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Excellent points. I am an optician, have fit many patients in progressives, and wear them myself. There are many reasons patients can have difficulty adjusting to them. OP's problem sounds like the optician either did not measure him/her correctly and cut off the reading, or it's a simple adjustment issue and the glasses need adjusted to the face better. Varilux is a very good brand of progressives, and I also recommend Hoya progressives. I have tried many different types of progressives that labs offered me, and the best quality by far, in my experience are the:
Varilux W3+
Varilux S
Varilux Physio DRX
Hoya products that are good are the:
Hoya ECP IQ
Hoya Lifestyle (for new progressive lens wearers)
Hoya Harmony (for people who are used to them)
Good quality progressives are expensive. Some patients have said they have gotten them online and they work fine for them. But high quality progressives are not available online that I've seen. The ones I have found are narrow corridor progressives like the Comfort and despite its name, they are not comfortable for most patients. The narrow field of vision requires patients to crane their neck more often than a wider corridor progressive to retain the center correction and avoid the distortion. Moving one's head an extra 100 times a day can make the lower cost not worth it in the long run. It all depends on how flexible the wearer is.
Some patients notice a difference in their vision based on choice of lens type and any selected coatings. Antireflective coating makes a huge difference in clarity, especially reading. Some opticians will try to sell you the most expensive A/R coatings. I don't. There is little difference between them in my experience, and they all carry the same warranty. But having one is better than not having one. They reduce glare and halos while reading and driving.
Transitions. People either love them or hate them (I'm not a fan). Transitions have improved a great deal since the days of yore. You can get the Xtractive which darken in the car, the regular which only darkens outside, or the Transvantage, which darkens in the car and gives you UV protection. My old coworker told me her Transitions helped her with her glare sensitivity, and I have heard this from other patients as well.
And last, lens materials are important. As I mentioned, I don't try to sell patients on the most expensive thing just to take their money. Opticians normally sell polycarbonate as their go-to, but I still think plastic is an economical choice if the patient is not too high powered. Trivex (also known as Phoenix) is my favorite material overall. It is 10% thicker than poly but has better optical properties. Hi-Index has excellent optical properties as well. Not all coatings are available in all lens materials/powers, so if the optician tells you this, they are probably being honest with you : )
But some patients just don't adapt to progressives well. These patients may do well with a lined bifocal or separate pairs of glasses. But I don't automatically assume the patient is not suited for progressives just because they have problems initially. There is an adjustment period of up to two weeks. So before OP throws his/her progressives in the dustbin, he/she needs to go back to the optical for an adjustment and segment height measurement. Even though the reading height line is invisible, an experienced optician can locate it under a microscope and compared it to your pupil height to make sure it is correct. I hope my long post was helpful!
It is but an optrition isn't working with me. It's the saleslady/consultant who seems like she knows a lot, and she wears progressives herself, but she didn't mention any of these things. When I had to have the first exam re-done, that Dr was very short with me. The reading part got corrected. On the first day with the first pair I was handed a card and immediately said 'I can't read'.
During my 30 day trial with the second pair I called and said these are worse than the others. I mean I can read with these, but I hate the frames, I still can't see the pc, my distance isn't as good, but if we tilt them that will make the reading less I presume and she just said 'oh my'. Maybe she intends to say more when I come back in, but my problem is knowing what I want/need when I go back.
If we don't discover why these suck so bad for me we won't have any better luck on the next pair, and I don't want to work all year on this! I think I will take down some notes from this thread and if we don't discuss some of these things being told to me here, I will just say give me separate distance and readers and let me go on my way!
I am sure I will lose or break a pair having two but that will be my price for not wanting to carry on with this project.
I tried contacts in the 1980s but they didn't work well for me. For some reason, I couldn't see as clearly through them as the regular glasses and these where the days before they got the lenses to be slim even with a high prescription. In the old days, wearing glasses was uncomfortable especially with thicker lenses, but now it's a lot easier even though I have to wear Progressives. I really wanted those contacts to work and was so disappointed. I didn't know there was an age limit with contacts, I think if they are working well you should be able to have that as an option, but I am not sure with prysbopia (don't remember how to spell it but I just call it "old eyes"). Now, with Progressives, they take getting use to but in time your eyes get accustomed to it and I sympathize with you on finding the right angles, I totally get it and experience the same issues.
Me either! That was a shock. I said why? He said after 40 a lot of people's eyes are not as strong and can't see up close through their distance contacts/glasses. I said I used to just fine. He said yeah, USED TO lol! I liked that Dr. He made me laugh. He showed me through something what my PC would look like through distance contacts and said can you see that? Nope. Like I told you ........
As far as all the fancy things others are doing with contacts, IDK if he is correct but he said my astigmatism wasn't strong enough, if I understood him correctly, to get bi-focal contacts or whatever. I am not sure. But when I see him I ask him for my contacts please! He said he can't wear them anymore either and he hates his glasses. Takes them off in his office like I do at my desk. We can both see directly around us.
