Superfocus glasses durability?

[pybyr]

I've worn glasses since about age 9 and am entirely used to them- they are the first thing I put on and the last thing I take off. My 'natural' vision is so bad that I could not find my glasses without my glasses...

No desire for contact lenses.

I am, however, approaching the age where bifocals are going to be in my future- and based on what I have seen and heard, am NOT looking forward to them.

A friend got the "Superfocus" adjustable lens glasses and is largely happy with them.

I like the idea of being able to clearly see a full field of view and not be dealing with tilting my head, having certain zones of view out of focus, etc.

however-

I never deliberately abuse my glasses, but I do end up being rough on them- I do a lot of DIY and outdoor activities and can be a bit of a klutz, so it is not unusal for my glasses to get thoroughly dirty, occasionally knocked off my head or whacked by something like a branch etc. I currently wear OSHA-approved frames because I've found that they hold up better for me than regular "consumer" frames, which never survived for much longer than a year

I have googled around a substantial amount and while I can find various "impression" reviews of the Superfocus glasses, have not found anything about how robust/ durable the Superfocus frames/ adjustment mechanism are over the medium to long term.

Anyone had any experience or know of any places I have not yet checked?

Thanks!

 

[Gary_602z]

Are you able to get the Lasik surgery? My wife had it done about 8 years ago and it was the best thing that she has done! I was squeamish trying to watch the surgery, but she was able to drive in a couple of days with 20/30 vision. She is getting where she does need reading glasses in low light but at her age who wouldn't! :cheese:

Gary

 

[pybyr]

Thanks for the mention of the Lasik; I did look into that a couple of years ago- but I have heavy astigmatism combined with a cornea that is on the very thin edge of normal- which combine to make me a bad candidate for laser surgery.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

pybyr, first I'll state that I have only one good eye so glasses have been with me for many, many moons. Many years ago I was told I had to go to bifocals. I did....and hated those things. Trouble was, they made me sick; physically sick to my stomach and made me dizzy too. Went back after only a few days and told the doctor to get me the best single lens he could prescribe and I'd make do with them. He did and I got along okay for a few more years. Then suddenly he said I would soon have to do something but wanted me to try the lense that had no lines but would focus at any distance (progressive lense). I hated them more than the bifocals. Seems with those, one could not look sideways at all but only straight ahead. This means to look sideways one has to turn the head. But why then have all that glass that is worthless? I wore them about 1 hour total as they were worse than the bifocals.

Fast forward another year or two and he broke the news to me that he could no longer do much except he suggested....trifocals! My thought was that I could not stand the bifocals so what would these things be like. With no risk of financial loss, I ordered a pair with trifocals. When I put them on I could hardly believe it. They were fantastic! I've had no problems wearing them since.

One thing that stikes me about the superfocus if that little slider for adjusting distance. Seems like that would get old really fast. Better to find something you would not have to adjust.

I imagine what this might be like, for instance, while driving. Adjust to see the road but to look at insturments, adjust first then readjust back to see the road. Not a good situation. Or in many of our cases, cutting firewood. Looking up the tree before cutting; adjust. Adjust again when cutting, etc.


EDIT: Price starting under $700.00. Not cheap for sure!

 

[firefighterjake]

No answer to your question . . . but I hear you on the glasses . . . I'm always fumbling around in the morning to find my glasses on the end table . . . and heaven help me if one of the cats have knocked them on to the floor . . . I end flailing my arms all around wildly in an attempt to find them . . . before I step on them.

My wife delights in telling people about the time she passed me leaving a fire scene and she was waving to me and I never saw her since I was driving without my glasses . . . namely since the fire engine that I had stuck my glasses in had left the scene . . . after that I realized just how bad and dangerous driving without my glasses was . . . made sense at the time . . . but I guess it's kinda important to be able to see things clearly . . . and not just recognize colored blobs coming towards me as cars.

 

[colebrookman]

I've been wearing bi-focals for a while with few problems. Not perfect but certainly tolerable. Bought the old style with the lines after friends with the line free type said they had trouble using stairs. This year I bought heavy duty frames because I'm very active cutting firewood etc. and the consumer frames could not take the beating. Although they cost more, at my next visit, if needed, I will only purchase new lenses as the frames are still perfect after almost two years of normal abuse. Be safe.
Ed

 

[Delta-T]

i too wear the thickish glasses, cannot see worth a darn withotu them. I have had bifocals, and hated them. Did not like the shift in focus. tried high index lenses, could not see for squat out of them. now I just use single focals..with flex tanium frames (cuz I'm somewhat abusive) and they've done very well for me. My eyes do get a bit tired from reading sometmes, but it takes 50-60 pages to bother me. I then take off my glasses, and read a few pages without, then glasses back on, good for another 50 pages. good luck.

 

[colebrookman]

Yup everyone is different. I grew up listening to my dad curse his bifocals yet I have no real problem with them. The new ones are almost scratch free which works out will when working out side or repairing vehicles. Be safe.
Ed

 

[Shari]

Well, I don't know if what I have to say is on topic/worthy of comment, but here goes:

A few years ago I went from NO glasses to trifocals. My arms got too short right about the same time.

I had the optometrist fit me up for the first pair and I walked away just fine. No problem adjusting - got the blended lenses (didn't want to look like a Granny yet!). Hey! I could 'see' again!

Fast forward a few years, hubby retired, insurance coverage is through him and, unfortunately, we now have no eye exam / eyeglass insurance. Thinking to save a few bucks, I by-passed the optometrist that I had been very well pleased with and went to Walmart for new lenses and frames. Dumb mistake. Walmart grinds their trifocal reading area differently. In order to read my computer screen I have to turn my head to read each line across the width of my monitor. Plus, Walmart ground the bottom edge of my lenses so I have a white line, bright line, all across the bottom of my lenses.

It's been 2 yrs. I need another eye exam. I am NOT going back to Walmart.

Lined trifocals are not for me - I can't handle stairs with them - plus they make me sea sick.