Jules Jones

Because I am a geek, I just went and rounded up assorted pairs of glasses and my postal scales...

1) The latest varifocals.
Full frame titanium, the lowest grade of the several types of high index plastic now available. The lens area is slightly smaller than on the other pair.
Weight is 21g.

code numbers on the frame: 53 17-140 titan 277 24882521 | specsavers 1003194

picture at Specsavers site


2) the first pair of varifocals.
Full frame titanium, the highest grade of the several types of high index plastic now available.
Weight is 19g.

code numbers on the frame: 52 19-140 titan 172 24315364 | specsavers 1001676

picture at Specsavers site


3) the pair I bought a year ago.
Half frame titanium, the highest grade of the several types of high index plastic now available.
Weight is 15g.

code numbers on the frame: 51 19-135 titan 263 24857482 | specsavers 10[blurred]

picture at Specsavers site

(These are some of the most comfortable glasses I've ever worn, although I still don't like the way these shallow designer lenses lose you peripherial vision at the top and bottom.)

4) the last pair I bought before leaving the US, so 3 to 4 years ago.
Full frame lightweight (I think titanium, but not sure), and high index lenses
These have the much deeper lenses you used to be able to get, and that are no longer available in lightweight frames because the cool kids don't wear them.
Weight is 28g

code numbers on the frame: M115 215 140 D.V. | 140 Marchon(R) DV

Ah, googling finds me a picture of the M115 frame.

5) An old pair, probably about 12-15 years old.
I think these were the "other" pair on a 2 for 1 from Specsavers -- I'd left my glasses behind on a trip, and I needed to get a new pair anyway. So I called into the local branch who made me up an emergency pair from their "available in an hour" range, plus a pair in lightweight lenses (which at the time took at least a week to make). Once I got the lightweight set a couple of weeks later, these ones were relegated to emergency backup.
Full frame, standard plastic lenses. The frame would have been the lightest set I could find available for same day fitting, but I'm not sure if it was a titanium frame. The other set isn't around, but I remember it being distinctly lighter on my nose than this set, probably about the same as (4).
Weight is 36g

code numbers on the frame: Marco 24056208 | Specsavers FP 1612089

###

And the conclusion from all that? Yes, it really does make a difference in the weight pressing on your nose when it comes to frame style, frame material, and lens material. Of course, it also makes a difference in the weight on your wallet...

It's not an entirely accurate comparison, as the oldest set is also a higher prescription, but there is a very clear difference in edge thickness from the top end "light and thin" (1 and 3) to the standard "light and thin" (2 and 4), and from the standard "light and thin" to the basic plastic lens (5).

As noted earlier this month, over the last few months I've gone from occasionally needing reading glasses when I'm tired and/or the light's dim, to not wanting to take out my contacts in the evening because then I can't wear reading glasses and thus can't read.

I was persuaded by the optician to try varifocals rather than bifocals, on the grounds that they're much better than they used to be. I was somewhat dubious, recollecting my experience with them 30 years ago, but since they have a 30 day money-back guarantee if you don't get on with them, I ordered a pair. Picked up the new varifocals on Saturday. Have not had the contacts in since, until this morning, when I put them in because too long with glasses gives me a headache simply from the weight on my nose, and I was starting to feel it a bit last night.

Granted, I paid for the flashiest options, and I have a pretty low reading prescription, but they worked so well that I wasn't quite sure they *were* varifocal until I tried reading at home, and found that something I couldn't handle before without a reading lamp was suddenly sharp and clear. These will not be going back, probably for "cold dead hands" values of "not going back". :-) The only issue I have with them so far is that at my standard reading prescription, they're great for reading but not quite strong enough for fine work like cross-stitch.

Specsavers have a 2 for 1 deal on the more expensive frames, which I buy to get the lightweight titanium for the aforementioned weight-on-nose problem rather than to look cool. Unfortunately the 2 for 1 only covers the basic lenses, so I have to pay for the add-ons, in particular the high index plastic which also reduces the weight. Since the second pair will be a back up pair, I have gone for the lowest end of the range on that rather than the highest end as I normally would, and I also didn't go for the best option in the lens shaping. I'll be interested to see how good the second pair are compared to the first, but they won't be made up until I've formally accepted the first pair.