Definitely plastic is lighter and they really do a great job of slimming out the lenses, but the problem I find is that the coating or whatever they put on it needs cleaning all the time. I would clean the lenses and two hours later noticed they need cleaning again, there is something they need to get fixed on the coatings so that they remain clean for most of the day.
Plastic is lighter? Than glass, sure but I thought polycarb is lighter, thinner, more durable, more scratch-resistant than plastic.
Scooby Snacks, thank you for your valuable information. As someone who had cataract surgery well over a year ago and has lived through a year long nightmare of trying to find suitable glasses, I am going to print out your post so I'll have it for the next time I need to buy progressives.
If this optician had listened to me the way you seem to listen to people, I would have had my Varilux progressives nearly a year ago and avoided all the agony of not being able to see properly to drive, having to hold onto things just to walk around the house, not being able to read a book, etc.
One thing I noticed for sure is the polycarbonate material distorted things. I just thought "plastic" was "plastic" when it came to lenses. I never even knew they were selling me polycarbonate lenses, never ever heard of it.
But the first weird thing was that the glasses were smeared all the time. Couldn't wear them more than a few minutes without taking them off and wiping them! Also, if you took the glasses and looked at the lenses themselves, the colors of the rainbow were apparent. That's when I started to think that maybe these lenses were made of a different material than I'd ever had before.
To the person who asked if they really needed the poly for scratch resistance or durability, I don't think so! If you're a kid playing baseball maybe, but for an adult, what's come out of my suffering is that the plastic (that I think is what has always been used) is just fine.
Next week I'm planning on visiting another optician because I will NEVER, EVER go back to that one who refused to give me Varilux, told me the Shamir were exactly the same, and then charged me $$$ more to finally set me up with Varilux. I want someone I can trust and I will try to get an explanation of why I couldn't see with the polycarbonate Shamir, and get as much information as I can so that a disaster like this latest experience will not happen next time.
Anyone here: you are smart to ask and to get as much information as possible before purchasing. Apparently things have changed--(or maybe there are just more dishonest opticians out there lately.)
I'm sorry that happened to you! What is really crazy over here is my first pair I was told were polycarb. And except for the fact that I couldn't read or see the PC, they distance part was FAB. Perfect. This pair, also supposed to be polycarb, I have that wavy thing going on. In the grocery store I had to take them off because looking up close through them things swam. That didn't happen with the first pair. They were thicker too, and I know it is not my imagination. I remember because they were rimless on the bottom and I ran my finger along the bottom comparing the thickness to my old plastic ones. This second pair is thinner and in general something is different about the lenses. Like they are flattened. It's wierd. And I don't see how the first pair could have been plastic. She specifically said that pair HAD to be polycarb due to partial rimless. Of course when I chose some that are not even partial rimless she said I still had to have polycarb because of my progressive lenses. I chose the 'Elite'. One step below HD. For the widest intermediate area.
I'm sorry that happened to you! What is really crazy over here is my first pair I was told were polycarb. And except for the fact that I couldn't read or see the PC, they distance part was FAB. Perfect. This pair, also supposed to be polycarb, I have that wavy thing going on. In the grocery store I had to take them off because looking up close through them things swam. That didn't happen with the first pair. They were thicker too, and I know it is not my imagination. I remember because they were rimless on the bottom and I ran my finger along the bottom comparing the thickness to my old plastic ones. This second pair is thinner and in general something is different about the lenses. Like they are flattened. It's wierd. And I don't see how the first pair could have been plastic. She specifically said that pair HAD to be polycarb due to partial rimless. Of course when I chose some that are not even partial rimless she said I still had to have polycarb because of my progressive lenses. I chose the 'Elite'. One step below HD. For the widest intermediate area.
Sounds a lot like me. The wavy thing was due to the polycarb. I had great distance vision--joked that I could probably see an eagle a mile away in the sky, lol. For driving, looking straight ahead was great but I couldn't look from side to side to see if traffic was coming.
I have the semi rimless frames too. No one told me that you need special expensive lenses if you have even partially rimless frames. I wish they had told me. I now have PLASTIC Varliux lenses on the semi rimless frames so that's not true that you need polycarbonate. They said I needed high index due to the rimless frames--not too sure what that means but I think they are right about that. To me it meant even more money.
Until I got these Varilux last week I was always talking about how flat they are too. Or wondering if glasses fit closer to your head now--or what? Something seems to have changed since I bought glasses a few years ago.
But even these new Varilux lenses aren't as good as previous versions. I don't know what's going on. Some problems when looking from up to down and from side to side--I never had this before with Varilux progressives. With previous glasses, I never even knew I was wearing glasses even with progressives.
Nothing is as horrible as the blurring, smearing, rippling polycarbonate though!
