Progressive lenses

[Bart Leetch]

I have glasses with progressive lenses & find that at times when I need to see fine measurement or work with small fine items it is difficult to see what I am doing. Is there an add on type of focus improvement that I can get that will help in these cases? Thanks.

[Don Baer]

Bart,'
My eye doctor told me to just get a pair of reading glasses from the local phamacy. Cheap and they work great.

[John Bailey]

Bart,

That happens to me all the time. I just take my glasses off. It seems to work well.

John

[Jim Becker]

Bart, progressive lenses can be a little challenging in that you have to move your head up and down to adjust focus...it's a learning process. The alternative for you might be to have some prescription safety glasses made with a standard bifocal setup for use in the shop. I will tell you that when I wore progressives prior to my LASIK surgery a few years ago, that there were some situations where they just inherently were not the best fit...like reading in bed, for example. I kept a set of reading glasses for that. Now, I use safety glasses that I get from Duluth Trading with a reading setup at the bottom when I am in the shop.

[Lee DeRaud]

For me, the biggest issue with progressive lenses in the shop is, "straight lines aren't".

And the first time I tried to buy lumber while wearing them was, uh, interesting.

[Steve Clardy]

I have progressive bifocals also.
My problem is, when you have to crawl under, look under something, yer head is to close, and can't see anything but a blur.

[Hank Knight]

Bart, I'm pretty myopic. I couldn't get used too progressives, so I wear regular bifocals, or contacts with reading glasses. I've found that my close vision is better without any correction at all. If I need to do really close work in the shop - or anywhere else for that matter - I wear my bifocals and just take them off when I need the really fine, close focus.

[Jay Knoll]

I'm with John

I wear progressives, and sometimes it is easier to take them off. I have a pair of safety glasses that are set to "arms length" which I wear in the shop.

I never noticed any "waves" caused by the progressives when looking at long stock at the lumber yard.

Jay

[Lee DeRaud]

I never noticed any "waves" caused by the progressives when looking at long stock at the lumber yard.You mean a straight piece of wood still looks straight all the way across your field of view? Given the way progressives work, I can't see how that's even possible. Even single-vision lenses usually have some barrel or pincushion distortion off-axis.

[Jay Knoll]

Lee

I've been wearing progressives for about 15 years, so maybe I'm "used" to the way things look. If I look straight at something, eg, like the edge of a board, if it is straight, it appears straight its entire length.

If you are asking if I look through the edge of the lens, then I agree, things start to look a little weird.

When I got my lenses the optician said, these are tools, you've got to learn to use them. Point your nose at what you're reading/looking at, and your eyes will take care of the rest.

It worked, never had a problem, don't trip walking down steps. I think they are great

Jay

[Bob Johnson2]

I have a hard time focusing on both the near and far end of boards when scoping them out at the lumber yards, but I haven't noticed any bends or pin cushioning that's from the glasses. More like vertigo. Of course my option is to carry three pair of glasses, or so says the doc.

Bart
I have to take mine off for really close work, and sometimes scoping out boards at the lumber yard.

[Roger Bell]

The progressives you have may be set up with a focal length suitable for reading or computer use. If that is the case, you may wish to consider getting another pair with a focal length suitable for shop use or bench use. What I did was to get a second pair in "safety glass with safety frames" for the shop in a focal length suited to bench use, since my everyday pair was hardly "safety approved" and I hate wearing cheesy glasses-over-glasses. You should discuss your specific needs with your dispensing optical guy. You DO want to (1) wear safety glasses and (2) be able to see correctly, dont you?

[Bob Noles]

The progressives you have may be set up with a focal length suitable for reading or computer use. If that is the case, you may wish to consider getting another pair with a focal length suitable for shop use or bench use. What I did was to get a second pair in "safety glass with safety frames" for the shop in a focal length suited to bench use, since my everyday pair was hardly "safety approved" and I hate wearing cheesy glasses-over-glasses. You should discuss your specific needs with your dispensing optical guy. You DO want to (1) wear safety glasses and (2) be able to see correctly, dont you?

Roger,

Some good advice for sure as I have a pending appointment in 2 weeks. Thanks for bringing this up and I have every intention of talking this over with the optrician.

