PROGRESSIVE EYEGLASSES EXPLAINED
Eyemart Nepal only offers the very best types of Progressive glasses supplied from the world’s leading lens brands & manufacturers. Progressive glasses can do what ordinary single vision lenses cannot do , which is to give you, the wearer, multiple powers in just one lens. Having a pair means no more changing your frames for reading, driving or shopping – no matter what you’re doing, you’ll have perfect vision, every time. To order Progressive glasses , you will need to understand how they work & the different options & types of Progressive lens available.
How Do Progressive Glasses Work?
Progressive glasses, also known as varifocals, varifocal lens, PAL,s or progressive lenses, have a gradual change in strength from the top of the lens to the bottom with multiple focal points in between. This allows you to see all distances and focus points through just one lens. They are typically used when you have two prescriptions, one for distance and one for reading. This benefits the wearer as they don’t need to buy and care for 2 separate pairs of glasses or need to switch between frames for different vision needs. Unlike bifocals, they do not contain a reading segment or dividing line within the lens which makes them more cosmetically pleasing and can also disguise presbyopia, the need for reading glasses, which can often be associated with age as it typically occurs from the age of 40 plus.
Below are the basic 3 regions of a Progressive lens :
Distance Zone : The ‘upper’ portion of the Progressive lens provides the ‘distance’ viewing area.
Intermediate Zone : The distance and reading areas are connected via a ‘corridor’ of intermediate powers and viewing for ‘mid-range’ vision.
Near/Reading Zone : The ‘bottom/lower’ portion of the lens provides the ‘close up/reading’ area
Types of Progressive Lenses: There are many different types of varifocals on the market offering numerous benefits and features dependent upon your lifestyle, needs and requirements.
Standard Progressive lens: Standard Progressive lenses are the ‘entry-level’ varifocal options and are chosen as an enhanced alternative to bifocals. They have clear vision and fairly wide focal areas for distance, reading and ‘in-between’. There will be some ‘peripheral distortion’ around the edge of the lens but this will be minimal and most customers will adapt to them very quickly.
Premium Progressive lens: Premium varifocal lenses offer much clearer vision at all points and are a significant step up from a standard varifocal lens in terms of vision, clarity, focus and ease of adapting to them. Sometimes referred to as ‘free-form varifocals’ or ‘back-surfaced digital varifocal lenses’, premium varifocal lenses are created using the latest computer-driven equipment and have a wider field of vision at the distance, intermediate/in-between and reading focal points. This is because the lens is a customized varifocal lens and made to fit within the frame you have purchased. It is unique to your prescription and the lens shape of the frame you have chosen and therefore offers the fullest and widest vision possible with a smooth transition between the focal ranges. They have minimal peripheral distortion and are easier to adapt to. This image shows the difference in the viewing field and distortion between a standard and a premium varifocal lens. The premium varifocal lens clearly having a wider field of vision and less peripheral distortion.
Elite progressive lens: Elite progressive lenses have the widest field of vision at all focal points and are tailor-made to your exact vision and customized to fit within your frame. With the least distortion around the edges, they are very easy to adapt to and will give you the clearest levels of vision available
The main differences & features of higher quality progressive lenses are:
- Larger distance viewing areas
- Larger reading viewing areas
- Wider field of vision, known as the ‘corridor’
- Less peripheral distortion
Simply put, the more advanced form of progressive lens have a wider field of vision with less peripheral distortion. They are often much easier to adapt to because of this.
Which progressive Lenses Do We Offer? We offer 3 progressive lens types; standard, premium & elite and these have been carefully selected from the many different options & manufacturers to offer you the best vision and value for money in their respective category and the correct choice for you really depends on your budget and what you need.
1 – Standard progressive lens – This is an unbranded digital lens. It is fantastic value and a great starter to the world of Progressive lenses – chosen as an enhanced alternative to bifocals. There will be ‘peripheral distortion’ around the edge of the lens.
2 – Premium free-form varifocal – It is quite simply one of the best value varifocal lenses available today. The premium varifocal option also includes a Crizal Uv coating . It is available in two types Essilor essentials everyday and active.
3 – Elite free-form digital varifocal – This is the Essilor X Series FreeForm lens. Varilux X Series varifocal lenses are the most advanced progressive lenses available in the market today and are for customers who want the latest technologies and premium products with the highest level of vision. Varilux X Series lenses provide all the benefits of other Varilux lens designs, while eliminating the “off-balance” feeling sometimes experienced when wearing other progressive lenses whilst offering superior clarity and a wide filed of view. Whatever the distance, whatever the situation, you will see the difference immediately. This is our elite varifocal choice and has been carefully selected to offer unrivalled clarity, the widest viewing area possible at all focal points including distance, intermediate and reading areas with almost no distortion around the edges.
How Do I Use Progressive Glasses?
Progressive eyeglasses can take time to adapt but once you are adapted you will feel very comfortable . The frame is positioned so that as you look through the top of the lens you will be viewing into the distance and in focus. To read, the gaze is simply lowered so that your eyes will now be looking through the lower portion of the lens, the reading part. Varifocal lenses also have an additional benefit in that they have an intermediate power range which is useful for ‘in between’ distances such as looking at shelves in a supermarket or the dashboard of your car and you simply lower or raise your head slightly until the view comes into focus. You will very quickly learn how to look through varifocals.
How Long Does It Take to Adapt?
Although you will need time to adapt to them, the significant majority of wearers get used to varifocal glasses within a week and overall success rate is over 98%. The latest designs with wider fields of vision and less edge/peripheral distortion are the easiest to adapt to and you will get used to them very quickly.
