Understanding & Adapting to Varifocals

What are Varifocals?

Varifocals are also known as progressive lenses. They are lenses which allow the user to see objects at all distances. Varifocals are made up of three main areas, distance, intermediate and near vision and the power change from one to another is a gradual blend, so in fact there is no distance which does not have a corresponding part of the lens.

Like most other products, varifocal lenses come in a huge range of qualities, from absolute basic to the ultimate in state of the art lens design. At F. Robson & Co Opticians, we supply only lenses which are up-to date designs, and the best available for each given price bracket.

All varifocals are designed to give vision at all distances in a single lens, but every eye and every situation we experience in our everyday lives is different, so that not every progressive lens design can be the best solution for every wearer.  The more individually the lens is designed to suite your needs and your lifestyle, the more visual comfort you will experience.  A superior quality varifocal lens reduces adaptation time, and means that less head movement is required, giving a more natural vision over a wider range and at all distances.

Zeiss Gradal Individaul ® Eyefit

Varifocal lens design is a huge area of development.  Our ultimate individualised varifocal is the Zeiss Gradal Individual ® Eyefit.  This lens boasts a distance portion with less peripheral distortion than any other lens, but in arriving at the final lens design, the developers at Carl Zeiss Vision have concentrated in particular on the near and intermediate zones of the lens.  The resulting lens means that, for the first time, together with our Opticans, you can choose to adapt the near zone of your progressive lens to suite your own personal requirements.  Zeiss have established that the near visual behaviour of the population can be grouped into one of three different profiles and has developed a lens design for each:

• Balanced Profile: this is the basic design for varifocal wearers who need a progressive lens of the highest quality for all everyday situations, and the best possible balance between the individual ranges of vision
• Intermediate Profile: this design was specially developed for those varifocal wearers who often switch between the middle and distance ranges e.g. computer operators, drivers, or those who use their varifocals for sport.  This design gives an increase in intermediate area of up to 28%  in comparison to the balanced design.
• Near Profile: this is the recommended design for those varifocal wearers who spend long periods of each day using their close vision.  With the near profile the lens has a near range which is up to 60% larger than in the balanced design.