Eyeglasses - experience with progressive lenses?

[Jim B.]

I went from bifocals to progressives. I tried them for a week but couldn't get used to them. I then switched to tri-focals and have worn them for the past 10 years. I actually like the lines because they clearly mark the boundary of each lens area. That makes it simple to select the right area of the lens to look through. I found myself hunting around for the right area of the lenses when I had the progressives.

 

[bald1]

Myopia (nearsightedness) with astigmatism here. My first bi-focals were prescribed in '88 but after a few days and difficulty wearing them while climbing outdoor stairs of heights in the 2 story range (this at a shipyard facility) I went and ordered progressives. Didn't take long to adjust probably because the "add" wasn't all that great (shy of 2.00 but 2.50 these days) and the lenses were pretty large. For frames I wear 145mm or slightly larger width and 145mm temples. I've had lenses as large as 59 x 49 in the past although usually they're in the 57mm width range and low-mid 40mm's for height. Having a proper set of PD measurements (far, near if needed, plus individual eyes) along with an "horizon", where the distance settings start to degrade to moderate, set just below the center of your pupils when wearing glasses is quite important. Then factor having a larger lens over which to distribute the "zones" of distant, moderate, and close up and from my knothole your odds of success improve significantly.

There are also different schemes for progressive lens that differ in relative sizes of correction zones and placement of those zones. Some will work better than others depending on the wearer, Rx, and other factors. Something that should be discussed with professionals fitting you and not sales clerks.

Just my two centavos after several decades wearing progressives.