Sounds a lot like me. The wavy thing was due to the polycarb. I had great distance vision--joked that I could probably see an eagle a mile away in the sky, lol. For driving, looking straight ahead was great but I couldn't look from side to side to see if traffic was coming.
I have the semi rimless frames too. No one told me that you need special expensive lenses if you have even partially rimless frames. I wish they had told me. I now have PLASTIC Varliux lenses on the semi rimless frames so that's not true that you need polycarbonate. They said I needed high index due to the rimless frames--not too sure what that means but I think they are right about that. To me it meant even more money.
Until I got these Varilux last week I was always talking about how flat they are too. Or wondering if glasses fit closer to your head now--or what? Something seems to have changed since I bought glasses a few years ago.
But even these new Varilux lenses aren't as good as previous versions. I don't know what's going on. Some problems when looking from up to down and from side to side--I never had this before with Varilux progressives. With previous glasses, I never even knew I was wearing glasses even with progressives.
Nothing is as horrible as the blurring, smearing, rippling polycarbonate though!
Yeah, I am lost. Did they lie and/or make a mistake with the first pair and put plastic in? I asked her to keep those because I want to show her how much thinner these are. It's strange. And I didn't have the wavy with the first ones. I would take those back if the reading script wasn't wrong on them!
She made a mistake or wasn't truthful when she told me on the first pair those had to be polycarb due to partial rimless. She specifically said if I chose another pair I would't have to have polycarb. When those had to be changed I said here these are not rimless. She said you still have to have polycarb because of the type of lens. I was thinking yeah that is not what you said before. But I didn't care because she had sold me on the polycarb.
I pretty much decided I am done with the progressive experiment. But I will scream and cry if I get plastic in regular ones and then don't like that, lol! I guess we need to nail down WHAT ARE THE LENSES IN THE FIRST PAIR REALLY MADE OF??????????????
Plastic is lighter? Than glass, sure but I thought polycarb is lighter, thinner, more durable, more scratch-resistant than plastic.
Think you are right, polycarb is the new state of the art lenses, makes me think the glasses I have on now are polycarb, but I just call them plastic. I have to check my paperwork, but it does feel light and comfortable. Thank goodness we live in a age where they can make lenses so slim. I remember the thick awful lenses and how heavy they were and all the horrible lines on the lense edge like one of those cakes with many thin layers
Think you are right, polycarb is the new state of the art lenses, makes me think the glasses I have on now are polycarb, but I just call them plastic. I have to check my paperwork, but it does feel light and comfortable. Thank goodness we live in a age where they can make lenses so slim. I remember the thick awful lenses and how heavy they were and all the horrible lines on the lense edge like one of those cakes with many thin layers
Plastic is better than polycarb for visual acuity. I had a pair made up with the same prescription in each. Verified by the eye Dr. In testing on fine small print the plastic is better.
For the last few years the Drs said I could no longer get great vision any more. In this round I went through 2 different eye drs. The last lady fought me all the way but I kept insisting that she help me while I ordered multiple iterations of glasses from Zenni. What finally worked in the end was having her hand hold up the lens changes while I wore the Zenni glasses to get the prescription perfected.
She had no idea what power was good to add to get to my reading strength in progressives. I experimented with her suggestion of 2.25, the previous drs suggestion of 1.25 and settled on 1 as the best choice. Zenni took back all the reject pairs so I wasn't out much. In the end I ordered their cheapest ones as trial pairs so I didn't have to bother returning them if the prescription was wrong.
I am now a happy progressive wearer with glasses that make me feel like I have my old eyes back.
Good luck!
Plastic is better than polycarb for visual acuity. I had a pair made up with the same prescription in each. Verified by the eye Dr. In testing on fine small print the plastic is better.
For the last few years the Drs said I could no longer get great vision any more. In this round I went through 2 different eye drs. The last lady fought me all the way but I kept insisting that she help me while I ordered multiple iterations of glasses from Zenni. What finally worked in the end was having her hand hold up the lens changes while I wore the Zenni glasses to get the prescription perfected.
She had no idea what power was good to add to get to my reading strength in progressives. I experimented with her suggestion of 2.25, the previous drs suggestion of 1.25 and settled on 1 as the best choice. Zenni took back all the reject pairs so I wasn't out much. In the end I ordered their cheapest ones as trial pairs so I didn't have to bother returning them if the prescription was wrong.
I am now a happy progressive wearer with glasses that make me feel like I have my old eyes back.
Good luck!
Wow that is quite a process! The PROJECT is part of what is wearing me out right now. Not a good time. OK, and feeling really stupid here, but Zenni is online? So who is the she holding up her hand with the lens changes?
Maybe I will just get distance glasses from America's Best and use Zenni for experimentation.
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). Now, with Progressives, they take getting use to but in time your eyes get accustomed to it and I sympathize with you on finding the right angles, I totally get it and experience the same issues.
He said he can't wear them anymore either and he hates his glasses. Takes them off in his office like I do at my desk. We can both see directly around us.
