Is this optician correct?

[GoodAsGold]

An optician I know called me yesterday (just got back from vacation and saw that I had been in looking for frames for my progressive Rx.) When I told him I wanted a much narrower frame than my present one, he said that he will only put a short corridor lens in them. Personally, I think he needs to look at the frames on my face and also determine what I plan to use them for....although he knows these will be my "everyday-all-purpose glasses" and can use my current ones for computer work. Anyway, he told me something else that I was surprised to hear. He said that years ago Varilux Comfort had a fitting height of 22 mm, but have since claimed they can go to 17 mm. I was under the impression that the actual Comfort lens had been modified to accommodate the smaller frames. He said no, they had not. He still feels that for someone wanting a good range for distance and reading is going to lose some reading when they try to put a Comfort into a small frame. He also realizes that by going to a short corridor lens, the intermediate will be gone. But, he knows that fashion often dictates and in that case, it might be better for a patient to adapt to no or little intermediate than it would to compromise their reading Rx.

Does this sound reasonable and is he correct about the Comforts not actually changing their lens to accommodate the smaller frames?

[QDO1]

there are a few issues there


there is a "Varilux Comfort Small" which is available in the UK and genuinly is a short corridor lens, not to be confused with the "Varilux Comfort", which has a full length corridor

There is a lot of argument about the propper fitting heights for the full sized Comfort, and I fit them as a absoloute minimum of 22, but have found that 24mm is much better

[chip anderson]

You can go almost as narrow as you want with a line.

[GoodAsGold]

I don't want a line, thank you. :finger:

You can go almost as narrow as you want with a line.

[GoodAsGold]

I assume he was talking about the regular Varilux Comfort here in the U.S. It sounds like he fits them the way you do...a higher minimum.

there are a few issues there


there is a "Varilux Comfort Small" which is available in the UK and genuinly is a short corridor lens, not to be confused with the "Varilux Comfort", which has a full length corridor

There is a lot of argument about the propper fitting heights for the full sized Comfort, and I fit them as a absoloute minimum of 22, but have found that 24mm is much better

[Happylady]

He is right, the Comfort had a minimum fitting height of 22 and the Natural a fitting height of 24. Many progressives have had their minimum fitting heights changed.

I have fit the Comfort at 18 if someone is already wearing it and happy with it. It does work at 18 though it is better at 20 or 22.

[GoodAsGold]

Thanks, Happylady. Then the Comfort is no longer the lens for me...even after 7 years of a mutally "comfortable" relationship. It's high time I bring my glasses up to par with the 21st Century. No more big lenses for me! So, I'm willing to bid adieu to my Comforts and meet the cousin, Ellipse. All in the name of fashion!

He is right, the Comfort had a minimum fitting height of 22 and the Natural a fitting height of 24. Many progressives have had their minimum fitting heights changed.

I have fit the Comfort at 18 if someone is already wearing it and happy with it. It does work at 18 though it is better at 20 or 22.

[Uncle Fester]

The answer to this question can be found by searching past threads.

I can't help but notice 14 of the 40 (35%!) threads on this page have been started by you.

I believe there is no need to start a new thread with each question you have. You should try to keep your questions going on one thread. If we (Optiboard Pro's) fail to respond as a thread goes on and on it's probably because we recognize that some patients can get obsessed over eyewear.

That said I realize it is exciting to get all these opinions that let you speak the language of optics to an optician but I also feel they should always be invited into the discussion on this board as someone like you starts comparing what one of us said versus another.

I hope you and my fellow Optiboarder Pro's take this as the constuctive criticism it is meant to be :D

[hcjilson]

So, I'm willing to bid adieu to my Comforts and meet the cousin, Ellipse. All in the name of fashion!

I find it curious that one with a professed lack of knowledge in our field should ask a question which sparked this thread, and then, out of nowhere, come up with the trade name of the lens being described in the original question. This implies that perhaps the thread originator knew the answer to the question before it was asked in this thread. (Not that there's anything wrong with that, but some well meaning people spent some time trying to help goodasgold out, only to find she didn't need it in the first place)

just my take hj

Now I can add my name to those above.

[chip anderson]

Harry:

Be willin ta bet she ain't thru yet. Jus wait fo a whole bunch o' coating and frame questions. She'll probably go on for months and come to the aid of others similarly afficted.

Chip

[Happylady]

Thanks, Happylady. Then the Comfort is no longer the lens for me...even after 7 years of a mutally "comfortable" relationship. It's high time I bring my glasses up to par with the 21st Century. No more big lenses for me! So, I'm willing to bid adieu to my Comforts and meet the cousin, Ellipse. All in the name of fashion!

What fitting height are you getting on your new glasses? If it is 18 I do not suggest the Ellipse. The Ellipse works best between 14 and 17. At 18 consider the Sola One. I have had very good results with this lens at 18.

There is also the new Varilux Physio that has a fitting height of 17.

Below 17 the Ellipse is a good choice.

