i cant read, it looks blurred , so he ( the Optician ) said to use them while driving.
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If you are looking straight through the âsweet spotâ and moving your head, not just your eyes to read (a technique required with progressives) and you cannot read, I will refrain from attempting to make a diagnosis.
Some issues:
- It is possible the prescription was in error. Uncommon but it can happen.
- It is possible the lenses were ground improperly for the prescription.
- Opticians do not want to write off lenses - it costs them money and hassles with their own suppliers. In 25 years of using progressives I had 2 sets of lenses that were wrong. One the prescription was confirmed to have been off, and the other the grind was off re the prescription. In both cases it was taken care of without any hassle.
- It is possible the frames you selected are not âtallâ enough to accommodate your prescription so the sweet spot where correction and clarity meet is very small. Opticians should warn when a customer makes such a selection.
- It is possible your eyes are weak enough for reading that progressives are not a good solution.
I would not accept the opticians response at face value and in your situation I would give it a week or two while being focused (no pun intended) on the required techniques for using progressive lenses. It can be quick, it can take a while, and some never adapt. If there is no improvement I would not accept âjust use them while drivingâ as an answer.
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Iâve been wearing multifocals for more than 10 years, but because I couldnât find an inexpensive provider, I had a pair of multifocals for general use, but only single-vision lenses in my sunglasses. I had exactly the problem you describe of being able to drive just fine, but unable to see details in the dash, e.g. reading the odometer.
I recently discovered an optical provider located near CHOICE and was able to get two pairs of multifocals for less than the cost of my previous single pair of multifocals alone. I can now afford to wear multifocal sunglasses. A much better in-car experience.
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i try to read with them but I shouldnt have to move the paper or my head to get the right focus if I can get the right focus . I will have to go back to using two different glasses , one for distance , one for reading
That is not how progressives work though. There is a small sweet spot where one can attain focus/magnification and if one does not move oneâs head to find and keep looking exactly through it to focus on whatever, one sees blurry out of focus images.
Further, if one finds that sweet spot and moves the eyes (eg to read) rather than the head, the focus moves from the sweet spot, and it does take some effort and awareness to adapt.
It appears progressives may not be for you, and you are not alone. Yet most often it appears to be an issue with those who are uncomfortable or unwilling to adapt to how to use them more than with the progressive lenses, although sometimes it might be the lenses not being correct or a make and model unsuitable for the customer. Opticians can and should explain the differences in products but in my experiences donât always, unless asked.
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expensive mistake that people should be warned about
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Some progressives have different sized areas to others as well. This means sweet spots are different for each use.
Some reading on the issues
As @PhilT states it takes sometime for most people to adjust to using progressives and it may be an error in the lense production that needs addressing.
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thats what Im thinking , I cant read or use the computer with them its blurred , all i can do is see the distance
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If you go back to your provider with your problem they should review your âsweetâ spot. Whenever I get new glasses one of the first things done is working out where my eyes are for each âvisionâ. There is usually a spot put on the glass in the new frames. It is then rechecked and then they go off for being made. Iâve also had major measurements done in the past and this has been recorded for the lens maker. Your provider should also replace your lenses if they donât âworkâ for you. Iâve had this done for me in the past.
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Hello,
I was charged $1200 for two pairs of multi-focal lens glasses. Before health insurance and other deductions the cost was about $1600. Two days later, I negotiated a lower price with them meaning that in the end I paid $1000. Checked with friends and other optometrists in our area and found that multi-focals are very expensive indeed. Feeling ripped off. Is there anything that can be done? I am retired and not eligible for government entitlements.
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I merged your query into this older one about many aspects of multi-focal and progressive lenses as your question is quite germane.
Was the cost inclusive of two new frames also? And what was the cost of the frames vs the lenses? Were they traditional multi-focal or progressive; many people use the terms interchangeably but they are different lens types with the latter being more expensive?
If progressive were the lenses from the Varilux (eg claimed and priced as the âRolls Royceâ) range, Essilor, or another brand like Hoya, Zeiss, Kodak, and others? All are very good but the costs vary.
Regardless of whether progressive or traditional multi-focal the costs of different lens can be considerable so dependent on the answer to the lens manufacture the $1,600 all-up price per two could be high or very reasonable.
When I get new glasses I pay attention to the frame costs as well as the lens options on offer. My progressives have ranged from about $750 to $1,000 each for the last decade; it is 2 years since I bought the most recent.
There are an increasing number of opticians such as Specsaver that sell lower range products that customers seem to be quite happy with, but each shop can deliver a different experience, as can any two independents. Most chains are owned by very few companies having multiple brands that are effectively competing with themselves â a partial answer to why most are so expensive.
This company started the trend to frames as a fashion item and have continually branched out to all but own the business in many areas.
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You did well negotiating a discount.
After the event your options are indeed limited to putting it down to a learning experience. The optometric dispenser has not done anything wrong, and you have not indicated that there is any issue with the product, so you have no statutory rights under the ACL.
As with any product, do your research before you commit to any purchase. You will be in a much better position knowing what an acceptable cost will be, and to then negotiate with business of your choice.
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I had a chat with my optometrist about differences in progressive lenses. The most salient point could be interesting for people new to progressive lenses, or considering changing brands.
Essilor (Varilux) developed the original progressive lens and use what he termed a âhard approachâ - meaning the âsweet spotâ of corrected vision is as maximised as possible but once out of the sweet spot focus degrades. The user needs to learn to turn their head so whatever is being looked at is straight ahead; if one just moves the eye to look at something peripheral to front and centre it will be blurry. I have used these ever since my first progressives.
Most other progressive lens manufacturers apparently use what he termed a âsoft approachâ - meaning while the âsweet spotâ is not as large as a âhard approachâ the periphery loses focus gradually in segments rather than all at once. The benefit was said to be a sensation of a wider field of corrected vision even though the reality is the reverse. One doesnât need to turn their head to the degree of âhard approachâ lenses.
There are advantages of each and unfortunately doing an âA-Bâ comparison with oneâs own prescription would require buying two pair - a bit expensive.
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After years of wearing progressive multifocal lenses I lost patience with needing very regular adjustments to spectacle frames to keep the mid distance (for computer work) in the correct spot vertically for me. If I didnât go for regular adjustments (optometrist called it âspottingâ) I would end up with serious neck ache from tilting my head up and down trying to keep things in focus.
Note that this is nothing to do with horizontal, side-to-side position of the sweet spots for close, middle and far.
It was especially difficult in the years when spectacle frame makers only made frames that were very short vertically as there was very little real estate for the progressive lenses to fit sweet spots for close, middle and far vision.
Even the expensive frames with âmemoryâ to not go out of shape would go âoff spotâ on a regular basis (and Iâm a stickler for the maxim that glasses are either on your face or in their case).
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