How generic or customized are progressive prescriptions and lenses?
March 7, 2024 2:53 AM Subscribe
I’m thinking of ordering progressives from Zenni or similar, but they don’t seem customized enough. Is this just how progressives are, even at good, independent shops?
I have good vision in one eye, and fairly bad in the other, which might need to be addressed through surgery (macular pucker, cataracts). I currently have some prescription distance glasses that I don't use because they don't help much and they make some things worse. I use drugstore readers for anything close up.
I was advised to get updated glasses for the next step of the surgical consultation, but not to spend too much since surgery, if I have it, will change things. But with surgery uncertain and at least most of a year out, I’d love to get some improvement for day-to-day life now. In particular, I thought it could be worth it to get two pairs of progressives if they’re not exorbitant:
- Driving progressives, for distance and dashboard/GPS distance.
- Workspace progressives (replacing my drugstore readers), for computer-distance and reading.
I’ve never had progressives before, so I thought I’d start with just the driving ones and see how it goes. I have two prescriptions, for distance and for computer use, so I naively thought I’d enter both of those when ordering. I was surprised that instead, Zenni only asks for my distance prescription, and then extrapolates from that through both mid-range and close-range.
Is that just how prescriptions and progressives work? My two prescriptions do only differ in Sphere (+1 in each eye on the computer Rx vs. 0 on the distance one) and ADD (1.25 in each eye on the computer Rx vs. 2.25 on the distance one). The rest of the numbers match up. Would the computer-distance part of Zenni’s progressive lens end up matching what my computer prescription is, just via extrapolation? And is it customary and fine to use up part of a driving pair’s lenses with reading distance as Zenni’s progressives do, even though the closest I’d think useful while driving is dashboard-distance? Or are these drawbacks particular to Zenni and similar, while a good independent shop would handle things differently? In particular, would they:
1. Customize mid-range instead of extrapolating it from the distance prescription?
2. Leave close-reading off driving progressives, using the whole lens for the range that’s relevant when driving?
I have good vision in one eye, and fairly bad in the other, which might need to be addressed through surgery (macular pucker, cataracts). I currently have some prescription distance glasses that I don't use because they don't help much and they make some things worse. I use drugstore readers for anything close up.
I was advised to get updated glasses for the next step of the surgical consultation, but not to spend too much since surgery, if I have it, will change things. But with surgery uncertain and at least most of a year out, I’d love to get some improvement for day-to-day life now. In particular, I thought it could be worth it to get two pairs of progressives if they’re not exorbitant:
- Driving progressives, for distance and dashboard/GPS distance.
- Workspace progressives (replacing my drugstore readers), for computer-distance and reading.
I’ve never had progressives before, so I thought I’d start with just the driving ones and see how it goes. I have two prescriptions, for distance and for computer use, so I naively thought I’d enter both of those when ordering. I was surprised that instead, Zenni only asks for my distance prescription, and then extrapolates from that through both mid-range and close-range.
Is that just how prescriptions and progressives work? My two prescriptions do only differ in Sphere (+1 in each eye on the computer Rx vs. 0 on the distance one) and ADD (1.25 in each eye on the computer Rx vs. 2.25 on the distance one). The rest of the numbers match up. Would the computer-distance part of Zenni’s progressive lens end up matching what my computer prescription is, just via extrapolation? And is it customary and fine to use up part of a driving pair’s lenses with reading distance as Zenni’s progressives do, even though the closest I’d think useful while driving is dashboard-distance? Or are these drawbacks particular to Zenni and similar, while a good independent shop would handle things differently? In particular, would they:
1. Customize mid-range instead of extrapolating it from the distance prescription?
2. Leave close-reading off driving progressives, using the whole lens for the range that’s relevant when driving?
I have also ordered computer glasses from Zenni letting them extrapolate from my standard progressive prescription. They were work great.
posted by LoveHam at 4:16 AM on March 7
posted by LoveHam at 4:16 AM on March 7
Just a thought: if you do end up deciding you'd like a more personalized experience than Zenni offers, you could find a local shop that'll put lenses in frames you buy online. I don't use progressives but have a very strong prescription, and lenses cost about $200 that way. Zenni actually does fine for mine at half the cost, but for my kid's bifocals (which are more like $150 locally), I have them done in-person.
