Computer Glasses

Hello. You mention glasses for working with the computer and glasses for driving. I wonder if you, for example, never go to the supermarket or the drugstore and try to read the labels on the products with your driving glasses.

I’ve been using trifocals for the last five years and find them handy for all around use. I got “computer” glasses made from the intermediate section, and bifocal sun glasses made (upper and lower sections) as I never use them on a computer. If you have a Costco or some other club store, you can save a lot on the cost of your glasses. I got all three for under $225.00. Computer glasses are definitely the way to go if you spend a lot of time in front of the screen. Measure the distance from your eyes to the screen and take it with you when you go to get glasses, and choose a frame with large lenses. Easier to move your eyes than move your head.

I’ve worn glasses from the age of 12, I’m in my 50s now. I’ve had dozens of pairs some I liked better than others. However about 4 years ago I was designing electronic systems and realised when I was building the boards and checking them over I couldn’t focus properly. Hence a pair of reading glasses were prescribed and I find them ideal for not only closeup work but for reading my monitor as well. The only problems are having to continually change from distance to closeup and they have this inability to get me to read instruction manuals!

James Kelly

Computer glasses: Single lens, bi-focal, tri-focal, none of them work properly!!!

I have found with both my bi’s and tri’s, that my head has to be tilted back so far that my neck ultimately gets a crink and I end up with headaches. I decided the best route was to go to the regular over-the-counter magnifyers at the drugstore. These ‘reading’ glasses are powered up to 3:00 which is about the best for me although 2:75’s seem to be good for all font sizes.

Hi Dan,

Have you considered vari-focals? You don’t get the line on the lens that you do with bifocals, so they look just like normal glasses, but the magnification varies from distance when looking straight ahed, to monitor distance when looking down as you would when looking at a monitor.

They area a little more complicated to set the prescription, so not all all opthalmologists may ofer the service, but certainly over here in Europe, almost all do.

They may take a little more getting used to and some people cannot adjust to them, but most do and swear by them once they have.

Good luck with the new glasses anyway!

Dear Chris,

Rather than bifocals, may I suggest getting varifocal lenses? I tried bifocals son afte Ben Franklin invented them, but switched to varifocals ASAP. They are far more convenient than trying to get the line out of the way!

Do make sure that your monitors are low enough (or your chair high enough) that you do not need to tilt your head back, in either case.

The varifocals do run a bit more, but it’s only money, right?

Just a thought.
Belly-rubs to the pups!

Mike

I had the same ‘reality check’ about a year ago. I got single-vision glasses at the time, as my prescription was written as ‘bifocal optional’ while I did some homework

In OK, we don’t have optical shops in the Wal-Marts or Sam’s Club, so that’s a no-go. I called LensCrafters, who’ve made my last three pair. I was asking for glasses that had closer ‘reading vision’ in the bottom, and computer monitor distance vision in the top, and you’d have thought that I’d ordered French food, in a Hungarian restaurant, in Mandarin Chinese. They didn’t have a clue what I wanted. I dropped an e-mail to corporate, and they referred me back to the same store that had already demonstrated its unwillingness/inability to help me.

So, I’m still looking for an optical shop where I can get the computer vision/reading vision in one set. I’m still going to try to get single vision for ‘walkin around,’ and I’ll flip ‘em up if/when I need to read labels at the grocery store, and hold the Mapquest instructions a little further out when driving. All of the aforementioned issues, problems and complaints regarding trifocals and multiple vision glasses just have me convinced that I don’t even wanna ‘go there.’

Hi Chris
I work for an optical lab and make glasses and I would suggest Progressive lenses,or vari-focals as someone else said.I use Varilux Panamics they’re good for all distances and have a wide field of view. Also Shamir Office lenses are great for computer and close work.I would also get Transitions lenses that change to sunglasses and anti reflective coating too.No I’m not a salesman and these added features do cost more but in my opinion they’re worth it.

Be careful when ordering glasses, once you get them figure out the best
use. My wife had trifocals made with out the lines on the lenses, per
chance is that what you all are calling varifocals.

In any case, the folks that ground the lenses put the wrong portion of
the prescription where my needed it for her computer moniter and she
nearly went nuts with those glasses before she figured out what
happened.

I’ve worn glasses for 50 years and never had a prescription that was
improperly ground, that was a first one for me.

I went down this road last year, ended up with three pairs of glasses.
(I’m 51, been in glasses since 10, needed them before that…)

1. A pair of long distance for driving and most other duties

2. a pair of Rx reading glasses (off the shelf didn’t work)

3. a pair of computer/reading bifocals. These unfortunately, had to have a line. The focal differences were too radical to eliminate the line.

