*New question post #23*How difficult was adjusting to your first pair of Progressive eyeglasses?

[FINFAN]

I need to order a pair and have my prescription from my opthamologist . My Eye center is pretty pricey and the glasses thru them will be around $595 (frames are $185, lenses are pricey part)
So, knowing I can take my script anywhere, I am going to shop around, but here's the thing. I am concerned since this is my first pair switching to progressive that if I get them made somewhere other than my opthamologist's office, if they are not right, the place that I buy the glasses from says it's not their glasses but the script and I have no recourse. So I was just hoping for some real life experiences from the DISer's, to help me be to know what to look for/expect.
I already used up my insurance for the year on my contacts appointment so this is all OOP.

 

[Shmily1]

I usually get mine from Walmart. I haven't had any problem adjusting. The best advice I can give you is to know that you will have to look with your nose. You don't cut your eyes and look sideways, etc, but do point your nose at what you want to see. I can also tell you that those cute little frames that are very short from the top to the bottom don't work well. I have a pair here now that I can't wear because the progressive part is too close together. Good luck!!

 

[kimblebee]

What about looking at an online place? We've used clearly contacts a few times and they've been great. They're way cheaper and have tons of selection..

 

[Christine]

I could not get used to them. Mainly because I couldn't find that good spot to view my computer screen. It may have been better had I gotten a larger frame that had larger lenses. Fortunately, my insurance covers this "not adjusting" thing and if you can't adjust they will replace the lenses with something else at no charge.

 

[rickybobby]

Zenni Optical is an online eyeglass company that I have used and had good results, even with progressive lenses. You can upload a picture of your face and see what the glasses will look like on your face.
To answer your OP question, I heard many scary stories about learning to wear the glasses, but had no problem adjusting at all.
By the way, Zenni is way cheaper than walk in stores.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I didn't have any trouble adjusting (and I thought I would). I got mine through the LensCrafters attached to my eye doctor's office.

 

[mnrose]

My first pair, it took a couple of weeks for me to stop feeling woozy when I wore them. Drove me bonkers. But, I adjusted. Since then, no problems with new versions (slightly changed script). My last pair, I got at Costco, with frames, HD lenses, all coatings, etc for around $250. Costco is an excellent deal and then will stand behind their product. You don't have quite the vast selection of frames, but I found quite a few frames I liked.

 

[Liberty Belle]

It took me almost a full month, but once I adjusted, it was perfect.

 

[ez]

I hate mine. I got them with an open mind but cant wait to be rid of them. They arent practical for me and its hard to position them so I can see to drive.

 

[DVC-Don]

I could not get used to mine and eventually went back to my old fashioned bifocals.

 

[tvguy]

It took me a few days, and stairs were interesting, but I've been wearing them for about 20 years. Love them, I have the tri-focal ones now, they are great, especially for computers. The trick is learning to move your whole head, not just your eyes to get the correct part of the lense.
My wife did have an issue with glasses, the dispensing optician is in the same office as the Doctor, but they are independent businesses. Optician insisted the problem was with the prescription, which was quickly resolved when the Doctor put the glasses in the machine that reads the lenses...and he just looked at the Optician and said "dude, these aren't even close"

 

[FINFAN]

It took me a few days, and stairs were interesting, but I've been wearing them for about 20 years. Love them, I have the tri-focal ones now, they are great, especially for computers. The trick is learning to move your whole head, not just your eyes to get the correct part of the lense.
My wife did have an issue with glasses, the dispensing optician is in the same office as the Doctor, but they are independent businesses.



"Optician insisted the problem was with the prescription, which was quickly resolved when the Doctor put the glasses in the machine that reads the lenses...and he just looked at the Optician and said "dude, these aren't even close"

see that's EXACTLY what I'm concerned with...that I go to a different place than my doctor, and I have no recourse, Ughhhh, and after reading how so many can't get used to them I am really skiddish to spend. I guess the Zenni site looks to be the least costly if they don't work out, but then I will have to get new normal/non-progressive's as I believe I have pushed my current glasses to the limit (almost 12 years old )

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I need to order a pair and have my prescription from my opthamologist . My Eye center is pretty pricey and the glasses thru them will be around $595 (frames are $185, lenses are pricey part)
So, knowing I can take my script anywhere, I am going to shop around, but here's the thing. I am concerned since this is my first pair switching to progressive that if I get them made somewhere other than my opthamologist's office, if they are not right, the place that I buy the glasses from says it's not their glasses but the script and I have no recourse. So I was just hoping for some real life experiences from the DISer's, to help me be to know what to look for/expect.
I already used up my insurance for the year on my contacts appointment so this is all OOP.

