I just had my first pair of progressive lenses fitted a couple of weeks ago and they only cost me a little more than my regular glasses. According to rumours, quite a number of people cannot adapt to them. I also heard some wonderful things about these lenses and so decided to try them out for myself.
A progressive lens is basically a trifocal lens without the lines. The top part of the lens allows the wearer to see distant object. The power gradually decreases towards the middle which is idea for viewing objects at arm’s length and finally, the bottom of the lens does what reading glasses do. Using the correct part of the lens would require the wearer to tilt his head or move his eyes. The concept is pretty cool. You don’t have to take off your myopic glasses and put on reading glasses when someone gives you something to sign.
When I first put my progressive glasses on, I had a bit of trouble going down the stairs. That’s because the bottom of the lens is for reading and unless you tilt your head to look downwards, the stairs will not be in focus. Another problem is poor peripheral vision. With progresssive lenses, you can’t see things with the corner of your eye. You always have to look straight, turn your head to accommodate the narrow field of vision. So when you sit back on a sofa with your head tilted backwards, you may have problems seeing things directly in front of you. When running, I would also prefer to have my myopic glasses on. With progressive lenses, rapid movement of the head can also cause images to be blurred.
Of course, the requirement to look straight also provides some disincentive for discreet ogling. Progressive lenses may expose a lot of dirty old men.
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