When a person hits their mid-40s, it is quite common to experience difficulty seeing things clearly up close. This condition is officially called presbyopia. Specifically, it gets harder to read small text, hence the need for reading glasses. But for those who are already wearing prescription lenses for another vision issue, like near-sightedness or far-sightedness, this means they will need a second pair of glasses.
As you can imagine, this can be a huge inconvenience, having to switch between two different pairs repeatedly throughout the day. Fortunately, there are a few excellent alternatives, like the use of bifocal or progressive lenses. These special glasses correct vision at various distances, all with just one pair of glasses. But which type is better for you? Read on to learn how to choose between bifocal vs progressive lenses.
What Are Bifocal Lenses?
Bifocal lenses contain two lens powers. The upper portion of the lens is for distance correction, while the lower and usually smaller portion is for reading. In many bifocal glasses, the division between the two lens powers is a straight horizontal line that goes across the entire lens. In other types, the lower portion appears as a round or D-shaped section towards the bottom of the lens closer to the nose than the outer side.
Regardless of the shape of the two sections, a distinguishing feature of all bifocal lenses is that the division between these portions is visible, not only to the wearer but to other people as well.
What Are Progressive Lenses?
Just like bifocals, progressive lenses contain multiple lens powers. The key difference between bifocal and progressive lenses is that the latter do not have any distinct line that indicates the change in lens power. Using more advanced eyewear technology, lens manufacturers are able to gradually transition between different lens powers, eliminating the unsightly line that one can easily see on bifocal glasses. Because of this, progressive glasses are also often called no-line bifocals.