VERY Cheap glasses and specs - made to order.

terri wrote:

I am pretty shortsighted (-5), and also need varifocals. Has anyone successfully ordered light, thin varifocal glasses online? Which site would you recommend? Thanks.

Despite whan you may read on online sellers websites you really need to be measured for varifocals or they are *VERY* unlikely to work.
The positioning of the lens in the frame is critical and can only be measured properly by seeing the specs on the patients face.
There is no average or special formula.

gjam52 wrote:

Even if you are measured they don't always work. I used Dolland and Aitchison vouchers and discounts courtesy of here. But the glasses don't work! When I took them back I was told that it is a difficult process to get right and that part of the lense is not designed to be in focus at all.

They are going to redo lenses. If all the technology had been explained at time of purchase (and not after I'd taken them back) I would not have gone for varifocals.

Most of the upper part of the lens should be in focus apart from the very edges of the lens.
As you look down into the lens things become different with only narrow corridors of defined vision usable only for close work.

Most people get on with them if the lens is of good quality and measured properly.

What sort of problems were you having?

What sort of problems were you having?

I was unable to use the reading part of the lense properly: it was much too small so I had to hod my head read up to read with them. It was easier to take them off. The long distance part of the lense was exceelent but the area of vision felt tiny so if I moved my eyes slightly to left or right everything became a horrible blur: horrible for looking over the shoulder when pulling out oto the motorway - in Italy.

The shop didn't question my complaints and took them back to redo.

The point is, as explained to me, is that varifocals are not designed to do what I expected of them.

gjam52 wrote:

The point is, as explained to me, is that varifocals are not designed to do what I expected of them.

Its often the way.
I have heard varifocals descibed as being the same as bifocals but without the line, simply not true.

They do not work for everybody and have limitations.

gjam52 wrote:

What sort of problems were you having?

I was unable to use the reading part of the lense properly: it was much too small so I had to hod my head read up to read with them. It was easier to take them off. The long distance part of the lense was exceelent but the area of vision felt tiny so if I moved my eyes slightly to left or right everything became a horrible blur: horrible for looking over the shoulder when pulling out oto the motorway - in Italy.

The shop didn't question my complaints and took them back to redo.

The point is, as explained to me, is that varifocals are not designed to do what I expected of them.

You might like to take a look at this article I found whilst shopping online for specs.

http://www.specsdot.com/usefullinks.php

It actually takes the time to try and explain your prescription and also the limitations as to what types of glasses are suitable for purchase online. This alone was enough to make me feel that this site took their profession a little more seriously than some I have looked at. Its a bit complicated in places, but as its free to download, its got to be worth reading!

Cheap glasses too.

Funny enough, it was trawling around for some cheap specs that led me to this fantastic looking site, so a double victory as far as I'm concerned....next problem is finding time to digest all the info on here :cool: