Game On- What's your Favorite Progressive and Why?

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What's Your Favorite Progressive and why?

I'm curious because I get in a rut and would like to know what others are using. Also, what do you use for sport progressives, like golf? And in your experience, do generic brands measure up to the big name ones? What occupational lenses do you use? Why do you like or choose each one?

I use mostly Shamir Autograph 3 and Intelligence and Varilux S, or X. When I wore progressives, I found these lenses the most comfortable to wear, with wide and smooth reading areas, and minimal distortion on the peripheral. For patients, I like how I can control the segments for inter/near on the Shamir lenses.
I'm using Varilux Max for people who don't want to spend as much but still like some of the lens features of the X and S, (like position of wear). From my local lab I order generic for our budget packages, (now that I don't wear glasses, I cant compare the generic to the brand names and wonder how the patient's experience is with them). Most don't complain but sometimes I think they don't know any better.

I use Unity Elite or Via for VSP.

I have an in house Camber lens... LOVE me my Camber lenses!

Also Camber. Right now the Camber Steady. The H45 is also very good. All IOT lenses, all the time.

I like the Zeiss ID2I, now Smartlife, for everyday wear. However, I love the IOT H45 Ultimate.
I am still on the fence with the Camber. Perhaps it’s my RX? I don’t see any better @ near with them vs the H45.

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Originally Posted by lensmanmd

I like the Zeiss ID2I, now Smartlife, for everyday wear. However, I love the IOT H45 Ultimate.
I am still on the fence with the Camber. Perhaps it’s my RX? I don’t see any better @ near with them vs the H45.

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What's your Rx? I was told by an IOT rep Camber lenses are best for hyperopes.

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Originally Posted by jefe

What's your Rx? I was told by an IOT rep Camber lenses are best for hyperopes.

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Mixed astigmatism, not a true hyperope, +225 add

A favorite lens of mine is the Seiko Superior (Distance Priority). I'm roughly -4 w/ a little cyl and a 2.00 Add and don't mind taking my glasses off occasionally to read. That lens is very clear and comfortable and was since the first moment I put it on.

IOT Mobile. I have a Mobile Camber as well but any differences are subtle enough to be lost from frame to frame. Try this lens in the longest corridor and it still feels like a short corridor. The only lens that's blown me away.

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Originally Posted by edKENdance

IOT Mobile. I have a Mobile Camber as well but any differences are subtle enough to be lost from frame to frame. Try this lens in the longest corridor and it still feels like a short corridor. The only lens that's blown me away.

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Two similar designs would be the Shamir Intouch and Digital Eye Lab's Expanse.

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Originally Posted by jefe

Two similar designs would be the Shamir Intouch and Digital Eye Lab's Expanse.

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DEL for a good reason since they use IOT. I think Essilor has been trying to place Shamir up here in Canada for years but have never succeeded. It would probably take a chunk out of their Nikon brand.

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Originally Posted by edKENdance

DEL for a good reason since they use IOT. I think Essilor has been trying to place Shamir up here in Canada for years but have never succeeded. It would probably take a chunk out of their Nikon brand.

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I agree that those are very comfortable designs.

For me personally? Varilux X Design and Zeiss Individual/I are head and shoulders above the rest. I also like the Unity Via Elite and Shamir InTouch a lot. I loathe the Varilux S.

Zeiss SmartLife Individual

Shamir Golf for... golf

Funny, I have twenty-something of the same rimless frame made with different progressive designs -- same fitting height, etc. The kind folks at Cherry Optical were generous enough to provide a pair of Zeiss Individual 2 lenses. I was so disappointed with the lenses, it didn't seem worthwhile to waste the frame by keeping the lenses mounted because I knew I'd never use them.

One anecdotal experience is kind of irrelevant though. The vast majority of people will love them.

The Zeiss Superb has the lowest non tolerance rate on the market, if you're looking to play it safe.

I think all modern progressives are pretty great, except for the S Series which they messed up it seems. If there is an issue with the lenses, it is almost always people's expectations, usually derived from how much these lenses cost.

I attended a lecture a few years ago where Hoya shared data on non tolerance and the most likely reason is actually a prescription error. Unfortunately there's not much to be done about it either since a subjective refraction is repeatable to (at best) +/- 0.50 and an 0.25 error is enough to cause an issue.

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Originally Posted by Robert_S

One anecdotal experience is kind of irrelevant though.

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True, a sample of one would not make for a good study, but the one person in this case is me. I have twenty-something of the exact same frame model, position of wear, fitting height, PD, etc. -- each with a different lens design. I am certainly not going to ignore my own experience with a lens. If I were to play it safe, I would use something different from a lens I don't like when the wearer has a prescription similar to mine.

Varilux X for everyday wear and Hoya Tact EP40 for computer progressive. Excellent optics in both!

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Originally Posted by Robert_S

One anecdotal experience is kind of irrelevant though. The vast majority of people will love them.

The Zeiss Superb has the lowest non tolerance rate on the market, if you're looking to play it safe.

I think all modern progressives are pretty great, except for the S Series which they messed up it seems. If there is an issue with the lenses, it is almost always people's expectations, usually derived from how much these lenses cost.

I attended a lecture a few years ago where Hoya shared data on non tolerance and the most likely reason is actually a prescription error. Unfortunately there's not much to be done about it either since a subjective refraction is repeatable to (at best) +/- 0.50 and an 0.25 error is enough to cause an issue.

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I loved the Varilux S series- how'd they mess up on it?

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Originally Posted by Lori

I loved the Varilux S series- how'd they mess up on it?

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I've never had such violent non-adapts as I have to the Varilux S. People who don't like it really don't like it.

I used to work with a doctor who tried every new thing that came along and told me she could tell the differences between PALs but none of them really bothered her. Two weeks after getting S lenses, she brought them back to me and said "Get these lenses out of my glasses. This is the worst progressive I have ever worn." My own experience is similar, though I still have the lenses in one pair.