shapes and I suppose some are better than others. Btw, my yearly eye exam is due next week. Thanks!
I tried progressive many years ago. I’m nearsighted and my left eye is rather astigmatic. Now I use 3 separate par of glasses; long distance, which I use most of the time and I definitely need them when driving. For reading I have a special par, but I can read without glasses with my right eye, if the text isn’t too small. The 3rd par I use when sight reading playing the violin in an orchestra. In the orchestra you have to share the music stand with a fellow musician and the distance is sort of long computer distance .
When my vision changed to the point I needed correction reading along with my original RX, I started out with progressive lenses and never had an issue. Maybe because I was wearing contacts about 90% of the time for training. I consider myself lucky because I’ve known people who had a lot of issues with glasses, progressives and contacts whereas I’ve not had an issue with any. Weird thing is, my vision has actually gotten better the last 6 or 7 years. I joked with my optometrist this year that if I make it to 2035, maybe I’ll be back to 20/20!
Bifocals are best,it got accurate vision in all areas of lens.If you drive a lot then bifocals are best as there is no blurring in the corners.if you buy the best and costly progressive lenses(essilor varillux) then also there will be distortion. If you want the accuracy of bifocals with progressive lens like appearance go for invisible bifocals like shamir duo( no line will be seen in bottom).invisible bifocals are very cheaper(price starts from 31 dollars) than progressive lenses.invisible bifocals also got all combos like transition,anti glare coating,blue filter etc.
When I found I needed both distance and reading glasses, I was given the option of a pair of each, bifocals or progressive and the first pair I bought cost over £500, which is a LOT when you’re on a tight budget! Yes, they have that funky distortion at each lower corner, but I learned to work around that and suit me well enough. Sadly, my eyesight is steadily deteriorating, so I have to update my prescription often enough to mean such a hefty bill for new glasses isn’t an option. So, I chose another alternative resource which, while they mightn’t be perfect, work well enough for me, and that is to order my prescription glasses online, SOME of the sites which offer prescription glasses are pretty bad, but I picked a company with good reviews and I haven’t looked back, so to speak! I get my glasses at a much lower price than the local specsavers (and other companies), and they’ve served me well ever since!
I,Am An Artist. I,Am Nearsighted. I Prefer Glasses. ? I Can See Fine At A Distance With Prescription. What I Don’t Like Is When I’m Sitting Drawing I Either Have To Take My Glasses Off Or Tip Them Up.👆 The Bottom Frame Impeeds My Clarity Up Close. I See Fine Up Close. I Kinda Need A 3/4 Or Half Pair Of Prescription Lenses/Glasses. This Is A “Big Deal”,4 Me> The Creative Frustration Factor! I Don’t Need A Bifocal & I Don’t Need A Progressive. I Don’t Need A Lense Area Just For The Asthetic Co$t Which Is All Part Of The Selling Pitch! “WE Can’t Do This,But We Can Do That! Are There Glasses/Lenses That Would Accomodate My Artistic Grievance? If I Use Contacts I Have To Take Them Out,Just To Draw Up Close,Which Is Why I Prefer Glasses.
My last three pairs have been progressive. They took a little getting used to; first few weeks stairs were an issue but I adapted and the brain soon sorts the distortions (straight lines look curved at first). Now I love them. The ability to be able to see close, distant and mid all in one is a winner for me. I can see the road and the dash equally as clearly, also the computer screen and the document in front of me. My peripheral vision is almost unaffected, there is a small fall off in image quality right towards the edge but that’s about it. The one adjustment I’ve had to make is not relying on my judgment for assessing something is flat in any plane. The adaptations the brain has made for the curvature induced in the vision is really interesting. I run a contracting business so it is something I come across but it’s no big deal now I’m aware of it, I just make sure I use a known straight edge. Oh, I should add the latest pair which I’ve had for a couple of months (I lost the old pair – left on top of the car, doh) have a wider mid section which is a big improvement.
Everything you said about bifocals only applies to cheap lenses! Theres no need for a line, or to have such a large add lens. The PROS that can not be had on varifocals for people who need high to very high prescriptions is peripheral vision, you get nearly the full width of your frame of useable vision, varifocals will only have a thin band up the middle like the width of a pencil, you have to turn your head directly at what you wish to see. Next most important is to get BLENDED LENTICULAR lenses they make your eyes look quite acceptable to other people and not like beer bottles. theses are the unsaid facts about bifocals. I would suggest Carl Ziess.
