Did I waste money on progressive glasses?

[Bailey28]

For the past 10 years or so I have needed reading glasses to see up close. Wife urges me to go to the eye doctor where they charged me $600 for a pair of progressive glasses. My distance vision is ok but I am 2.25 and 2.50 on the near field vision.

She says get them. They arrive and I hate them.. The only thing in focus is two small 'tubes' of clarity. Computer work stinks. Driving stinks. Walking around stinks.. I thought they would be magic, but after day one, I am dumbfounded on how anyone would think these are better than straight reading glasses.

Anyone further along than me and had success with progressive lenses? Anyone hated them and wanted to smash them?

 

[4wd]

For the past 10 years or so I have needed reading glasses to see up close. Wife urges me to go to the eye doctor where they charged me $600 for a pair of progressive glasses. My distance vision is ok but I am 2.25 and 2.50 on the near field vision.

She says get them. They arrive and I hate them.. The only thing in focus is two small 'tubes' of clarity. Computer work stinks. Driving stinks. Walking around stinks.. I thought they would be magic, but after day one, I am dumbfounded on how anyone would think these are better than straight reading glasses.

Anyone further along than me and had success with progressive lenses? Anyone hated them and wanted to smash them?

Yes, they take getting used to - until you automatically “point the chin”

 

[JayhawkRoy]

I have been wearing them for at least 20 years. I liked them from the first. Advice I was given was point the nose and adjust your eyes accordingly. That has worked for me, even after cataract removal, which caused my prescription to change dramatically.

They provide a clarity to me that reading glasses after cataract removal did not.

 

[ripcord]

---

I was anchor to adapt to them very quickly and liked them a lot. I've since gotten contacts so wear regular reading glasses for close up.

 

[ecotourist]

I hated them initially too. But I've gotten used to them and now really like them. I'll admit it took a while though.

If you do computer work all day or a lot of reading, you can get glasses with single vision lenses optimized for that distance. But I'd still keep the progressives. In the long run they're the best thing.

As for progressives, Zeiss offers lenses with varying size and shape close vision areas for different purposes.

 

[MCompact]

I like them; as others have mentioned there is definitely an adjustment period.

 

[rstsco]

I've been using these progressive glasses off Amazon for at least the past six years. They give that little bit extra I need at 1.25, progressing to 2.00 and 2.50. They are $29.99 with a 20% off coupon today. This may be false, as I added some to the cart, and when I was checking out, it only showed 10% off. Maybe on Black Friday it will work correctly. I can wait.

The point of failure for me has been the nose pieces, but not for a year or more. I keep spares, especially when traveling.

I have some prescription, progressive sunglasses (~$400) and had some prescription regular glasses (a lot more than ~$30). For me, those from Amazon are much more comfortable and literally pennies (now nickels) on the dollar.

 

[Gyro Gearloose]

My eye doctor recommended progressive lenses to me when I first needed reading glasses but I found them impossible to adapt to. The way they curved the visual space around the reading spot and made things appear to stretch and contract as I moved my head gave me motion sickness after wearing them for just a few minutes. I also hated that they actually only made a very small area come into focus. That is terrible for large spreadsheets. After giving it several tries over the course of a week I exercised my return option and ordered regular bifocals with a superwide reading lens.

 

[Dave Hess]

I've been using these progressive glasses off Amazon for at least the past six years. They give that little bit extra I need at 1.25, progressing to 2.00 and 2.50. They are $29.99 with a 20% off coupon today. This may be false, as I added some to the cart, and when I was checking out, it only showed 10% off. Maybe on Black Friday it will work correctly. I can wait.

The point of failure for me has been the nose pieces, but not for a year or more. I keep spares, especially when traveling.

I have some prescription, progressive sunglasses (~$400) and had some prescription regular glasses (a lot more than ~$30). For me, those from Amazon are much more comfortable and literally pennies (now nickels) on the dollar.

Yep.

