General Chat

Very boring I know but I've just picked up my new glasses. Never had varifocals before and I hate them. Everything is distorted and I get that woosy feeling you get when you look at the microfiche for too long. I've got them on a month's trial (just as well as they cost ££££££s) but I just know I'll be returning them. Anyone else had these problems? Daisy UPDATE pg 2

I love mine. This is my third pair - I've never had any problems with them. Gwynne

One of my colleagues is having a running battle with SpecSavers at the moment as he picked up some varifocals a week or so ago and they're no good. They refuse to accespt this, and he's going in to demand a refund tomorrow. Aparrenty the top of the lens is supposed to be plain glass, but in fact they are actually 'minifying' (ie the opposite of magnifying - they make things look smaller). Other issues with them too...

Was thinking of getting some Daisykins....let me know if you get accustomed to them! XX BC

Mine took me about 2 weeks to get used to but I think they are great.

I use them at work, great for reading/monitor/distance without having to change. Don't like them for walking outdoors as you have to tilt your head down to see the pavement, otherwise you are looking through the reading part. But I had to order a plain distance pair for driving as I found that if I just moved my eyes to look in the car door mirrors or mirrors on the motorbike I was again looking through the reading/monitor part of the lens and vision was blurred.

Love mine Daisy, on my second pair. No way would I go back to bi-focals & the neck ache. I don't have to tilt my head back to see the screen anymore. I'm sure you will get used to them if you persevere. Vivienne xx

I hated them Daisy. Found them difficult for driving and when I actually fell over because I misjudged a step, I went back to bi focals.

Thanks guys. I did say I'd give it 2 weeks but can't wear them for more than 5 minutes without feeling sick. I'm really long sighted and have had glasses for reading and close up work since I was 11 but hardly ever had to wear them. Over the past few months everything close up has become blurry and impossible to read without the glasses and I've had bad headaches which is why I went for the eye test really, just to rule out anything more sinister. Thought my lap top was going to hit me in the face a few minutes ago and the sofa looked as though someone was upending it. Feel like a drunk on a boat! lol Daisy

Had them for years and love them and best of all I can have the lens made so thin now, I can have small specs, as my lens are very strong, so I no longer look like Mrs Barlow with the big frames. My husband couldn't handle them though, nor bifocals, so he has had to have single vision and separate reading glasses. Best thing, is to start wearing them when you first get out of bed in the morning and not in the middle of the day, when you have already been wearing different glasses, that way your eyes are not trying to adjust from one pair of glasses to another. Good luck. M.

Give it a little time Daisy but if things don't improve take them back and have your eyes re-tested. My OH did this and it was found they'd got the first one wrong. Specsavers, but they were excellent at sorting it out. We both love ours but it takes a while and I still sometimes think edges which I know are straight have a curve - have to feel them to prove they are straight!! Anne

I love mine, had them for so long - since they first came out i think that I can't remember not having them. I did have one pair that I could not get on with, when I took them back they realised the lenses had been reversed. I have no trouble driving with mine, reading oor using the PC or walking. My head seems to adjust its position automatically. You have to persevere with them though. Ann Glos

I have had them for quite a few years now,but a couple of years ago i had new one's and just could not get on with them,so i went back to the opticians and demanded that they test them to see if they were correct, and low and behold the measurements were slightly out and so they remade the lens. Give them a week or so and if you are still having problems go back and have them tested. Val

So what's the difference between bi focals and varifocals? At my last eye test, she told me I'll shortly be needing bifocals as I have been shortsighted since my early 20's but am now of the age where I'm also becoming long sighted! She said she didn't want to introduce them to me too early otherwise it could put me off for life but that it won't be long before I ask for them. I wear contact lens and she says they may give me one longsighted and one shortsighted! Debby

Snap, Daisy. I collected my very first pair of varifocals this morning. Rather weird, but my husband who has had them for years advises me to stick at it, I was advised not to try driving in them for a week and to be careful going up and down stairs until I get used to them. Its the middle vision I am finding strange. had to correct a lot of errors on this post. Shall we compare notes in a week's time? Pat

Daisy, Try to wear them if you can. I know exactly what you mean, everything was like a sort of Alice in Wonderland way, things seemed large and I felt small!! They also made me feel seasick, but now that I have got used to them I wouldn't change back to two pairs. Here's to seeing you, lol love Sue

Hi Daisy OH has a pair. His optician spent ages with him when he first got them explaining how to use them & making sure they were made correct for his eyes. He took a week or so to get used to them but now everything is fine. He does take them off to read but he did that with his previous normal glasses too! Hope you are well. Penny

On my third pair, they are fantastic and never had the slightest problem with them, except that the coating does tend to wear off quite quickly. Specsavers mucked up my previous prescription for reading glasses AND 'seeing' glasses so badly. Both pairs made me feel violently sick and despite going back several times, they refused to do anything. In deperation I took them to another Optician, who told me that both pairs had the wrong lenses in the wrong eyes, and one lens was actually back to front! (Guess where I got my multi-focals???? Not Specsavers!) OC

see I TOLD you to get yer eyes tested! I've got them too, yes I felt sick at first but please persevere - I found it happens most when you move your head. they still sometimes catch me out, but I find if I make an effort to keep my head still for a few moments that goes away. If you are reading, hold your book lower that you usually would as you need to look through the bottom part. for the pc and tv, the middle part should be ok, just look directly at it. for driving you will need to make sure you keep your chin down (well, don't lift it up anyway!) - no looking through the bottom part !! someone asked the difference between bifocals and varifocals ... bifocals have a little area at the bottom of the lens which is just for close work ... with varifocals the different prescriptions gradually merge down the lens, with no solid line between the different areas. I'm sure you will be ok, try to get used to them when you are sitting still at first, then once that seems ok you can try moving about! Maz. XX

I have vari-focals & find them brilliant. My husband has tried them before & couldn't get on with them, but is going to give them another go. Bookmarking this for him to read later. A