Guide · varifocals · written by our optometrists
The honest guide to varifocal lenses: what nobody tells you before you buy.
Most people who struggle with varifocals were never told how they work, which one suits them, or how to get used to them. This guide tells you all three, in plain English, so you buy the right pair once.
In two minutes
The short version
- Do varifocals work?
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Yes, for most people, when the lens, the frame and the fitting are right.
- Why do some people give up?
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A lens too basic for their prescription, a fitting a few millimetres out, or nobody explaining how to use them.
- What do you pay more for?
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A wider clear view, less swim at the edges, and a lens made for your eyes rather than an average one.
- How long to get used to them?
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About a week to feel comfortable, two to feel natural. Wear them all day.
- Mine don’t work. What now?
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Bring them in. We can read the hidden marks on the lens and tell you what went wrong, free.
The problem
What people tell us before their first pair.
- “A friend said varifocals made her feel seasick.”
- “I don’t want to spend a fortune and hate them.”
- “I tried a cheap pair and gave up in a week.”
- “I don’t understand why prices go from low to very high.”
- “I’m worried about stairs and driving.”
- “Nobody showed me how to use them.”
These are fair worries, and every one has a straight answer. Varifocals are easy to get right when someone takes the time.
Why us
We fit varifocals every day at five practices, and we wear them ourselves, so we know what the first week feels like.
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Before you buy
Seven things nobody tells you about varifocals
- Every varifocal has soft edges.
It is physics, not a fault. A lens that changes power from top to bottom has to blur a little at the sides. A better lens pushes the blur further out, so you notice it less.
- The level matters more as you get older.
Your reading power keeps rising into your sixties, and the stronger it gets, the more a basic lens swims. A lens that was fine at forty-five can feel wrong at sixty.
- The fitting matters as much as the lens.
The lens has to sit in exactly the right place in front of each eye. A couple of millimetres out and the reading part is in the wrong place, whatever you paid.
- The frame matters too.
A very shallow frame cuts off the reading part, and a frame that slips down your nose moves every zone. Choose the frame with the varifocal in mind.
- You move your head, not just your eyes.
To look at something, point your nose at it. Glancing sideways through the edge of the lens is where the blur lives.
- One pair does a lot, not everything.
For long days at a screen or long spells of reading, a pair built for that job beats any varifocal. Many people end up with a second pair and never look back.
- Your eyes affect the result.
Dry eyes make vision go up and down through the day in any lens. If that is you, it is worth treating the dry eye too.
The price question
Cheap or expensive varifocals: what you actually pay for
This is the question most people are too polite to ask. Every varifocal we make is clear. What changes as you go up is how it is made.
A standard varifocal is made for an average eye. It is a proven design, it works, and for a lower reading prescription or a smaller frame it can be exactly the right choice.
A higher-level varifocal is made for your eye. We take extra measurements of how your frame sits on your face, and the lens is designed around them. You get a wider clear view, less swim when you turn your head, and a lens that feels natural sooner.
So the honest answer is that it depends on how you live in them. The more hours you wear them, the more you drive or use a screen, and the stronger your reading prescription, the more a better lens gives you back. See the levels, with pictures →
Paying for them. Every level is priced on paper before you choose. Pay half today and spread the rest over 4, 6, 8 or 10 months, interest free, with nothing added.
Forty-five minutes with the optometrist so the prescription is right, then we measure you in your chosen frame and price every option on paper. Already have varifocals you can’t get on with? Bring them in and we’ll check them free.
The fitting
What a proper varifocal fitting looks like
Two people can buy the same lens and have completely different experiences. The difference is nearly always the fitting.
- We choose the frame with you first.
Deep enough for the reading part, and a good fit on your nose and ears, so it stays put.
- We measure each eye separately.
Where your pupil sits and how high it sits in that frame, because most faces are not perfectly even.
- For the higher levels, we measure the frame on your face.
How far the lens sits from your eye, how much the frame tilts, and how much it curves. The lens is made to those numbers.
- We adjust the frame when you collect them.
So every zone sits where it was designed to, and we check you can see far, middle and near before you leave.
Settling in
Getting used to varifocals: your first two weeks
Your eyes adjust fast. It is your brain that needs a few days to learn where to look.
- Day 1Wear them at home
Put them on in the morning and keep them on. Walk around the house, read, watch television. Things may swim a little when you turn your head. That is normal.
- Days 2 and 3Take them out
Wear them to the shops and on a walk. Take stairs slowly, dip your chin to look down, and use the rail. Once you feel steady, you can drive.
- Days 4 to 7Your brain catches up
You stop thinking about where to look. Reading and the phone start to feel natural. The swim fades.
- Week 2It feels like normal sight
Most people forget they are wearing varifocals by now. If something still bothers you, it is not you. Come back and we check it.
The habits that make it easy
- Point your nose. Turn your head towards what you want to see, rather than looking out of the corner of your eye.
- Chin down to read. Hold the book or phone a little lower and let your eyes drop into the reading part.
- Chin up for the screen. Or lower the screen a little, so you look through the middle of the lens.
- Stairs and kerbs. Dip your chin and look through the top of the lens, not the bottom.
- Mirrors when driving. Turn your head a little more than you used to.
