Get ready to boost your knowledge like you boost your reading because today’s blog post is all about progressive lenses! If you have an optical prescription then you have definitely heard your optometrist mention these lenses before and you might even be looking through a progressive right now in order to read this. Read on to find our answers to some of the more common progressive lens questions we hear working in optical every day. 
 
What are Progressive Lenses? 
 
To fully understand the progressive lens, one must first understand the bifocal. Bifocals were first invented in the mid 1700s by Benjamin Franklin when he cut the top half of his lenses out of his reading glasses so that he could read the lips of French speakers in court while still being able to reference his notes on the table in front of him. Because of Franklin’s revelation, opticians began dispensing the first bifocals consisting of a frame with two separate lenses in each eye, one for distance and one for reading. Over time, opticians developed techniques that allowed them to embed one prescription into another, creating the lined bifocal that we know today. 
 
A few centuries later, humans invented screens and put them in almost every workplace around the world. Since our computers usually sit father away from us than our reading prescription is written for, the trifocal was introduced to the optical market. The main advantage of a trifocal lens was the introduction of the intermediate zone – a middle portion of your lens designed specifically for computer monitors, but the main drawback was that trifocals have two visible lines where the prescription changes which can lead to a variety of difficulties when trying to adapt to the new lens. In order to solve this issue, the progressive lens was designed. 
 
Progressive lenses are the biggest things since sliced bread to an optician. As the name suggests, the lens is designed to progressively increase in power as you look lower on the lens. The gradual progression from one prescription to the next means that the non-aesthetically pleasing lines that you see on bifocals and trifocals are no longer visible, making this by far the most popular multifocal lens in optical. 
 
Do I Need a Progressive Lens? 
 
Progressives are the modern day solution to presbyopia, an eye condition that affects your ability to read up close and affects over 80% of adults older than 40 worldwide. Just like a standard pair of glasses, your optometrist will check for presbyopia in your routine check-up and if necessary, they will indicate the need for a multifocal lens on your prescription. Not sure if you are someone who has this type of prescription? Well don’t fret because it’s super easy to find out! When you look at your optical prescription, if your doctor has written any value in the “ADD” column, then it’s probably time to get some progressives in your next pair of glasses. 
 
So I’ve got an ADD Power, Do I Have to Get a Progressive Lens Every Time I Get a Pair of Glasses? 
 
Nope! Just because your prescription has an ADD power, it does not mean that your single vision days are over. Alternatively, needing a boost for reading actually allows you to make use of many different lenses and designs. Even though a progressive lens is the most efficient way to have all of your vision needs met at every distance, some people struggle with adjusting to their first pair of progressives. In these cases, we suggest that our clients opt to get two pairs of glasses: one pair for up-close activities like reading or watching our reels on Instagram, and another pair for distance-vision activities like driving, watching a football game or supporting Ryan from The Optical Shoppe in the Rocky Horror Show this year. 

Why Are Progressive Lenses more Expensive? 

In order to remove the hard line you see in a bifocal or trifocal, progressive lenses have “blur zones” that sit outside of our normal viewing line but can have an effect on peripheral vision. Each year, lens manufacturers are finding new ways to reduce these “blur zones” in the form of a new progressive lens design. If you are buying a progressive lens and you find that the price seems much higher than expected, there’s a good chance that it’s because the lens design you’ve chosen allows you to see a wider field of vision than a cheaper lens would. 

Progressive lenses truly have revolutionized both the optical market and vision care as a whole. In the 64 years since their conception, progressives have found their way into the frames of the vast majority of adults around the globe and they continue to provide a fuller range of eyesight to presbyopia patients each year. We’ve only scratched the surface of what progressive lenses have to offer so if you’ve got more questions, feel free to stop by The Optical Shoppe and we’ll be happy to answer any of the questions you may have (and also show you a few frames while you’re here).