[GoodAsGold]

Thank you, Happylady. Those are some options to consider that I wouldn't have thought of. Depending on the frame I choose (from a few titaniums I like), the optician will know which lens would be best suited. He was saying that I should consider a Charmant frame because of their large titanium selection. I saw some that I like and I'll see what he says. If I remember from trying a couple pairs on, the height was 16-17.

What fitting height are you getting on your new glasses? If it is 18 I do not suggest the Ellipse. The Ellipse works best between 14 and 17. At 18 consider the Sola One. I have had very good results with this lens at 18.

There is also the new Varilux Physio that has a fitting height of 17.

Below 17 the Ellipse is a good choice.

[GoodAsGold]

To hcjilson: Huh? I've known the short corridor trade name all along= Ellipse. My original post was concerning Comforts and how I was unaware that they didn't actually physically modify them to fit into a smaller frame as I previously thought. The optician just informed me that they're still the same as they've always been which is meant to be in a 22-24 height, (although they claim it will fit 17.) I was also surprised that some opticians I spoke with see no problem with fitting a Comfort to a 17 hgt., whereas this particular guy feels it's going to cut into my reading and recommends a short corridor lens.

So, yes, I know the "trade names". But, that wasn't the point.

I find it curious that one with a professed lack of knowledge in our field should ask a question which sparked this thread, and then, out of nowhere, come up with the trade name of the lens being described in the original question. This implies that perhaps the thread originator knew the answer to the question before it was asked in this thread. (Not that there's anything wrong with that, but some well meaning people spent some time trying to help goodasgold out, only to find she didn't need it in the first place)

just my take hj

Now I can add my name to those above.

[Happylady]

It sounds like you have found a good and honest optician.

I would love it if you let us know the outcome of your research. When you get your new glasses let us know what you get and how you like it.

[hcjilson]

To hcjilson: Huh? I've known the short corridor trade name all along= Ellipse. My original post was concerning Comforts and how I was unaware that they didn't actually physically modify them to fit into a smaller frame as I previously thought. The optician just informed me that they're still the same as they've always been which is meant to be in a 22-24 height, (although they claim it will fit 17.) I was also surprised that some opticians I spoke with see no problem with fitting a Comfort to a 17 hgt., whereas this particular guy feels it's going to cut into my reading and recommends a short corridor lens.

So, yes, I know the "trade names". But, that wasn't the point.

I checked this thread twice to see if I missed something. I didn't see the word Elipse anywhere, and thought it strange that you would just come up with the name of the lens that would solve your problem. Forgive me, because in all fairness, I did not check every thread you were contributing to and I probably missed it somewhere else.

What caught my attention this morning was the title of this thread, leading me to believe you didn't trust the information you were given by your optician. It should be reasonably clear to you at this point, that the information you were given, is correct, so in answer to the question posed in this thread is.....Yes! the optician is correct!

[GoodAsGold]

You bet. Thank you, Happylady.

It sounds like you have found a good and honest optician.

I would love it if you let us know the outcome of your research. When you get your new glasses let us know what you get and how you like it.

[GoodAsGold]

Hcjilson: My comment about short corridor lenses was secondary to my surprise that the Comforts hadn't been "modified". When I mentioned that the optician likes to put patients in short corridors when the height is less than 17, I was simply stating it generically. He may or may not suggest Ellipse depending upon what he sees.

And, maybe I shouldn't have phrased it as a question re; my optician's comment to me about Comforts. I didn't mean to suggest he was lying. I probably should have said, "I just heard this from an optician and I was quite surprised!" This is the first time I've heard this from a local optician. Some have told me that the Comfort has been physically changed to fit into a smaller frame. I'm not talking about the Comfort Shorts, either. I get so many different stories from these people, that I sometimes find it hard to know who has the correct information. I probably just need validation from folks here.

Will that work better for you? As for me knowing the names of different lenses, some of that is from reading posts here, as well as hearing them mentioned elsewhere online and from local opticians. That doesn't necessarily mean I know which one will work best for my situation.

I checked this thread twice to see if I missed something. I didn't see the word Elipse anywhere, and thought it strange that you would just come up with the name of the lens that would solve your problem. Forgive me, because in all fairness, I did not check every thread you were contributing to and I probably missed it somewhere else.

What caught my attention this morning was the title of this thread, leading me to believe you didn't trust the information you were given by your optician. It should be reasonably clear to you at this point, that the information you were given, is correct, so in answer to the question posed in this thread is.....Yes! the optician is correct!

[harry888]

Good as Gold,

I agree with happylady, you found a good optician who is experienced and not influenced by company propaganda.

Comfort is a great lens and was originally recommended at a minimum 22 high. Then, without design change, it was touted as a 17 high lens when frame styles got smaller. Otherwise it would have lost market share.

Take your opticians advice, you know him/her, and he/she knows what she/he is talking about.

Harry

[GoodAsGold]

Thank you, Harry. I have it narrowed down to two experienced and competent opticians. I appreciate both of them for their honesty and ability to stick with what they believe in.