- Don’t swap back. Every time you wear your old glasses, your brain starts again.
If yours don’t work
Can’t get on with your varifocals? What it usually means
Most varifocal problems have a simple cause. Here is what we look for.
| What you notice | What it usually means | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| You tip your head right back to read | The reading part sits too low for you, or the frame has slipped down your nose | Re-measure the height, adjust the frame, or remake the lenses |
| You lift your chin to see into the distance | The lenses sit too high, so you are looking through the middle zone | Re-measure the height and remake if needed |
| Everything swims when you turn your head | A basic design for a strong reading prescription, or it is the first week | Give it two weeks, then a better level if it stays |
| Reading is clear in one eye only | The two lenses are not centred on your pupils | Re-measure each eye separately and remake |
| Your screen is blurry | The middle zone is narrow for a whole working day | Lower the screen, or add an office pair |
| Headaches or tired eyes | The prescription, the measurements or the frame angle | A check of all three, starting with the prescription |
| They were fine, then got worse | The frame has bent or slipped with wear | A free adjustment, usually on the spot |
Every varifocal carries tiny marks etched into the lens. We use them to check exactly where your lenses were centred, so we can tell you what went wrong, even on a pair from somewhere else. The check is free. Bring them in →
If varifocals aren’t for you
The alternatives, honestly
Some people are better served by something else, and that is fine. We would rather you had the right answer than the most expensive one.
- Two pairs.
One for distance and one for reading. Simple, and for some people the most comfortable answer.
- An office lens for the desk.
Wide, comfortable vision for the screen and the desk, alongside your everyday pair. Office lenses →
- Bifocals.
A visible line, but a large, steady reading area with nothing in between to learn. Bifocals →
- Varifocal contact lenses.
For the days you want nothing on your face. Our guide to varifocal contact lenses →
The plan
How to get varifocals right first time
- 1Book an eye test
Forty-five minutes with the optometrist, so the prescription is right before anything else.
- 2Choose the frame and the level with us
We explain each level with pictures, measure you in your chosen frame, and price every option on paper.
- 3Settle in, with us beside you
We adjust them when you collect, check how you are getting on, and change anything that isn’t right.
What you get. Varifocals you forget you are wearing.
Get it wrong and your varifocals end up in a drawer, and you are back to swapping glasses.
Get it right and you see the road, the screen and the menu without a second thought.
Five practices
Book at your nearest practice
Varifocals are fitted at all five practices, and the check on any pair is free.
CheadleAbra & Co · 19 Wilmslow Road★ 4.9 · 106 Google reviewsOpticians in Cheadle → Also near: Cheadle Hulme · Gatley · Bramhall · Stockport
MiddletonAbra & Co · 36 Long Street★ 4.9 · 164 Google reviewsOpticians in Middleton → Also near: Heywood · Chadderton · Blackley · Rochdale
Heald GreenAshworth Opticians · 214 Finney Lane★ 4.9 · 131 Google reviewsOpticians in Heald Green → Also near: Gatley · Wythenshawe · Sale · Altrincham
WinsfordWinsford Eye & Footcare · 27 Delamere Street★ 4.9 · 75 Google reviewsOpticians in Winsford → Also near: Northwich · Middlewich · Knutsford · Crewe and Nantwich
HeckmondwikeArmitage Opticians · 14 Market Street★ 4.9 · 133 Google reviewsOpticians in Heckmondwike → Also near: Dewsbury · Batley · Mirfield · Cleckheaton
Free on the NHS if you qualify, £55 privately, at every practice. All five, with the towns each one serves →
Frequently asked questions
Do varifocals actually work?
Yes, for most people, when three things are right: a lens that suits your prescription, a frame deep enough to hold it, and measurements taken properly. Most people who say they can’t wear them were let down by one of the three.
Are expensive varifocals worth it?
The more you wear them and the stronger your reading prescription, the more a better lens gives you back. If you wear them all day, drive, or work at a screen, it is usually worth stepping up. If you only put them on to read in the evening, a standard lens can be the right answer.
How long do varifocals take to get used to?
Most people are comfortable within a week and fully settled within two, as long as they wear them all day and stop swapping back to old glasses.
Why do my varifocals make me feel dizzy?
That swimmy feeling comes from the soft areas at the sides of the lens. It fades as your brain learns to ignore them. If it is still there after two weeks, the lens design, your prescription or the fitting height needs checking.
Why can’t I see my computer in my varifocals?
The screen part of a varifocal is a narrow band in the middle of the lens. Lower the screen a little and raise your chin. If you are at a screen for hours, an office pair alongside your varifocals is the real fix. Lenses for screens and desks →
Can I drive in new varifocals?
Wait until you feel steady walking about in them, usually a day or two. When you drive, turn your head a little more to check your mirrors, so you look through the clear part of the lens.
Should I wear my old glasses while I get used to them?
No. Swapping back resets your brain every time. Put the new ones on in the morning and leave them on.
Can varifocals go in any frame?
Not quite. The frame needs enough depth below your eye for the reading part, and it has to sit still on your nose. We check that before you choose.
Show all 9 questions
How often do varifocals need changing?
When your prescription changes. In your forties and fifties your reading power usually goes up every couple of years, then it settles. We check at every eye test and only suggest new lenses when it makes a real difference.