My first glasses were progressive, and the only issue I had adjusting was just wearing glasses at all.

I've read/heard that people who start with progressive lenses as their first glasses typically adjust the best to them. Followed by those glasses wearers who wore single vision lenses prior. People who already wear bifocals (with the line) seem to have the toughest time adjusting.

I usually get my glasses at my ophthalmologist's office, but have purchased them at other locations. One time (when buying at Sears instead of doctor's office), I was getting regular glasses as well as sunglasses. The regular glasses were fine, but it took 4 tries to get the sunglasses right. Part of the issue was the curve of the lense necessary for the frames that I had picked, but at no time, was I told "it's your prescription". Maybe because I was getting two pairs and one came out fine?

Why not ask before ordering the glasses, "what if the glasses aren't right, when they come?" See what their policy is.

 

[kirstenb1]

Loved them right away!! I had my regular optometrist/optician practice do them. It was over $700 including $100 for the crizal night glare/anti scratch coating. I knew they'd be expensive no matter what, so I wanted to make sure if they weren't right, I was looking at the folks responsible for fixing them.

 

[FINFAN]

Loved them right away!! I had my regular optometrist/optician practice do them. It was over $700 including $100 for the crizal night glare/anti scratch coating. I knew they'd be expensive no matter what, so I wanted to make sure if they weren't right, I was looking at the folks responsible for fixing them.

kind of how I am leaning, but so costly

 

[kirstenb1]

OP, one more suggestion. As I said, I did go to my regular eye doctor, and I'd do that again. However I'm 49, and got my first pair of progressives last year. This year my close up vision had shifted again, due to aging, agghh!! They asked me if I wanted to put new lenses in them, same frames, and I decided not to. Too expensive, for me who wears contact lenses everyday, and glasses are just a backup. So also, if I'd thought I'd need new lenses within a year, I probably would have skipped the Crizal coating, which added about $100. Right now, I've decided to get new lenses put in next year.

 

[Disney Doll]

Got my first pair at LensCrafters. They weren't angled properly so I had a headache for 2 weeks. And couldn't see. Kept taking them back to LensCrafters and the optician lady kept telling me that what I said I was seeing wasn't REALLY what I was seeing. Because apparently she knew better than I did what I was seeing.

I took them to a local "mom and pop" optician. They angled them properly so the "progressiveness" was hitting the appropriate areas of my visual field. And they told me that the secret of progressives was to point my nose in the direction in which I wanted to look. So if I was walking down stairs (one if the most dangerous activities when one first gets progressives) I should point my nose straight down and look at the stairs.

It worked. Once I did that I got used to the progressives in about 24 hours

 

[tvguy]

see that's EXACTLY what I'm concerned with...that I go to a different place than my doctor, and I have no recourse, Ughhhh, and after reading how so many can't get used to them I am really skiddish to spend. I guess the Zenni site looks to be the least costly if they don't work out, but then I will have to get new normal/non-progressive's as I believe I have pushed my current glasses to the limit (almost 12 years old )

I think any local reputable dispensing optician is going to work with you. I don't know how people can buy eyeglasses online.

 

[mtemm]

I had never worn glasses before I got progressives (hello 40s!). Got them from a local vision place with a script from my eye dr. Thank god for vsp...helped with some of the cost. The optician worked really well with me and helped me pick out a style that not only works for my face, but would be good with progressives. And he spent time making sure the different levels hit where they should. And taught me how to use them. It's second nature now, don't even realize I'm doing anything, but it was weird at first.

I felt very sick at first and kept taking them off. I have a friend who is an optometrist who told me to stop taking them off, wear them full time because every time I took them off my brain re-set how my eyes were seeing things. I'm paraphrasing here. Anyway, I stopped and it took a couple of days and then things clicked. No issues now at all, other than I wish I didn't need glasses.

Dh has had glasses since he was a teen and just went to progressives last year. He had a harder adjustment. Not sure if it's because we just have different vision issues, or if it's because he takes his off a lot.

 

[goofyernmost]

I never had a problem adjusting to them. I put them on and went my merry way. I don't like huge frames so having three levels on one small area can be a problem. I had to tilt my head downward to look straight ahead and tilt it way back to read because the area was so small. I usually just took them off to read and had a pair of reading glasses when I needed them. I found the middle part to be useless. Things were slightly clearer when I was looking through the middle, but, not a lot different then it was without them. I decided to get just bifocals when I reordered my glasses, then I found that I needed Cataract surgery, had it and now I don't wear glasses at all except for reading a lot. I can usually make out the words if all I am dealing with is a limited amount.