posted by teremala at 4:52 AM on March 7 [1 favorite]
posted by teremala at 4:52 AM on March 7 [1 favorite]
I love zenni but once I had to go with progressives I found it did not work for me. I opted to go to Costco and they work great for me. They take the prescription and made one set for everyday/driving and one specific for computer work.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 6:22 AM on March 7
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 6:22 AM on March 7
I have cheap progressives from Payne Glasses and from Zenni, both bought online. Both are fine. Both are the nicer premium distance kind that have a wider focal zone as you go closer. I also got a single vision pair of computer glasses but they aren't great because my multimonitor setup has such a range of focus from the center to the edges... So mostly I work in the distance progressives.
I've found it fine to drive with a single vision distance prescription. None of the things I read in the car are close enough or small enough to need readers.
posted by advicepig at 6:45 AM on March 7 [1 favorite]
I've found it fine to drive with a single vision distance prescription. None of the things I read in the car are close enough or small enough to need readers.
posted by advicepig at 6:45 AM on March 7 [1 favorite]
I've ordered progressives from a few different cheap on-line places and they were OK at best, unusable at worst. I recommend going to an in-person shop if possible, even if you have to pay more.
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:02 AM on March 7 [1 favorite]
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:02 AM on March 7 [1 favorite]
I get my progressives from an in-person optometrist and I just buy my prescription sunglasses from Zenni.
posted by gnutron at 8:23 AM on March 7
posted by gnutron at 8:23 AM on March 7
I also get my prescription sunglasses from Zenni because I don't really need the progressives when I am driving. (My reading prescription is very minimal, also.) They're GREAT.
posted by Countess Sandwich at 10:36 AM on March 7
posted by Countess Sandwich at 10:36 AM on March 7
My prescription included both the distance (sphere, cylinder and axis although your cylinder and axis may be blank) and the add which tells them how much weaker the near vision part of the glasses should be. For regular progressive, the top section matches the distance and then it gradually shifts to near vision as it goes from middle to bottom. For computer glasses, the top section matches the extrapolation that would normally be in the middle and then it adjust down to the near prescription at the bottom. So in my experience I have never had a custom middle distance prescription, the default worked fine for me and I just adjust my head a little to make sure I'm looking through the right part of my progressive lenses.
Re driving, it will depend on how much difference there is between your distance and your near vision. My sunglasses were single vision until I found that I couldn't read the dashboard (middle distance) any more. Also it is now impossible to read my phone if I need to do something with it while wearing my single vision distance glasses. On the other hand, when I am stand up wearing my computer glasses, the floor is out of focus so I have to switch back the minute I leave my desk. But I'm older and the difference between near and far is signficant (add = +2.75)
posted by metahawk at 12:07 PM on March 7
Re driving, it will depend on how much difference there is between your distance and your near vision. My sunglasses were single vision until I found that I couldn't read the dashboard (middle distance) any more. Also it is now impossible to read my phone if I need to do something with it while wearing my single vision distance glasses. On the other hand, when I am stand up wearing my computer glasses, the floor is out of focus so I have to switch back the minute I leave my desk. But I'm older and the difference between near and far is signficant (add = +2.75)
posted by metahawk at 12:07 PM on March 7
If you do a lot of computer work, I strongly recommend getting dedicated computer glasses that are *not* progressives, and switch them for your regular progressives when you need closeup or distance.
posted by leahwrenn at 6:40 PM on March 7 [1 favorite]
posted by leahwrenn at 6:40 PM on March 7 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Seconding Costco. I do have progressives for computer work, because my reading prescription is getting annoyingly large - distance lenses make me angle my neck funny, and computer vision single focus would make reading annoying.
