Comments on: Computer Glasses

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:17:34 +0000

I would agree with what a couple people have said – vari-focal lenses are great. I worked at a Target Optical for awhile – we called ours progressive lenses, and they have the distance, middle, and close vision powers, but no lines to separate. It just looks like normal glasses.

The only problem with those is that, like all prescription eyeglasses, they’re expensive. I’ve been getting computer glasses from http://www.readingglassesshopper.com lately, and they’re great. Not too expensive. They have good regular reading glasses and reading sunglasses, too. There are a couple other places you can buy them online…some are expensive, some not.

By: Russell

Russell — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:24:48 +0000

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

By: David

David — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:54:52 +0000

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.

By: Tom Lumsden

Tom Lumsden — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:41:40 +0000

An Addendum to John’s comment:

“…..I called LensCrafters, whove 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 youd have thought that Id ordered French food, in a Hungarian restaurant, in Mandarin Chinese. They didnt 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!!!

By: Sheila Jones

Sheila Jones — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 23:06:03 +0000

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).

By: Alvin

Alvin — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 08:35:25 +0000

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 (;->

By: Hank Dillenkofer

Hank Dillenkofer — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 21:40:49 +0000

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.

By: Marc

Marc — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:14:49 +0000

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

By: Paul sherman

Paul sherman — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 14:45:15 +0000

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.

By: Carl Ray

Carl Ray — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 05:34:19 +0000

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.