Opticians deals

[klondike]

I'm going to be giving varifocals a try. Currently I mostly put up with an SD world and wear none except for some with my normal distance prescription and polarised lenses which I use when fishing.

I'd be wanting normal varifocals and some polarised varifocals. Most optiticians do some sort of deal for two pairs but the conditions vary. Specsavers who I've used for some time I think only give a standard lens second pair free and you then just get the frames free on the second pair. Boots seem to do the second set at half price but it wasn't clear if that was it both pairs were the same apart from the frames.

So if anybody knows the terms for some particular opticians (say Specsavers VisionExpress Boots Tesco etc) please say. Or maybe the independents offer good deals - there is one not far from me that has been going for years so maybe that is a good route too.

[Diasi]

I'm going to be giving varifocals a try. Currently I mostly put up with an SD world and wear none except for some with my normal distance prescription and polarised lenses which I use when fishing.

I'd be wanting normal varifocals and some polarised varifocals. Most optiticians do some sort of deal for two pairs but the conditions vary. Specsavers who I've used for some time I think only give a standard lens second pair free and you then just get the frames free on the second pair. Boots seem to do the second set at half price but it wasn't clear if that was it both pairs were the same apart from the frames.

So if anybody knows the terms for some particular opticians (say Specsavers VisionExpress Boots Tesco etc) please say. Or maybe the independents offer good deals - there is one not far from me that has been going for years so maybe that is a good route too.

I posted this on t'other forum where there was a discussion on car headlights.

If you want varifocals I'd recommend progressives.

The Transition Drivewear lenses are polarised & are for daylight driving only, but they can make it harder to see in-car LED screens.

I went to an independent optician for the eyesight exam & Ziess DriveSafe progressive glasses as none of the multiples did them in my area.

I sent the distance part of my prescription to Glasses Direct for my Transitions Drivewear single vision distance glasses.

After wearing a pair of specs I'd had for 21 years from when I last had an eyesight check, I splashed out earlier this year because, although I could still see ok with them as my prescription had hardly changed, the lenses were scratched badly & caused enormous light scatter when driving at night.

They are very good & do exactly what they say they will do but it's also the construction of the lenses, not just the coatings on them.

It's odd as the lenses look clear when I'm wearing them but if I hold them at an angle they look a blue colour.

They have progressive lenses which are an upgraded version of standard varifocals.

Last night I saw a pedestrian, wearing all dark clothing & a hoodie, step out into the road from the dark spot where two LED street lamps were out, but my 18-yr-old passenger hadn't seen him until I braked.

A couple of weeks ago I managed to stop, two feet away, from a young girl who ran out from between a line of oncoming cars with bright headlights.

I also bought a pair of Transitions Drivewear glasses that are a single distance prescription that I use when it's sunny, especially when it's a low morning sun.

https://www.zeiss.co.uk/vision-care/spectacle-lenses-from-zeiss/drivesafe-lenses.html

https://www.transitions.com/en-gb/products/drivewear-transitions/

[klondike]

Looks like Boots are best for those. Few independents near me listed. 

I don't do a lot of driving these days and mostly want polarised for fishing. They can't be worn at night which is the time I need glasses for driving as my unassisted vision is good enough for that in daylight although at this time of year low sun can be a menace.

[Diasi]

Looks like Boots are best for those. Few independents near me listed.

I don't do a lot of driving these days and mostly want polarised for fishing. They can't be worn at night which is the time I need glasses for driving as my unassisted vision is good enough for that in daylight although at this time of year low sun can be a menace.

The optician I used was the only one that appeared on the Ziess website for our postcode so I probably paid a premium price.

Basically I keep the Transisions Drivewear glasses in the car all the time & just use them for daylight driving when it's sunny.

It's probably a bit OTT but what many people don't realise it can be a driving offence to not wear sunglasses when it's sunny. 

While it's not a legal requirement to wear sunglasses when driving in bright conditions, not putting them on could see you slapped with a careless driving charge.