If you get progressives locally they will put the glasses on you, work out where your pupil is in relation to the top of the lens, and make the lenses with the break from distance to reading vision suited to how the glasses sit on your face. My unproven opinion is that no online retailer is going to do this anything like as well, so Costco it was. Think carefully about how you wear glasses - the earpieces of the shop model will not be adjusted to you, so make sure you have them as far up or down your nose as you prefer before letting them take that measurement.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 7:40 PM on March 7
If you get progressives locally they will put the glasses on you, work out where your pupil is in relation to the top of the lens, and make the lenses with the break from distance to reading vision suited to how the glasses sit on your face. My unproven opinion is that no online retailer is going to do this anything like as well, so Costco it was. Think carefully about how you wear glasses - the earpieces of the shop model will not be adjusted to you, so make sure you have them as far up or down your nose as you prefer before letting them take that measurement.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 7:40 PM on March 7
Best answer: First off, Zenni and other "serve yourself" online retailers are often not the best choice for people with complex prescriptions or complex visual problems simply because the whole process is more complex in those situations. Even if Zenni (or other similar online retailer) CAN make the exact glasses you need, the person ordering (ie, you) needs to totally understand the process and what they are ordering, in every detail, or there is a high chance of getting it wrong.
Also, regular opticians charge more but then part of that process is, they - the good ones, anyway - are going to work with you after you get the glasses to make sure they actually work for you. That might include everything from making sure they fit you properly to send the lenses back to be adjusted (or more likely, re-made altogether) if they are just not working.
Anyway, with Zenni, first for what you are doing I would DEFINITELY suggest getting either "Regular" or "Premium" progressives. My best suggestion is "Premium" - they cost a few bucks more but are noticeably better because the close focus zone is noticeably wider.
Second, there IS indeed a number that determines how much difference there is between the "distant" portion of the progressive lens and the "close-in" portion. That number is the "add". The "add" is how many diopters are added to the main (distance) prescription to change it to the close-in prescription.
So a basic prescription will have the SPH CYL and AXIS for each eye, and then ADD - which is generally (ie, almost always, unless you're trying to do something really unusual) the same for both eyes.
CYL and AXIS are the corrections for astigmatism.
SPH is the correction for near or far sightedness, in diopters.
ADD is how many diopters are added to the SPH to turn that prescription from distance to close-in. For example with progressives or bifocals, the main visual area with be with SPH diopters and the smaller close-in viewing portion with be made with SPH + ADD diopters.
So, Zenni requests all of those numbers and so does every optician and it would be really, really offbeat if there were anything different than that.
>My two prescriptions do only differ in Sphere (+1 in each eye on the computer Rx vs. 0 on the distance one) and ADD (1.25 in each eye on the computer Rx vs. 2.25 on the distance one)
So your doctor has figured out your distance prescription (Sphere), then has added 1 diopter to it, to make the computer RX. That is a standard type of adjustment.
Then to make the reading strength, you ADD either 2.25 to the distance prescription OR 1.25 to the computer Rx. This makes the reading distance the same either way - because the Computer Rx already had 1 diopter added.
So if you send the same numbers with the same ADD to Zenni, you'll get the same lenses with the same distance, mid, and close zones. If you send the Computer Rx with the Computer ADD you'll get progressives that work from Computer distance (4-ish feet) down to reading distance (18 inches or so).
If you send the Distance plus the Distance ADD you'll get progressives that work from Distance (which usually works from say 15 feet out to infinity) and down to reading distance (18 inches or so).
What you DO NOT WANT TO DO, however - an I cannot emphasize this strongly enough - get Zenni's MID-RANGE PROGRESSIVES or NEAR-RANGE PROGRESSIVES. For this, it seems that Zenni takes your basic prescription and auto-calculates what is needed for a pair of progressives that work ONLY to focus from 1-14 feet (mid-range) or 1-3 feet (near-range). These are easy and standard calculations and so they provide this as a convenience to customers. But based on your explanation above, neither one of these is what you want.
(I've pasted Zenni's explanation of the different types of progressives below - read it carefully, and maybe spend more time reading Zenni's online help areas and/or call them up and talk to a representative.)
If you want progressives ranging from distance to close-in, enter your doctor's prescription for that (including the 2.25 ADD) and that is what you will get.
If you want progressives ranging from computer distance to close-in, enter your doctor's prescription for that (computer Rx and the Computer Rx ADD, 1.25). These glasses will not be suitable for driving or distance use - max clear distance will be something like 3-4-5 feet and everything beyond that will be a bit blurry. People like them for desk work and computer use, because the 3-5 foot focus area is the large upper area of the glasses (in normal distance progressives the 3-5 foot focus area is a rather small-ish region right in the middle or lower-middle of the lenses - awkward to use throughout and 8-hour workday).
