Specsavers Varifocals

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  • Running_Horse
    Running_Horse Posts: 11,807
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    sue_balu wrote: »
    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.
    Been away for a while.
  • roddydogs
    roddydogs Posts: 7,478
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    cant see any numbers on any of my Variofocals!
  • harryharp
    harryharp Posts: 1,215
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    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
    lou49 Posts: 109 Forumite
    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
    harryharp Posts: 1,215
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    lou49 wrote: »
    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
    tidus Posts: 331
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    harryharp wrote: »
    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
    harryharp Posts: 1,215
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    tidus wrote: »
    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
    tidus Posts: 331
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    harryharp wrote: »
    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
    lou49 Posts: 109 Forumite
    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
    harryharp Posts: 1,215
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    tidus wrote: »
    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?
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