Great alternatives to progressive lenses

Not everyone enjoys wearing progressive lenses. Thankfully, there are a number of great alternatives to progressive glasses.

At some point between the ages of 40 and 50, most adults need to start wearing reading glasses because of a condition called presbyopia that affects all human adults.

For those who are already near-sighted, that naturally means they may be looking into progressive lenses.

But while progressive lenses look a lot more appealing than traditional bifocals, they can definitely take some getting used to. Therefore, progressive lenses may not be the best option for everyone.

Perhaps you’ve tried progressive lenses and found them uncomfortable or disorienting. Or maybe they simply didn’t work for you. Thankfully, there are some alternatives to consider if you want to avoid wearing progressive lenses.

Read also: This is how long it takes to adapt to progressive lenses

Bifocals

Bifocals are the traditional option for adults who need vision correction at two different distances.

The lenses themselves have a visible horizontal line across the lens dividing the two prescriptions. Many people notice a stark jump in what they see when they look through one part of the lenses and then the other.

However, bifocals are less expensive than progressive lenses and many people find they are easier to adjust to as they experience less distortion than they do with progressives.

Trifocals

Trifocals were developed after bifocals and have two visible lines on the lenses because trifocals improve vision at three different distances — far, middle, and close.

You may be able to purchase trifocals with a wider middle viewing area than progressive lenses allow, which can be much more comfortable and easy to adjust to than progressive lenses with three different prescriptions.

This option is especially good for people who spend a lot of time looking at a computer screen.

Read also: 4 Surefire tips to get used to progressive lenses

Multifocal contacts

If you wear contacts, the onset of presbyopia does not necessarily mean you have to switch to wearing glasses. There are a number of multifocal contact options available including bifocal contact lenses.

Like progressive lenses, bifocal contacts have two prescriptions in each lens, but unlike progressives, they don’t require you to tilt your head to see at different distances.

However, as with progressive lenses, you can still expect to experience an adjustment phase while you get used to using two prescriptions at once.

There are even some options of contact lenses on the market that gradually adjust from near to far, creating a more natural feel for wearers.

Monovision contacts

An older, traditional option for contact lenses is monovision contacts. With monovision contacts, the lens in one eye has a prescription for distance while the lens in the other eye is for close-up vision.

Because monovision contacts have been available longer than multifocal contact lenses, and because they have only a single prescription per lens, they are a more affordable option.

But because both eyes work together to create correct vision, there are some drawbacks to wearing monovision contacts.

For example, both your distance and your intermediate vision may not be as good with monovision contacts as they would be with the other types of contact lenses.

You may also notice some issues with depth perception, especially when driving at night.

Overall though, monovision contacts are a good, budget-friendly option for most contact lens wearers with presbyopia.

Also read: Best alternatives to reading glasses