For either of those, you can order PREMIUM or STANDARD progressives from Zenni, but I strongly recommend PREMIUM.
> Would the computer-distance part of Zenni’s progressive lens end up matching what my computer prescription is, just via extrapolation
These are indeed fairly standard calculations that don't really vary from person to person. The adjustments are based on the physics of lenses and are not individual. If you know that one lens strength will give you precise vision focused at 15 feet then it is a simple calculation to figure out what strength is needed for 5 feet, 3 feet, 1 foot, etc.
The only place this can (and perhaps, should) be individualized is, what is your personal preference or need for very close focus vs slightly more distance focus? For example, I typically make my ADD smaller (like 1.75 vs a more typical 2.0 or the 2.25 your doctor has suggested). The reason is, my unaided sight is perfect for very close work. So I don't want or need the glasses to do that for me. At the same time, progressives IMHO in general work less well the larger the ADD. They'll be great with a 1.5 ADD, whereas 2.5 or even 2.25 is pushing the envelope a little bit. I like 1.75 because then the progressives seem to work better for the range they cover. For anything closer, I just take them off. BUT obviously that is a very individualized thing.
>And is it customary and fine to use up part of a driving pair’s lenses with reading distance as Zenni’s progressives do, even though the closest I’d think useful while driving is dashboard-distance?
This is indeed the normal/regular thing to do. The thing is, the very close-in ("reading") portion of the progressives is aimed quite sharply downwards. When driving, this portion will not be aimed towards the dashboard, speedometer, etc. In fact, progressives are rather perfectly set up for exactly this situation - probably no accident. You can see the road straight ahead (distance), the dashboard slightly down (mid), and then a map or driving directions held, say, in the hand below that (close).
You CAN set up a set of progressives to range only from distant to medium-distance. That would be your distance RX with an ADD of maybe 1 or 1.25 (or 1.5). Thing is, you can do ANY of these ADDs - the only difference is, how close the nearest part of the progressive will be focused. They will all work to do the thing that is intended - you just have to understand what that is. Also understand that the near-focus area of progressives is very much at the bottom of the lens. So if you get an ADD of just 1, for example, you might be tipping your head up quite a bit to get the speedometer into the sharpest focus area of your glasses.
>1. Customize mid-range instead of extrapolating it from the distance prescription?
As explained above, this is exactly what the ADD number in your prescription is doing. Your doctor is giving his opinion (perhaps based on some of the testing the doctor did) as to what the best ADD will be, to give you good focus at reading distance.
However, as explained above, figuring "mid-range" from "distant" prescription is a straightforward calculation based on physics and nothing that is, or needs to be, individualized. The only thing that may need individualization is what actual distance YOU might prefer or need as your personal mid-range. This could be different for example if you "mid-range" is a laptop computer with small screen (or iPad) vs. a 35-inch computer screen on a desk, or say a TV that is maybe a foot or two further away.
But the calculation that your doctor, or local optician, or Zenni, or anyone else, will do to figure "mid-range" from "distant" will be identical. The only difference is one person might say "mid-range" is 2.5 feet, another may say 4 feet, another may say 5 feet or 6 feet or 8 feet or whatever. Like Zenni has the pair optimized for 14 feet. Obviously the calculation for that will be different than the one for 6 feet or 3 feet.
Regardless, the calculation is the same in all cases, and the adjustments standard, once you have decided which focal point you want.
>2. Leave close-reading off driving progressives, using the whole lens for the range that’s relevant when driving?
As explained above, that is a thing that certainly can be done, and can be useful in some circumstances, and can certainly be specified by giving your distance Rx with an ADD like 1.0 or 1.25. But is definitely not the regular or most common way of doing it.
