Transitions...your opinion please

[Nettie]

I just want to know how many of you have owned transition lenses and what you thought of them for your personal use. I personally do not like them, but have a colleague that loves them.
Thanks in advance for your replies. I hope asking this isn't against the rules.:finger:

[Chris Ryser]

Transition are highly sophisticated lenses and are based on good principle. I personally would like them to get darker, so I pretint them with the microwave system and they have a permanent light tint and go real nice and dark in the sunlight.

[shellrob]

I don't wear them but I think they are great lenses. We've been doing more and more of them especially with kids.

[chip anderson]

They make an excellent sunglass substitute for people that can't keep up with two pairs of glasses. They are not comprable to a good pair of polarized sunglasses. And all patients should be told in advance of sale that they do not work inside automobiles.


Chip

[GOS_Queen]

I grew up wearing PGX - I got out of them because I didn't like the "dingy" look of the lens when indoors.

However, I have seen some transisitons with a/r and am curious to possible try it this next time ...

[shellrob]

Yea, I don't usually use them but I got a pair for my trip to Vegas. I knew we would be doing a lot of going in and out of buildings. I loved them. I thought they worked great. I did get ar on them which made a difference in the way the looked to me vs without.

[Aarlan]

I always steered patients away from them due to their limitations. I tried my own pair for a few months and wasn't terribly impressed until I went back to clear...Boy does it get bright out there. I have a more favorable opinion of them now. We now sell more than before, but our patients are well aware of their shortcomings.


AA

[Happylady]

I tired a pair about 5 years ago and didn't like them. I felt it took too long to lighten up when I came inside. I know this is better now, but I find this is the main complaint I get for them. We always warn out patients that they don't darken in a car and that it takes a few minutes to lighten up.

We sell a fair amount of them. I think they are great for kids. My husband wears Transition and likes it a lot, but he wears polarized sunglasses to drive.

[Miss Nancy]

I've got 3 pair transistion with A/R and I love them! Granted that I have to have a clip or dedicated sun for the car, but I can leave "that" in the car and not have to worry about fumbling to switch glasses once I've walked the mile-long parking lot into Walmart. Nor do I have to worry about dropping them and having someone step on them.

Note: I always explain this to everyone who inquires about limitations ofthe transistions and I have not had the "car complaint" in years.

Personally, I can't live without A/R (high myope here).
Almost forgot: Transistions get their darkest during the colder months ( and slower to change) than during the summer months.

[hipoptical]

They're OK, except in the heat. They don't work very well when it's hot. I "tested" some of the top types of photochromics and found that the newer styles do change MUCH quicker both ways. The TransV and Instashades are comparable in speed. The older Next Gen. gets MUCH DARKER in the heat, but takes approximately 2-3 days to become clear;). Nutshell: I live in Texas... polarized cannot be beat. Transitions should develop a product for those of us who live in the southern states. It's hot around here most of the time.

[okoart]

Just got my pair of polycarbonate transitions with AR and they looked great.

Went outside they turned darker and darker but it was not dark enough…

I think I will make myself an OKO-Custom Clip for added sun protection and to compliment the frame.

[hcjilson]

I wouldn't be without mine.The advantage of having a lens that adapts to changing light conditions far outweighs its only disadvantage.(having your picture taken either outside, or just having come in from outside). I agree with Chip in that polarization is the way to travel with sunglasses but I'm one of the ones that have difficulty in keeping track of 2 pair. My idea of heaven would be a polarized Transitions lens. Who knows what the future holds. :bbg:

[chip anderson]

Oddly enough, I had to eat a pair of transitions progressives yesterday because the patient felt it turned too dark, and didn't get light enough inside.


And HC: I think there is a polarized transition out there, but unfortunately it starts out as a dark sunglass and turns to a very dark sunglass.

