Varifocals - Asda vs Specsavers field of vision comparison

pogofish

IIRC ASDA get their prescriptions made-up in Thailand, then ship to the UK on an approx ten day cycle.

I had a pair of varifocals made-up there to try and whilst they were ok, they never felt quite as comfortable as the pair I had from my own optician. Nothing refundably wrong of course but despite the much cheaper price, I won't be using them again.

Supernova

Supernova wrote: »

Have had detached retina over the summer but fixed and need new prescription :-( Specsavers will reglaze frames for £300 or £250 with 241 frames. Elites are Essilor.

Will check with ASDA if cheaper and if can fit in 1 hour too.

I think I will go with Specsavers this time. Rang ASDA and they said the price had gone up considerably. Can’t be bothered with them this time.

peedledum

I have used ASDA opticians for 7 years and have noticed a significant deterioration in quality over that time.
I have always had Shamir Digi varifocal thin (1.74) lenses. At first they were excellent, with low swimminess and good edge to edge clarity. They were as good as premium lenses from Varilux or Seiko.
Over the years, the field of view has become more and more restricted. Anything that is just slightly off-centre is badly blurred: I have to move my head to get a clear image.
I put this down to the fact that prices have scarcely changed so the lens manufacturer has had to make cheaper and more basic lenses to compensate.

skidlid

Bit late to the party but feel I should add my comments.

I started using Specsavers in about 2000 when the independent optician I had been using since being a kid (over 30 years) made a real mess of my specs (varifocals - not my first pair - the centre focus was fine but the peripheral vision was non existent) and charged me a small fortune (over £400) for the privilege. They would not accept anything was wrong so I just had to put up with them.

So a year later went to Specsavers and they compared the specs I had difficulty with and the pair I had before them and said the latest pair had totally the wrong lens design for my prescription. They said they could specify the same lens (Hoya) I had been OK with and in their 2 for 1 offer suggested a pair of single vision sun specs for driving etc, all for about 1/2 the cost of the one pair a year before. They were great, excellent vision in both pairs. A couple of years later needed got a new prescription which made it obvious I needed varifocals in both pairs, no problem, still 2 for 1 Hoya lens, just had to pay for the varifocal in the 2nd pair, still under £300, excellent again.

This went on until about 2014. By now I had been diagnosed with Glaucoma in one eye and ocular hypertension in the other plus I had a Cataract forming in the eye affected by Glaucoma. Specsavers had stopped selling Hoya so had to have their own brand lens but when they arrived I could not see through them even in the centre. After 2 weeks of going back and forward to the opticians they checked the lens's and both were 2 steps off my prescription so they sent them back. A week or so later they were back and I could see fine for distance but I could not read, they had changed my prescription for reading by 2 steps as well which was not required. They sent them back again but when i went to collect them they simply gave me a refund and no apology. Could still see fine out of my old specs and the frames were still OK so left if for a year.

A year later visited several local opticians to check prices and could not believe how expensive they were, reluctantly went back to Specsavers. Go new prescription and ordered 2 pairs as before using the exact type of frame I was used to. They came back and it was exactly the same as the previous year. This time I was referred back to the optician who agreed they were wrong and he sorted it with the front staff. Came back a week or so later and they were fine.

These specs were fine until I had the cataract done in early 2019 and was referred to a local triage optician for a test. They wanted £400 for a single pair so in despair I went back to specsavers with the prescription and ordered 2 pairs as before and believe it or not they were fine. By midsummer I felt I needed some darker tinted sunspecs for really sunny days and specsavers wanted almost £250 for one pair of tinted varifocals, decided to get some clip-ons. But I spotted Asda specs with varifocal and tint was only £45 so decided to give them a go. They were perfect, took no getting used to and the peripheral vision was fine, highly delighted.

Back to the triage optician for another test this February and as expected my eyes had changed slightly and despite feeling that my sight was fine the optician demonstrated I would benefit from a new pair. As before I could not afford his prices so went back to Asda and bought a pair of their photochromic varifocals all for £95. They are excellent, perfect vision, virtually clear inside and dark enough on a sunny day (I thought - but read on) but as I was aware useless for driving since they don't go dark in the car. Because I mostly wear a cap on sunny days (not much hair) the lenses do not react as well as they do without a cap, not really good enough compared to last years 75% lenses. So I went back and ordered a pair of 50% tint for driving and pair of 75% tint (like the previous year) for sunny days, all for £90.

All 3 pairs are brilliant and considering the total cost was £185 (less than Asda wanted for one pair of varifocal tints) I am more than delighted. Despite the fact that the photochromic's have not been totally successful (for me) they are great value and I will buy them again for the £50 extra.

Will keep using Asda, they seem to be really good.

Bobby_Bouche

Late to the thread but wanted to add my experience of Varifocals at Asda.
I was really skeptical and after having glasses twice at specsavers that could not be worn( 2018 & 2019 non varifocal) I tried ASDA.
£80 for one pair and a 9 day turn around. I was skeptical about the non digital measuring of the glasses. Many places use a digital measurement, but Asda is old school.

To me surprise they were fine. 
No idea what lenses these are though, but I think i will return for a second pair. 
I went to a specialist today and they wanted around£500 for the high end lense talked about in this thread. 

skidlid

Well it seems that Admin have sorted my account so before they delete the one above here it is under the correct user name.

After 4 years I thought it was about time I updated my Asda experiences.

Early 2022 had my eyes tested and they had changed slightly (I could tell without being told) so ordered a pair of Photochromic Varifocals in the same frame as before from Asda. Discussed with them my experience of the previous photochromics not being dark enough and they suggested I try grey not brown. So paid my £94 and waited a couple of weeks. Vision was fine but the grey photochromic made no difference, a bit disappointed but I just praise the lord I had not paid high street prices.

Then later in 2022 I was called to get the Cataract in my rt eye sorted. All went well and in January 2023 on my hospital check up I was surprised when they carried out a sight test. Took it along to Asda and ordered a pair of varifocal photochromics, clear varifocals and readers all for £154. Commented again about the photochromics and they advised I should be fine with the different frame I had chosen since the lens was much larger and would collect more light, made no difference, bought a decent pair of overspecs for about £15 off Amazon.

Went back in April this year for a retest, no change to my prescription this time but I spotted a poster showing their new Photochromic range. Instead of their own lens they had mover to Transitions Gen 8 but the price had increased to an extra £59 instead of the previous £49, not a deal breaker. Bit of research showed they had a good reputation so ordered a pair in grey tint, all in £104 including the Varifocal bit. What a revelation, they are brilliant, go dark very fast and are dark enough for all but the very brightest of mid summer cloudless days. They clear fast as well. Don't work in the car but they now do a lens (XTRActive) that costs the same £59 extra, might try a pair next time, they don't go totally clear indoors but supposedly go darker outdoors.

Still more than happy with Asda.

In May our next door neighbour had new specs from Scrivens. One pair of tinted varifocals and one pair of clear varifocals (1/2 price), total cost £750. Would have cost her from £90 for the 2 at Asda but if she had wanted some more "stylish" frames it could have cost as much as £220. Still a lot less than Scrivens. Could not bring myself to tell her what I paid.

luvchocolate

Love Asda opticians...I used to live in Hull and a good one on Hessle Road. 
I've since moved to West Yorkshire but still travel there...well worth the expense and meet friends while there