Finally, I have had progressives I liked and didn't like from both Zenni and my local optician. Personally I like Zenni because I understand the process somewhat, I know what I like and what I don't, and it definitely does save more than a few bucks. By contrast, no local optician I have been to recently has been able to explain any details to my satisfaction or even at all. Like they can't explain exactly what lens material I'm going to end up with, or what specific coating. They will make "reading" or "computer" or "distance" glasses but they won't tell me EXACTLY what ADD each of those entails. Basically they treat me like I'm some kind of dunce who can't understand anything and that bugs me. What they do works most of the time for most people without getting into any of that, so I guess bully for them. But for example, my last pair of glasses apparently came without ANY coating, not even anti-reflective, because they are "reading glasses" so I guess they are supposed to be used only in cases where there is no light to reflect. That never would have happened with a Zenni purchase because it just lists all those details in the order before you hit the "buy" button. So I wouldn't say, don't use Zenni ever but it just depends - on both you, your needs, and what you want.
**** Here is how Zenni explains its different types of progressives - and again I would recommend PREMIUM and dis-recommend the mid-range or near-range for what you are trying to do (like literally, unless you are LOOKING FOR a set of glasses you can use for work 1-3 feet (near) or 1-14 feet (mid), but then take off and put on an entirely other pair for walking around the house or going outside).
Also, regular opticians charge more but then part of that process is, they - the good ones, anyway - are going to work with you after you get the glasses to make sure they actually work for you. That might include everything from making sure they fit you properly to send the lenses back to be adjusted (or more likely, re-made altogether) if they are just not working.
Anyway, with Zenni, first for what you are doing I would DEFINITELY suggest getting either "Regular" or "Premium" progressives. My best suggestion is "Premium" - they cost a few bucks more but are noticeably better because the close focus zone is noticeably wider.
Second, there IS indeed a number that determines how much difference there is between the "distant" portion of the progressive lens and the "close-in" portion. That number is the "add". The "add" is how many diopters are added to the main (distance) prescription to change it to the close-in prescription.
So a basic prescription will have the SPH CYL and AXIS for each eye, and then ADD - which is generally (ie, almost always, unless you're trying to do something really unusual) the same for both eyes.
CYL and AXIS are the corrections for astigmatism.
SPH is the correction for near or far sightedness, in diopters.
ADD is how many diopters are added to the SPH to turn that prescription from distance to close-in. For example with progressives or bifocals, the main visual area with be with SPH diopters and the smaller close-in viewing portion with be made with SPH + ADD diopters.
So, Zenni requests all of those numbers and so does every optician and it would be really, really offbeat if there were anything different than that.
>My two prescriptions do only differ in Sphere (+1 in each eye on the computer Rx vs. 0 on the distance one) and ADD (1.25 in each eye on the computer Rx vs. 2.25 on the distance one)
So your doctor has figured out your distance prescription (Sphere), then has added 1 diopter to it, to make the computer RX. That is a standard type of adjustment.
Then to make the reading strength, you ADD either 2.25 to the distance prescription OR 1.25 to the computer Rx. This makes the reading distance the same either way - because the Computer Rx already had 1 diopter added.
So if you send the same numbers with the same ADD to Zenni, you'll get the same lenses with the same distance, mid, and close zones. If you send the Computer Rx with the Computer ADD you'll get progressives that work from Computer distance (4-ish feet) down to reading distance (18 inches or so).
If you send the Distance plus the Distance ADD you'll get progressives that work from Distance (which usually works from say 15 feet out to infinity) and down to reading distance (18 inches or so).
What you DO NOT WANT TO DO, however - an I cannot emphasize this strongly enough - get Zenni's MID-RANGE PROGRESSIVES or NEAR-RANGE PROGRESSIVES. For this, it seems that Zenni takes your basic prescription and auto-calculates what is needed for a pair of progressives that work ONLY to focus from 1-14 feet (mid-range) or 1-3 feet (near-range). These are easy and standard calculations and so they provide this as a convenience to customers. But based on your explanation above, neither one of these is what you want.
(I've pasted Zenni's explanation of the different types of progressives below - read it carefully, and maybe spend more time reading Zenni's online help areas and/or call them up and talk to a representative.)
If you want progressives ranging from distance to close-in, enter your doctor's prescription for that (including the 2.25 ADD) and that is what you will get.
If you want progressives ranging from computer distance to close-in, enter your doctor's prescription for that (computer Rx and the Computer Rx ADD, 1.25). These glasses will not be suitable for driving or distance use - max clear distance will be something like 3-4-5 feet and everything beyond that will be a bit blurry. People like them for desk work and computer use, because the 3-5 foot focus area is the large upper area of the glasses (in normal distance progressives the 3-5 foot focus area is a rather small-ish region right in the middle or lower-middle of the lenses - awkward to use throughout and 8-hour workday).