I like my cheap reading glasses and buy the ‘5 Pack’ so I have one in each car, office, suitcase, etc…

 

[Reggaemon]

Not all brands of progressives are the same. I've had some where I get the eye swimming thing. Been wearing a brand/type that works great for me, got used to them almost immediately.

 

[4wd]

I hated them initially too. But I've gotten used to them and now really like them. I'll admit it took a while though.

If you do computer work all day or a lot of reading, you can get glasses with single vision lenses optimized for that distance. But I'd still keep the progressives. In the long run they're the best thing.

As for progressives, Zeiss offers lenses with varying size and shape close vision areas for different purposes.

Yep, and with anti glare coating - photo grey in the sun - no comparison
My eye doctor said wearing them can prevent the Rx from changing - and it hasn’t in many, many years …

 

[4wd]

Not all brands of progressives are the same. I've had some where I get the eye swimming thing. Been wearing a brand/type that works great for me, got used to them almost immediately.

Yep - the frame shape certainly matters …

 

[Lyman]

I have been wearing progressives for the last 22 years. I have had a few that were not up to par. I have found that a more rectangular lens works better. Also, the person fitting them had better be good, or they could really screw you up.

 

[dvblanch]

Wear progressives but have found largest lenses work best for me. Only real problem is side vision like changing lanes when driving at night.

 

[Danno]

I've been wearing progs for many years. I go with the biggest field of view and best coatings with blue blocker. Highest index as well. I get clip on style with polarized clip ons.
$100 at Zenni optical online. Clip ons are $7. Using them for 25 years or so.
Optician prices are crazy.
Funny story. Was clearing US customs in Calgary to fly to San Diego. Mid day so not busy at all. Saw the border agents zenni glass case. Asked him how he liked them. Compared notes. We both agreed they were best thing since sliced bread. Asked him if he had any border entry questions, he waved me through.

 

[Boomer]

One word....trifocals! Have been wearing then for almost 30 years and have zero issues at mid range or up close. I don't see the lines and just a quick but small head movement brings into focus any of the three grinds.

 

[vwmaniaman]

I never tried Progressive glasses, but i was wearing 2.25 reading glasses and nothing for driving. Wife convinced me to go to the eye doctor she went to. Had my cataracts removed and regular distance lenses put in my eyes. I am amazed even after more than a year. My normal vision without glasses improved to where I see at 30 ft what most see at 20 ft. Also my glasses for near vision is just 1.75 and I found some blue blocking glasses at Walmart that help computer reading tremendously. The cataract surgery was totally painless.

 

[Skeet6]

Give it a week. I started with them about 5 years ago, I wouldn't be without them now.
Mike B

 

[Sequoiasoon]

I have progressives for about 8 years now. I had distance only for 35 years. I would only wear distance for driving and they stayed in the car. I had a set of prescription sun glasses also. Never needed them for computer or reading until about that 8-10 ago. Started with not being able to see Waze on my phone clearly. Doctor went though it an my distance was too strong the closer clarity.

My eye doctor and the in office optical supply had different quality progressives to show (and bi/tri focal). There is a big difference or at least then. I have the distance progressives I wear driving and TV. I have a set of Revo Crawler progressive sunglasses that stay in my car unless doing other all day activities like kids sports thing. Not inexpensive but great for driving.

My newest progressives -wear all day at work, on computer, reading. The doctor called them "office lenses". Top of view is basically nothing and progresses down to my reading strength. Slight enhance for computer screen. I'll be getting a second pair this year just so I can leave in my laptop bag in the case. ALL of my glasses go in case when I'm not wearing them. At work my distance/driving ones go in the case my office ones were in and vice versa when I leave to go home.

The more rectangular shape works best for me. My wife is the same, she returned her more rounded larger ones. Same thing others said it was too big of an area being magnified/fish bowl.

These are my office version

 

[billt460]

Yep.

I like my cheap reading glasses and buy the ‘5 Pack’ so I have one in each car, office, suitcase, etc…

That's what I do as well. Buying glasses can be one of the biggest rip offs out there. I buy from Zenni, and they're reasonable, and their frames are comfortable and they hold up well.