prescription glasses

[corsican dave]

I need some new prescription glasses. I've always been badly (-8) short-sighted but have recently started to lose my close-up focus as well so need to get varifocals or similar. these appear to be ferociously expensive but since it's getting to the stage I can't tie knots without the glasses perched on the end of my nose, i'm going to have to bite the bullet.

am I at the mercy of a specialist optician or has anyone got any experience of glasses direct or similar budget suppliers?

and another, probably silly question: can you get polarised glasses without any tint?

answers in braille please to...... :lol:

[superscot]

Dave my limited knowledge of specs amounts to  this , i have varifocals and love them but take a bit of getting used to especially when walking doon stairs.   

[Wildfisher]

I recently got varifocals from Specsavers. The service was very professional. I think I was about £180 and I got 2 pairs for that (I paid extra for anti-glare coating). Price depends on the frames you buy (do you want to look like John Lennon or Joe 90) and there are various grades of varifocals. All Varifocals create bilateral distortion outside of the central area of vision, the better the grade, the less this effect. You have to learn to move your head from side to side rather than your eyes.

[haresear]

My last two pairs of varifocals came from Tesco. I have no complaints at all.

Prior to that, I used Specsavers and again, no complaints.

can you get polarised glasses without any tint?

I was told you can't, but I 'm not sure about that. I can't see why it would not be possible to apply polarasing film to clear glass. It is probably just that there is little demand for that.

What about polarising reactolite? I bought a very cheap pair of flip-up polarised reactolite lenses off Ebay (from Hong Kong or China) and they are fine, but they retain a lightish tint and don't go totally clear.

Alex

[Fishtales]

I have bi-focals and also have them as polarised, photocromatic sunglasses with brown lenses, they go lighter but not clear.

Colin. The next time you get your eyes tested and they give you the card to read so they can set the focal distance hold the card nearer your waist rather than up near your face. This lowers the area that is in focus and will let you see where you are putting your feet better, I found that out as a postie when having to go up and down stairs and also be able to read the addresses I had an argument with my optician over this as the last time he set the focal distance where, to read, he had made the glasses where I had to hold the card up at my face. I made him take the glasses back and change them. I told him that they were no use to me as clambering over hills I had to see where my feet were, his reply was that I wouldn't be able to read small print. I can and I can see my feet too, slightly blurred but better than he had the glasses set at. He eventually gave in and gave me a new set of lenses set to my requirements, not his, although he wasn't too pleased. He told me I would be back in three months to replace them as I wouldn't be able to read, that was two years ago and I can still read, even the small print

For clear lenses you should ask for Transition Lenses.

http://www.visionexpress.com/glasses/lenses/transitions-lenses/

[Highlander]

 I had a pair of "reading" glasses from Specsavers, cost me £180 or thereabouts. Broke them so bought a pair of Foster Grant from Asda, cost £5. For the love of me I can not see any difference other than the price.

Tight Lines

[zeolite]

Polycarbonate, bifocal, reactolite safety glasses from my employer saved angling for me. I only need glasses for reading and tying knots. I believe they are expensive (3M) but they are very good. Pretty tough as well.

[rannoch raider]

I'm using varifocals. They are a nightmare. I have lost count of the amount of times I've stubbed a toe. clipped a kerb or misjudged a step down. They work very well when you're static and they're fine for driving too but they are a real pain in the butt if you are walking downwards on stairs, rocks etc. They aren't great for wading over large boulders either. Height gets very distorted when it's directly below your feet.

[haresear]

I'm using varifocals. They are a nightmare. I have lost count of the amount of times I've stubbed a toe. clipped a kerb or misjudged a step down. They work very well when you're static and they're fine for driving too but they are a real pain in the butt if you are walking downwards on stairs, rocks etc. They aren't great for wading over large boulders either. Height gets very distorted when it's directly below your feet.

That's what I found too, so I now use single vision lenses for middle distance when I'm fishing and I use flip down  magnifiers for tying knots etc.

Alex..

[Wildfisher]

I use bifocals for fishing, varifocals for driving and cheap off the shelf reading glasses for the computer screen and reading.