The title says it all! "What IS so great about progressive lenses?" is a question we hear from a lot of customers at GlassesUSA. Many of our customers require multifocal lenses for their eyeglasses. "What does multifocal mean?" is another question we hear frequently. Multifocal simply means your eyes needs both distance correction and reading correction in order to see properly. Usually it also means you need something called intermediary or computer vision correction as well. As we get older, our eyes start to deteriorate - requiring us to use multifocal lenses like bifocals or progressives - as they are commonly called.

Most of us grew up watching our grandparents with big ol' glasses with lined lenses in them. They looked weird and were a sure-fire sign that these people were old. Those lenses were bifocal lenses that had a distinct line in the lower half of the lens. Usually the bifocal looks like a half moon or a tear drop and the line creates an optical jump in the glasses. Progressive lenses - or "no-line bifocals" as they are commonly called - bought in a new era of multifocal eyewear for eyeglass-savvy consumers. People could finally wear prescription glasses that need multifocal correction without the line of a bifocal! One of the advantages of buying and using progressive lenses is that it provides the most natural vision possible for those people that need multifocal correction. The optical jump is less apparent compared to bifocal lenses. It is also the best choice, cosmetically, due to the lack of any line of demarcation.

Additionally, progressive lenses allow the reading power to increase gradually as you look down the length of the lens. You not only have a clear line of vision for both distance and reading but you also have clear intermediate vision! Progressive lenses do take some getting used to though. There is an adjustment period to any pair of progressive lenses - no matter how many years you've been wearing them. Most progressive lenses have a small wavy zone usually appearing in the lower right and left sides. You'll see them more if you make rapid or sudden movements. Have no fear - your eyes WILL adjust to them.

Regardless of if you buy glasses online or in the shop, the wavy effect will be the same - no matter which type of lens you choose. After long-term, everyday wear, those zones will dissipate. If you like the look of single-vision glasses, progressive lenses are the way to go. They have a younger, more youthful look that compliment nearly any frame! That is the best part about progressive lenses - no one knows you're wearing them!