For either of those, you can order PREMIUM or STANDARD progressives from Zenni, but I strongly recommend PREMIUM.
> Would the computer-distance part of Zenni’s progressive lens end up matching what my computer prescription is, just via extrapolation
These are indeed fairly standard calculations that don't really vary from person to person. The adjustments are based on the physics of lenses and are not individual. If you know that one lens strength will give you precise vision focused at 15 feet then it is a simple calculation to figure out what strength is needed for 5 feet, 3 feet, 1 foot, etc.
The only place this can (and perhaps, should) be individualized is, what is your personal preference or need for very close focus vs slightly more distance focus? For example, I typically make my ADD smaller (like 1.75 vs a more typical 2.0 or the 2.25 your doctor has suggested). The reason is, my unaided sight is perfect for very close work. So I don't want or need the glasses to do that for me. At the same time, progressives IMHO in general work less well the larger the ADD. They'll be great with a 1.5 ADD, whereas 2.5 or even 2.25 is pushing the envelope a little bit. I like 1.75 because then the progressives seem to work better for the range they cover. For anything closer, I just take them off. BUT obviously that is a very individualized thing.
>And is it customary and fine to use up part of a driving pair’s lenses with reading distance as Zenni’s progressives do, even though the closest I’d think useful while driving is dashboard-distance?
This is indeed the normal/regular thing to do. The thing is, the very close-in ("reading") portion of the progressives is aimed quite sharply downwards. When driving, this portion will not be aimed towards the dashboard, speedometer, etc. In fact, progressives are rather perfectly set up for exactly this situation - probably no accident. You can see the road straight ahead (distance), the dashboard slightly down (mid), and then a map or driving directions held, say, in the hand below that (close).
You CAN set up a set of progressives to range only from distant to medium-distance. That would be your distance RX with an ADD of maybe 1 or 1.25 (or 1.5). Thing is, you can do ANY of these ADDs - the only difference is, how close the nearest part of the progressive will be focused. They will all work to do the thing that is intended - you just have to understand what that is. Also understand that the near-focus area of progressives is very much at the bottom of the lens. So if you get an ADD of just 1, for example, you might be tipping your head up quite a bit to get the speedometer into the sharpest focus area of your glasses.
>1. Customize mid-range instead of extrapolating it from the distance prescription?
As explained above, this is exactly what the ADD number in your prescription is doing. Your doctor is giving his opinion (perhaps based on some of the testing the doctor did) as to what the best ADD will be, to give you good focus at reading distance.
However, as explained above, figuring "mid-range" from "distant" prescription is a straightforward calculation based on physics and nothing that is, or needs to be, individualized. The only thing that may need individualization is what actual distance YOU might prefer or need as your personal mid-range. This could be different for example if you "mid-range" is a laptop computer with small screen (or iPad) vs. a 35-inch computer screen on a desk, or say a TV that is maybe a foot or two further away.
But the calculation that your doctor, or local optician, or Zenni, or anyone else, will do to figure "mid-range" from "distant" will be identical. The only difference is one person might say "mid-range" is 2.5 feet, another may say 4 feet, another may say 5 feet or 6 feet or 8 feet or whatever. Like Zenni has the pair optimized for 14 feet. Obviously the calculation for that will be different than the one for 6 feet or 3 feet.
Regardless, the calculation is the same in all cases, and the adjustments standard, once you have decided which focal point you want.
>2. Leave close-reading off driving progressives, using the whole lens for the range that’s relevant when driving?
As explained above, that is a thing that certainly can be done, and can be useful in some circumstances, and can certainly be specified by giving your distance Rx with an ADD like 1.0 or 1.25. But is definitely not the regular or most common way of doing it.
