Reading/Distance Glasses – Understanding the Numbers

[Belly]

I’ve just bought two pairs of glasses on line. I ordered one pair of reading the second pair for distance. The Boots prescription dated 4 Dec 20.


I used the same numbers from the prescription for both pairs with the reading addition of +2 for each eye.


When the glasses arrived the distance glasses were perfect but the reading glasses were well out (both left and right eye).


I’ve sent the reading glasses back and asked them to replace them with distance glasses.


I would have thought that the reading glasses would use the same numbers for the distance but then just add a magnification, therefore if the reading glasses are wrong so would be the distance glasses. Is that correct?

It’s strange that one pair is correct, the other not so.


Any advice would be welcome.


Merry Christmas to everyone.

 

[Belly]

I'd have thought a prescription would be like laminations. 1st lamination would be the distance figures and 2nd lamination reading. If the distance glasses were correct the only problem with reading would be they were too strong or too weak but they wouldn't be blurred?

I had already phoned the company a few days ago and sent the reading glasses back asking them to replace the lenses with distance lenses which are perfect. But it was still niggling me so after posting this thread I phoned them again and spoke to a different person. The lady said that I'd entered two prescriptions, one with and one without the reading addition but had ordered both as distance glasses. I'll accept that I made a mistake but no way under the sun had the two sets of glasses the same lenses. If they were both distance I'd have accepted them but they were definately NOT the same. Thanks for your input. Hopefully they will sort it out.

 

[Belly]

I worked for Specsavers for 11 years so may be able to help a little.

When you say the reading glasses feel wrong in what way are you struggling with them? They do have limitations particularly as the addition increases (focal length or lack of rather) and they are naturally specific to purpose and no good for anything else.

Well, the company is now saying that they sent me two pairs of distance glasses (my error) when I thought I'd ordered one distance and one reading.

Both frames are the same size with the exception of one pair has a slightly larger lens (bridge and total width the same).

When they arrived I tried one pair on, I could tell they were distance and were perfect, if I tried to read with them, I struggled but they were NOT blurred, just too weak. I tried the second pair (which I assumed were reading), at a far distance they were OK, but unlike the others everything within arms distance was blurred, closing one eye and then the other, they were still blurred.

Thus far I've been able to wear a pair of distance glasses with a gorilla grip around my neck and go about my daily activities, if I go to the bank etc, I've been able to read most script, the same in a supermarket. The optician stated that I needed distance glasses for driving and I intended to place one pair in the car. Certainly the first pair I'd tried on would have sufficed, I'd have been able to see the traffic and car controls, with the second pair I'd have been able to see the traffic but the controls, internal mirror etc would have been blurred, as such they would have been too dangerous to use for driving.

 

[Belly]

Well even if they sent you two pairs of distance in this case both of them should offer the same vision so even with your 'mistake' they still don't seem to have made one of the pairs correctly sadly.

I would mention wanting to have them sent back and checked for faults. I'd be inclined to ask them for the focimeter readings too and I'll check them against expected tolerances if you like.

Thank you

Yes I thought that if they were supposed to be the same they must have made a mistake. Originally when I phoned the 1st lady didn't say that I'd opted for two pairs of distance. We agreed that I'd send back the "incorrect pair" which I thought were reading and have them replaced with the "perfect" distance ones.

Then, after starting this post and thinking they might have made a mistake, I phoned them and the 2nd lady said that I'd made a mistake. I told her that the "incorrect" pair were NOT the same as the "perfect" pair. We agreed that although I'd opted for an exchange from what I believed to be reading to distance she would change that decision and send me a pair of reading glasses with the correct prescription. So hopefully they will sort it out. This morning I received an email from them stating that they had received the second pair back in the post.

Thanks for your helpful assistance.