Specsavers Varifocals

[sue_balu]

A couple of weeks ago I had an eye test and was advised my prescription had changed very slightly.

Due to other medical problems I need to take good care of my eyesight and so I ordered replacement varifocals. There was a BOGOF offer and so I had a clear pair and a tinted pair.

I drive quite a bit for my job and need to use SAT Nav and so varifocals are quite important to me.

I collected the specs last week £225 all together. Its taken a while to get used to the new specs - seem a bit blurred in the left eye especially near the "join" area.
However, I was cleaning them and noticed that there were numbers etched into the lens - just where I had noticed the blurring!!

I was astounded and took them back today. They said all varifocals have numbers etched on them its just that most people dont ever notice! (Presumably they hope their eyesight is so bad they dont notice!:rotfl:)

I have had varifocals before and never had this problem. Now that I know the numbers are there, its driving me mad all the time.

I would rather use my old specs to the old prescription which are only very slightly different than pay £225 for varifocals that are so irritating to my eyes.
Dont you think they should make customers aware of this before paying for expensive varifocals? Can I get a refund do you think- I paid by credit card?

[wishiwasarichgirl]

all varifocal lenses do have numbers and symbols etched into them to help identify them and verify the prescription. Some manufacturers' markings are more visible than others but should not affect the quality of vision through the lenses.

If you have had varifocals before without problems and there was no significant change in your prescription then it sounds like you may have a different "style" of varifocal from your previous pair. This can take some adaptation.

As an optometrist i always recommend that you persevere with new spectacles for a week or two (not swapping between old and new specs), and if there is no improvement take them back to the store in which you purchased them.

If you need to do this it is a good idea to bring your previous spectacles also, so that any differences which may be causing adaptation problems can be more easily identified.

Also, having worked for Specsavers I know they offer a guarantee, where if you don't adapt to your spectacles they will put it right, depending on the problem this could mean a different prescription, different lenses or a refund.

HTH

[mishkanorman]

A quick fix to try ( very carefully ) is too push the nose pads slightly further apart, this will make them sit a bit lower on your nose and should drop the markings out of your line of vision. Its not an ideal remedy but may help till you can get back to the opticians.


mishka

[Ellie2758]

The last pair of varifocals I got from Specsavers were a problem and had to be re-made in the end. I also felt as if i would rather wear my old varifocals. Having said that, the old pair always hurt the top of my ear no matter how often i took them back for readjustment. This year I decided to give Dolland and Aitchison a go, but it turned out that my prescription hadnt changed.

[recovering spendaholic]

I was reading this thread with interest as my prescription has recently changed and I need to get new variofocals. The pair I currently have (which need the reading element to be stronger) I got from Costco and they were Varilux lenses - pricey at £160 plus the cost of the frames (£120) but they have been great and took no getting used to at all. This time I don't have that kind of money and have noticed that you can get cheaper variofocals from Specsavers etc. However someone told me that varilux are the only ones you should get as they are by far the best. I was wondering if any of you knew which opticians do varilux?

[wishiwasarichgirl]

I was reading this thread with interest as my prescription has recently changed and I need to get new variofocals. The pair I currently have (which need the reading element to be stronger) I got from Costco and they were Varilux lenses - pricey at £160 plus the cost of the frames (£120) but they have been great and took no getting used to at all. This time I don't have that kind of money and have noticed that you can get cheaper variofocals from Specsavers etc. However someone told me that varilux are the only ones you should get as they are by far the best. I was wondering if any of you knew which opticians do varilux?

most opticians will get them for you if you specifically request them. Varilux are not necessarily "the best" but if you get on well with them then stick with them. Varilux make a range of different varifocals though, with varying prices, do you know what type you have? (expert/comfort/panamic/ellipse are the main ones)

[recovering spendaholic]

most opticians will get them for you if you specifically request them. Varilux are not necessarily "the best" but if you get on well with them then stick with them. Varilux make a range of different varifocals though, with varying prices, do you know what type you have? (expert/comfort/panamic/ellipse are the main ones)
Thanks for this - I don't know what kind I have - how would I find out?

[wishiwasarichgirl]

Thanks for this - I don't know what kind I have - how would I find out?

make sure they are clean and hold them up to the light, each lens will have an engraving about halfway up the lens near the nosepads(ish) it will be a circle with a symbol underneath, e = expert, e in a kind of circle = comfort, <e> = panamic, can't remember the symbol for ellipse sorry. it can be difficult to see if your spex are scratched or if you don't know what you're looking for. take it into any opticians though and they can tell you.

