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Bifocal Reading GlassesBifocal reading glasses have been around since dinosaurs were in short pants. These are the type of glasses that your grandma used to wear. They are the ones with the noticeable line cutting across the bottom half of the lens.
When you think about needing help with reading these are the lenses that pop into you mind. Little lines on you glasses that tell the world you are getting old. Who needs that! In truth, not many people.
Most of us go straight for progressive reading glasses and skip right past bifocals. What are the advantages of bifocal reading glasses: 1) Cheap – they are usually about half the price of progressive reading glasses. 2) They avoid the side distortion and initial swimming sensation of progressive reading glasses. This is the distortion that a small percentage find unbearable. 3) If you are a little unsteady on your feet you may find them easier to use than progressive lenses. What are the disadvantages: 1) Aging: the definite line on the lenses marks you out as getting old. 2) Jump: there is a noticeable shift as you cross from the near to the distance zone. Some find this unsettling. 3) Loss of the intermediate zone: there is an area at about the length of your out stretched finger tips that Optometrists call the intermediate zone. The computer screen often sits at this distance, as do prices on supermarket shelves.
a. With bifocals you can’t see the intermediate distance through the top part of the lens or the bifocal part. You end up doing the Bifocal Bob. You either have to bob forward or bob back to get things in focus.
Give bifocal reading glasses the skip unless you are one of those few who cannot adjust to progressive lenses. Be cautious about buying these lenses online. The measurement of the position of the bifocal is quite important. If the line is not in the right place you will find the glasses uncomfortable to use. Setting the bifocal at an “average” position simply may not work for you. Return from bifocal reading glasses to Home Page
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