I’ve had very good luck buying bifocals online, so here’s a try at answering some of your questions. (I tried progressives once and didn’t really try hard to get used to them. I think the whole idea behind them is wrong for me, but some people love them - maybe one of them will respond here.)
Zenni Optical has great prices, and I love the bifocals I’ve gotten from them. They only charge $17 extra for bifocal lenses, and even their under-$10 frames are very good. With prices so low, maybe you could afford two pair with different ADD strengths or one pair of bifocals and a pair of reading glasses just to get a feel for what works. Even if you only "need" an ADD of +1, it could be that +1.50 or even +2.00 suits you given where you like to hold a book, whether you sometimes read in not-so-well-lit places, or whether you sometimes need to do close work like threading needles. What works and whether bifocals are worth it at all depends on many things - is it simple to keep reading glasses or a magnifying glass handy instead? On the road, or if you go back and forth between close and far frequently, bifocals are great, though. And at Zenni prices, why not find out. (Bifocals aren’t very helpful for close work in the up direction, of course.) As far as adapting goes: For me, it was easy. Frames with an adjustable nose piece are a good idea, so you can get the line to be in exactly the right place. (At the bottom of the windshield for driving, maybe a bit lower for a balcony seat in the theatre.) It’s possible bifocals were easy for me because I used to read without glasses or by looking underneath my lenses. My sense is that few people have much trouble adapting. As for the small reading area, my frames have lens heights of 33-35mm, and the stronger D-shaped part is big enough. I wouldn't go with anything below 30mm high, even if the retailer will let you. At least one online retailer (I forget which) lets you choose between two different D-section sizes, and another (or that same one) provides a couple of options about where the line goes. Since Zenni bifocals work for me, I haven't looked into those options again. Once I saw Ben Franklin type half/half bifocals somewhere and was tempted, then lost the bookmark. For the record, my prescription is a bit weaker than yours: -.75 sp, -. 75 cyl in one eye and only astigmatism (-1.75 cyl) in the other eye. At age 54, my ADD is about +2.25 (unfortunately, things progress like clockwork). I’m basically down to zero accommodation now, and I can’t use my bifocals for middle distances. So it gets complicated, or fun, depending on how you see it. For computer work or helping students over-the-shoulder, I wear special-purpose glasses. I have computer glasses that are +1.25 on top of my full prescription, and if what I'm doing is all at one distance, I like having the entire field of view in focus. For teaching, I have glasses with different prescriptions in each eye. I even have some super-reading glasses that are +3.50 beyond my full prescription to use for things like changing a watch battery or sewing a button! At under $10/pair, why not...) I don't wear contact lenses, but as your ability to focus close diminishes, you will have at least two choices: change one of the lens prescriptions to work for reading (mono-vision) so you can read with your contacts, or use readers (buy those online, too - better quality and frame choices at a much lower price than the drugstore). Personally, I don't like having my eyes differently-focused unless I have to, but some people don't mind. So there's my all-over-the-place answer. Steve On Jul 8, 10:52 pm, RedStickHam <[email protected]> wrote: > I got a new prescription a couple of days ago. I'm > nearsighted(strongest lens -3.25) with astigmatism in both eyes, and > got +1.00 in the ADD column. This is the first prescription where > I've had something in the ADD column and I am starting to have trouble > reading small print. I've ordered a pair of single vision glasses > from EyeBuyDirect, but am wondering if I should eventually order > bifocals or progressives, or maybe just get reading glasses. I looked > at ordering progressives on 39dollarglasses and found the process > confusing. I was also told if I have trouble reading while wearing my > contact lenses, I could use some of the +1 readers if I wanted to. > > I've never had bifocals or progressives and from what I have been > reading, they sound like they might be hard to learn how to use. Are > they really hard to learn to use? Would they be worth it with a > correction that isn't very strong like mine? > > I've bought single vision glasses from four different > companies(39dollarglasses, EyeBuyDirect, CoastalContacts, and > GlassesUSA) and had good luck with all of them. Who is good for > bifocals or progressives? My boss bought a set of bifocals from > WalMart and she said they barely have any reading area, mainly because > the lenses aren't very tall. I guess I'd have to get a taller lens if > I want to get these kinds of glasses. > > I know I'm all over the place, but this is new to me. I got warned at > my last exam I was getting close, looks like I'm there now. I've > heard it's normal once you pass 40(I'm 43). > > Group has been quite lately, maybe we should get some chatter going. -- Check us out at the oft-updated http://glassyeyes.blogspot.com! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GlassyEyes" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/glassyeyes?hl=en