[abiwoolhouse]

all varifocal lenses come with at least a 30day guarentee so if u found this to be a major prob take them back. However ALL varifocals come with the markings to allow dispensing opticians to check the fitting and so on of the lens. As for which lens is best it all depends upon the patient for example some people find Varilux very good but some find Zeiss or Hoya better. Also it depends upon which design u go for, for example the essilor range goes from the liberty ( basic) to the ipseo ( custom) and u will prob find the more u pay for a lens the less abberations u get and surface astigmatism. U should always spend more on the lens than the frame if money is a concern. The higher your prescription the better quality VF u will need ~(generally). I think that often people are not sold the right product or think that all VFs are equal which is very misguided u would not spend £100 on a tv and expect it to be as good as a £1000 flat screen for example. Always remember that if ur vision is not HD ready u wont see ne benefit from the flashiest TV

[suki1964]

I was reading this thread with interest as my prescription has recently changed and I need to get new variofocals. The pair I currently have (which need the reading element to be stronger) I got from Costco and they were Varilux lenses - pricey at £160 plus the cost of the frames (£120) but they have been great and took no getting used to at all. This time I don't have that kind of money and have noticed that you can get cheaper variofocals from Specsavers etc. However someone told me that varilux are the only ones you should get as they are by far the best. I was wondering if any of you knew which opticians do varilux?

My first pair were varilux, cost me a fortune and a half just three years ago. When i needed a new prescription this year I went to specsavers and paid around half the price for two pairs of varifocals and to be honest Ive not noticed any difference in quality. I think with the varilux you get less blurring to the sides but to be honest I barely notice any on these, if there is any I got used to it quickly

[Running Horse]

A quick fix to try ( very carefully ) is too push the nose pads slightly further apart, this will make them sit a bit lower on your nose and should drop the markings out of your line of vision. Its not an ideal remedy but may help till you can get back to the opticians.


mishkaThis would of course alter the position of the varifocal height.

Not recommended for a driver who needs to use SatNav.

[Running Horse]

However, I was cleaning them and noticed that there were numbers etched into the lens - just where I had noticed the blurring!!

I was astounded and took them back today. They said all varifocals have numbers etched on them its just that most people dont ever notice! (Presumably they hope their eyesight is so bad they dont notice!:rotfl:)

I have had varifocals before and never had this problem. Now that I know the numbers are there, its driving me mad all the time.

Can I get a refund do you think- I paid by credit card?The numbers are designed to be outside the field of vision, so are you only seeing them when you take the glasses off? Most Specsavers are franchised and owned individually. Some would give the refund to get rid of an awkward customer, but many will stick to their guns rather than give back money from their own pocket for a product that has nothing wrong with it.

A long long time ago (1980s), if you ordered a hardcoat it would "run" into the engravings, making them invisible. We would file notches on the edge of the uncut lens to locate the various measuring points, and trying to find them after edging using UV a lamp was almost impossible.

Glass varifocals tend to have less noticeable engravings, and could often only be found by breathing on the cold lens to find the markings in the condensation. But it is really the luck of the draw, and there are less glass lenses available nowadays.

Something else you may notice is a laser etched brand mark near the top of the lens. Zeiss do a box-shaped "Z", Essilor (Varilux) a circled "E". With traditional engravings there is no need for this; just vanity of the manufacturer. But you cannot request not to have it, just order a less well known brand.

[roddydogs]

cant see any numbers on any of my Variofocals!

[harryharp]

I've been reading this thread with interest as I have just been advised to get varifocals. Does anyone know if the depth of the frames makes any difference to whether or not they can take varifocal lenses? I prefer the long, thin type of frames (ie. the ones I have at the moment are only about 3/4 inch deep)- would this be a problem?

