Standard Progressive Lenses

If you are looking for an alternative to bifocals or trifocals, standard progressive lenses will work for most people, and fit most budgets. Although the price of standard progressive lenses is higher than regular flat-top bifocal or trifocal lenses, they are still quite affordable. Depending on brand name, standard progressive lenses range in price from $175-250 for the base lenses.

Standard progressive lenses will give you a fairly wide reading area, but require a certain sized frame to allow enough vertical height to give a smooth transition from distance vision down to reading. If too short a frame is chosen, the most useful reading power may be cut off when the lenses are manufactured.

Progressive Lens

A progressive lens is a corrective lens used in eyeglasses to correct presbyopia.
A progressive lens gradually and seamlessly changes in power to provide clear distance, as well as intermediate and near vision with no visible segments or demarcation lines.

Progressive lenses are often referred to as invisible, no-line bifocals. Many people prefer the look of progressive lenses over bifocals, as they look like single vision lenses.

Also Known As: No-line bifocal, PAL (progressive addition lens ), varifocal lens

Advantages of Progressive Lenses

Progressive lenses provide the most natural vision possible. With progressive lenses, reading power gradually increases as you look down the lens. Because of this, not only do you have clear distance and near vision, but clear intermediate vision as well.

A progressive lens is the lens of choice for the best cosmetic appearance. There is no demarcation line in a progressive lens, so the lens looks just like a single vision lens. Many mature people enjoy this feature because it gives a more youthful appearance.

Adjusting to Progressive Lenses

Progressive lenses usually require a little time to get used to.

If you are prescribed progressive lenses for close-range tasks, you will be taught to face your visual task directly and utilize the bottom-center of your lenses. You can accomplish this by raising your chin slightly while you read and/or moving your reading material down and closer to your body. When walking, if you need to look at the ground, lower your chin and look through the upper half of the lens.

Because of the invisible, seamless change in power of a progressive lens, most progressive lenses have small wavy zones in the lower right and left sides. During the first days of wearing progressive lenses, expect to be somewhat aware of these wavy zones, especially with rapid head movements from side-to-side.

After a few days of full-time wear, however, these wavy zones will disappear or become much less obvious. It is rare to fully adjust to progressive lenses in the first few days. Some people adapt very quickly, while others may take a few weeks.