Varifocal lenses take the form of a more advanced incarnation of bifocal lenses. They can often be referred to as progressive lenses, and they can offer a subtle variation in the strength of the lens that ranges from top to bottom and left to right. But could varifocals act as a suitable alternative to traditional reading glasses? 

Unlike with reading glasses, which are fully magnified to help wearers to view small text on computer screens, books, or newspapers, varifocal glasses offer a more comprehensive solution with no dividing lines and a range of different purposes for wearers. 

As we can see from the illustration above, varifocals do exactly what their name suggests in carrying various different types of focus for our eyes. From distance vision to near vision that’s perfect for reading, varifocals are a more adaptable form of eyewear that can suit a variety of needs. 

However, could these glasses act as a sufficient replacement for more traditional reading glasses? Many individuals can experience issues in the wearing of varifocals in their initial stage, so it’s worth fully exploring how these glasses can perform a suitable role for wearers. 

Why Could I Need Varifocal Lenses?

There are many reasons why it may be useful for you to wear varifocal lenses. For older wearers, the crystalline lens of our eyes can become stiffer over time and struggle to find the elasticity that it had before. This can make it more difficult to see things that are closer. This condition is known as presbyopia. 

Presbyopia is a condition that can affect the vision of individuals over 40 years of age, and middle aged individuals may begin to notice this change in their vision in a more subtle manner at first. 

If you begin to notice that your vision is experiencing more difficulty in focusing over time, this could be the beginning of presbyopia, and it’s worth checking with your optician for a second opinion. 

If you’re impacted by presbyopia, varifocal lenses can be a great means of helping you to focus better on objects that appear closer while also offering a helping hand in a range of other scenarios. 

Typically, if you notice that you’re regularly having to hold objects at a distance in order to focus on them better, you may be experiencing the start of presbyopia. 

Are Varifocals Better than Reading Glasses?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, but if you’re considering your options to help you read better, let’s take a look at the range of eyewear that you could consider: 

1. Reading glasses: Acting as specialist eyewear that’s highly magnified to optimize near-sighted vision, reading glasses are a great option for wearers who may have jobs that require reading plenty of text on computer screens or documents. There’s a wide range of suitable reading glasses for countless individuals who like to read books or letters in their spare time, too. 
2. Bifocal lenses: While reading glasses are fully magnified, bifocal lenses offer two different options, and often feature a clear line separating distance and near vision. With these glasses there’s no correction for intermediate vision, making these a specialist pair of glasses for two different areas of vision. 
3. Varifocal lenses: This type of lens combines the best of bifocal glasses and adds an intermediate and soft focus area to help wearers to adapt to all forms of different vision. This makes varifocal lenses a great option for wearers who regularly need to adjust their vision to perform daily tasks. 

Due to the greater adaptability of varifocal lenses, they’re certainly a good alternative option for reading glasses and should do the job admirably well. 

However, it’s also worth noting that many wearers of varifocal lenses report that it can be tricky to get used to glasses that offer such a vast range of different focus levels. 

While some wearers may need a couple of days to get used to different lenses, others could take weeks to fully learn how to see through their new glasses. 

With this in mind, varifocals can be some of the most tricky forms of eyewear to use for prescription lens wearers that only offer one form of vision correction. 

Although it may be worth sticking with reading glasses if your job or daily tasks require plenty of reading or shorter vision, you shouldn’t feel downhearted if you’re unable to get used to varifocal lenses quickly. 

Should you get used to varifocals and require your glasses to offer different types of focus throughout the day, you’ll likely be able to benefit from the lenses without having to change your glasses continuously depending on your tasks. This can make the challenge of seeing clearly far less bewildering.