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Am I correct in understanding the reading area on progressives differs by how much I want to upgrade? My first pair had a very narrow range and with a different optician I was given several choices, limited by my frame choice and how much I wanted to spend.
Am I correct in understanding the reading area on progressives differs by how much I want to upgrade? My first pair had a very narrow range and with a different optician I was given several choices, limited by my frame choice and how much I wanted to spend.
This is true. If you want a narrow reading area (and some people actually do,) the Varilux Comfort or Image progressive will give you this. Narrower corridors are usually more budget friendly, but unless you are used to a narrow corridor, many wearers don't like them because of the extra head movement required to wear them. Saving $100 or $150 on glasses may seem like a great deal until you have to turn your head an extra 100 times/day for one or two years
When buying progressives online, beware of what they advertise as "deluxe" progressives. Many times they don't disclose the brand of progressive, and knowing the specific brand is important to understanding if you will tolerate it well. The Varilux Comfort is an older style with a narrow reading area. If you want a wider area of correction, a Varilux Physio or Hoya ECP are great brands.
If you want the wider area in a digital progressive, which is kind of like a high definition TV image compared to regular definition TV image, Hoya ECP IQ or Varilux Physio DRX are good alternatives. They are mid-grade, comfortable, and are affordable for most wearers.
And if you really want top of the line, I recommend a Shamir Autograph III or Varilux W3+. Some of these brands or lens types are not available with certain add-ons, like Transition Extractive or some anti-reflective coatings, so don't be suprised if the optician tells you you can't get X coating with Y progressive. Please note it is important to ask for the correct numbers and brands, because there are differences between twos and threes and Varilux and ECP, like watching different Bourne Supremacy movies and Avatar sequels
Some people just don't adapt well to progressive lenses. They require the user to look through them differently than if they are looking though a single vision lens or lined bifocal. This is because a progressive lens has a corridor of correction with a wide distance corrected area, a narrower reading correction, and a wider reading area, sort of a margarita glass shape. The edges of the lens are distorted.
You use your nose as a pointer to see through the lens clearly. Most of us do this naturally anyway. We don't move our eyes to the side without moving our head when looking to the periphery; we move our whole head to see what's to the side of us. With a progressive lens, clear vision depends on this movement.
As for your question about reading prescriptions, it's usually a matter of simple addition/subtraction. But it gets a little complicated because some people wear a plus power for distance and some people wear a minus power for distance. And when you throw in the whole astigmatism thing, it gets even more confusing. I'll break it down for you. Let's say the person is nearsighted (needs glasses to see far away) and presbyopic (needs reading glasses). This is his prescription.
-4.00 sphere +2.00 Add
The add power is the full reading strength. The person's distance prescription is a -4.00. You subtract 2.00 to get the reading power at the bottom. So the glasses would read -2.00 at the bottom. For the intermediate (computer) power, you split the reading in half. In this person's case, it would be +1.00. Subtract 1.00 from -4.00 and you get -3.00.
For plus powered patients, it's addition. Say Mrs. X is a:
+5.00 -1.25 x 090 Add 2.50
Mrs. X has astigmatism of -1.25 D. But it doesn't factor in our reading power math at all. For her reading strength, just add +2.50 to +5.00. The reading power at the bottom is +7.50 -1.25 x 090.
For her computer power, we split the reading power in 1/2, so her computer power would be +1.25, for a total of +6.50. The astigmatism correction would be the same once again.
Most commonly the reason patients don't adapt to progressives is their optician doesn't explain very well how they work. Progressives have a learning curve that other lenses don't have; a good optician is aware of this and acts accordingly. I spend a lot of time teaching my first time wearers how to use them and most of them are very satisfied with them afterwards. Progressives offer the convenience of an all-in-one distance, reading, and computer lens that eliminates the hassle of taking the glasses on and off all the time, and most patients and opticians find that very satisfying.
to me that means my reading part isn't my exact reading script. And I can't see the pc unless I tilt my head up and then I'm looking through the reading part.
I've worn rimless glasses for a number of years and love them. Mine are Trivex and are drilled, so when the lens gets loose it's just a matter of tightening the nuts holding the lens to the frame.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scooby Snacks
This is true. If you want a narrow reading area (and some people actually do,) the Varilux Comfort or Image progressive will give you this. Narrower corridors are usually more budget friendly, but unless you are used to a narrow corridor, many wearers don't like them because of the extra head movement required to wear them. Saving $100 or $150 on glasses may seem like a great deal until you have to turn your head an extra 100 times/day for one or two years
When buying progressives online, beware of what they advertise as "deluxe" progressives. Many times they don't disclose the brand of progressive, and knowing the specific brand is important to understanding if you will tolerate it well. The Varilux Comfort is an older style with a narrow reading area. If you want a wider area of correction, a Varilux Physio or Hoya ECP are great brands.
If you want the wider area in a digital progressive, which is kind of like a high definition TV image compared to regular definition TV image, Hoya ECP IQ or Varilux Physio DRX are good alternatives. They are mid-grade, comfortable, and are affordable for most wearers.
And if you really want top of the line, I recommend a Shamir Autograph III or Varilux W3+. Some of these brands or lens types are not available with certain add-ons, like Transition Extractive or some anti-reflective coatings, so don't be suprised if the optician tells you you can't get X coating with Y progressive. Please note it is important to ask for the correct numbers and brands, because there are differences between twos and threes and Varilux and ECP, like watching different Bourne Supremacy movies and Avatar sequels
to me that means my reading part isn't my exact reading script. And I can't see the pc unless I tilt my head up and then I'm looking through the reading part.
That is why I bought "office glasses" which don't include the distance part of my Rx. My regular glasses are progressive bifocals, but the office glasses are good for about 48"-6" and I don't have to move my head up and down to read anything on my dual monitors. The office glasses also have a very strong blue block filter.
The only problem is remembering to switch glasses when I leave my office, but that is just a question of developing the habit.
Another thank you to Scooby for such great info! Who knew there was such variety out there?
I do have a question for anyone who has ordered progressives from Zenni or other online services. Did you have any issues measuring your PD? I've seen the directions on Zenni for measuring and it seems similar to what's been done when I've ordered at an opticians but I'm not sure how accurate hubby or I would be doing our own.
Did it work well the first try or did you have to do multiple trys? Did you measure your own or get help from someone?
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