Varifocal contact lenses
What are varifocal contact lenses?
Varifocal contact lenses are designed to address the age-related vision changes we experience with presbyopia, a condition that affects our close-up vision. This means that we’ll start to need different prescriptions for different things.
Varifocals are designed to include all of your vision requirements, so you can easily switch between seeing close-up, in-between, and far away. Great for when you want to change up your look, play sports, read a menu, or just rid you of that niggling feeling that you’ve forgotten your reading glasses.
What’s the difference between bifocals and varifocals?
Bifocal lenses have two sharply divided sections for two types of prescription - one for distance, and one for close reading. Varifocal contact lenses have more of a gradual change between prescriptions to incorporate more than two vision requirements from close-up, midrange, and distance.
How do varifocal contact lenses work?
There are two main designs of varifocal contact lenses that work in different ways:
Simultaneous vision
Probably the most common type, these lenses have specific zones for close or far vision. These zones can be distinct or can be more blended to allow for a gradual change in prescriptions. Essentially, your eye will look through both prescriptions at the same time, but will use the section of the lens that you need, depending on what you’re looking at.
Segmented or alternating vision
This design works in a similar way to bifocal glasses - the middle and top segment of the lens contain your prescription for distance, and the lower segment has your prescription for close vision.
Try varifocals free
If you’d like to give varifocal contact lenses a go, you can try them out free with our contact lens trial.
Get a free pair of glasses with contact lenses
When you sign up to easycare, our direct debit scheme, for Specsavers easyvision or Acuvue® contact lenses, you get a free pair of glasses from our £19-£49 range, including single-vision lenses. Or you can choose from a higher price range and get glasses starting from just £10 extra.