Glasses

Have you considered laser blended vision? The London Vision Clinic has been treating presbyopia (deterioration of vision due to aging) since 2004. I received their ReLEx SMILE procedure over a year ago for nearsightedness with high astigmatism and now have 20/16 vision with zero issues.

https://www.londonvisionclinic.com/eye-conditions/presbyopia/

“I use progressives for hiking, don’t have an issue with them at all. I’m rarely looking straight down, so maybe that’s why, usually looking ahead a few feet like James with a glance down every now and then.”

This statement apples to me too.  And, like Roger, I use Zenni and have for several years.  You can do quite a lot of experimenting at these low prices.

Very nearsighted, and have hiked with bifocals for years with no problem.  But they are ‘excecutive’ bifocals, with a straight line between the upper and lower portions of the lens.  For hiking, you might want to have the lower portion slightly larger (move the line up a bit), because in rock fields, a clear view below is not just convenient, it is essential to avoid a serious fall.

As impairment increases with age, the difference between reading distance and eyes-to-ground becomes more acute.  For example, a special lens with an in-between prescription is used for the computer, but does not work for watching TV or reading a book.  If you haven’t reached this point, one lens that allows a focused view of the ground, and an acceptable but not great view of objects in the distance (so do not use for driving), might work.

Matthew may have a point also with ‘optical centers.’  This is not pupillary distance, and can’t define it, but know it can make the distance between glasses that are comfortable to see with and those that are definitely not.

Most eyeglasses are purchased from the cheap sources mentioned in this thread, which are fine if they work.  For someone with more acute vision issues, they often do not work.  I’ve always had to hunt for skilled eyedoctors who can put all the factors together and produce glasses that work.  A good one sent the glasses back four times because the lenses did not conform to her specs, including those for optical center.  Went to Walmart once, had an exam by their eyedoctor, and despite 4-5 attempts, they all looked like looking through a fish bowl.  That is because most glasses are filled with lenses that are mass produced.

And you might have something really wacky, like having to lower the pupillary distance on the glasses from what it actually is  to prevent double vision.

As with all types of doctors, finding a good one is critical.  Word of mouth is very helpful.  Good luck.

Clarification: optical centers may not be the correct term for what I was describing. She moved the lens blank down relative to the frame in my second set.

As impairment increases with age
Our version is that the number of pairs of glasses you need in daily life indicates your age.

Cheers

Yes, and should have mentioned that cataract surgery, involving the implant of a soft plastic lens that does not adjust focal length like a natural lens, may add to the number of pairs one needs. Wish I had started using sunglasses years ago, but better late than never. Still sunglasses propped on top of the head look pretentious to me.
But I like the clip-ons with a few hooks around the borders that really lock them in place over the eyeglasses. Much less trouble to carry, and stuff easily into a pack or pocket. Cuts down on the number of pairs I need to carry. Unless your eyes are so light sensitive you need wrap-arounds that filter light from every angle.

For ski touring I need darkish wrap-arounds, so I wear contacts for that. Otherwise – ordinary glasses.

We buy our glasses from Zenni (hugely cheaper than the optometrist brand-name stuff), and Zenni have some VERY inexpensive clip-ons matched to the glasses frames. They fit inside the standard glasses case the glasses come in as well.

Cheers

I ordered some single-vision prescription lenses (no magnification) with transitions tinting and some progressives without transitions tinting from Zenni. To put transitions tinting on top of progressives is $200. The whole pair of single-vision glasses with the tinting was only $100. So it’s basically cheaper to get the two pairs. So the single-vision transitions will be my hiking glasses and the others will be my doing stuff around town glasses, for when I might need to read price tags or my phone or whatever.

I also ordered two different kinds of clip-on magnification glasses from Amazon, thinking maybe for a backpack trip I can just bring the single-vision glasses. Those came really fast.

One pair are “pince nez” glasses that just pinch on your nose. They pinch my nose so I can’t breathe. They are very annoying. I can stick them behind my glasses with some effort and they work that way without pinching my nose. They’re small, which is good. If I had to bring them backpacking I could get by.

The other pair are clip-on magnification glasses. They’re just like clip-on, flip-up sunglasses only they’re clear and magnified. I think they are made for somebody with a gigantic face. Clipped to my glasses the bottoms of the lenses touch my nose. It’s very annoying. They’re also sort of hard to put on and take off. But they do work and if I had to bring them backpacking I could get by. I could also just hold them up and read through one of the lenses sort of like a magnifying glass.

As far as being able to see the ground, the magnification part of bi-focals or progressive lenses is right in my field of vision when I’m looking down and going down hill. It’s not in my field of vision if I’m looking down and walking up hill because I’m not really looking down, I’m looking straight ahead.

I got my Zennis and I got a chance to try out the non-progressive single-vision glasses as hiking glasses. They are much better than hiking in progressive lenses. I can totally see the ground like a normal person. I’m actually really surprised how much of my vision problems are from the astigmatism. I never had glasses until I complained about reading glasses no longer helping me read labels at the grocery store anymore, and then my first glasses were progressives.

GREAT! If you are comfortable, that’s all that really counts. Enjoy your hike!

I wear single vision glasses with the transition lenses (auto darkening based on sunlight) for most of my backpacking. If I’m going to be in a lot of snow, I wear extended wear contacts and use a non-perscription pair of glacier glasses.

I only need reading glasses if I’m wearing the contacts, in which case I bring a lightweight pair as there was another thread recently on that.

With my nearsighted glasses, I don’t need them reading glasses as often, and when I do, I just take my glasses off which allows me to see up close without needing to use reading glasses. So for me, I don’t see a need for those progressive lenses though the eye doctor tried to sell me on them. I can drive and use my computer just fine wearing my normal glasses.