[lou49]

Hi Harry and everyone. I am on my (I think) about fourth pair of varifocals. Have the rimless ones. Have learnt through bitter experience that with varifocals I need a bigger lense area otherwise it just won't work for me. I really like these up to date statement kind of frames that all the opticians have now but they wouldn't work as a varifocal for me. Often I think about going back to single vision lenses so I could have a frame like that, but then would need two pairs of specs (a reading pair) and everyone says this would be mad...
Louise

[harryharp]

Hi Harry and everyone. I am on my (I think) about fourth pair of varifocals. Have the rimless ones. Have learnt through bitter experience that with varifocals I need a bigger lense area otherwise it just won't work for me. I really like these up to date statement kind of frames that all the opticians have now but they wouldn't work as a varifocal for me. Often I think about going back to single vision lenses so I could have a frame like that, but then would need two pairs of specs (a reading pair) and everyone says this would be mad...
Louise
Oh dear- just went to the optician yesterday, and asked about putting varifocals into my existing frames (as I really like them)- they are the narrow trendy kind. They assured me it would be OK:rolleyes: (something to do with having a 'wider corridor':confused: ?) but I'm really worried now...

If the worst comes to the worst they said I can change to a different design and they would deduct what I've already paid...will let you know how it goes.

[tidus]

I've been reading this thread with interest as I have just been advised to get varifocals. Does anyone know if the depth of the frames makes any difference to whether or not they can take varifocal lenses? I prefer the long, thin type of frames (ie. the ones I have at the moment are only about 3/4 inch deep)- would this be a problem?

Yes, the depth of the frame is relevant. All manufacturers have a recommeded minimum depth (from the pupil as it sits behind the frame) to the bottom of the frame, typically around 20mm.

There are several "compact" designs with a short depth required, which are suitable for shallower (but not too shallow!)frames, which have a corridor of around 17mm. The transition from distance presription to reading prescription therefore occurs more rapidly, meaning less "intermedate" vision. This is not too much of a problem where the add is not too high (say, +1.50 or lower), but they don't perform as well with higher adds.

Unfortunately, if you are correct when you say 3/4 inch (20mm?) from top of frame to bottom, you haven't got a hope.

[harryharp]

Unfortunately, if you are correct when you say 3/4 inch (20mm?) from top of frame to bottom, you haven't got a hope.
Yes, I've just measured them and they're exactly 20mm...but the optician was adamant it would be OK, so why would they say that if it wasn't true?

[tidus]

Yes, I've just measured them and they're exactly 20mm...but the optician was adamant it would be OK, so why would they say that if it wasn't true?

Hmm, hate to conflict with anothers advise.. but...

You might fit in a compact varifocal if your eyes sit very close to the top of the frame (as i said you need about 17mm from pupil centres to the bottom of the frame) but you are likely to have very little distance area as the transition to reading will begin 3mm from the top of the frame! So it may be OK, but definitely OK is pushing it.

More than likely the optician knows its a possible problem but it just trying to help someone who likes their frame. So, let them try. If it doesn't work too well, they will have to sort it.

[lou49]

I am in my fifties and tend to have some neck probs and think that could have something to do with varifocal difficulties. However I do remember having one pair of the rimless titanium ones with quite a small lense area. Could never get on with them and realised it was because lense area was too small, so the opticians (Specsavers I think) changed them and I had a pair with bigger lense area, So annoying, especially when you see commercials with these trendy frames, and at the time I got the offending frames, the optician didn't warn me off which they should have done, with hindsight. However, you should be OK provided they will change the whole thing for you if it doesn't work.
HTH! Louise

[harryharp]

Hmm, hate to conflict with anothers advise.. but...

You might fit in a compact varifocal if your eyes sit very close to the top of the frame (as i said you need about 17mm from pupil centres to the bottom of the frame) but you are likely to have very little distance area as the transition to reading will begin 3mm from the top of the frame! So it may be OK, but definitely OK is pushing it.

More than likely the optician knows its a possible problem but it just trying to help someone who likes their frame. So, let them try. If it doesn't work too well, they will have to sort it.
Thanks. So if they don't work out and I have to choose new frames, what would you say the minimum depth of the frame should be? Would 1 inch be OK, for instance, or is that still too narrow?

[nedmundo]

all varifocal lenses do have numbers and symbols etched into them to help identify them and verify the prescription. Some manufacturers' markings are more visible than others but should not affect the quality of vision through the lenses.

If you have had varifocals before without problems and there was no significant change in your prescription then it sounds like you may have a different "style" of varifocal from your previous pair. This can take some adaptation.

As an optometrist i always recommend that you persevere with new spectacles for a week or two (not swapping between old and new specs), and if there is no improvement take them back to the store in which you purchased them.