Chip

[Nettie]

Thank you all for your votes and replies. It's kinda funny though....I posted this same poll on another message board (Non-optical...it's a hair website that I help moderate) and the results were Hate=57%, Love=28%, and Just ok=14%. I guess that could be that a group of non-optical types had no idea what they were going to be like, where we optical folks are very aware of their limitations and chose to purchase regardless. Interesting. I like this poll thing. Maybe the next one will be "Anti-Glare Coating....love it or hate it?" It is interesting to get different perspectives. Thanks again people!

[Cindy Hamlin]

Nettie,
I have to concur. I have had many transitions over the years and they only get better. I have light eyes and am very light sensitive so there are some overcast days I need the shade, but not the sunglass. They are ideal. I do have to keep the suns for the car, but love them.

After I started getting AR on them I liked them better as they seemed to get darker.

[Johns]

I think the most important poll is Nettie's. Real people (consumers) spending real money (no "comps"), and giving real results (many hated them).

Very interesting.

[Nettie]

I must admit I think they are great for kids though. Sold 5 pairs to kids under 18 today.

Here's another question.....What do you think your transitions percentage is per week. Mine is about 10% of my sales.

[Cindy Hamlin]

I think the most important poll is Nettie's. Real people (consumers) spending real money (no "comps"), and giving real results (many hated them).

Very interesting.

It might be interesting of the hate people on the poll to ask why they hated the lens. Could it be they were not given the clear limitations of the lens? Could it be, dare I say, they were not properly informed? I would guess that over half would be underinformed.

I find it interesting that optical people who should be the most informed voted the other way. Could it be we knew what we were getting?

[shellrob]

I agree Cindy, I think the majority don't like them because they were given unrealistic expectations. Everyone I sell them too loves them because they are told what to expect. I love mine too but I don't wear them all the time only when appropriate. I wear my polarized suns the remaining time.

[GOS_Queen]

It might be interesting of the hate people on the poll to ask why they hated the lens. Could it be they were not given the clear limitations of the lens? Could it be, dare I say, they were not properly informed? I would guess that over half would be underinformed.

I find it interesting that optical people who should be the most informed voted the other way. Could it be we knew what we were getting?

While this may indeed be the case, I have had patients come back WHEN I KNOW FOR A FACT they have been told the ins and outs, the pros and cons, and they claim they were never told!

I think it comes down to HOW they were told ~ perhaps using examples (like how it works in a car) and telling them that it is NOT a replacement for sunglasses.

I've seen various waivers in the industry ~ waivers for accepting insurance on assignment with the patient agreeing to pay the remaining balance if the ins. co doesn't pay (pretty standard in the medical community), I've seen waivers for using a customers own frame (if it breaks, don't yell at us!), I know there the 'duty to warn" waiver if they want a lens you don't advise,
maybe it's time for a photochromatic waiver :shiner: I'm joking .... mostly;)

[Robert Martellaro]

I must admit I think they are great for kids though. Sold 5 pairs to kids under 18 today.

Here's another question.....What do you think your transitions percentage is per week. Mine is about 10% of my sales.

Nettie,

Less than five percent. My clients are generally age 60 and over, and need more, not less light for indoor and night vision. I fit clear coated lenses and separate polarized brown lenses for the sun, and sell quite a few polarized brown Fitovers/Cocoons when Rx sunglasses are not in their budget.

The product has certainly improved over the years, with a coated light transmission of about 95%, I believe it still takes a couple of hours if not overnight to reach that level of clarity.

Good point about using transitions for kids, it would be as common as poly/trivex if it wasn't so expensive. By the way, Trivex/Transitions SV is now available in brown.

Regards,

[Jacqui]

I make Transitions all day long. I still wear PGX, they're just better.

[Steve Machol]

Nettie, how was the hair website poll worded exactly? Did the people have any idea what Transitions is?

[Karenrp1956]

No problems with the schools not wanting the kids to wear tinted lens?

I must admit I think they are great for kids though. Sold 5 pairs to kids under 18 today.

Here's another question.....What do you think your transitions percentage is per week. Mine is about 10% of my sales.

[Nettie]

I had to describe what they were since I have had quite a few patients think Progressive and Transition are one and the same. But I did not give my own opinion. Granted, not a huge amount of people replied, but it was interesting to see what they said.