[Charlie Plesums]

I have progressives and have had the "boards aren't straight" problem since I got them...but I think that is related to astigmatism and progressives.

A couple weeks ago I had to drill a hole in the edge of a board, under a line... and when I was done, found the hole 1/4 inch away from where it should be. Finally figured out that my glasses were slightly misaligned, so one eye focused on the drill, the other on the line, and I was off by 1/4 inch. Scared me to death, because if one eye had focused on my finger and the other on something sharp and spinning, there could have been a lot of blood to clean up.

I now switch back to my bifocals in the shop. I don't think there is a comparable problem if you just have old eyes (presbyopia), without astigmatism.

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

I'm with Charlie...

I've finally gotten used to mine...I think...but also have the straight/curvy problem, and found out that my nose is crooked so I have to turn my head a bit to point my nose straight. When I go in the shop, I use the bifocal safety goggles.

KC

[Bob Johnson2]

Charlie brings up a good point, since I got the trifocals I've had to have them adjusted a couple times (about a year). It's such a touchy adjustment that I have to tell the girl when their right, she can't tell. I think it's the nose peices that need tweeking on mine, like they are not on plane. It's hard to describe. I also believe I'd never buy something like these from a department store. It girl must have spent an hour on them when I forst got them, with occational input from the doc.
I've found I can tell if their out of adjustment if I focus on an object, hold my head as still as I can, then block off an eye and then the other and see if it stays clear. If they are tilted one distance might be good but another may not.

Too darn finicky.

[George Matthews]

Is there an add on type of focus improvement that I can get that will help in these cases? Thanks.

I too have struggled with this problem, and have tried bifocals, progressives, single and safety glasses over standard.
Single are great for bench work, but awkward for general shop use. Progressives are often a poor compromise. I have recently settled on ye-olde-bifocals.

I have recently come across stick-on correction for safety glasses in the Lee Valley catalog.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=52602&cat=1,42207,42216&ap=1

Anyone tried those?

[Luther Oswalt]

Hank - I also wear progressive and I have all the problems that have been mention here. My solution, at least my way of thinking, leads me to the same solution that you are using. Sometimes I feel like I'm "Alice in Wonder Land" and my nose is pointing straight up!
Leo

[Larry James]

Timely thread from Bart... I was thinking this morning about going to a different eye doctor to get a second opinion about my progressive trifocal glasses. I’ve had this pair for about 6 months and they drive me crazy.

- I quit wearing them for driving because they distort peripheral vision.
- When using my TS, the left side of the top looks curved or convex.
- I can’t read without having the page (or computer screen) parallel to my face.
- No more “eyeballing” for level.
- Forget about using my wireless keyboard on my lap, etc.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

Looks like I try bifocals and hope there is some feedback regarding the stick-on from Lee Valley.

[John Gregory]

I'm with John

I wear progressives, and sometimes it is easier to take them off. I have a pair of safety glasses that are set to "arms length" which I wear in the shop.

I never noticed any "waves" caused by the progressives when looking at long stock at the lumber yard.

Jay

Like Jay, I see real close things better with no glasses. So when I need to do that in the shop, I don a pair of regular safety glasses. It is not that I hate progressive lenses, I just hate that fact that I need them.:D

John

[Allen Bookout]

I just starting wearing glasses full time about two months ago. They are progressive and I paid what I thought was a small fortune (over $800 - may be closer to $900). They almost insisted that I buy this paticular brand because they said that they were the latest technology and well worth the money. I guess that they were right because everything that is supposed to be straight looks straight at any angle that I view through them and I have no problem with close up or far away. They seem to me to be just incredable. Could be that others would not find this to be the case but for me they are great. If you want any information as to the brand send me a message and I will find out for you. I cannot recall right now. Will either have to look up the receipt or call the optical place. Allen

[Russ Massery]

I have progressive lens in my safety glasses at work. I've had the same issues as listed above I'm use to them now. I took a few months, but then again I never needed glasses til now. :cool:

[Roger Wilson]

http://www.gravitysedge.com/pixeloptics/home.htm

This company, Pixel Optics, is about to take their technology to market.

They have eyeglass lens which will allow the eye to focus at any distance automatically without the kinds of problems you have with progressive lens. If they pull this off it would be a fabulous product for the over 50 folks.