I’ve been nearsighted since my early twenties and only needed glasses for that condition. Five years ago at the age of 44 I needed glasses for both. I chose to get progressive lenses because I do a lot of photo and article editing on the computer and I remembered my Mom and how she was never able to get used to having trifocals. It took me about a week to get used to the progressive lenses and once I did I absolutely loved them. Two weeks ago I went to my opthalmist for my exam and discovered that it was time for a new stronger prescription. I have once again went with Progressive lenses again. I’m still waiting for my new glasses to come in. I can’t wait to see clearly again.
I tried to use progressive lens as per my optometrist’s recommendation, but it gave me a consistent & persistent migraine for 3 consecutive days of use. It makes me dizzy while walking and looking around as well. So, I still prefer to just wear the reading lens as my vision for distance is still okay.
I wear varifocals (UK) which I guess are ‘progressive’. Took a while to get used to them. And I struggled with the distortion. Last time I paid more ( a lot more!) for the very best varifocals and they have no distortion at all and I love them. But – I’m sure they are making my eyesight worse in the long term. I suspect that if you have presbyopia and you get lenses that do all the work for your eyes then your eyes just give up and the lenses harden in one spot because they no longer have to try. I can’t see a thing without my glasses now.
Just got the ESSILOR VARILUX X vari-focals…….WOW…..vision is amazing with these progressives. I can see at all distances crystal Clear with zero distortions. But yeah here in Canada I was charged 1350$ for 1.74 Index, transitions xtractive, and Crizal sapphire coating. With Lindberg frames and cost went up alot.🤷I decided to pay for the quality of having zero distortions. It’s worth it.
I am wearing progressive since I don’t new anymore, ages. My lenses currently cost about USD 180 / pair here in Singapore. They are sharp over a wide area, I feel no limitations. The unsharp areas are only small zones at the sides, mostly at the lower end, which I would not really ever use anyway, even with normal glasses. The only thing I hate they are plastic lenses and therefore too sensitive.
I got a pair of progressives and the focal point was near impossible to identify. While driving, everything around me was out of focus. The car on the right out of focus, car on the left out of focus, car in front mostly out of focus. I would need to move my head all the time to see anything. Crazy… I switched to bi-focals which are infinitely better and everything is in focus. Now my eyes can move around and do their job.
I’ve got those Fancy-Nancy’s My question & concern is regarding peripheral vision aspects. Why isn’t peripheral vision considered & respected When designing progressive lenses? Why is there only a sweet spot in the middle? Peripheral vision is very important especially when driving, & having things out of focus unless you completely turn your head to look is maddening. Is there a “grind” or prescription that takes into consideration peripheral vision??. Thank you
Dr. Allen. LOVE your vids. I started on Progressives long about early 40’s. I’m 60 now.. Though my scrip hasn’t gone up that much over the years… I’m noticing that when my eyes shift from one distance to another… especially near to midnear (computer) I get this almost light-headed instability and I’m getting greater headaches too. Let’s assume all my medical pros say nothing neurologically going on or any other health related thing per se. And this scrip below is from an exam just 6 months ago. Can you just grow ‘less tolerant of progressives over time’? I’ve always been at that $160 for a pair of progressives level of cost.. Are the distortions you mention in this article possibly in the equation? Do I just need go to the higher $ progressives to eliminate more distortions? I love my Computer 2 zone Progressives. They work great.. but my 3 zone are causing these issues. My scrip is: +1.00-1.00×80 OD. +1.00-1.25×35 (add2.25) and I’ve been using the Varilux (non digitally cut) about $200 per pair (scratch + antiglare) for years now. Appreciate your show!!
