1 pair of glasses to do everything ?

I have varifocals that I use for riding. They're photochromatic so they even work as sunglasses when it's sunny - though not in a car as the windscreen blocks the rays that the lenses react to. Love mine.

Another varifocals user, took to them with no problems but I have been wearing glasses all the time since I was five. I think people who are new to wearing them permanently find it takes longer to adjust to them. My recommendation is to go for the best quality lenses that you feel you can afford, it does make a difference with varifocals in my experience and to stick with them if you find them strange to start with

Riding with them was not an issue as most of the time you are using the distance portion anyway and the real bonus is that you can focus close when you get a mechanical or need to read a map or your phone

Happy varifocal user here.

No regrets going to a good opticians for advice/service over cheap online places..

Yep, varifocal speccy four-eyes hear.

I've got a 'good' pair that I paid good money for at my local opticians that I use for all-day everyday use, as it's important that they're spot on and that local indy places get supported.

However, I did take my prescription from there and got two pairs from Goggle4U, one clear and one sunglasses. They were about £30-£40 each that I use for riding so I'm not worried about dropping them or getting them covered in crap/grit etc. They're not as absolutely bang on as my 'proper' ones, but easily near enough for riding/walking around.

Blind as a shortsighted bat here.

I have high refractive index, varifical, photochromatic with a mild stigmatism. They work great for everything BUT I wouldn't ride in them.

Personally I'd reccomend a separate set for riding just in case any ground jumps out at you and punches you in the face.

IMO do without varifocal for riding. you can live without near vision when riding. If you need to read your phone, gps just get arm extensions or take your glasses off.

Goggle4U

For riding though, can't beat contact lenses. Mine are varifocal, slightly compromised on the distance so that middle distance (compooter monitor) is perfect... but they work well, have them in all day every day.

Different approach here, I wear contacts normally but need reading glasses with them. I also have a quality pair of glasses with the contact lens prescription. I have another pair which I think are described as PC use, great for close up but also good enough to watch the telly. I have actually driven in them by accident one evening but won't do so deliberately. Effectively I have indoor and outdoor glasses.

Probably not relevant to you but I have the same with contact lenses. I have a small supply provided by my optician where the right hand lens is normal distance prescription but the left hand lens if more like a reading prescription so about half my normal prescription for that eye. Works surprisingly well, the idea is the brain switches to the eye most in focus.

I've got half a dozen pairs and just grab the focus I need. Quite apart from the fact I can't get on with varifocals there's the idea that your eyes get lazy as they never have to change focus because the wearer moves their head instead.

I have a pair of varifocals for general wearing - I think I got 2 for 1 at Specsavers - and they are my Do Anything glasses.

I bought a pair of cycling specific varifocals online somewhere so I didn't ruin my normal glasses in mud. They also stay on better and don't steam up.

I spend a lot of time in front of the computer screen so have some computer glasses that are left on the keyboard which are not varifocal but are the correct focus length for the screen when sat at the desk - these are great compared to varifocals or reading glasses when using a screen and I would strongly recommend them for anyone sat in front of a computer for long periods.

Varifocal for me for everything except my sunnies, but will be for them too when I get my next pair.

Handy to know Asda opticians don’t charge extra for varifocals on all but their £15 pairs.

Lifetime glasses wearer (50 years). Have two sets; conventional varifocals and mid-distance fixed focus for computer work. It's a great mix and all I really need. I also have contacts for distance and mid-distance correction (less contact prescription) for computing when on a cycling day.

Adding reading glasses to contacts seems an anathema to me, but it does work well. I have just ordered a nicer pair which will correct my astigmatism and add anti-reflective lenses. The £15 Boots +1 readers were just the test for glasses plus contacts for computer work.

+1 for varifocals. Depending on your prescription you might find single vision are still OK for cycling (cheaper too).

I’ve got half a dozen pairs and just grab the focus I need. Quite apart from the fact I can’t get on with varifocals there’s the idea that your eyes get lazy as they never have to change focus because the wearer moves their head instead.

The logical conclusion to that is only using 1 pair of single vision lenses for everything so your eyes don't get lazy. What are lazy eyes anyway? Surely swapping between several different pairs of specs is in reality no different to varifocals as far as the eyes are concerned.

Quite apart from the fact I can’t get on with varifocals there’s the idea that your eyes get lazy as they never have to change focus because the wearer moves their head instead.

There's also an idea that the earth is flat

Got varifocals - absolutely not happy to need them, but absolutely wouldn't be without them as it all seems to work. Reckon I'm needing a new eye test check though as I suspect the prescription isn't quite right as things aren't quite so sharp these days...so I won't be looking forward to the price of the lenses!

Varifocals for me.... 3 different pairs

every day glasses - tv, reading, driving, DIY etc.

Sunglasses - walk about, driving etc

riding - photochromatic

i wanted varifocals and had some for a while but they just drove me mad - ive got wildly different lens strength left/right. I basically use one eye and it felt like my field of view was really shut down with varifocals. I went back to single vision and am much happier although I need readers too. You develop strategies to cope though.

I have contacts for biking and hill walking

regular varifocals here too, wear for riding also, and have a high prescription and astigmatism.  I have quite fussy eyes and use a local independent optician, expensive but great service.  I also have 'occupational varifocals' which I am wearing now while looking at 2 screens on my desk - they go from reading to about 2m distance but beyond that are a bit blurry - they have been great for me when working at screens as the field of view for screen distance is much bigger than my regular varifocals, which obviously need to work from reading to far distance.

I also have contacts, that I wear swimming (goggles on all the time to avoid pool water infections) and have recently swopped to one distance, one near, as i found I couldn't read the locker combination padlock with distance lenses in both eyes !

Varifocals for me too, this pair are Zeiss lenses, very expensive but as yet un-marked and very good. I did have to go back (Boots) for the angle they sat on my face to be increased slightly which helped my vision to the side. I move my eyes rather than my whole head and don’t have any problems. I have some varifocal sunglasses for riding (Nike) and I’m hoping to get similar in clear for darker weather. They do take a few weeks to get used to but after that it’s all very natural.

thanks very much everyone.      varifocals it is then.

Get varifocals but make sure the frame height is of a certain size, otherwise it will be a bit "squeeze".  I find that 34mm (height) to be minimum especially if you want a rectangle frame.  My old frame is a perfect balance but my new frame height is only 30mm and for varifocals that is not very good especially if you want to see far.

Moved to Variofocals a few years back after faffing around with reading and distance glasses plus daily disposable contacts for cycling. I now have 3 pairs (blimey) of Varifocals: one pair for all daily use, a pair or variofocal sunglesses (fixed tint, really for summer outdoors and driving) and another pair (Rad8's) specifically for cycling which have stronger polycarbonate frames and transition lenses. The variofocal cycling glasses are a bit of a revelation TBH and work well off the bike too.

eye test the other day and in a similar predicament.  ive bad astigmatism and have worn glasses my whole life, but increasingly i need to reach for the reading glasses.  Optician said that my prescription should be ok in a varifocal, the lenses will cost £745...... oh plus 30 as they are special order, plus frames, plus eye test.
I dont have a grand for a pair of glasses 🙁

Hi Ton, PM me if you want any detailed advice.
But yeah- varifocals.