Finally, I have had progressives I liked and didn't like from both Zenni and my local optician. Personally I like Zenni because I understand the process somewhat, I know what I like and what I don't, and it definitely does save more than a few bucks. By contrast, no local optician I have been to recently has been able to explain any details to my satisfaction or even at all. Like they can't explain exactly what lens material I'm going to end up with, or what specific coating. They will make "reading" or "computer" or "distance" glasses but they won't tell me EXACTLY what ADD each of those entails. Basically they treat me like I'm some kind of dunce who can't understand anything and that bugs me. What they do works most of the time for most people without getting into any of that, so I guess bully for them. But for example, my last pair of glasses apparently came without ANY coating, not even anti-reflective, because they are "reading glasses" so I guess they are supposed to be used only in cases where there is no light to reflect. That never would have happened with a Zenni purchase because it just lists all those details in the order before you hit the "buy" button. So I wouldn't say, don't use Zenni ever but it just depends - on both you, your needs, and what you want.
**** Here is how Zenni explains its different types of progressives - and again I would recommend PREMIUM and dis-recommend the mid-range or near-range for what you are trying to do (like literally, unless you are LOOKING FOR a set of glasses you can use for work 1-3 feet (near) or 1-14 feet (mid), but then take off and put on an entirely other pair for walking around the house or going outside).
PREMIUM PROGRESSIVESposted by flug at 10:46 PM on March 7 [3 favorites]
Premium progressives offer everything standard progressives do, but with a wider viewing area, quicker adaptation, and maximum comfort.
STANDARD PROGRESSIVES
Standard progressives were designed to balance distance, near and mid range viewing areas for comfortable, all day wear.
MID-RANGE PROGRESSIVES
(Max. distance: approx. 14 feet)
Mid-Range progressives feature narrower near-range vision with greater mid-range vision for comfort and visual clarity within 14 feet. They are designed for those who need enhanced up-close vision with the ability to see the entire room more clearly.
NEAR-RANGE PROGRESSIVES
(Max. distance: approx. 3 feet)
Near-Range progressives provide greater comfort and visual clarity within 3 feet. They are designed for those who spend long periods at a desk or other smaller workspaces.
Response by poster: Thank you so much! Flug, flagged as fantastic. This is everything I wanted to know, including what I didn't know to ask. I'm thinking I'll get the driving pair as premium progressives, but shave .25 or .5 off the ADD since I won't use them for reading anything closer than the dashboard/GPS and it sounds like it could slightly improve the more important remainder of the lens. There's one aspect I'm not sure I understand though...
If you send the Computer Rx with the Computer ADD you'll get progressives that work from Computer distance (4-ish feet) down to reading distance (18 inches or so).
...
What you DO NOT WANT TO DO, however... [is] get Zenni's... NEAR-RANGE PROGRESSIVES. For this, it seems that Zenni takes your basic prescription and auto-calculates what is needed for a pair of progressives that work ONLY to focus from... 1-3 feet
...
If you want progressives ranging from computer distance to close-in, enter your doctor's prescription for that (computer Rx and the Computer Rx ADD, 1.25).
...
again I would... dis-recommend the... near-range for what you are trying to do (like literally, unless you are LOOKING FOR a set of glasses you can use for work 1-3 feet (near) or 1-14 feet (mid), but then take off and put on an entirely other pair for walking around the house or going outside).
So, the second pair I want to order IS only for 1-3 feet. That's when I use my drugstore readers now. I'm used to having to take off the readers to walk around the house, so that part is fine. But I'd like to be able to leave them on and see a computer screen more clearly than I can now, slightly further away than a book, or to be able to look back and forth between a recipe and something I'm chopping in the kitchen. So I had been going to get Zenni's near-range progressives that you're dis-recommending. I figured that to place that order, Zenni would have me enter my doctor's computer prescription. Are you saying that's not what they do -- that they have you enter your distance prescription even for their near-range progressives? And that because of that, I should place an order as though I were getting ordinary progressives, but just enter my computer prescription instead?
posted by daisyace at 2:40 PM on March 8
If you send the Computer Rx with the Computer ADD you'll get progressives that work from Computer distance (4-ish feet) down to reading distance (18 inches or so).
...
What you DO NOT WANT TO DO, however... [is] get Zenni's... NEAR-RANGE PROGRESSIVES. For this, it seems that Zenni takes your basic prescription and auto-calculates what is needed for a pair of progressives that work ONLY to focus from... 1-3 feet
...