Mine is a “Down the road” comment. The work I did, Electrical, Electronics, Mechanical Engineering, Design and troubleshooting. I needed Good, quick, crisp vision, because time was money, and I couldn’t make mistakes. I decided progressives were the best for me. I quickly adapted, and I could quickly focus at any distance, BUT my eyes got lazy. Because focusing could be achieved more easily by tipping the head than by exercising the focusing muscles, they atrophied, and as the lenses of my eyes migrated to farsightedness, my head tipped higher and higher looking at my laptop until I had a crook in my neck (cramped muscles in my neck) and I began realizing my eyes would no longer focus at all, at any distance but one (without the glasses) So for me, that was the long term effect of time and progressive lenses. I would say, “BEWARE”
I wish I could have talked to you about how I use my eyes before I picked a cataract surgery replacement lense. The eye doctor was not able to advise me in what would work for me. I did ask tons of questions and i feel i did not get any help. Lack of knowledge on the doctors part. Between computer work, reading, looking over someone’s shoulder at work to see the computer, cooking, etc, etc. I need a minimum of 2 different pairs of glasses on my person to change back and forth from, reading/computer to midrange to live my life. Ka—- health care finally checked over and summarized that I had picked the worst replacement lense. 😢😢 Tried progressive lenses and the different tilting positions I had to hold my head to see things not so clearly I will add, was extremely uncomfortable on my neck. Thank you for all your articles!❤❤❤❤
I got my first trifocals in my 50’s from a retired couple that asked dozens of questions and argued with each other vehemently. But I got exactly what I needed. I could see at distances through the top, I could read a book through the bottom, and I could see the panel of a C172/C150 in absolute focus through the middle lens. I got a new set of glasses a few months ago and the middle lens is almost useless. The focal point is around 18″, so it is only useful for reading with my arms out a bit in my lap. God forbid I should ever find the time and money to go back to recreational flying.
I recently got a pair of progressive lenses to try out. I hated it at first. But I kept wearing them for a couple weeks and after getting used to them, I now I use them almost exclusively. Every once in a while I switch to my back up pair which are full powered for stuff like driving. But I can drive just as well with my progressives, I just can’t lean my head all the way back due to the distortion at the lower half of the lenses. My eyes are pretty bad (-8 in one eye, -7 in the other) and I’ve gotten older to the point that my eyes noticeably just don’t adjust as quickly anymore from long distance to reading distance. It’s actually really frustrating because it was a noticeable degradation in the quality of my eyesight and I had absolutely no control over it. I found switching to progressives have actually helped a lot.
Hi. I’m in my 50s, been wearing glasses since high school. I started using progressive lens in my 40s. My brother, an optometrist, warned me about the needed adjustment period. It’s a painful bridge to cross, but after crossing, you never look back. Maybe because I’m far-sighted, letters are a blur when it’s near, that makes me dependent on my glasses, propelled me to bite the bullet, so to speak. … You are right, progressive lenses are expensive, consider it an investment, together with getting an equally expensive frame! I’m able to use mine for more than a year, sometimes, even 2, before needing a new pair. Thank you.
my 1st progressive had a lot of distortion, I had a bit of a hard time getting use too, I use to put them hanging on the neck of my shirt often witch is why I accidently dropped them on the ground getting out of the car I hadden’t notice until switching places driving as my son was driving and reversing the car I heard a cruching sound and looked at my chest and thought oh no! They were 500$ outch I then went back to just reading glasses. my 2nd pair a few years later I got I did not notice the distortion as they had improved the peripheral vision and I haven’t switch I love them and yes they cost a lot specially I got the progressive, thin glasses and transition even though it cost a lot there are the best!
Hello Doctor, I’ve been wearing progressive lenses for over 12 years, I am 64 years old and have macular degeneration, I have fallen many times by missing a step, I am wondering if it has to do with the distortion created by my progressive lenses? This is the first time I’ve seen your articles, thank you for educating us in this very important thing, our eyesight. God bless you. 🙏🙂
You asked for it. I’m 74, retired 10 years, and I currently wear progressive lens. I preceded them with bifocals for 10 years and have worn progressives for in excess of 25 years. I have become more aware of the distorted factor you’ve mentioned, but I have recently been diagnosed as having cataracts. I have been deliberating new lens, but have been also thinking I should wait til after I have corrective surgery. I’m sure you’re much more knowledgeable about the time frame from initial diagnosis to actual surgery, so should I wat, or opt for new lens now? Also, inexpensive til after?
I wear progressive lenses. Here in UK they’re called VariFocal lenses. The only issue I have with them is if I’m doing something up close and looking upwards it is not clear. I have to put on reading glasses for things like that. It is annoying having to switch. If the manufacturers could try and sort a solution to that, these glasses would be 10/10. Or should that be 20:20.
