Varifocal Contact Lenses in Heckmondwike — Multifocal CLs for Reading + Distance

Independent specialist care at our Heckmondwike practice — 14 Market Street, WF16 0JU. Book online or call 01924 403617.

📞 Call 01924 403617 — book a consultation

Varifocal (multifocal) contact lenses at Armitage Opticians, Heckmondwike

If you have been wearing reading glasses over the top of distance contact lenses, you do not have to keep doing that. Modern varifocal contact lenses give you near and distance vision in a single lens — no readers, no glasses, no swapping between two pairs. We have been fitting multifocal contact lenses at our Heckmondwike practice since the modern designs came onto the UK market, and the success rate is significantly higher than the older bifocal lenses of ten years ago.

How varifocal contact lenses actually work

Modern multifocal soft contact lenses use a concentric ring design — the centre of the lens handles one viewing distance and the surrounding rings progressively handle the others. Your brain learns to use the relevant part of the lens depending on what you are looking at, much like a varifocal spectacle lens. Unlike spectacle varifocals, there is no head-tilt involved — the same area of lens does the work whether you are looking up, down, or sideways. Adaptation typically takes 1-2 weeks of consistent daily wear.

We fit a range of designs: CooperVision Biofinity Multifocal (monthly disposable, the most-fitted in the UK), Alcon Total30 Multifocal (monthly, the most-comfortable for dry eye patients), Bausch + Lomb Ultra Multifocal, Acuvue Oasys MAX Multifocal (1-day, premium daily-disposable option), and MiSight 1-day Multifocal for paediatric myopia control. Daily and monthly disposable schedules — we will recommend based on your prescription, your dry eye signs, and your lifestyle.

Who they work for, and who they don’t

Multifocal contact lenses work best for patients aged 45-65 with a moderate near correction (typically +1.00 to +2.50 reading addition) and good ocular surface health. They work less well for patients with significant astigmatism above 1.00 dioptre (though toric multifocals exist for some prescriptions), patients with very high near additions (above +2.50), and patients with severe dry eye that has not been treated. We will be honest with you at the fitting — if you are not a good candidate, we will tell you and recommend an alternative (typically monovision contact lenses, or distance lenses with reading glasses).

The fitting process — what happens at your appointment

Book a contact lens consultation (45 minutes). We take a full ocular surface health check (slit-lamp, tear film assessment, lid margin check — important because dry eye affects multifocal lens success more than any other factor). We then trial-fit you in 2-3 different designs based on your prescription and lifestyle. You wear the trial pair for an hour, walk around the practice, read a menu, check your phone, look out the window down Market Street. We refine the prescription based on what you actually see.

You leave with trial lenses for 1-2 weeks to test in real life — at work, driving, reading, screens. We see you again to adjust the prescription if needed. Most patients settle on the final prescription by their 3rd appointment. We do not charge for the trial lenses or the follow-ups during the fitting period.

Pricing

Contact lens fitting fee (covers all fitting visits, trial lenses, and a 12-month aftercare): £95. Multifocal contact lens subscription: from £29/month for monthly disposables (Biofinity, Total30) up to £56/month for premium daily disposables (Acuvue Oasys MAX). Subscriptions include postal delivery to your Heckmondwike address, an annual review at the practice, and unlimited aftercare appointments between annual reviews. NHS eye tests separately if you are eligible — typically free for over-60s.

Frequently asked questions

Will I be able to read my phone with multifocal contacts?

Yes — that is the primary use case. Most patients can read normal phone text comfortably within their first week of adaptation. Very small text on labels and tablet apps in low light can be the last thing to adapt; we adjust the near design at your follow-up if needed.

Can I drive at night in multifocal contacts?

Yes, for most patients. Some report mild halos around oncoming headlights for the first 1-2 weeks while adapting; this typically settles. If night-driving halos persist beyond 3 weeks, we adjust to a different lens design that is optimised for distance acuity over near.

How do varifocal contacts compare to varifocal glasses?

Both work; they suit different lifestyles. Varifocal glasses give the sharpest possible reading area but require head movement and have a small distortion zone in the lower outer corners. Varifocal contacts give no peripheral distortion and full peripheral vision, but the reading sharpness is typically 90-95% of what you would get from glasses — fine for most reading but you may want spectacle readers as a backup for very fine print.

What if multifocal contacts don’t work for me?

We try monovision next — one eye fitted for distance, one for near. Your brain learns to use the relevant eye for the task. Adaptation can be quicker than multifocals for some patients. If neither works, we go back to distance contact lenses + reading glasses (or a varifocal spectacle pair you wear when you remove your lenses).

Visit us at our Heckmondwike practice

Armitage Opticians, 14 Market Street, Heckmondwike, WF16 0JU. We see patients from Heckmondwike, Cleckheaton, Liversedge, Mirfield, Batley, Dewsbury, Gomersal, Drighlington, Birkenshaw, and across the Spen Valley. Free street parking on Market Street and surrounding side streets.

📞 Call 01924 403617 — book a consultation