The other guy is a big Comfort fan and when he measured my seg height in a pair of frames I kind of liked, he said he would go with Comfort or Panamic in a 1.60 hi-index and would put in more close-up. He preferred Comfort, especially if I was used to it. The Flexon frame measured 46 -20- 29.6. I believe he said the seg hgt. was 17mm. Kind of on the borderline, I think. When I asked him about the different lenses, he said they're always coming out with something "better", but he tended to stick with what worked over the years. I would hope he wouldn't try to force a Comfort in a smaller frame, though. He sure seems like a nice guy and I can tell he would make every effort to fit me in a nice pair of glasses. He also owns the independent shop.

I plan to go in and visit the optician who won't put a Comfort in anything less than 22 and see if we can find some nice frames and I'll decide whether to go with him. It's also a small shop within a medical clinic. His assistant said they'll give me a 20% courtesy discount since I was a nurse in that particular clinic for several years. I can handle that! :) I've known this guy for 17 years. I just haven't utilized his services since the early '90s. My husband's OD is at this clinic, so he's bought a couple pair of glasses from him in the past. But, he has a low single vision Rx and rarely wears his specs....frames don't mean as much to him...although I think he's just now experiencing some of that "short arm syndrome."


Eenie-meenie-minie-moe! :)

Heck, if I like both of them equally, I might buy a pair of sunglasses from the one I don't go with for my primary glasses. Share the wealth!

Good as Gold,

I agree with happylady, you found a good optician who is experienced and not influenced by company propaganda.

Comfort is a great lens and was originally recommended at a minimum 22 high. Then, without design change, it was touted as a 17 high lens when frame styles got smaller. Otherwise it would have lost market share.

Take your opticians advice, you know him/her, and he/she knows what she/he is talking about.

Harry

[hcjilson]

Goodasgold,

I would follow Harry888's advice because in spite of all you have been told here, you still won't know which solution is best for you. There will be no "best solutions", only different solutions. I can think of a dozen different lenses that haven't been mentioned in this thread that could solve your problem.Trust your "local opticians" (your quote). Why do you think they would give you bad advice? Have they built their reputations on unhappy customers?

[GoodAsGold]

Actually, hcjilson, I don't believe either one of these two opticians would give me bad advice. Maybe different advice, like you said. But I doubt it would be bad. Now then, there are plenty of other "opticians" out there who will give me poor advice and try to sell me a product that might not be the best fit for me. READ: The guys and gals who stand around at Pearle Vision ready to lure you in or other large, corporate vision care stores. Or, even some smaller shops will often hire personnel who probably aren't the most qualified.

Right now I'm in the process of looking at some frame styles (mostly Charmant titanium as adviced by the optician) and I plan to print them and take them in to see if any of those styles are there or can be ordered. That's what they said to do.

And then I hope to have a pair of nice glasses within the next few weeks. And, I promise I won't bug you guys anymore. :D

Goodasgold,

I would follow Harry888's advice because in spite of all you have been told here, you still won't know which solution is best for you. There will be no "best solutions", only different solutions. I can think of a dozen different lenses that haven't been mentioned in this thread that could solve your problem.Trust your "local opticians" (your quote). Why do you think they would give you bad advice? Have they built their reputations on unhappy customers?

[Chris Ryser]

Harry:
Be willin ta bet she ain't thru yet. Jus wait fo a whole bunch o' coating and frame questions. She'll probably go on for months and come to the aid of others similarly afficted.
Chip

Maybe I should hire her................to post questions about my products from here to eternity. Pay here by how many times she mentions my name or product...........something like pay per click.
:D :D

[shellrob]

Not a bad idea CHris. I'll tell you, I agree wit hj because its getting old seeing the same questions over and over again and the same people asking 50 questions about the pair of glasses they haven't purchased yet. It's crazy on here and only seems to be getting worse. The consumer forum is a must. Don't get me wrong, I thing this forum is great and yes people should be for come here for some direction or basic information, but geez, how many questions do they have to ask before going and buying their glasses. Some trust in the Optician should be a given or else why go to an Optician at all, they have all the info now that they're 50 questions have been answered????? Just venting. I know we don't have to answer every question that's asked but it's the same questions that I see when I pull up the forum and normally the same person asking them. Lately I've been seeing a select few on here asking every possible question imaginable about buying glasses. Nothing pertaining to my job so I leave. It's boring. Again, just my vent.

[QDO1]

My new stock answer:

everything you wanted to know about lenses in just 3 years

[Robert Martellaro]

sci.med.vision's faq is here http://www.faqs.org/faqs/vision-faq/

It might help to have a link to this at the top of the General and Progressive forums.

The minimum seg height is not dependant on the lens design alone, with the add power, lens shape, PD, the type and frequency of close tasks, and distance Rx just as important as the "B" measurement. Even when two different designs have the same corridor length there can be different rates of power change, with some types using a more linear power change and others more of a logarithmic change.

Regards,