IMHO progressives are a way for optometrists to make a few hundred dollars off unsuspecting customers that simply want good vision regardless of price. The catch is that you have to accept inferior optics and substantial visual aberations. Plus, most of the plastics used to make these “superior” lenses are not as good as good old glass adding potential aberations of their own. Bifocal lenses made from plastic have not only a visible line (not the horror people assume), but the dirt and oil collecting line can be felt on the inside of the lens. Plus, the plastic always scratches. Anti-scratch coatings offer precious little protection. Photochromics in plastic have a lifespan that is limited and lose their effectiveness in a couple of years. It seems like the eyeglass industry is pushing the easiest lens to make at the highest price possible, and with features designed to fail quickly insuring that the client (victim) has to rebuy an inferior bespoke product at an inflated price as often as possible. Not a fan. Bifocals in glass offer the best vision, period. It’s sad that the industry has mostly scrapped machines that produce glass lenses for your new glasses. I just ordered glass Photogrey Extra bifocals. Their photochromic properties will last the rest of my life. I know because I have a pair from the 80s that still get dark. They are virtually scratchless being glass, and the optics are better than ANY plastic.
I’ve worn tri-focals over 35 years (nearly 40) because I’m a professional photographer/lab technician and early “progressives” had a useless transition area it was so small. Now I’m spoiled to the “defined” focal length areas and knowing EXACTLY WHERE to look thru the lens for any given distance. I took the free trial on the Pentax “fully progressive aspheric lenses” and I got sea-sick on those $4300 lenses and couldn’t see through my cameras or in the darkroom! I’ve raced and ridden motorcycles since I was 14 with glasses too and hunted and that peripheral vision is a BIG THING to me. At the ‘puter-thingey, it’s the bottom part of the tri-focal-TV, it’s the middle part-distance (normal driving), it’s the top part. ‘House, at 69, I’m “elderly” too! I just want to SEE!
I’ve been wearing progressive lenses for over 20 years, and I just love them. I have a stigmatism and very nearsighted and my prescription works very well for me. I tried bifocals in that line just drove me crazy. I’ve had really good success with getting my glasses from Costcoand they’re cost about $250
Hi! I am 44yrs old and just got my first glasses and they are bifocals. i am having one hell of a time with that damn line! is it possible to have the bifocal line lowered so its not in ur range of view? im too afraid to try progressive lenses due to the distortion on the sides. i dont want to kill myself and kids driving! thankyou kindly!
It was difficult to watch this article because of all the movement making me seasick, but I did like the information. I absolutely love my progressive lenses and have been wearing them for a couple of decades now. It took me almost no adjustment time from regular lenses. Full disclosure: I don’t have a horribly strong prescription. In addition, I had cataract surgery about 10 years ago, and my artificial lenses were given my distance prescription at the time, so I can still drive w/o glasses. Aging will eventually change that, though.
From needing a “reading” add, I have always had progressive lenses (Commonly known as Varifocals here in the UK) I understand that there are sone professions where progressive lenses may be a problem however I suspect in a number of cases that the wearer doesn’t persevere long enough to get used to the lens and its advantages. One thing I did learn quite early on in wearing progressive lenses is to ask for a “short corridor” as there tends to be less head movement. In all honesty I actually prefer my contact lenses (mono vision) to my spectacles, that’s just my personal preference though as I can see close up upside down with my lenses 😉
For all around use in front of a computer, stuff around the house, driving, going to the store, walking or running, I prefer progressive lenses. When I do sports like skiing or scuba diving or snorkeling, I wear contact lenses…I wore bifocal lenses from the age of 13 – 45 years of age. I would not go back to bifocals by choice…
The compromises with progressive I experience are, the cost £££! £600 for the lenses and I normally have three sets. My main pair, backup pair and safety glasses. Then there is prescription the left lens is weighted more for near and the right lens weighted more for distance. So there are some occasions there can be a bit of a battle as to which eye is actually taking dominance with focusing on an object. Laptop displays can often present difficulties with this. For small stuff like ingredients text on food packaging or working with serface mount electronics I have to take my glasses off as the near field focusing through the lenses is just too fuzzy with such things. Photography poses challenges as with the glasses on with the camera correctly focused the image appears very slightly out of focus. Makes manual focusing challenging as it requires applying fractions of a degree of the focus ring to compensate. With out the glasses my cameras viewfinder adjustment can not achieve the required diopter correction, and the diopter correction lenses for the camera are like finding rocking horse droppings. I have looked into surgical correction but it has been suggested to me that laser would not be effective for me and lens replacement would be the only option. At this time weighing the risks and benefits of such a procedure, I would revisit this should I start developing cataracts in later life.