If you need to do this it is a good idea to bring your previous spectacles also, so that any differences which may be causing adaptation problems can be more easily identified.

Also, having worked for Specsavers I know they offer a guarantee, where if you don't adapt to your spectacles they will put it right, depending on the problem this could mean a different prescription, different lenses or a refund.

HTH

Hi WIWARG,
So do you no longer work for Specsavers? If so - what sort of practice are you in now?

[tidus]

Thanks. So if they don't work out and I have to choose new frames, what would you say the minimum depth of the frame should be? Would 1 inch be OK, for instance, or is that still too narrow?

Whats an inch? We are metric now ;) (sorry)
Think around 25mm as a minimum. Less than that and you are compromising.

[harryharp]

Hmm, hate to conflict with anothers advise.. but...

You might fit in a compact varifocal if your eyes sit very close to the top of the frame (as i said you need about 17mm from pupil centres to the bottom of the frame) but you are likely to have very little distance area as the transition to reading will begin 3mm from the top of the frame! So it may be OK, but definitely OK is pushing it.

More than likely the optician knows its a possible problem but it just trying to help someone who likes their frame. So, let them try. If it doesn't work too well, they will have to sort it.
Well, I've just got my new varifocals which were fitted into my existing 3/4 inch deep frames. And yes, it does seem that the distance area is very small. Even if what I'm looking at is only a little bit lower than whatever is straight ahead (iyswim!), I have to dip my head in order to see it clearly (sorry, I know I didn't explain that very well). I will try them for a week and see if things improve, but I'm not optimistic.

What I am also concerned about, having got home and looked at the glasses properly, is that they have made a very messy job of cutting the lenses to fit the frame- they are all uneven round the edges! I'm not happy with that at all, so they'll have to sort that out if I decide to keep the frames.:(

[tidus]

Yes, specsavers are not known for their good lab work...

I hope you get on OK with your glasses.

[harryharp]

Yes, specsavers are not known for their good lab work...

I hope you get on OK with your glasses.
It's not Specsavers though- it's quite a posh independent one!

[tidus]

It's not Specsavers though- it's quite a posh independent one!

:confused:

Oh well.....!
Hope they sort it out OK.

[col the wol]

Actually varilux ellipse has a minimum fitting height of 14mm with a maximum of 20mm. That is the distance from the pupil to the bottom of the frame. But as it is also recommended to have 10mm above the pupil 24mm would be the shallowest recommended; I've dispensed to shallower than that though. The other point to note is that looking at a frame in isolation will not tell you if a particular varifocal will fit in; if your nose is fatter the frame will sit higher on you and you'll need a deeper frame anyway!

[radhadee]

i am on my first ever varifocals, picked them up yesterday and heard you have to get used to them. however i noticed that considering they are a stronger pair than i had previous ie +175 that i couldnt see newspaper print, in fact my old glasses i could see perfect !! also the frame was not right, took them back to be told that they had put in 100 instead of 175!!
great start !! i also have a pair of sunglasses but they assured me that they were correct. i have my doubts as i cant see through them either.
as for the frame, the optician tried to adjust the wires and chipped the lens so need to be sent back. I am not happy that its another week gone. i paid over 330 pounds and its not specsavers !! in fact my old reading glasses were 15 from on line discount place and they offered a much better service in my opinion. if i cant see through these once repaired, can i ask for refund ??

[scotsbob]

if i cant see through these once repaired, can i ask for refund ??

Yes you can ask. Getting it may not be so easy.

In the days before I started to get my spectacles online, I had problems with poorly coated lenses from Specsavers. They tried to tell me that the heat from my body was causing the coatings to come off!!

Be prepared to argue, don't give in and remember to tell them about the headaches and double vision.

[mary-op]

Picked up my new specs today-varifocals (not from specsavers) and they don't feel right.........don't seem to be able to see as well and they were over £300 !
I normally have a tinted lens but these new ones are graduated tints........dark at the top going lighter.
Might that be the reason for them feeling a bit 'odd' ?
I can see but not as comfortably as with my old specs which are also varifocals and I had no trouble getting used to them

[Running Horse]

I would suggest you give your eyes more than a couple of hours to adjust to the new prescription. That is what your optician will say. I doubt the tint would affect it, but who knows?