I considered trifocals, but the peripheral focus disappears, I wasn’t ready for that. Next time, it’s under the laser.

Chris,

With your large monitors I’d be wary of normal bi- or tri- or vari- focal lens.

You want to be able to move your eye from the top to the bottom of the monitor without moving your head. Using masking tape on my current glasses (aviator type with 1 3/4″ of lens) I measured the amount of lens needed to do this with my (smaller than yours) 17″ LCD, positioned at 26″ from my eyes – I need a minimum of 5/8″.

To allow differing head positions that measurement needs to be increased. Vari- and Tri- do not allow for that large a constant focus.

I ended up going with ‘no-line’ bifocal and had the optometrist move the bi-focal part way down on the lens (for focusing on the keyboard). Again using tape, I found that only the lower 1/2″ could be used for the bi-focal part.

Even with all that my optometrist ended up making my glasses twice to get them right. (There was no charge for this).

Good luck…
Marc

Bi-focals are great when driving, the upper glass for forward vision, the lower to read the dash board instruments. I would personally recommend
a single vision lens just for computer work, leave them parked under the monitor, when you are ready to use the computer, switch glasses, I can guarantee it beats leaning your head way back to see the monitor screen.

Hi Chris,
Been receiving the Lockergnome for years, but other than trying to contact you a long time back (you never responded), this is my first post and i’ve done it because it’s important and with a pretty good handle on what you’re talking about.

I’ve worked for many years in front of a screen and apart from the annoyance of getting to the age where glasses became mandatory, i found a single pair of multifocals seemed to do the job.
A few years ago a life threatening occurance caused me to go blind in one eye (looks normal, but can’t see).
It was then i checked out (because of overuse of a single eye and potential eye stain) the idea of 2 sets of glasses.

Well long story short… you can’t beat it. Why… because now my 1st set of 2 pairs, that are my normal ‘use all the time’ lenses can be multi’s that work for mostly long distance with a veeeerry sharp cut-off to give you useful but mainly emergency reading ability, so you can have a pretty large glass area for long distance, and reasonable mid to short distance lens area, rather than trying to be all things to all situations as in most multi’s and then having to shift your eyes or head to accomodate.

That’s lens pair No.1. This is where it gets fantastic… the 2nd pair are set for your normal working distance from your computer monitor, but… you get nearly 3/4 (or more) from top to bottom of lens with ‘no’ distortion and also get complete side to side no distortion at this distance. Boy is this a great way to have glasses while working and not have to move your damn head around to get optimum view, nor hold your head ‘up’ to focus.

This really is a comfortable way to work, and worst case scenario, if you forget your 2nd pair if you go to someone else’s place… don’t sweat, the 1st pair will see you through temporarily.

Best of both worlds and your eyes will forever thank you (;->

I found that I had gotten to the point where my bi-focals just weren’t cutting it for playing piano (just bear with me!). My eye doctor prescribed me a pair of “piano glasses” – they use the bi-focal strength and add a little magnification. They are perfect for playing piano AND, I found out, also perfect for working on the computer. I would highly recommend them and hope they work for you (once you go that next step in the glasses world).

An Addendum to John’s comment:

“…..I called LensCrafters, who’ve made my last three pair. I was asking for glasses that had closer ‘reading vision’ in the bottom, and computer monitor distance vision in the top, and you’d have thought that I’d ordered French food, in a Hungarian restaurant, in Mandarin Chinese. They didn’t have a clue what I wanted. I dropped an e-mail to corporate, and they referred me back to the same store that had already demonstrated its unwillingness/inability to help me…..”

This comment reminds me of Lenscrafters in my city, Hamilton, Ontario,
offered to make me a pair of the same glasses you are talking about, they called them ‘technical alternatives’, all for the low price of $1,750.00 (Canadian) which would have bought me at least 6 regular pair of any combo I would want!!!

If you don`t want to look like an old man, with the definite dividing line between the prescriptions, why not have varifocal lenses? I have a form of these, because when I was given stronger distance glasses at the last eye test, they fouled up close work. Had to take them off to read. If I left them on, I found I hadn`t got arms long enough read anything! Fortunately my unaided close vision is fine, so it looks like the lenses graduate from the distance prescription at the top to virtually clear glass at the bottom.

The thing is, there’s actually multiple ways that we as optometrists can set up specs for computer use – the way that will work best for a person often depends on how they use a computer – long periods of time, or small periods during the day, whether they need to interact with other people while at the screen, or need specs that they can still walk around the office in etc etc.
I’ve written a bit of an article about this on my blog which you might find helpful… mosambi.wordpress.com