Item for discussing eyeglasses

11 responses total.

Jim and I are considering progressive lenses but a friend hates his and says
he can only read a few lines of text without moving his head.  Jim is
farsighted and non-astigmatic but can see slightly better at a distance with
glasses now that his eyes are 60 years old and the lenses are stiffer.  He
wants to see tiny print at 12".  I am nearsighted and astigmatic.  I can see
the computer screen better with glasses because of the astigmatism.  I can
no longer easily read small print close up with the computer glasses.

What experience do other grexers have with progressive lenses or lined
bifocals?

I am considering as a second pair computer/reading bifocals.

Lined bifocals let you see at a distance out of the corner of the lower part.
Do progressive lenses do that too?

I got laser eye surgery years ago because I thought ahead: I knew my
nearsightedness would go as a matter of age, so I had my eyes corrected for
farsightedness. Now I only need reading glasses! :D

I've been wearing progressives for a number of years and like them a lot.  
They won't do for concentrated, prolonged reading - either paper or 
computer screen, but they're handy for reading small chunks of text when 
one is out and about, e.g. restaurant menus.  I have a pair of reading 
glasses for reading books and computer screens.

Why don't they work for reading more than small chunks of text?
My computer glasses don't work for reading books.  I was considering
computer/reading bifocals (so I could read tiny fuzzy text without taking off
my glasses, while trying to translate it on a monitor 3' away).
The 3' away is so I can put the text in front of the monitor.  And the
dictionaries.

I have had progressive lenses for 1 year and I love them.  But I don't 
think my eyes are that bad yet from a near sighted prospective.

I had progressive trifocals for several years.  Didn't like them due to
the only having a line or two of the computer screen in focus at a time
and the reading area not working at all.  My eyes cross when doing close
work, i.e. reading and stitching, with progressives the reading focus
area is a semi-circle in the bottom center of the lens.  Because of the
crossing, my eyes don't hit in the focus area.  I now have two pairs of
bifocals.  One with Rx for distance and reading and one for computer/mid
distance and reading.  I use dollar store 2.75 - 3.00 diopter glasses
for stitching where I need a bit more magnification than I do for reading.

Thanks all.  We have decided against progressive glasses.  I could get by with
single-vision computer/reading glasses if I put the monitors less than 2' away
or the book more than 12" away.  Only problem is when people send me very tiny
very fuzzy text that I need to hold closer.
        We are now experimenting with stick-on plastic bifocals.  I just added
+1.50 to my single-vision distance glasses.  My new prescription said I need
to add 2.0 but if I do (with the stick-on models) I can see best at 10" and
I don't read that close.  Adding 1.25 to distance lenses gives me my computer
lenses.  I can also put a pair of large 1.50 reading glasses on top of my
distance glasses and read okay.  I don't know where the optometrist got her
2.00 figure for adding to my prescription to produce reading bifocals.  I
might order distance/reading bifocals (with 1.50 not 2.00 difference).
        Jim and I are going to switch frames.  His are too narrow and mine are
too wide.  This should help confuse the mail order company when we order both
pairs at once and ask them to get pupillary distances from the old lenses and
apply them to the opposite frames.  eyeglassdirect.com sells bifocals with
lines for $75 lenses only (another $10 if you want their frames) or $85 for
progressive.  The local place wants $215 and $265 for lenses.  If you get
their frames it is cheaper because then you get 40% off.  They don't have any
frames suitable for bifocals, only the ones with small lenses.  THe mail order
place is 50% off the second pair.  $60/pair.
        What distance do other people read books and computer monitors at?

Today we walked to the dollar store at Liberty and Stadium and tried on their
dollar reading glasses over my single vision glasses.  I determined that 1.50
is the amount I need to correct my long-distance vision in order to read at
about 16".  The range is 14-20", and I could probably see the computer
monitors with reading glasses.  My current computer glasses are corrected
1.25.  I have been walking around with the plastic add-on 1.50 lenses on my
single-vision glasses, and if I move the monitors to 24" or beyond, I can see
them with the upper glass.  So one pair of glasses should work for most
things.  The optometrist says we can come back within 60 days to adjust the
prescription.  A friend's friend loves her progressive lenses.  

I've had progressive lenses for years and I love them.  And found out
this  past summer that I will continue to love them, too. I was passed
due for a  new prescription and checked out the prices at a number of
different  places. The place I got the 'script filled had a special--two
pair for one  price. The ad said it included bifocals--but of course,
they don't give  you all of the info in the ad. If I wanted the
progressive lenses, it  would cost me more. So I did get the progressive
lenses for my regular  glasses and stuck with the old-fashioned sideways
D version of bifocals  for my sunglasses.  It drives me nuts having to
constantly shift back and  forth between the 2 areas.  If and when I
ever get new shades, it will be  with the progressives, that's for sure.

"past due"  8^}

We ended up mail ordering plain bifocals for $75 for the first pair and the
second half price.  Progressive lenses would be $85.  The local store wanted
$265 for them and the optometrist refused to change Jim's prescription by one
.25 adjustment after he determined he could see better very far and very close
if both eyes were the same though it worked better in between with his written
prescription.  The mail order place was reasonable about this and also let
me change my close-up from +2.00 to +1.25 after I measured things.  $38 for
single-vision (or $28 for cheaper lenses). A  few dollars more if you want
their frames.  eyeglassdirect.com works even with lynx.

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