If you want progressives ranging from computer distance to close-in, enter your doctor's prescription for that (computer Rx and the Computer Rx ADD, 1.25).
...
again I would... dis-recommend the... near-range for what you are trying to do (like literally, unless you are LOOKING FOR a set of glasses you can use for work 1-3 feet (near) or 1-14 feet (mid), but then take off and put on an entirely other pair for walking around the house or going outside).
So, the second pair I want to order IS only for 1-3 feet. That's when I use my drugstore readers now. I'm used to having to take off the readers to walk around the house, so that part is fine. But I'd like to be able to leave them on and see a computer screen more clearly than I can now, slightly further away than a book, or to be able to look back and forth between a recipe and something I'm chopping in the kitchen. So I had been going to get Zenni's near-range progressives that you're dis-recommending. I figured that to place that order, Zenni would have me enter my doctor's computer prescription. Are you saying that's not what they do -- that they have you enter your distance prescription even for their near-range progressives? And that because of that, I should place an order as though I were getting ordinary progressives, but just enter my computer prescription instead?
posted by daisyace at 2:40 PM on March 8
Best answer: >that they have you enter your distance prescription even for their near-range progressives? And that because of that, I should place an order as though I were getting ordinary progressives, but just enter my computer prescription instead?
Yes, you could do it either way:
- Put in your DISTANCE prescription from your doctor, order Zenni's near-range progressives, and Zenni will auto calculate from that what the 3 foot (top portion of the progressives) and 1 foot (bottom/lowest portion) should be.
If you do this you DO NOT want to enter the computer Rx and then order near-range progressives. Zenni will calculate assuming the prescription is your distance prescription and you will end up with something usable for like 3 inches to 1.5 feet, instead of the 1-3 feet you want.
- OR you can put in your doctor's Computer Rx in, and the ADD that he gave you for the Computer Rx. Then you will get something that ranges from reading distance to computer distance - roughly the same as what Zenni is shooting for with their near-range progressives.
The difference might be fairly subtle - like exactly what distance is your optometrist calibrating your computer-distance progressives for? It might be 3 feet like the Zenni near-range progressives, or it might be more like 20-26 inches, or 24-30 inches, whatever. (By the same token is the Zenni near-range distance really exactly 3 feet, like 36 inches? Maybe. Regardless, it's for that near-range stuff, things on your desk or within arm's reach.)
The difference is fairly slight, but there you are.
You could call up Zenni and ask their people this question, too - they obviously have more experience with their particular product.
posted by flug at 12:52 PM on March 12
Yes, you could do it either way:
- Put in your DISTANCE prescription from your doctor, order Zenni's near-range progressives, and Zenni will auto calculate from that what the 3 foot (top portion of the progressives) and 1 foot (bottom/lowest portion) should be.
If you do this you DO NOT want to enter the computer Rx and then order near-range progressives. Zenni will calculate assuming the prescription is your distance prescription and you will end up with something usable for like 3 inches to 1.5 feet, instead of the 1-3 feet you want.
- OR you can put in your doctor's Computer Rx in, and the ADD that he gave you for the Computer Rx. Then you will get something that ranges from reading distance to computer distance - roughly the same as what Zenni is shooting for with their near-range progressives.
The difference might be fairly subtle - like exactly what distance is your optometrist calibrating your computer-distance progressives for? It might be 3 feet like the Zenni near-range progressives, or it might be more like 20-26 inches, or 24-30 inches, whatever. (By the same token is the Zenni near-range distance really exactly 3 feet, like 36 inches? Maybe. Regardless, it's for that near-range stuff, things on your desk or within arm's reach.)
The difference is fairly slight, but there you are.
You could call up Zenni and ask their people this question, too - they obviously have more experience with their particular product.
posted by flug at 12:52 PM on March 12
Response by poster: Ok, I think I've got it now -- thanks!
posted by daisyace at 1:17 PM on March 12 [1 favorite]
posted by daisyace at 1:17 PM on March 12 [1 favorite]
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I have workplace progressives from Zenni and am wearing them right now. They worked directly from the "standard" progressive prescription from my eye doc, which is strong but boring -- ie just myopia and some astigmatism, not any more challenging conditions. They are fuckin-A awesome. Work great.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 3:46 AM on March 7