Being farsighted I progressed from readers to progressives. They work well, except In low light. When I go outside at night, I can see better without my glasses. In fact I’m about to buy bifocals for that reason. I assume the issue is because the lower the light, the wider or more open your irises are causing you to pick up more of the distortion in the lenses.
I just picked up my first pair of progressive lenses today and until I watched this I was planning on taking them to get adjusted. I mean I was told that there is going to be distortion on the periphery but it wasn’t until I’d worn them for a few hours that I really began to notice. The other issue is that your sharpest focus in any of the three ranges is kinda small and along with the slight twist in perspective if you move your head to the left or right quickly both take getting used to. That actually makes me feel a little queasy. I’m gonna work with them and try to get the hang of them especially since they cost quite a bit. And I’ll still have my bifocals when I need a break. Thanks for the article. DAY 2: Already the queasiness is gone and my eyes seem to be making the adjustments to the different foci spontaneously, at least it seems that way. The peripheral distortions are still a distraction. Bottom line, things are better than yesterday.
I’m on my second pair of progressives. I can’t seem to get the distance portion right. I went to two different doctors and still distance is not good. I do have astigmatism and I have to go get a glaucoma test. Not sure if either of these things make getting distance right harder? I’m pretty frustrated because it cost me $800 and I’m past my 30 days. I hate the one two test because a lot of them I can’t really decide which is better.
I tried progressive lens for over a month. If I looked directly to the front things were pin point sharp but the peripheral vision was blurred, like having tunnel vision, which I found dangerous when driving. The optician said she didn’t use hers for driving which was crazy as I went to her because I failed the eye sight test for my driving license!
Thank you so much for the clear presentation. For years I have struggled with reading thinking I need a stronger prescription. The cost of progressive lens as well as anti glare plus more options is out of my budget now that I am retired. I have an appointment for new glasses and will certainly try the bifocals. I also appreciate all the comments by others made me realize I am not the only one who has difficulty seeing with them.
I got talked into progressives and not only were they very expensive but miserable. I worked customer service and invoicing. I constantly would be looking down at the desk, then to a pc screen and then out into the office. Within minutes of wearing them every day I would start feeling dizzy and nauseous. I constantly had to find where the focus was in the lens. I kept going back telling the eye doctor that I wasn’t happy and they were not working out. He insisted I just needed to get used to them. I would wear an old pair to drive to work because I couldn’t focus enough with the new ones and was afraid I would get in an accident. As a passenger in my friends car, we were going about 70 mpg on the highway and everything was a total blur. I got car sick for the first time ever. Finally, I asked for straight contacts for distance for activities where I didn’t want to wear glasses and ended up wearing them for work with a cheap pair of over the counter readers at the end of my nose to read the papers on the desk. Worked like a charm. Will never get progressives again
Overall I really like my progressives. They did take a while to get used to but for what I do where I have to transition quickly between the different view lengths, they have been great. The major and I mean major issue I have with them is that if I have spent many hours on the computer, writing my thesis, marking etc then when I go to drive, I can barely see anything. It is almost like I am drunk and I can’t focus on anything. I never had this issue with my single vision lenses.
Very interesting article. I have been using the so called ‘HD Progressives’ and paid according $CAD450 just for lenses, and now need new ones. According to your Putty examples, these unavoidable ‘distortion cylinders’ appear to be around 40-50% of the total lens area for a ‘do-it-all’ progressive. Studying the marketing brochures for new lenses, however, if you believe the hype, they appear to be able to reduce these distortion cylinders to approx. ~<5-10% of total lens area for the most expensive HD Premium ones, say <20-25% for the Silver model, and around ~40-50% for the base Bronze level, similar to what you show in this article. 1. So is the marketing literature claiming <5-20% total cylinder zone distortion area in a Silver or Gold 'do-it-all' progressive just hype, and the actual difference maybe only a 'few percent', and 2. Since I started with HD progressives as my very first pair ever, do I have to stick with this type, or can I save money by now going with the Silver or Bronze model as there is about a $100-150/pair decrease at each step down in so-called 'lens quality'? Thanks and very much appreciate the response.